Succession creator Jesse Armstrong ‘conflicted’ over ‘sad’ news season 4 will be the last

Showrunner praised HBO, calling the channel ‘generous’

Succession is returning to screens in March – but a ‘conflicted” Jesse Armstrong has shared some news about the episodes.

The HBO series has become one of the most acclaimed shows in recent years since it began in 2018, scoring a cult fanbase and worming its way into several “greatest TV shows of all time” lists.

Ready to further cement its status as such, Armstrong has now officially revealed that the fourth season will be the last.

Yes – after debuting new episodes in March, Succession will come to an end in May.

Armstrong, who also co-created Peep Show, told The New Yorker: “There’s a promise in the title of Succession. I’ve never thought this could go on forever. The end has always been kind of present in my mind.

“From season two, I’ve been trying to think, ‘Is it the next one, or the one after that, or is it the one after that?’”

Armstrong said that after considering extending the series, his team of writers decided to “do something a bit more muscular and complete, and go out sort of strong”.

He added: “That was definitely always my preference.”

Armstrong also commended HBO for being “generous” as the premium cable channel “would probably have done more seasons”.

“They have been nice about saying, ‘It’s your decision.’ That’s nice, but it’s also a responsibility in the end – it feels quite perverse to stop doing it.”

‘Succession’ creator Jesse Armstrong (Getty Images for BFI)

He admitted to feeling “conflcited” by the decision, stating: “I feel sad, and I have the circus-has-left-town feeling that everyone gets who works on a production that’s good, and this one particularly so.

“I imagine I’ll be a little bit lonely, and wandering the streets of London in a funk, and wondering, ‘What the f*** did I do?’ I’ll probably be calling you up in about six months asking if people are ready for a reboot.”

The series follows the backstabbing Roy family, led by Brian Cox’s Logan, as they scheme their way to the top of their global media empire.

Season three ended on a particularly big empire with warring siblings Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin) and Shiv (Sarah Snook) united following a huge betrayal by their father.

Also starring in the show is Matthew Macfadyen, Nicholas Braun, Alan Ruck and J Smith Cameron.

Jeremy Strong in ‘Succession’ (HBO Max)

Earlier this week, Cox called out Strong’s “f***ing annoying” acting style, almost one year after sharing his initial candid thoughts on his co-star.

Meanwhile, in a new interview, Strong said that Cox has “earned the right to say whatever the f*** he wants”.

Succession will return to HBO on Sunday 26 March. The series will land on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK on 27 March.