HBO’s Succession sadly may have gone under your radar during the rush that is summer. It did for me, since I was watching Sharp Objects this summer. The show was created by The Thick of It’s Jesse Armstrong and exec produced by Will Ferrell, Frank Rich, Kevin Messick and Ilene S. Landress. Adam McKay (The Big Short) directs as well as serving as an executive producer.
The cast has Brian Cox (Logan Roy – The Father), Jeremy Strong (Kendall Roy, eldest son from Logan’s second marriage), Kieran Culkin ( Roman Roy, Logan’s outspoken, fun-loving son), Sarah Snook (Shiv ‘Siobhan’ Roy, Logan’s only daughter), Nicholas Braun (Greg, Logan’s less than competent nephew) and Matthew Macfadyen (Tom, Shiv’s ambitious partner/fiancé and a senior executive ).
The show tells the story of a family-run media conglomerate wrestling with the question of who will take over if or when the patriarch chooses to step down. (Not like we are seeing anything like this happening in real life right now! LOL).
Succession’s main plot device is Logan’s refusal, after an 18-month preparation process, to hand over the reins to Kendall, followed shortly by a stroke. A power struggle immediately follows. Does sitting on top of the corporate require the correct last name? Can knowledge, skills, and other qualifications trump a blood line are questions that run thought out the series.
At first glance you might take this as hard core drama, but when you take a deeper look, the characters use humor, as more than just a defense mechanism. Think of the something in the vain of West Wing. This adds a level of fun to the show that is way more complex then the advertising HBO gave it credit for. Yes, you can tell from the teasers for the sixth episode, that the family is staging a coup against the tyrannical father Logan (Brian Cox), but plot is far greater and your emotional investment grows as the show expands beyond the obvious in turn a tale of dark business tricks, politics and the humor which comes with them. Cringe humor is used spades, but helps you invest in both the story and charters.
Succession mocks the rich and the never-ending pursuit wealth, while being both satiric and funny. It shows the flaws of moguls and their circle of friends, but also shows the flaws that all of have when it comes to age, family, business and money. The clock waits for no person. The show makes us look at how money and how hoarding shapes us and our world. We may not all have the trust fund of the Roys in our future, but we all know money shapes our lives.
The Roys may be horrible people, but Succession is a show worth owning. Succession is available now on Digital Download (iTunes, Google Play Store, VUDU, Fandango Now, UltraViolet)
