Hey, Losties? We need to talk.

by Therese Odell, posted in watch this

It me.

Here’s A BUNCH OF TV News

As promised, let’s talk about those series finales! This post is going to be spoilerific, so if you haven’t watched the finale of either Succession or Barry, please excuse yourself from the conversation, and scroll down to the NoHo Hank gif telling someone they’re bad at writing. You should be safe there.

In a “Controlling the Narrative” featurette that aired after the series finale of Succession, creator Jesse Armstrong explained why it was always going to be Tom:

“The idea of Tom being the eventual successor, that had been something that I thought was the right ending for quite a while now. Even though he’s not exactly the most powerful monarch you’ll ever meet — his power comes from Matsson. Those figures that drift upwards and make themselves amenable to powerful people are around.”

For me, the reason it had to be Tom is that unlike any of the other central figures, the Roy siblings or Cousin Greg, Tom is, like Logan himself, a striver who came from nothing.

You can see what Armstrong had to say about the central siblings’ fates here:

But also, five days ago, this TikTok creator posted this theory on Tom’s last name, Wambsgans, and how it predicts the ending — suggesting, if true, that the writers had this planned from the very beginning.

@nameberry.com

Do the names on Succession reveal the show’s ending? #succession #hbomax #tomwambsgans #billwambsganss #shivroy #successionhbo #successiontok #successionfinale #babynames #nameberry

♬ Epic Inspiration – DM Production

You add to that the fact that it is Siobhan “Shiv” — as in a shiv — who deals the fatal blow to her brother’s ambitions … it was all there in the names.

Also, a revisiting of the final season poster reveals many details:

First, notice that Logan is prominently displaying his watch — which, of course, is a symbol of the passage of time and ultimately, his death — but it is also most likely a watch that Tom gave him as a gift in the first episode.

But for me, the most interesting detail is how Tom and Shiv are the only characters to have someone else in their reflections, that Shiv is behind Tom in both, and they are standing nowhere near each other.

As far as when Matthew Macfadyen knew it would be Tom, he reveals that Jesse Armstrong told all of them if they wanted to know, to come talk to him, and that he found out halfway through the series.

Jeremy Strong reveals that he did a take at the end where Kendall climbed over the railing:

@milkkcore

jeremy strong truly is one of our finest actors. the finale was devastatingly brilliant #succession #successionhbo #successionedit #kendall #kendallroy #jeremystrong #finale #successionfinale

♬ original sound – mk

Also, yes, he drank that disgusting smoothie.

Brian Cox wrote in an Instagram story that this was his “greatest work experience.”

We have now come to the end. And what has been, in my career, certainly the greatest work experience ever. The harmony between crew and cast was truly amazing. It was on it’s [sic] way to become a great series but the Love and commitment from crew to cast and writers, made it memorable. I would like to thank all of us in the making and creating of this show from the very bottom of my heart.

Vulture has a nice list of callbacks in the final episode.

The New York Times has a good list of think pieces about the show if you want more.

Finally, congratulations to Sarah Snook!

And then there was Barry.

Henry Winkler has some thoughts about Gene’s future and what he would have thought about his portrayal in The Mask Collector: he wouldn’t be happy about it. He also has a very profound theory on Barry’s last words.

“Until the last few moments of the season, he always believed that he was my son and that I loved him and he loved me. He never put together that he killed the woman I loved and that that would have affected me. It never dawned on him. When I was brought into that room and I was blamed and somehow they piece together that it was me, I just went insane. I think at that moment, at the end of that scene when I have no words, the switch flipped. I think the light went out in my brain.”

Sarah Goldberg muses on Sally’s “happy” ending. And how ultimately, Barry “won” the game.

Anthony Carrigan, who is the wonderful NoHo Hank, discusses his character’s fate and what he took from the set.

R.I.P. NoHo Hank.

I’m saving that gif for my next La Brea recap.

Maureen Ryan, the talented TV critic who wrote memorably about Lost back in the day, has written a new book about the industry, entitled Burn It Down. Here, Vanity Fair shares a chapter that focused on Lost, and how according to many writers and some actors, behind the scenes it was an extremely toxic work environment — particularly in terms of racism — encouraged from the very top by showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. Lindelof and Cuse are interviewed in this, and allowed to respond to the allegations, most of which they claim they don’t remember happening, but if they did, they’re sorry.

I will warn my fellow Losties — this is an incredibly difficult piece to read, but it’s essential. When I moderated a Lost panel at Houston’s Comicpalooza five years ago, the late actress who played Daniell Rousseau, Mira Furlan, shared her very negative experiences on the series, especially in feeling she was sidelined for sexist reasons. And I have to say, as I sat there, listening to her stories, it made me uncomfortable, and I didn’t want to believe her, because believing her would mean that the creators I respected so much had failed at some level.

But, as Ryan writes in this piece:

Complicating and adding necessary context to the show’s influential legacy is important. Plus, the tendency to engage in hero worship of “geniuses” is very much alive and well. If we don’t question the more damaging aspects of our conception of genius, we are doomed to repeat the past ad nauseam. And we’ll get shittier entertainment.

Please read this, especially and particularly if you loved Lost. It’s going to make you uncomfortable. Like my experience with Furlan, you’re not going to want to believe it, but it’s important we confront the ugly truth. But finally, I will add, Lindelof, for one, made a conscientious effort in later projects — particularly on Watchmen — to hire a diverse writers’ room and allow those writers to take charge of the story. None of us are the sum of our worst acts.

First of all, Pedro, don’t be letting people put their thumbs in your eyes, did you learn nothing? But second of all, which of you sickos are going around shoving your thumbs into strangers’ eyes?

I keep having to say this, but please stop with the death threats.

Welcome back, Al Roker! Now try to stay out of the hospital for a while.

#MeToo

Speaking of toxic sets — The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel‘s Amy Sherman-Palladino revealed that working on both Roseanne and Veronica’s Closet was something of a nightmare, including working with one literal serial rapist.

Can we please stop judging women on what they wear and whether they are being too feminine or not feminine enough? This is insane.

The Romeo and Juliet child pornography case has been dismissed by a judge.

Priyanka Chopra talks about the humiliating incident that made her leave Bollywood forever.

A very dark story out of Japan, in which a famous Kabuki actor who had been accused of sexually harassing his co-stars was found unconscious in his home along with his deceased parents.

Casting News

  • Erykah Badu has joined the cast of The Piano Lesson on Netflix.

Mark Your Calendars

  • I’m a Virgo will debut on Prime Video on June 23.
  • Stars on Mars will premiere on Fox on June 5.
  • Burden of Proof will debut on HBO on June 6.

R.I.P.

Robin Wagner, Broadway set designer

Mitt Larsen, Magic Castle co-founder

 

WATCH THIS

I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson: This lunatic is back, and not a moment too soon. Season three. Netflix

America’s Got Talent: Season 18, dios mio. Season premiere. 7 p.m., NBC

Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge: Car lovers compete in transforming a normal car into the Hot Wheels of their childhood dreams. Series premiere. 9 p.m., NBC

Frontline: After Uvalde: Guns, Grief & Texas Politics: A year after the horrific tragedy in Uvalde, a look into how a community grieved, and the fight over assault weapons (and how nothing is ever going to fucking change, because this state, this country loves their weapons more than their children).  8 p.m., PBS

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CBS FBI
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