“Buckle up, fucklehead.” “You pusillanimous piece of fucking fool’s gold.” “You little slime puppy.” What do all of these elegantly crafted insults have in common? That’s right: They all come from the vernacular of the wicked characters of HBO’s comedy-drama “Succession.” The series, which follows the Roy family and the power struggles within the fictional company Waystar Royco, is now currently in its fourth and final season, with new episodes running every Sunday at 9 p.m. EST.
What can I say about “Succession” that hasn’t already been said before? I’ve actually already written about it for The Misc, but this article is more of a love letter than a desperate pleading for you, beloved reader, to watch the show. Tonight, I want to push pause and rewind on the remote, and take a retrospective look at “da Succ,” as it’s colloquially called.
Where was I when I first found Succession?
As a busy woman of the world, I have to keep a finger on the pulse of the culture (a Gregg on the Tomlette, if you will). So, of course, I started watching “Succession” a year after its second season had aired, after finding out about it on Tumblr. If you do not have Tumblr, which is the only social media app I have and, in my opinion, the only one you need, it’s difficult to explain the hold this specific show (as well as NBC’s “Hannibal,” for some reason) has on dozens of Tumblr users. People love to pick apart the characters psychologically, theorize about the directions the show will take and research the hundreds of intelligent and obscure Easter eggs the writers love to include. Seriously, who still uses the word Stakhanovite? But all of these attributes add up to a powerful and clever show, one that brutally picks apart the cycles of power, abuse and trauma that can not only perpetuate in rich, one-percent circles, but also within families and generations.
I’ve always thought that the main problem with the “Succession” fandom is that they think they’re actually watching (deep shudder) “Game of Thrones.” The characters are awful and greedy people, sure. They use and betray each other ruthlessly. They commit serious, disturbing crimes. They let entire pizzas sit out in summer heat, uneaten!?! But they are also awkward and insecure, afraid to admit their vulnerabilities and so caught up in mind games that they lose sight of what they really want: love.
Ewwwww. Let me get back to being funny again.
Where do I think “Succession” will go from here?
Well, nowhere really. It’s ending. In May. But the impact “Succession” has had on the current TV drama landscape is undeniable. One understated thing I really appreciate about it is how it breaks away from the binge model of dropping all of a season’s episodes at once, and instead has released its episodes on a weekly basis. I always get hyped up for “Succession Sundays,” when I know that all of us fans will be watching the show at the same time. Or around the same time—sorry, Europe. “Succession” is already being compared to the all-time TV drama greats like “The Sopranos,” “The Wire” and “Breaking Bad.” Even if this final season doesn’t contain one last game of Boar on the Floor, I’m grateful for the journey “Succession” has given me.