The television drama Succession has been a critically acclaimed hit for HBO for several seasons, and the show’s final season doubles down on its core concept – family power structures, manipulative misdeeds, and unflinching loyalty – to great affect.
The show follows the Roy Family, a family of five powerful siblings: Logan (Brian Cox), Connor (Alan Ruck), Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Roman (Kieran Culkin), and Siobhan (Sarah Snook). Logan Roy is the head of media and entertainment giant, Waystar Royco, and tensions between the siblings brew as they vie for his attention and power.
The show’s final season is ruthless, full of legal and corporate maneuvers, shocking reversals of fortune, and the relentless pursuit of power. All of the siblings fight for their place in the company either through charm or manipulation. Logan Roy’s health continues to deteriorate, and the fight for power within the family intensifies.
The show goes to great lengths to portray the characters as complex individuals, each with their own desires and goals. It also paints the power structures within the family clearly while giving time to the show’s interesting side characters. The show can be a bit over-the-top at times, and some of the dialogue can be quite cheesy, but it’s all part of the experience. Even the writing on Succession is expertly done; the show’s watch-ability is a testament to its excellent writing.
The show’s final season doubles down on its core conceit, but there’s an element of appeal to its relentlessness. Succession explores the idea of absolute power and how those wielding it can either use it for good or for bad purposes. Power can corrupt its possessor, and the Roy Family is no exception. It’s an exploration of the power dynamics between three generations of a powerful family, and the show does an excellent job of making those relationships come alive on screen.
The show’s fifth and final season will be a fitting end to this narrative, allowing the audience to witness the full nature of the Roy Family’s desire for power. The show has been a great success so far, and the show’s creators have promised that the finale will be a satisfying conclusion to the Roy Family saga.