The Succession finale will go down as one of the best television conclusions of all time. The filmmakers wrapped up the iconic HBO series with surprising twists, shifting power dynamics, and immoral Waystar Royco employees that we all grew to love over the course of the four season run. There is a lot to love, and it’s hard to pick just one moment from the finale as a favorite. However, Succession producer and director Mark Mylod has a distinct favorite from the series finale. And it just so happens to be the last scene they shot.
In a recent interview with Variety's Awards Circuit Podcast, Mylod opened up about filming the last episode of the iconic drama, and what moments stuck with him strongly. He singled out the “Meal Fit For A King” scene, where Roman and Shiv Roy create a disgusting milkshake filled with all sorts of non cohesive household snacks and make their brother Kendall drink it after conceding the CEO position to him. Mylod said:
The awful milkshake scene is one of my favorite. That happened to be the very last thing that we shot. It was actually really hard to shoot. And the stink in that kitchen. Yeah, I can’t even begin to tell you. Jeremy is Jeremy and he’s all or nothing, as we all know. I’d shoot the whole thing start to finish, that’s just the way we do things. And each time he just he couldn’t stop himself. He was just so in the moment that even if I called cut, I think he’d still be in it. I would call cut, he’d put the thing down lean over and wretch into this wastebasket next to him. It was so disgusting this stuff that was going into it.
It’s no surprise that Jeremy Strong actually drank the milkshake blend in every take. The actor is notoriously committed to giving his all to a scene and a character, citing acting as a "religious experience." So it’s definitely fitting that he would want to fully immerse himself in whatever Kendall was experiencing at the moment. It’s even grosser when you remember that “Shiv” actor Sarah Snook spits in the blender before Kendall drinks the smoothie. Now that's some serious commitment. It was Strong’s final moment as the character, and he even let his co-stars shave his head after they wrapped, symbolically ridding himself of the weight of Kendall Roy, and leaving the tragic character behind.
The scene in question is unique to the episode, as it offers a bit of catharsis before the devastating final moments of the episode. The siblings are goofing around just like siblings would, laughing in the kitchen and getting along while messing with the older brother. It’s one of the rare Succession moments where the audience gets a glimpse into a silly sibling dynamic and we see our characters let their childlike selves shine through. It also feels like a bad omen, because as most fans of the show know, any moment of pure happiness and relief is quickly squashed by gut-wrenching betrayals, and cutting remarks.
However, even while it’s fleeting, it’s always a joy to watch the Roy siblings have fun and the occasional bright moment. The Succession cast plays off each other so well, and I can totally see “Roman” actor Kieran Culkin really making an effort to make the smoothie as gross as possible to mess with his scene partner. Mylod also probably had a blast shooting the scene, and capturing the pseudo-sibling relationship of the cast being translated into the characters. Succession is notorious for letting the cast improvise, so sitting back and watching the iconic trio bring the best out of each other probably was incredible to behold. It’s certainly worthy of being a favorite moment.
You can see this scene and other well constructed moments from the Succession finale by rewatching the series now with a Max subscription. Also, check out some of our thoughts following the series finale of the HBO favorite, and some of the iconic lines from the final episode, “With Open Eyes.”
