Kendall's Bad Luck Passed to Strong: The Impact of Succession's Finale on Jeremy Strong's Award Nominations

The Tragic Fate of Kendall Roy in Succession

Kendall Roy, wonderfully portrayed by Jeremy Strong, was Succession's finale's biggest loser, and somehow this is still being reflected in the current awards season. Succession's final episode aired on May 28th, 2024. The episode received praise from fans and critics and soon became considered one of the best TV show finales ever. However, the ending was not so happy for Kendall Roy, one of Succession's most fascinating characters.

Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy stares ahead with a sad expression as Colin monitors in the background in Succession

Succession follows the life of Logan Roy, owner of one the biggest media and entertainment companies in the world, and his children, who desperately want their father's approval and to take over his role as Waystar Royco as CEO when he steps down. While the series follows the constant speculation and scamming from Kendall, Roman, and Shiv to get the throne, Succession's ending is brutal as it is the most tragic outcome for the siblings. Although Tom being the big winner represents a major loss for all three of them, Kendall's loss hits even harder given how much being the CEO meant to him and the number of failures he carries on his back.

Kendall yelling at Shiv about being the eldest boy in Succession

Kendall Losing Succession Has Carried Over to Jeremy Strong's 2024 Award Nominations

Interestingly, Kendall's defeat in Succession seems to have been transferred to Jeremy Strong's performance during the awards season, considering some of the most relevant outcomes so far. In the first place, both Kieran Culkin and Sarah Snook, who portrayed Roman and Shiv Roy, his siblings in the show, won at the Golden Globes. Culkin, on the one hand, won in the Best Actor category, in which he was competing against Strong and Brian Cox, while Snook, on the other hand, didn't compete against other Succession female actresses and took the statue home.

In addition to Kendall (Strong) being the only one of the three siblings who were contending for Logan's throne not to win at the Golden Globes, Matthew Macfadyen’s win makes Strong's snubs even worse. Macfadyen won in the Best Supporting Actor category for his role of Tom, who finally got the CEO position instead of Kendall. Despite not being a sibling, Macfadyen's triumph further emphasizes Strong's loss in a ceremony packed with wins for the show. Furthermore, this tendency also replicates in the SAG Awards nominations, which have recently been announced. While Macfadyen, Snook, Culkin, and Cox are all nominated, Jeremy Strong is the greatest absence on the list.

Jeremy Strong's Standout Performance in Succession Season 4

Even though Strong not winning at the Golden Globes and being left out of the SAG Awards nominations are both interesting things to relate to Succession's finale, his performance is still one of the greatest and one of the highlights of the show's last season and the series as a whole. Kendall's plotline is one of the most compelling and tragic given everything he has to go through throughout Succession's four seasons and the way everything comes to an end for him. Jeremy Strong's performance consistently excellent throughout the run of Succession as it keeps adding layers to such a heartbreaking character.