Succession - King Lear and Loathing in America
It's been a while hasn't it? I can only apologise for my complete lack of posting on this blog, the last few months have been nothing more than chaotic. Balancing my new busy work schedule, as well as moving house and reorganising my plans for university have been rewarding but stressful times. I haven't exactly had any time to sit down and watch anything that really compelled me to write, the only films currently in cinemas are just not really grabbing my attention, the end of this month promises new releases that have been waiting to be released post-covid and that is certainly more interesting than what is currently coming out. However, I found myself with a bit of a gap of time that I wanted to fill with getting invested in a new TV show and as a massive fan of The Thick of It and Peep Show I felt it was about time i caught up with the ridiculously adored Succession and see if Jesse Armstrong's signature satirical cruelty translated well onto a big budget HBO drama. Needless to say, this show has occupied my mind like crazy as of late, the brand of 'American Business Drama' usually repels me due to the exhaustive pacing and repetitiveness, but this succinct and cruel show cuts out all the fat leaving nothing unsaid and everything worthwhile.
It is kind of hard to advertise this show to other people because it relies on being the best of pretty tired tropes, the core concept is basically identical to something like Arrested Development but it is that unique style, performances and cohesiveness that makes Succession shine bright. Wealth dynasties are one of those fascinating topics that the world seems drawn to, with families like the Murdoch family and the Trump Family, the idea that these people are born into power, money and often evil inevitability falling into that same evil themselves is so compelling. There is no doubt that once you are born into one of these families, it is inevitable that you will become exactly like those in that family. Succession plays with this dynamic by playing out the crucial tug of war as inherited power clashes with those who taught that power. The fascinating dynamic of the Roy family comes down to seeing how one father whose life revolves around his manufacturing of power and wealth clash with the children that were taught these very principles. Logan Roy (Brian Cox) is an absolutely mind-blowing character, Cox is amazing at balancing this has-been delusional old man with a genuinely terrifying ruthless businessman always manipulating the people around him and being seamlessly invincible. The pilot opens with the mutterings of a confused old man clearly losing his mental capacity and ending with that old man revealing himself as the scariest person in the room.
I do want to make it clear that this show is more than just 'aren't rich people bad sometimes', it is consistent in maintaining a personal aspect to the Roy family. The reason these people are the way they are is much more than the fact they are one of the planet's wealthiest and most corrupt families, it is down to a myriad of fascinating factors that have melded the way these people survive. The endearing factor is their relationship with Logan, whom has individually melded these people and in many ways resulted in the power struggle he is currently facing. For Shiv (Sarah Snook) , she admired her father and tries to maintain that strength he shows. For Connor (Alan Ruck), he admired the wealth of his father and is happy relying on just that. For Roman (Kieran Culkin), he lives in fear of his father and instead of utilising that fear becomes easily manipulated and socially uneducated. And for the series' protagonist, Kendall, he admires his father's business skills yet lacks the commanding power of his father attributing to his absolutely fascinating arc across the two seasons. Armstrong paints this family with fascinating complexity, at no point are they likable people yet they remain extremely entertaining throughout, especially the secondary characters like Greg and Tom who's lives are caught up in this families dysfunctionality and are fighting to stay above water.
Now for all my musings about the political and power dynamics this show revels in, one thing that caught me off guard was the undeniable hilarity within the writing. It is clear Armstrong has only perfected his skills from The Thick of It when it comes to writing terrible people being utterly despicable when talking to each other. The dialogue is so cutting and entertaining, with quips and insults that are more than just shock humour but are hilariously building blocks for these character's relationships. Everything that comes out of Roman's mouth is hilarious, however it also becomes clear that he is pathetically insecure and only talks like this due to his inability to be emotionally available. Logan's dialogue consists of mostly telling people to 'F*** off' but Cox manages to make every instance purely terrifying and unique. People consistently don't say what they mean, they disguise malice as playful quips or hide emotion behind their inability to show vulnerability, it is why these performances are so captivating, most of the heavy lifting is almost completely reliant on these actors managing to communicate through various lies and fronts.
With the third season now starting, it should be clarified that Succession is a patient show, one that doesn't really follow any traditional structure. Armstrong's sitcom background shines through as each episode revolves around a 'situation' there is far more focus on individual episodes having their own internal structure than a slow burn single arc season. As a result the set-up episodes can feel like filler occasionally, but the pay-off is always beyond worth it, both series finales are still my two favourite episodes and that exhilarating payoff feels authentic and shoots a bolt of adrenaline through your body that TV hasn't made me feel for a while. It's so satisfying to see such a successful TV show feel quite daring and admittedly conceptually brave, whilst it revisits familiar tropes, there is not a good person within this cast and Armstrong never sacrifices authenticity for sentimentality. Characters fluctuate between being incredibly unlikable to sympathetic right back to despicable and it is this unpredictability that the show has nailed making every twist as compelling as the last. Succession will continue to rise, it is a show I can not recommend enough and a show that is going to leave a lasting mark on Television as we know it.
Thanks for reading, thank you for your patience.