Succession: TV Show Review: Hotstar/HBO

#Succession, Seasons 1 and 2. Streaming on Hotstar

What makes your everyday binge-watch worthy series?
(and lets keep Game of Thrones epic ones out of this)

A never-seen-before idea that gets you hooked from the first episode, like say Black Mirror, or Dexter

A thrilling plot with edge-of-the-seat twists and turns, that keeps you hanging for more, like say Money Heist or Sacred Games

A classic or twisted superhero tale (this always works) like Dare Devil or Jessica Jones

A good old fashioned spook and scare, mixed with innocence and nostalgia, like say Stranger Things or Typewriter

A near-biographical story, especially mixed with crime and/or espionage, like Narcos or Family Man

Succession is none of these.

Yet it’s binge-watch worthy and how!

And that’s perhaps what’s special about this show.

The plot revolves around the business family (the Logans) that run a multi-billion dollar global media and entertainment family-run conglomerate. The patriarch CEO (Logan Roy, played by Brian Cox) after his 80th birthday and a health set-back is forced to consider succession planning. There's only one problem. This is completely against his own desire for retaining control of the company that he has built from scratch. After all, no one can do a better job than him! This is set against varying capabilities and desires of his four children, in taking the top job. Add to that the politics between the leadership team, the intertwining of personal and business interests, the extended interest of the extended family members, and formidable adversaries wanting to take down the company - all of it under the dominating hierarchy and the insatiable ambition of the one man that matters, Logan Roy. 

But the real addiction of the show is not the plot. It’s the characters that are built slowly over the different episodes. These are not stereotypical characters that get set in the first episode, after which the story moves on. The character building goes hand in hand with the story. In fact, the more the story moves forward, the more the characters themselves do. Till you get to the point that you almost care less about the upcoming take-over battle, and are more interested in finding out what he or she will do in this situation. These are not black and white characters. These are just people who have different sides. They have their flaws, but they have their strengths as well. You see them for who they are. You may love some things about them and hate other things about them. But you will never box them into one type. This is the world of adults, and you see a range of them pitted against each other in this captivating series.

And among the characters, the centre-pieces are, undeniably, the Roy children. The children who, raised by an omnipresent and overpowering father, are torn between their love for their father, their hate for their father and their own personal ambitions. Kendal Roy (played superbly by Jeremy Strong), the older brother, who is probably the obvious choice of being the next CEO, except his past life and his insecurities, further exacerbated by his father’s disapproval, make for a heady concoction that constantly sets him up for failure. Shioban Roy, or Shiv (played by Sarah Snook), the confident and competent only daughter, who has built a successful career outside of the family business, but yet can’t seem to stay away from it, and more importantly from her father, who she hates to love and loves to hate. Roman Roy (played by Kieran Culkin), the bratty youngest son, a juvenile-at-heart, wanting to play the adult-game, possibly only to get his father’s attention and approval. Connor Roy (played by Alan Ruck), the oldest son, who has chosen the alternative path of the non-capitalist farm life, yet can’t seem to get away from the small little thing he constantly desires - the good life. 

The other family members of Marcia Roy (Logan’s current and second wife), Tom Wambsgans (Shiv's fiancé), Greg Hirsch (the not-as-dumb-as-he-looks cousin), Willa (Connor’s girlfriend), and a cast of non-family members - the leadership team of Gerri, Frank, Karl, Laird, Carolina, and others, give a good mix of great dialogues, bad histories, and good chemistry.

All in all, Succession is an unlikely candidate for an engaging TV show, and that’s exactly why you should watch it.