Succession

Post date: May 16, 2023

By Viena Fuentes

I first started watching the critically acclaimed HBO show “Succession” earlier this year, giving myself some time to really pace myself before the premiere of the fourth season. I had seen so many viral tweets about this show, some of my favorite celebrities would talk about it so I eventually gave in and started watching it having no idea what the show was about. It’s fair to mention that the news of the fourth season being the show's final season came out when I was just finishing up season two and it absolutely crushed me because I had grown really fond of the dysfunctional family, the amazing performances, and the brilliant score that makes it a crime to skip the intro. While watching the first episode there were several moments where my mouth dropped because of how ruthless and strong some of the insults were. It’s very hard to root for the characters because they are all arguably horrible people, but that’s what makes this show so fun to watch. I will say though, I often just nod and pretend like I understand what they’re saying whenever they get into the business aspect of the show. dysfunctional family, the amazing performances, and the brilliant score that makes it a crime to skip the intro. While watching the first episode there were several moments where my mouth dropped because of how ruthless and strong some of the insults were. It’s very hard to root for the characters because they are all arguably horrible people, but that’s what makes this show so fun to watch. I will say though, I often just nod and pretend like I understand what they’re saying whenever they get into the business aspect of the show. 

Succession is a drama series that follows  the dysfunctional Roy family who own one of the most successful global media and entertainment conglomerates known as Waystar Royco. The show follows Logan Roy (Brian Cox) who is the CEO and owner of Waystar Royco and his adult children. Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) who is Logan’s second oldest son and the one who is most involved in the company and will do anything to become his father’s successor.  Siobhan “Shiv'' Roy (Sarah Snook) who is Logan’s only daughter and usually an outsider to her family’s business as she prefers to dive into the world of politics.  Roman  Roy (Kieran Culkin) who is the youngest son; he is reckless, immature, witty, vulgar, but also secretly insecure and the show really does a good job at showing how complex his personality is. Connor Roy(Alan Ruck) who is the oldest but most forgotten son. And finally, Tom Wambsgans (Mathew Macfadyen) who is Shiv’s partner and the clueless cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun).  As Logan’s health declines and his children fight for his position to take over the company. It’s a show about wealth, manipulation, and the lengths people will go to for power, but it also shows the effects of generational trauma and the effect that growing up with an abusive father can have on someone. 

The show is filled with spectacular performances from every single actor. It doesn’t matter if you’re watching the main character or a side character, everyone always puts on their best performance. The dialogue is very foul- mouthed and inappropriate, but it fits each character. The outstanding writing is able to give every character layers and make them extremely complex. One of the best examples is Roman Roy who starts off the show by being presented as the immature man child of the family who has a comeback or a witty remark for every situation, but as the show goes on he becomes one of the most empathetic and tragic characters. He cares the most for his family and desperately looks for the attention and approval of his father. I found myself  irritated by him during the first couple episodes, but also amused by his comments because of how out of line they were. He began growing on me as you start seeing who he actually is and all the burden that he secretly carries. Every single character in this show has an arc that keeps me interested. It’s so fun seeing how sometimes Logan’s children take one step forward and like ten steps back. They’re constantly looking for ways to outsmart their father, but Logan is always on top of everything. Alliances are constantly created and  destroyed, even amongst the family. It’s like a visual game of chess and every character is a pawn. Succession has been nominated to 48 Emmy awards and has won 13 out of those. It won outstanding drama in 2022 and it broke the record for most acting nominations in a single year. 

Succession is a very complicated show. It can be a satire comedy as it often makes fun of the absurdity of wealth. A dark comedy in the sense that many characters tend to use humor to hide their insecurities However at its core it is a family drama. It really shows how complex family dynamics can be when there’s money, power, and past traumas involved.