Anyone watch Succession

[IrishMel]

Who is your favourite characters in Succession. I thought this was one of the best shows I have seen in ages, can't wait for new season which will be out soon. Lots of great characters in it. Greg, Tom, Roman. Love to hear your take on it..

They've done the story. The story was Kendall
Not sure where they are going with season 3 tbh
Tom will die I think although it's not a very "die-y" show.

Adrien Brody was so attractive in the episode he was in

@Kikkomam

They've done the story. The story was Kendall Not sure where they are going with season 3 tbh Tom will die I think although it's not a very "die-y" show.

Adrien Brody was so attractive in the episode he was in

I think they seem to be shuffling the siblings while the non-sibling players like Gerri and Tom manoeuvre (or find themselves being positioned) to possibly actually be the ones to take over.

Kendall's story was only one of many. For me one of the defining points of Succession is the constantly shifting fortunes and machinations of all the characters. You cannot keep up or predict things and it's all about who gets lucky/wangles their way into or out of something/wins Logan's favour. Watching it makes me feel like the siblings must feel, riding ups and downs and all having their turn at the bottom and the top of Fortune's wheel.

It feels to me like the Tudor court, all the intrigue and uncertainty.

Dh and I really loved the first two but this season is really weak. We can barely stay awake.

I also found the bathroom scene homoerotic, it definitely felt like they were flirting!

I also thought I saw a frisson between Shiv and the candidate she was championing.

How can you see it so differently, Kikkomam???

S3 is just staggering in its intensity, nuance, speed, production. The stakes are high but because we focus on so few people, we feel every twist and turn. It’s just so incredibly exciting.

S3 is slower in terms of being largely people talking in rooms, but the level of intrigue and politicking is astronomical and the accompanying writing and acting is dynamite. Honestly, last night's script, practically every line was a winner in terms of either adding to the plot, adding comedy, horror or shock, shedding light on character or motivation, and sometimes all those things in one line!

@LiterallyKnowsBest

How can you see it so differently, Kikkomam???

S3 is just staggering in its intensity, nuance, speed, production. The stakes are high but because we focus on so few people, we feel every twist and turn. It’s just so incredibly exciting.

🤣 I really wanted to love it, I was really looking forward to it.

@TheHuntingoftheSnark

Surely Logan will be killed off this series?

😲

See, this is what I LOVE about this programme. Even though almost every single character is despicable you get sucked in and end up liking/rooting for them. And then - BAM! - they do something which reminds you what a piece of shit they are. Current example: Roman, who last week seemed to be the only person with a heart who actually cared that his dad was dying, then this week is verbally sucking off a Neo-fascist so they can be anointed the leader of the free world.

Something that I've been spending far too much time thinking about is how much I want backstories. Particularly in the relationships - Shiv/Tom, Kendall/Rava (whose kids are adopted, I think? Therefore not 'pure' Roy blood - I certainly don't get the impression that Logan has any time for them, either way) and - most of all - Caroline/Logan. I want to know how come such old money married a media tycoon from a dirt poor family and how much it must have pissed off her blue blood family. Also, how did Kendall end up with such a nouveau riche name!?

Yes to backstories. Absolutely.

I raised an eyebrow at all the offsprings’ names. But who knows how they were chosen. Dunno if there might have been US input …

But I think Roman's adoption of the demagogue candidate doesn't bear any relationship to his own opinions - he's fully aware of how revolting those opinions are, and I don't think he shares them. It's just he's backing whom he believes to be a winner - it's his 'good instincts' for what the undercurrents of opinion are, and where the tides are going. He wants Waystar to back a winner. And he wants excitement. And to out-manoeuvre his siblings.

Shiv is more about the optics - don't you remember her sneering at the other special advisor to the Bernie Sanders-type candidate 'Oh, it's about inequalities, is it?" She doesn't really give a shit about the policies. She supports her dad, for one thing. But maybe she is reaching her embarrassment threshold..and she's losing ground in the race for Logan's approval.

Kendall's such a spiteful little prick when he's deflating from his state of manic overconfidence, isn't he? Sacking Lisa, photographing Tom when Tom didn't come over.

Agree that this series is so fast and subtle and detailed - will be watching it all again!

Someone said above that Shiv was mis-cast - I don’t know, she’s way more interesting than any of the more familiar faces they might have picked - but Kieran Culkin is an absolute masterstroke as Roman. The actor makes him so vibrant and funny and attractive that it’s impossible to sincerely believe he is as evil as his actions suggest. If the actor were hideous it would be easy to fixate on the tattooed homeless man, the million dollar cheque, the fascist bathroom buddy. But what I mostly think about is his wit, his quickness, his respect for Gerri … It’s very clever.

(I mean hideous in personality, before anyone accuses me of face-ism.)

@LiterallyKnowsBest

Someone said above that Shiv was mis-cast - I don’t know, she’s way more interesting than any of the more familiar faces they might have picked - but Kieran Culkin is an absolute masterstroke as Roman. The actor makes him so vibrant and funny and attractive that it’s impossible to sincerely believe he is as evil as his actions suggest. If the actor were hideous it would be easy to fixate on the tattooed homeless man, the million dollar cheque, the fascist bathroom buddy. But what I mostly think about is his wit, his quickness, his respect for Gerri … It’s very clever.

I don't remember that about Shiv. I think she's brilliant (the performance, I mean; the character – fucking hell. Wouldn't trust her with my houseplants.) Agree about Roman/Kieran Culkin. Charismatic despite it all. That's Roman's currency, isn't it – cheeky little brother getting away with things.

Thank you @Roundlampshade that was really interesting. The theme is brilliant.
Roman is my favourite character- glad one of the McCaulkin brothers has made good! His masturbation scene really set his character though! He is despicable and thoroughly enjoys it.

But I think Roman's adoption of the demagogue candidate doesn't bear any relationship to his own opinions

Which makes him 10x worse!! He doesn't give a shit which candidate wins, really. So why back the right wing horse? For shits and giggles. He is contemptuous, doesn't matter how much charisma he's got and how funny his jokes are. And yet everyone loves him. It's just brilliant writing (and acting)

@MargotMoon

But I think Roman's adoption of the demagogue candidate doesn't bear any relationship to his own opinions

Which makes him 10x worse!! He doesn't give a shit which candidate wins, really. So why back the right wing horse? For shits and giggles. He is contemptuous, doesn't matter how much charisma he's got and how funny his jokes are. And yet everyone loves him. It's just brilliant writing (and acting)

Exactly. He is all about shits and giggles, in a way completely believable of someone brought up with such ultra-privilege and protection. I think it will come crashing down at some point though.

@MargotMoon

But I think Roman's adoption of the demagogue candidate doesn't bear any relationship to his own opinions

Which makes him 10x worse!! He doesn't give a shit which candidate wins, really. So why back the right wing horse? For shits and giggles. He is contemptuous, doesn't matter how much charisma he's got and how funny his jokes are. And yet everyone loves him. It's just brilliant writing (and acting)

Despite his charms and vulnerability he has shown it shows he hasn't really changed since the first episode when he offers one of the workers children 1 million dollars if he gets a home run or something like that. Treating them like a plaything.

I thought in the episode 2 weeks ago where the share holder meetings were on and everyone trying to keep the speechs going while they worked out a deal the best of season 3. Omg Shiv trying to save the company,Logan near collapse - Roman taking a call from the President. Conor manipulating logan while out of action by saying he was appointed to a position in the conpany !! just fab. Like so many threads of intrigue and manipulation. Just epic.i love all the characters tho find greg annoying at times. Tom is brilliant. I want logan to say F off and was so disappointed he didnt shout it in the last episode
I think s3 is hit or miss but has redeemed itself 100 fold the last 2 weeks
.love Willa- bored with Conor but knows what side her bread is buttered!!

@MargotMoon this is very like the real life John Junor - see Penny Junor

I’m actually related to John Junor but on the old Scottish side - which he walked away from and into courting English artistocracy as he held so much power through the papers. Junor was from poverty and from Scotland. Came down to London and became a media mogul. But turned his back on his Scottish past.

It’s like they’ve merged John Junor and the Murdochs. Who ironically owns sky who we are paying our money to watching this series!

[quote CherryBlossomAutumn]@MargotMoon this is very like the real life John Junor - see Penny Junor

I’m actually related to John Junor but on the old Scottish side - which he walked away from and into courting English artistocracy as he held so much power through the papers. Junor was from poverty and from Scotland. Came down to London and became a media mogul. But turned his back on his Scottish past.

It’s like they’ve merged John Junor and the Murdochs. Who ironically owns sky who we are paying our money to watching this series![/quote]

That's so interesting! I was listening to the Firecrotch and Normcore podcast (which is great btw, anyone finding themselves obsessing over Succession need to know there are kindred spirits out there) and they said that they'd read Jesse Armstrong or one of the writers talking about the process. They won't write about something unless they are aware of an example of it happening in real life. So them using the Junors story and merging it with the Murdochs makes so much senses and gives it that realism

It’s like they’ve merged John Junor and the Murdochs. Who ironically owns sky who we are paying our money to watching this series!

Murdoch no longer owns Sky. There was a bidding war which ended up with another company taking over the whole of Sky.

@claudiecat thanks for that. My friend refused to watch succession even though I begged him too (no on RL to share!) - because he said it was owned by Murdoch. Maybe I can now persuade him.

@MargotMoon yes I’m so interested in the backstories. And how the writers came up with this. They write so well. It’s full of mad one liners but there seems to be a strong sense of realism running through. Like they’ve studied actual people.

There’s a nice interview with MM in The Times:

‘Matthew Macfadyen on sex scenes, Succession and his A-list marriage’

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/eefbd584-4c5d-11ec-a89c-4bee41baeb9c?shareToken=5e820d6a2565390655ffad5e007f6659