Over the course of the last decade, there have been incredibly few TV shows (exhibit 1, 2) that just suck you into their universe and occupy precious cerebral real-estate for weeks since you’ve watched it. Succession is one of those shows!
The show revolves around the Roy family (loosely based on the Murdoch / Redstone family) and the drama surrounding the future of their family business. Over the last few weeks, I binged through the 26 episodes and tried to dissect why it is so refreshingly original:
- Most of the scenes in the show involve a group of folks just talking to each other. What’s unique is the wealth-porny backdrop (think jets, expensive NYC pent-houses), the fact the none of the characters on the show try to be likable or redeemable and the second-hand vicarious view into the lives of the 1%‘ers.
- The dialogues are punchy, the number of subtle and droll jokes you’ll hear per minute in Succession by far out-number any other dramas out there.
- Unlike other formulaic Netflix shows, Succession doesn’t try to end on a cliffhanger each episode. It avoids familiar trappings like flashbacks or establishing a character’s motivation through a tedious back-story. Moral justification is rarely provided and in a smart move, the show leaves a lot to the user’s interpretation.
There’s just incredible room for analysis, and that’s ultimately why I can’t stop thinking about it.