An Empire Without an Heir: ‘Succession’ Series Reflection
To say that I’m obsessed with this show, would be an understatement. I just finished watching season 3 of Succession and I have been stuck in the last moments of the season ever since. And I know, at this point, this is one of those shows you hear everyone talk about but there’s a pretty good reason for that.
Succession is a family drama, following the rich and powerful Roy family and the politics of their media empire of Waystar Royco. The family consists of a cast of absolutely terrible people, headed by Logan Roy, a ruthless man and shrewd businessman, constantly testing his children, refusing to believe in any of them and refusing to pick the next CEO of his empire. The show was created by Jesse Armstrong and premiered in 2018.
The show revolves around Logan being forced to pick his successor and the drama that ensued from his decision, or rather, indecision.
Logan Roy
I want to focus on Logan Roy for a bit. Prior to season 3 I didn’t have much of an opinion on Logan but season 3 is where he really shines. Played to perfection by Brian Cox, the patriarch of the Roy family steals every scene he’s in. He overshadows his children in every instance and despite, arguably, being the most morally corrupt character of the show.
He’s terrifying to all his children and even to the audience as being this unpredictable, exceptionally powerful character who could tip the status-quo of the show at any moment he sees fit.
When the series starts, Logan is treated almost as an outside element, someone who’s not actively a part of the action, decisions are taken around him but he hardly does anything himself. His presence grows over the next season, he remains unpredictable but his presence can be felt a lot more. But we still don’t understand him. Season 3 is where we really get to see Logan and we get to see a few different sides to him.
It makes for some of the most exciting TV I’ve ever watched, it’s tense and you can never tell what’s coming next with him.
The man embodies capitalism in the show and he does it brilliantly. Every moment with Logan on the screen is filled with a different sort of energy.
The Children
Here’s a show where you don’t have to root for anyone, they’re all terrible people. Logan’s children are all flawed to varying degrees, his eldest, Connor, is an idiot; next is Kendall, a man going through a lengthy and embarrassing midlife crisis consistently makes the same mistakes; younger brother Roman is a vulgar, selfish man with no respect for anyone or anything except his father; and sister Siobhan/Shiv, who for a long time tries to be better than her brothers, eventually ends up just like the rest of them, power hungry and corrupt.
Yet, there’s moments in the show where you find yourself rooting for each one of them, at least a little bit.
Kendall
Kendall (Jeremy Strong) starts out just trying to run the company, like he’s meant to, still seeking his father’s approval but willing to forgo that to be at the top. He’s flawed but still sort of likable. A lot of the show consists of him trying to take down his father, which makes it easy to care about his cause. But Kendall is frustrating, rooting for him is exhausting and his growing detachment towards the end of season 3 leaves us with a deconstruction of what the character originally started out as.
It’s wonderfully done and Kendall has the perfect level of cringe but not the worst vibe to him.
Roman
Roman (Kieran Culkin), on the other hand, is instantly unlikable. He says and does things that are gross and misogynistic. But he looks up to his father and is always hesitant to pick a side that isn’t his father’s. Roman says things you don’t want to hear and yet, in some ways, he’s probably the best equipped to run a company, save the fact that he’s the worst and the most anxious to please his father. Season 3 is also where we see Roman shine.
Shiv
Shiv (Sarah Snook) starts out different. She works in politics and is actively trying to make a change that she believes in. She isn’t a part of her father’s company, at least not actively. She’s got a very steady moral compass and she sticks with it, that’s until she gets a taste of power. Shiv has a very interesting arc and it’s probably my favourite thing to see in a show/movie. Taking a character in this direction is not unusual but it’s just such a fascinating journey every single time and here it’s done particularly tactfully.
Connor
Connor (Alan Ruck) is weird. His goal far surpasses running the company and so he’s not quite as involved in a lot of the politics that goes on but he does have his own weird plot going on and that’s entertaining in its own way.

Tom & Greg: The Outsiders
Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) is Siobhan’s boyfriend and he’s one of those characters that lacks a spine, so is Greg (Nicholas Braun). But while we see Greg start off as an outsider and possibly even a good guy, we see Tom while he’s already sort of a part of the Roy family (and already rather annoying) as Shiv’s boyfriend but he’s still trying so hard to get Logan’s approval and to actually fit in and have a place in this family.
Each of their characters go through a lot and yet, we see them form probably the most sincere friendship on the show. Yes, they both have vested interests but let me just give you an example, there’s a scene in season 3 where Tom gets some truly fantastic news and the only person who he actually shows his joy to is Greg. Partly because he sees Greg as being a little lower than him in terms of their social standing but also because Greg would understand.
Tom also takes the most effort in the family to make Greg feel like he belonged.
Greg also finds himself asking Tom for advice the most and they have their own support system in each other (sort of).
Their relationship is not perfect but it’s a very important part of this show. Season 3 was big for both of these characters. Tom especially. Also Greg hates Greenpeace now, which is just hilarious.
The Writing and Dialogue
So yes, the characters are great and all but the writing? The writing is what makes the whole show. The show is incredibly clever with its dialogue and its humour particularly. There isn’t a dull moment or a moment that feels out of place. It’s all consistent.
Many times you’ll find yourself listening to a conversation that means nothing with its words but everything when it comes to the characters having the conversation and the consequences of it. There’s an absurdity to the way the characters act and talk and that’s what makes the whole thing click so well. The writing is nuanced and bonkers at the same time.
Balance is key.
Each character has a different way of speaking and each of them is written in a way that’s distinct, it’s easy to place characters with their dialogues.
It’s an entertaining show, what can I say?
Conclusion
It’s a show about rich people being horrible to each other while also exacting their power on everyone else. A fun watch but not something I would recommend binging. Each episode is about an hour long so I’d suggest taking it slow and steady. There’s a lot to take in and it’s all great stuff.
When I first started watching the show I thought it was okay but I couldn’t figure out why everyone was so crazy about it but as the show progressed it became painfully clear that Succession is one of those shows that utilizes all its potential and that’s what makes it so great. The ending of the third season feels like an end to the show in many ways so I’d be interested to see where this show goes from here. But they have a fantastic foundation to build on.
The show also has the best opening credits theme ever and it was one of the main reasons I found myself drawn to the show, Nicholas Britell is a genius. The soundtrack remains consistently fantastic through the show. It is beautiful.