




Movie URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/76331-succession?language=en-US
Rate: AAA
Review by @serialfiller · 2442d · of Succession · 1 view





Movie URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/76331-succession?language=en-US
Rate: AAA
I think this show is brilliant. Among the best. I don't know how it is perceived by a European audience--or if that makes a difference, but to this US resident, it is rich partly because of the way it plays off of other iconic families.
I'll start with a universally relatable family: The Corleones in The Godfather. Pivotal scenes from that movie are paralleled in Succession. How can we see Kendall Roy kiss his father in the final episode and not think of Michael Corleone kissing Fredo in Havana?
And, although Marlon Brando's Vito Corleone is a less sinister figure than Brian Cox's Logan Roy, The Godfather is a story about succession. As is true of the Roy family, neither of the Corleone sons has the character, nor the skills, to replace the father.
In the U.S. we have another apt parallel, one from real life: the Trumps. Here we have the aging patriarch, dominating subservient sons who wait to succeed. The Trump family is an even more apt parallel, because there is a daughter--one who is ambitious, clever, and hungry for power.
Other dynastic families--with sons and daughters--come to mind. Remember: Frank Rich is the executive producer. He is a quintessentially political animal. And he has a saber-sharp, acerbic wit. All of this is evident in Succession.
I found the show addictive from the first episode, and it only got better after that. Viewers can enjoy it for itself, without any of the subtext. They can delight in the brilliant acting. Or, they can look for those elements of Greek drama so richly on display--characters flawed by hubris and ambition, flaws that will undoubtedly lead to tragedy.
Personally, I relished every bit of this show. So much so, that I rewatched episodes. It's easy to miss some of the clever touches masterfully applied by the writers.