How Succession's Series Finale Event Will Impact The Finale Of Bill Hader's Barry

Bill Hader and Jeremy Strong
(Image credit: HBO)

This will be a big weekend for HBO viewers and fans with Max subscriptions, as they can watch the conclusions of Succession and Barry. Both acclaimed shows are coming to an end, but because of the length of the finales, Succession is going to impact the usual schedule. 

The news is great for those who want to see as much Succession as possible before the end (and happy endings for certain characters), because the finale will be super-sized. Unfortunately, it will come at the cost of Barry airing at its normal time, as the finale will be bumped later in the night, and viewers will have to wait just a bit longer to see what will become of Bill Hader's Barry Berkman, his family, and the other wild characters. 

Succession's Finale Will Be Nearly 90 Minutes

HBO revealed that Succession will have a feature-length finale that will clock in at 88 minutes, starting at 9:00 p.m. ET. The extended episode length will no doubt feature many surprises and unexpected moments, though I'm still not sure I'm a believer in Brian Cox teasing that Logan isn't really dead. I mean, why go to all the trouble of hiding the character's death for a year if it wasn't really going to take? 

Barry's Finale Will Be Delayed As A Result

While an extra-long Succession finale could be great for fans, it's could also be confusing for those who don't watch the show and are tuning in for Barry. The silver lining is that viewers won't have to wait too much longer than usual to see the thrilling conclusion to Bill Hader's show.

Barry will air its series finale on Sunday, May 28th at 10:30 p.m. ET. The finale isn't going to be much longer than the standard episodes, as Somebody Somewhere is kicking off its final two episodes at 11:05 p.m. ET. I'm surprised Barry didn't have its own super-sized finale planned because I can't begin to imagine how this whole story is going to wrap up. Maybe Larry David was right in his opinion about having the story end with Season 3. 

The Good News: Memorial Day Is On Monday

Normally, I would call it bad form to push the finale for an acclaimed series a full 30 minute back in the night. HBO gets a pass from me this time, though, because Monday is Memorial Day, and a number of people will have the day off. Those who still have to work early in the morning can reserve full rights to gripe about this, especially if they aren't Succession fans. Thankfully, we live in an age of streaming and DVR, so anyone who can't tune in can always catch it another time. 

Succession airs its finale on HBO on Sunday, May 28th at 9:00 p.m. ET, and Barry will follow at 10:30 p.m. ET. All episodes will premiere at their respective times on Max and will be available to stream after for anyone who can't stay up to watch them. 

Mick Joest
Content Producer

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.