Alison Herman TV Critic SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers from “With Open Eyes,” the series finale of HBO’s “,” now streaming on Max. “Succession” ends in a place it’s been countless times before: with Kendall Roy, alone and adrift by a body of water. “With Open Eyes,” the feature-length conclusion to the Roy family saga, has many such full-circle moments.
Some series finales radically break from their show’s typical rhythm, flashing forward to show us the full span of the characters’ lives (“Six Feet Under”) or transforming into a different concept altogether (“Girls”).
But despite its length, “With Open Eyes” is the distilled, concentrated essence of “Succession,” even as it builds to a decisive break between the Roys and the company that’s no longer theirs — a union that’s otherwise informed every second of the series’ events.
Like every season finale before it, “With Open Eyes” takes its name from John Berryman’s poem “Dream Song 29” and takes place, at least in part, in a foreign country.
Read more on variety.com