美国国家公共电台 NPR--'Succession' fans learn who would take over for monstrous mogul Logan Roy

'Succession' fans learn who would take over for monstrous¹ mogul Logan Roy

Transcript²

The final episode of the award-winning HBO series Succession aired Sunday night. Here's a look back on the show.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

It's officially over.

(SOUNDBITE OF NICHOLAS BRITELL'S "SUCCESSION (MAIN TITLE THEME)")

FADEL: The last episode of HBO's hit "Succession" aired last night, and viewers finally learned who would take over for the monstrous mogul Logan Roy as head of the family-owned entertainment conglomerate³ Waystar Royco. Now, I'm sure some of you may not have watched the finale yet, so you might want to turn the volume down for a few minutes because there are big spoilers coming up. To talk about the blockbuster ending, we're joined by NPR TV critic Eric Deggans. Hi, Eric.

ERIC DEGGANS, BYLINE⁴: Hi.

FADEL: All right. We've got two surprises. Eldest⁵ son, leading candidate for successor Kendall Roy was not able to take control of his father's company. Instead, Tom Wambsgans, the estranged⁶ husband of Logan's daughter, Shiv, was installed as the company's CEO, and the deciding vote was Shiv's. Here's a clip of Kendall, played by Jeremy Strong, trying to convince Shiv, played by Sarah Snook, not to vote against him.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "SUCCESSION")

JEREMY STRONG: (As Kendall Roy) I am like a cog built to fit only one machine. I can do this.

SARAH SNOOK: (As Shiv Roy) I don't think you'd be good at it.

STRONG: (As Kendall Roy) What? I don't even believe you. I don't believe you.

SNOOK: (As Shiv Roy) I don't. I don't think that you would be good at this.

FADEL: Did you see this coming? And what does it mean?

DEGGANS: OK. I'm going to be honest. I predicted Kendall would win in a column that I wrote for npr.org over this past weekend. But on NPR's air back in April, because of how the story was unfolding then, I actually said...

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

DEGGANS: I'm putting my money on Tom - Tom Wambsgans.

ANDREW LIMBONG: Tom.

DEGGANS: I really feel like he's the dark horse here.

FADEL: OK.

DEGGANS: Ta-da.

FADEL: So you did predict him at some point. Why did you pick Tom as the dark horse?

DEGGANS: So, on the one hand, it's because Tom is the perfect servant to powerful men. Now, Waystar Royco's board sells the company to an Elon Musk-style tech mogul who essentially⁷ tells Tom he needs a front man to enact⁸ painful change - not a partner, but a lackey⁹. And Tom has constantly shown he's willing to betray anyone, including Shiv, to get closer to power. But the other reason this happens is because Shiv ultimately decides she doesn't think any of her siblings¹⁰ can or should run their father's company. And that's a bitter and accurate truth that strikes at the heart of the entire story.

FADEL: Now, there have been a lot of big moments in "Succession" during this final season - the death of Logan Roy, a nightmarish election episode, a dramatic funeral. Was there anything else in this finale that measured up to those moments?

DEGGANS: Well, I think this final episode reminded us that the story's always been centered on the three youngest kids of Logan Roy and how they're bound to each other and, ultimately, pitted against each other by their dysfunctional childhoods. They each reveal that their father promised the top job to them at different moments when he tried to manipulate them. And there's this wonderful sequence in the finale where the three siblings decide to work together to keep their company in family hands. And I'm watching this thinking, why am I rooting for these terrible people to retain control of this powerful company? But, you know, so much of "Succession" is about this family...

FADEL: Yeah.

DEGGANS: ...And their inability to connect with each other, their inability to face the terrible truth about their lives. And those moments came together in a really spot-on finale.

FADEL: Now, this show has been the center of pop culture conversation like few other series in recent memory. Why do you think fans love this show so much?

DEGGANS: I think "Succession" works on three levels. First, it's a wickedly astute¹¹ and funny dark comedy about how wealthy people who are often undeserving control the levers of power in the world.

FADEL: Yeah.

DEGGANS: It's also a look at a family that wants to connect with each other but can't help tearing itself apart. And finally, it's this story about insanely wealthy people who are completely miserable¹². And for those of us who aren't in the 1%, that might be some comfort in seeing that money doesn't always bring fulfillment.

FADEL: NPR TV critic Eric Deggans. Thanks so much, Eric.

DEGGANS: Thank you.

(SOUNDBITE OF NICHOLAS BRITELL'S "SUCCESSION (MAIN TITLE THEME)")

1 monstrous   

adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的

参考例句：

• The smoke began to whirl and grew into a monstrous column.浓烟开始盘旋上升，形成了一个巨大的烟柱。
• Your behaviour in class is monstrous!你在课堂上的行为真是丢人！

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 conglomerate   

n.综合商社，多元化集团公司

参考例句：

• The firm has been taken over by an American conglomerate.该公司已被美国一企业集团接管。
• An American conglomerate holds a major share in the company.一家美国的大联合企业持有该公司的大部分股份。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 eldest   

adj.最年长的，最年老的

参考例句：

• The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。
• The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。

6 estranged   

adj.疏远的，分离的

参考例句：

• He became estranged from his family after the argument.那场争吵后他便与家人疏远了。
• The argument estranged him from his brother.争吵使他同他的兄弟之间的关系疏远了。

7 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

8 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

9 lackey   

n.侍从；跟班

参考例句：

• I'm not staying as a paid lackey to act as your yes-man.我不要再做拿钱任你使唤的应声虫。
• Who would have thought that Fredo would become a lackey of women?谁能料到弗烈特竟堕落成女人脚下的哈叭狗？

10 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

11 astute   

adj.机敏的，精明的

参考例句：

• A good leader must be an astute judge of ability.一个优秀的领导人必须善于识别人的能力。
• The criminal was very astute and well matched the detective in intelligence.这个罪犯非常狡猾，足以对付侦探的机智。

12 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。