REVIEW #288 Succession (4 Seasons)

The Logan family are known for owning the biggest media and entertainment company in the world but their world changes when their father Logan looks to step down from the company.

There is no doubt that Succession is the latest HBO show to take the world by storm, with its impressive writing and captivating performances from its entire cast. It’s the hottest commodity right now and rightly so! However making the bold decision to end it all on season 4 is the true definition of finishing at the top of your game. The genius of Succesion is its realism, it’s so incredibly written that it literally feels like we’re the fly on the wall of a top multibillion dollar company! Then you have the documentary style camerawork which just emphasises that point. It doesn’t feel like it’s a big expensive hollywood set, it feels real and authentic, almost like the cameras have just snuck their way into these characters lives.

Now I want to speak on the performances because each and every character was played to perfection, I’m sure they’ll sweep up the awards! It’s incredibly difficult to identify a favourite performance, I think Kieran Culkin and Jeremy Strong were probably the strongest, displaying an incredible range of acting ability that added so much depth to their characters. However the chemistry between Matthew Macfadyen and Nicholas Braun was amazing and it created this beautiful dynamic between Greg and Tom that never failed to make me laugh. Their final silly fight in the finale episode just sums up their relationship so well. 

The plot that runs through all four seasons is pretty self explanatory given the name of the show, who will succeed the mighty Logan Roy and take the helm of the company? It took a while to get there and if I’m honest, it did feel a little repetitive at times, like we was going round in circles with Kendall’s numerous attempts to cut out his father and or siblings. It’s because of that slight repetitiveness that I believe they made the right choice to call it a day at season 4. Did I enjoy the conclusion? I have mixed feelings, not in terms of it being bad, I loved Tom and I’m glad he ended up at the top of the mountain so to speak. But the idea of him being a puppet CEO at the mercy of Matsson doesn’t sit right with me and I’ll be honest, I was actually rooting for Kendall! But the way they executed the finish was anxiety inducing, tense and overall, really strong. Shiv finally makes a decision to support her husband, I guess the question is, was that really the intention or was it more of a selfish act just to avoid her brother taking control. Nonetheless, that openness leaves it up to us to make those assumptions. I would have appreciated at least one more season depicting the aftermath, but this is still a satisfying conclusion. I thought the final shot of Tom and Shiv in the car was fantastic, to be honest the final shot of each character was really well done.

So to conclude the review, Succession is a must watch, I wouldn’t say it’s perfect but it’s close and I can understand why people describe it so. It’s a showcase example that supports the current writers strike, that’s for sure! HBO reign supreme for their shows and I can’t way to see what the next era has in store.

Overall (9.5/10)

Thanks for reading.

Callan