There’s a viral parody video of the HBO drama series“Succession”that I think of often: Comedian Ben Cahn, playing each of the show’s main characters, acts out what it would be like if patriarch Logan Roy’s children were competing for his M&M’s, rather than for control of his influential media and entertainment empire. One by one, the Roys approach Logan for the candy. Kendall, the second-oldest son, simply asks for them; Siobhan, the only daughter, pointedly claims she doesn’t want the candy at all.
Logan snaps at every request. These M&M’s are for him, he says. He bought them. To each family member, he responds with the same, emphatic catchphrase: “F— off!”
Succession but everyone wants some of Logan's M&Mspic.twitter.com/pTxIyXWen4
— ℭ (@Buncahn)October 13, 2019
The parody encapsulates what’s so appealing about this Emmy-winning show, which returns for its highly anticipated third season on Sunday, Oct. 17. Yes, the premise of “Succession” — like many other prestige cable TV shows — is drowning in“rich people problems,”with its glamorous castle locales, pristine private planes and laissez-faire hard drug use that has few consequences for its privileged characters.
But the show’s true joy lies in something far more banal: The comedy and tragedy that comes from the Roy siblings wanting their daddy’s approval, and how they react when it’s clear they’ve failed to get it once again.
This is a dynamic that any viewer with less-than-perfect family relations can recognize. When we crave familial love and don’t get it, we often become the basest, most unfortunate version of ourselves. The stakes just happen to be much higher for the members of the Roy family. Getting on Logan’s good side means powerful positions at Waystar RoyCo, a fictional family-run conglomerate modeled after companies like News Corp or Hearst, which owns The Chronicle. In the process of trying to prove themselves, the Roys’ mistakes have bigger consequences, too. Millions of dollars go to waste; employees lose limbs; a young man even dies. Still, none of those tragedies havereallymattered, except in how they relate to each of the siblings’ standing within the business (and in their father’s eyes).
“Succession” starts with Kendall, the heir apparent played by Jeremy Strong, trying to take over Waystar from his father. He spends most of the first season in this crusade, only to go running back to Logan (Brian Cox) in the finale, begging for his help in covering up an accidental death. The second season ended with Kendall once again defying his dad at a news conference — accusing Logan of covering up sexual assault accusations at the company’s cruise division, instead of taking the fall for the controversy himself.
The season-three premiere picks up right at the aftermath of the betrayal. How will Logan react to his golden boy’s latest move? What horrors will each family member carry out to secure their way to the prime position? Will there even be anything for the Roy siblings to inherit after this scandal? Also, and perhaps most important, will sexually repressed yet pervy Roman (Kieran Culkin) finally act out his daddy issues with Waystar general counsel Gerri Kellman (J. Smith-Cameron)?
Based on the episodes released to critics ahead of the show’s return, “Succession” dives back into the storm without missing a beat. Kendall must immediately face the emotional gravity of what he’s done: declare war on his family. His other siblings and the company’s executives are forced to choose sides in the battle. In previous seasons, the Roys moved in the world as if they were untouchable, and the question of whether they will face consequences for their decisions still hangs over the series.
As this latest season unfolds, the Roys must grapple with the very real possibility that their family squabbles could finally threaten their way of life.
A word of warning for those hoping to catch up before the premiere: This is not a show for binge-watching. There’s a casual cruelty with which the Roys treat each other, like witnessing a couple arguing violently in public. It’s cringe-inducing emotional verité that’s simultaneously hard to watch and near-impossible to look away from.
There’s also the characters’ dismissive attitude toward those less privileged. At a time when the ultra-wealthy have so much control in our country, watching as the family treats smaller business enterprises, and the people they employed, as pawns in their own petty games is not particularly entertaining at first.
But the show is also packedwith dry humorand wit that highlights how out of touch the wealthy can be, with particular attention to detail. (My favorite nugget is the fake headline in the opening credits of a season one episode: “Why are so many of our older celebrities dying?”) And a saving grace of witnessing the Roys’ gross entitlement is that they seem intent on self destruction.
Even with all the cringe, those who decide to watch the show will ultimately be rewarded. With each episode, a viewer can pick up on more layers in the cutting things the Roys say to one another. Sarcasm and corporate jargon aside, “Succession” is an increasingly intimate look at how nobody can really hurt you like family.
“Succession”(TV-MA) returns Sunday, Oct. 17, on HBO and HBO Max.