HBOs Succession

 This week I would like to talk about the greatest show ever, Succession. Every few months I go through a phase where a show becomes “the best show I’ve ever watched”. I spend all my time learning about potential new seasons and reading all the cast's biographies. This time I’m sure and don’t think it will change. Succession is just incredible!

 The story follows Logan Roy, the patriarch of a multi-billion dollar news empire who plans to retire; 1 of his 4 children (Kendall, Roman, Connor, Siobhan) will inherit his empire. As you may have guessed, the show explores the conflict between the siblings as they struggle to gain their father's favor to secure the coveted CEO position. At first glance, this synopsis hardly seems captivating. It resembles many other existing shows that depict the lifestyle of the wealthy. Even the show's cover seems innocuous, brown, and slightly dull. Spoiler: It’s not! While office politics do take up a large section of screen time, the real meat of the show is exploring the relationships between the characters.

 Saying Logan Roy has never been particularly affectionate is the understatement of the century. He is a complete and total narcissist. He hands his love out in bits to incentivize his children. They are all slightly afraid of him but would do anything if it meant winning his favor. Everyone vying for the CEO position seems more out of a need for parental approval, instead of a genuine need for the money or the power. The concept is explored beautifully through the incredible acting and storylines. The first 3-to 4 episodes lag, but when your understanding of each character develops - you become hooked.

 Another notable factor was how well developed each character is. All the Roys and the supporting characters (Tom, Greg) are terrible, ethically questionable people, but somehow exploring each story and understanding their motives allows you to root for them. They all depth, each character is developed fully. Making any truly unlikeable character someone the audience collectively roots for is no easy feat, and the succession writers had the herculean task of making an entire family of them likable. There are also incredible one-liners sprinkled throughout the show. It’s such clever writing, however viewer discretion, there is a lot, lot, lot of swearing.

There is also an intricate build-up of storylines, everything is briefly mentioned or hinted at at some point. No matter how shocking a revelation might be, if you go back you see a trail scattered across episodes pointing it out.

After I completed the show, I combed through youtube video after video watching different analyses and takes on the show to see if they matched what I thought. I stumbled on an interesting interpretation that analyzed the camera work and lighting and linked that to the storyline. The majority of succession is filmed in a slightly bleak grayish-brown lighting. No matter how extravagant the setting of the room is or how gorgeous the cars are, none of it looks as appealing as it should. The enormous amount of wealth is the reason behind all of their struggle. 

p.s. the soundtrack is incredible if you needed yet another reason to watch.

Thank you for reading, I’m going to rewatch the whole thing!