Succession: A Season Review
By Sioph LealHBO’s Succession follows the Roy family, the owners of a media conglomerate Waystar RoyCo. When Logan Roy’s (Brian Cox), the patriarch of the Roy family, health starts to decline, his four estranged children begin to prepare for a future without their father. Fighting for the company are Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Keiran Culkin) and Shiv (Sarah Snook) Roy. With their eldest brother Connor Roy (Alan Ruck), the four siblings must prepare for a world without their looming father and for some, it's to take control of the family business.
As the series has ended, we thought we would give our ranking of each of the show’s phenomenal seasons.
Number One: Season Two
Kendall deals with fallout from his hostile takeover attempt and guilt from his fatal accident. Meanwhile, Shiv stands poised to make her way into the upper echelons of the company; Roman acquaint himself with the business by starting at the bottom, and Connor launches an unlikely bid for president.
Succession comes into its own this season, showcasing the Roy family while introducing memorable new characters such as Naomi Pierce, Rhea Jarrell, and Kerry, who will later go on to shape future seasons. The Roy family dynamics are in play, with Shiv coming on board to fight for the promised position of successor. Moments where the core three siblings (sorry, Connor!) are pitted against each other make the series shine even more with its intricate plots. Roman stepping up and trying to make a name for himself and Kendall broken and taking on a role as Logan’s whipping boy make for excellent performances, with each plot masterfully intertwined and the writing utilizing every second of screentime to ensure not one moment is wasted. The other seasons are great, but season 2 is excellent and filled with nuance, virtuoso performances from every cast member, and moments so shocking they reverberate through the seasons.
Standout episode: It is hard to pick one standout episode, but Kendall publicly betraying Logan at the end of the season is one of the top moments from Succession. It was unexpected but clicked perfectly. Other episodes that make their mark has to be Hunting and DC, which showcase how remarkable season 2 is.
Number Two: Season Three
Ambushed by his rebellious son Kendall at the end of Season two, Logan Roy begins Season 3 in a perilous position, scrambling to secure familial, political, and financial alliances. Tensions rise as a bitter corporate battle threatens to turn into a family civil war.
A rebellious Kendall is fantastic this season as he escapes his father’s grasp and tries (yet fails) to take him down. Kendall going against Logan was the selling point of the season, but it became insufferable. It is another season that showcases Jeremy Strong’s ability to make you hate Kendall one minute and completely sympathize with him the next with a raw and emotional finale.
Standout episode: What it Takes. Seeing how powerful and influential Logan is on a political scale was intriguing, contrasted with Kendall’s fall and chat with Tom. Jeryd Mencken is introduced and will later loom over the next season, but the performance by Justin Kirk is enthralling. A very close second is Retired Janitors of Idaho.
Number Three: Season One
When the head of one of the world's largest media and entertainment conglomerates, decides to retire, each of his four grown children follows a personal agenda that doesn't always sync with those of their siblings--or of their father.
It is a great introduction to the Roy family and the goings on at Waystar Royco. There are many great moments in the episode, and it is a fantastic first season that is a great starting point. Still a great season, it lays the foundation for the rest of the series.
Standout episode: Which Side Are You On? Creates tension and desperation as Kendall tries to secure the votes and oust his father but fails. A defining moment for the season that got many hooked.
Number Four: Season Four
The sale of Waystar Royco to tech visionary Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) looms ever closer, provoking angst and division among the Roys. As the siblings anticipate the prospect of this merger, the ensuing power struggle finds them grappling with what their lives will look like after the deal.
A final season will always be challenging to conclude because there are many stories to resolve and a limited amount of time. The final season was a touch underwhelming overall, despite having an intriguing and understandable finish. Perhaps it was because of the sudden inclusion of Shiv's pregnancy, which episode seven director Shari Springer claimed they were unaware the character was expecting, or the shift in having the season stretch over ten days (as confirmed by Brian Cox and Arian Moayed). This season's episodes felt hurried, with episodes like Living+ devoting too little time to the discovery of other characters like Stewy (Arian Moayed) or even the newly elected president, Jeryd Mencken (Justin Kirk).
Standout Episode: America Decides. One of the best episodes of the entire season was the eighth installment of Succession's final season. This episode is the greatest of the season thanks to Jesse Armstrong's script, Andrij Parekh's direction, and the outstanding performances from the Roy siblings as well as presidential candidate Jeryd. It's impossible for the audience to not sense the tension as the Roy’s plan is to become the next president of the United States thanks to his excellent acting.