Succession – a contemporary American family drama has come to an end recently. Before getting past the finish line, the Succession show, in its wake, has left death and lots of destruction in the way.
In this era, we are witnessing many more cases of successful succession planning by international business houses owned by the family. However, that did not happen with the Roy Clan succession case. And mind you it was not an ending that the Roy Household was fiercely battling for. Instead, we witnessed the emotional and mental destruction of the next generation of the Roy family members, in the end.
Table of Contents
Succession (2018-2023) Show:- details
| Genre | Drama |
| Age-Restrictions | UA (15+) |
| Episodes | Ten Episodes – Season One (2018) Ten Episodes – Season Two ( 2019) Nine Episodes – Season Three ( 2021) Ten Episodes – Season Four (2023) Thirty-Nine Episodes = Four Seasons = Total |
| Creator | Jesse Armstrong |
| Cast | Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, Matthew Macfadyen, Alan Ruck, Nicholas Braun, etc. |
| Taglines | Take what’s yours. Every Family Has Its Traditions (S 2). Make Your Move (S 3) |
| Awards | Primetime Emmy Awards – 2019 Winner Primetime Emmy – Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series – Jesse Armstrong – For Nobody Is Ever Missing (2018) Primetime Emmy Awards – 2019 Winner Primetime Emmy – Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music – Nicholas Britell Primetime Emmy Awards – 2020 Winner Primetime Emmy – Outstanding Drama Series Primetime Emmy Awards – 2020 Winner Primetime Emmy – Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series – Jeremy Strong – For playing: “Kendall Roy”. Primetime Emmy Awards – 2020 Winner Primetime Emmy – Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series – Andrij Parekh – For the episode “Hunting” Primetime Emmy Awards – 2020 Winner Primetime Emmy – Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series – Jesse Armstrong – For the episode “This Is Not for Tears” Primetime Emmy Awards – 2020 Winner Primetime Emmy – Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series – Cherry Jones – For playing: “Nan Pierce”. For episode: “Tern Haven”. Primetime Emmy Awards – 2022 Winner Primetime Emmy – Outstanding Drama Series Primetime Emmy Awards – 2022 Winner Primetime Emmy – Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series – Matthew Macfadyen – For playing: “Tom Wambsgans”. Primetime Emmy Awards – 2022 Winner Primetime Emmy – Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series – Jesse Armstrong (written by) – For “All the Bells Say (2021)” BAFTA Awards – 2019 Winner BAFTA TV Award – Best International Series BAFTA Awards – 2022 Winner BAFTA TV Award – Supporting Actor – Matthew Macfadyen Golden Globes, USA – 2020 Winner Golden Globe – Best Television Series – Drama Golden Globes, USA – 2020 Winner Golden Globe – Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama – Brian Cox Golden Globes, USA – 2022 Winner Golden Globe – Best Television Series – Drama Golden Globes, USA – 2022 Winner Golden Globe – Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama – Jeremy Strong Golden Globes, USA – 2022 Winner Golden Globe – Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role on Television – Sarah Snook Bafta TV Craft – 2020 Winner BAFTA Television Craft Award – Writer: Drama – Jesse Armstrong Screen Actors Guild Awards – 2022 Winner Actor – Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series |
Succession (2018-2023) Show:- synopsis
In season one (1), we learn – when Logan Roy (Brain Cox) head of one of the world’s largest media and entertainment conglomerates, decides to retire, each of his four grown children – Connor Roy (Alan Ruck), Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong), Siobhan “Shiv” Roy (Sarah Snook) & Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin) follows a personal agenda that doesn’t always sync with those of their siblings or of their father.
Then in season two (2), Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) deals with the fallout from his hostile takeover attempt and guilt from his fatal accident. Meanwhile, Siobhan Roy ~ Shiv (Sarah Snook) stands poised to make her way into the upper echelons of the company; Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin) reacquaints himself with the business by starting at the bottom, and Connor Roy (Alan Ruck) launches an unlikely bid for president.
Ambushed by his rebellious son Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) at the end of season two, Logan Roy (Brian Cox) begins season three (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.
The sale of Waystar Royco to tech visionary Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) looms ever closer, provoking angst and division among the Roys in season four (4) and final season of Jesse Armstrong’s Emmy®-winning series. 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.
Succession (2018-2023) Show:- {Spoilers Free} review
Succession Show is a modern contemporary (check the spoiler shared below) tale about the super wealthy and politically powerful family – the Logan Roy family. They own and control one of the biggest media and entertainment companies in the world. One could envy or admire the high-flying lifestyle of Logan Roy’s family as depicted in this show, viz. big mansions, penthouse apartments, luxurious vehicles, private yachts/helicopters/jets, high-end fashions, et cetera.
All of the family members were leading an extravagant and luxurious lifestyle fit for a billionaire.
So, on the surface, viewed from a distance, the lives of Logan Roy’s family members seemed to be full of happiness and contentment.
But is it really the case?
Well, the show creator and the scriptwriter scratched the surface with this dramatic series.
They took us on a behind-the-scenes look into the lives of wealthy families and the inner dynamics of the members of the opulent Roy family.
In season one of Succession show, the ageing father Logan Roy (Brian Cox – check his picture above) begins to step back from the media and entertainment conglomerate they own and control. From then onwards, everything begins to unravel at a hectic pace. As important members (Connor Roy, Kendall Roy, Siobhan Roy, and Roman Roy – check their pictures below) of the Roy family think about their destiny as they decide to push their personal agenda, fulfil their private ambitions, chart their own course, and plan their future.
However, their world changes when their father Logan Roy decides to step down from the company. That single incident – giving up the leadership position in a rich and influential (culturally and politically) company led to some kind of frenzy akin to shark-infested water. The eldest son, Connor Roy stays away from the corporate rat race to head their family-led corporate business house and instead tries his luck in the political arena, but he is not a serious player either in the corporate or political worlds.
The remaining trio – Kendall Roy, Sioban Roy and Roman Roy fiercely battle it out among themselves to take control of their family-owned businesses and take the position occupied by tough-old nut Logan Roy. As one of the lines in this show said, most of the members of the Roy family are fucked up. In addition, Logan Roy admitted in this show that his children are “not serious people.” Even Roman honestly admits that “we are bullshit.” I have to nod in agreement with all of these assessments.
In today’s family-owned corporate houses, we are witnessing much urgent and detailed use of Succession/Replacement planning, which often involves passing on ownership of a company to someone else – either a competent member(s) of a family or a specialist professional manager(s) hired from outside. I must admit that I found this fascinating family drama to be addictive as there is no serious planning to hand over the reins of the conglomerate.
In case you take a much deeper look at the content of this dramatic show then you might notice its perceptive and razor-sharp satirical attack on the absurdities of family-owned multinational corporations in the capitalist world of today.
Succession Show, the tragic drama or should I call it a tragicomedy, comes to an end recently.
Now, I am still conflicted about its sad and inevitable ending. In the grim and bitter Succession war, Logan Roy’s family lost decisively this ownership war.
It was indeed a tragic loss for the super-wealthy and very powerful Roy Family in the business ownership war.
This tragic tale about the billionaire Roy family is a perfect reminder that Money Can’t Buy Peace and Happiness. Hopefully, people will learn important life lessons by taking a closer look at the fate of the Roys.
Succession (S4/2023/Finale) Show:- {Spoilers Alert} ending
Focus on the fate of the key characters and the ending in the Succession show
The sale of media conglomerate Waystar Royco to tech visionary Lukas Matsson gets through in the end. So the members of the Roy family failed to retain control of their business empire. And one could see that their future looks to be fairly and increasingly uncertain. And, perhaps, maybe, the glorious past of the Roy Family might threaten to ultimately destroy them in the future.
Show creator Jesse Armstrong explained the fate of key characters, “Roman Roy ends in a reductive, brutal way as he drinks at a bar; Shiv Roy ends in a terrifying, frozen, emotionally barren place in her non-victory as CEO Tom Wambsgans’ wife, and for Kendall Roy – this will never stop being the central event of his life, central days of his life, central couple years of his life. Maybe he could go on and start a company or do a thing, but the chances of him achieving the sort of corporate status that his dad achieved are very low, and I think that will mark his whole life.”
Jeremy Strong shared further about the fate of his (Kendall Roy) character, “I felt that the journey through this was winding the bow back as far as it could possibly go to reach its final target, which is someone who has finally lost everything. He’s lost his father, he’s lost his morality. He’s lost in a sense his soul. He’s lost his brother and sister, he’s lost his children. He’s lost love, and he’s lost his ambition, which is a defining thing in his life.”
Show creator Jesse Armstrong talked about Tom Wambsgans’ character, “Tom has always been subservient. Now he has this status, but his status is contingent. That’s kind of what the whole episode has been about. Shiv’s status is as all the kids are — secure. It’s secure in a financial sense. She has billions of dollars. She has wealth that could never diminish, whatever happened to the world. And she also has a name, which will sort of haunt her and make her interesting, to a certain degree, for the rest of her life, and that can’t be taken away from her. Whereas Tom’s position could be taken away in the click of her fingers.”
Alexander Skarsgård (Lukas Matsson) explained further about Tom Wambsgans’ elevation to the CEO position, “Tom so desperately wants this position. [Lukas] knows that he can really lean into that awkwardness and explore and have fun with it, and it’s important for him to have a sycophant in that position; someone who will be his little lap dog and do exactly what he needs. Tom has proven himself worthy.”
Reference: Apple Podcast.
The fate of Logan Roy in the Succession show
Logan Roy (Brian Cox) fights with his family members. Carrying so much hostilities and negativities, Logan has many health issues. No wonder, away from family, he ends up dead on the bathroom floor of his private jet, in a lonely way.
The fate of Connor Roy in the Succession show
Connor Roy (Alan Ruck) is a son from Logan’s first marriage. He is the half-sibling of Kendall, Shiv and Roman. He never showed any positive intent towards the business empire and even his political forays ended in failure.
The fate of Kendall Roy in the Succession show
Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) is Logan’s eldest son from his second marriage. Perhaps, he desperately seeks his father’s love and attention with his rebellious child-like antics. A real tragic hero – he loses big-time at the end.
The fate of Siobhan Roy in the Succession show
Siobhan Roy (Sarah Snook) is Logan’s only daughter. She is a serious contender for taking over the reins of the family-owned company. However, her best-laid-out plans come unstuck, so she makes a decision to compromise.
The fate of Roman Roy in the Succession show
Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin) is Logan’s youngest child. A man-child, who like his siblings, he too wishes to step into the big shoes of his father. But for the leadership position, he is not really a serious player. So, he does not get it. Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) is Siobhan’s husband, Logan’s son-in-law and a perpetual outsider in the Logan family circle. But, mind you, he is a proverbial dark horse. A chameleon. A survivor. A winner at the end.
The fate of Tom Wambsgans in the Succession show
Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) is Siobhan’s husband, Logan’s son-in-law and a perpetual outsider in the Logan family circle. But, mind you, he is a proverbial dark horse. A chameleon. A survivor. A winner at the end.
Comparison between the Succession series versus the King Lear book by William Shakespeare
In the Shakespearean tragic tale, ageing King Lear divides his entire kingdom among the two daughters who sweet-talk him. On the other hand, King expels his third daughter from the nation, who actually adores him. Later on, both of his eldest daughters rebuff and renounce the former king. Consequently, Lear loses his mind and gets lost in a storm. At that time, his estranged daughter returns with an army to help win back the country. However, they lose the war. Lear, all his daughters and more perish in the end.
Similarities & Differences between the fiction Roy family & the real Murdoch family
Although the show creator Jesse Armstrong categorically denies the similarities between the billionaire media moguls Logan Roy (fictional) and Rupert Murdoch (real-life), one can find quite a few similarities among the family members of the two families.
(a) Both Roy and Murdoch are ageing but very wealthy and powerful white men running a global business empire consisting primarily of media corporations. Reportedly both face similar succession challenges.
(b) Both Waystar Royco (fictional) and News Corp. (real-life) are owned by foreign-born owners Roy (Scotland) and Murdoch (Australia), respectively. Both multi-billion media houses lean towards right-wing politics/politicians. In addition, Waystar Royco owns ATN (fictional) and News Corp. owns Fox News (real-life) in the USA – incidentally these two news channels clearly lean towards the Republic party.
(c) Both Kendall Roy (fictional) and Lachlan Murdoch (real-life) worked under their father in their respective media organizations. Besides they are groomed for the future.
(d) Both Siobhan Roy aka Shiv Roy (fictional) and Elisabeth Murdoch (real-life) are affluent and beautiful blonde ladies, who have stepped out of their respective families’ shadows and achieved success in their careers.
(e) Both Roman Roy (fictional) and James Murdoch (real life) are the younger brothers of the heir-apparent elder brothers. Reportedly both of these characters are always bickering and in disagreement with their elder brothers.
Succession (S1, S2, S3 & S4) Show:- posters
Succession (S1, S2, S3 & S4) Show:- ratings
| FM’s rating | IMDb rating as of the date | |
| S1 | 4.35/5 | 8.29/10 |
| S2 | 4.45/5 | 8.84/10 |
| S3 | 4.50/5 | 8.90/10 |
| S4 | 4.55/5 | 9.24/10 |
Succession (S1, S2, S3 & S4) Show:- ratings
| Rotten Tomatoes ratings as of the date | Critics Consensus / Rotten Tomatoes | |
| S1 | 89% Tomatometer 85% Audience Score | Peppering its pathos with acid wit, Succession is a divine comedy of absolute power and dysfunction — brought to vivid life by a ferocious ensemble. |
| S2 | 97% Tomatometer 89% Audience Score | Critics’ Consensus / Rotten Tomatoes |
| S3 | 97% Tomatometer 90% Audience Score | Fans already buying what Succession is selling will be pleasantly surprised to find its third season in crackling form – even if it gets a little too real from time to time. |
| S4 | 97% Tomatometer 90% Audience Score | As compulsively watchable as ever, Succession’s final season concludes the saga of the backbiting Roy family on a typically brilliant — and colourfully profane — high note. |
Succession (S1, S2, S3 & S4) Show:- trailers
Focus:- its theme music by composer Nicholas Britell
Music composer and performer Nicholas Britell has won the Emmy award for this theme music for Succession Show. The said music has been declared as one of the all-time great TV theme music.
Theme music video link of Succession Show on Youtube ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77PsqaWzwG0
If you like a unique kind of Family drama like the Succession series from the USA, then do check out the Peaky Blinders show from the UK.
Featured & Other Images: Succession Show | HBO.