Succession: A Season of Treachery, Tragedy, and Triumphs

Succession is a drama centered around the naming of the next CEO of the media conglomerate Waystar Royco, and the head family's internal struggle for the succession of power. Now that Season 3 has recently concluded, it's time for a look back on the most tumultuous season yet. The series, famous for its enthrallingly egotistical characters, started its third season off with the aftermath of the series biggest cliffhanger so far. Season 3 continues much of what we expect from the acclaimed series, but falls short of the dramatic highs, and the nail biting tension we have come accustomed to over the past two seasons. 

The great writing we have come to expect from the acclaimed series remains here in its development of some of the integral characters. Though, I will say, this praise does not apply to all of the cast. Consequently, with some bad writing, comes some bad plot points, so there is a dip in quality for the plot that drives the show. We see a lot of great moments throughout the season, but it struggles to capture what made the show enticing to watch from the previous seasons. It fails in the beginning at establishing and staying consistent with a reason for the family to be in danger of losing its position. It fluctuates from a possible takeover by Kendall, to the shareholders going against the family, and finally landing on a merger turned acquisition. This problem is resolved by the end of the season, but looms throughout the first few episodes. These first few episodes drag the season down, and lessen the pace through constant inconsequential actions and disappointing climaxes, Which only subside by the finale. 

Roman, played by Kieran Culcan, suffers the most from this poor writing. His once playful brashness turns into a more ruthless nature, as he becomes a contender for the throne. We also see him lose his way of wearing his childhood on his wrist, as he is one of the only insights to the Roy children’s troubled childhood. Shioban, played by Sarah Snook, also suffers this season. Throughout the season, we see her keep her insatiable hunger for the title of CEO, disregarding Tom even more. While this is something we have seen coming, it doesn’t lessen how unlikeable she becomes across the season. I do not blame the actors for this loss in charm and likeability, instead, I blame the writing. The greatest strength of this show is making these egotistical, power hungry characters come across as human and make you feel bad for them, and even root for them. Instead, the writing of Roman and Siobhan makes you take them at face value as, what they are. Selfish people trying to secure their own position. Not only that, they betray what once made them at all likable or atleast relatable. 

While the series may have fallen short on a couple aspects, it delivers some of the best writing and development we have seen for the underdogs of the series, specifically, Tom Wabsgains, played by Matthew McFayden, and Kendall Roy, played by Jeremy Strong. Both give stellar performances that add a lot of nuance to both their characters. Kendall is a hard character to portray on paper, as much of his emotion is either a front he puts up or a muted expression of his true feelings. However,  the performance put on by Jeremy Strong is excellent. Jeremy Strong also has to contend with the eventual release of Kendall’s pent up emotion, and he is able to execute it beautifully. Tom, on the other hand, is slightly easier to portray, as he more frequently expresses his wants and needs. Even then, Matthew McFayden is able to create a constant question of, “Will he, or won't he?” As an audience, we also see the slow deterioration of his marriage, that only Tom can see is happening. This performance and setup leads to one of the most satisfying twists from the series. Connor Roy, the family’s distant brother, also becomes a good bit more likable, as he becomes more rebellious against the wants and needs of his father. The performance of Alan Ruck also contributes to this change in likability, who plays Connor similar to his role in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. 

While it does take it’s time getting there, the season does revitalize itself with the build-up to, and the execution of the finale. The finale, which sets its stage in Italy, mirrors much of what has made the last two seasons so enthralling to watch. It has character moments, a plot altering event, and a twist that makes you yearn for more. The twist at the end of the season leaves an even greater want for another episode, with possibly massive repercussions waiting just over the horizon. It also implies more than just a change in the plot, but also reveals a betrayal that has been hinted at for the entirety of the season. This betrayal by Tom, which is set across throughout the season through his interactions with Greg and Sohban, elevates this season finale from good to great. 

This season, as a whole, suffers from what it, in some areas, excelled at. I mainly associate this problem to the writing of the season. On both the plot aspects and character aspects, the writing for some plot points and characters is exceptional, while for other characters and plot points it is subpar. The biggest problem with the writing, plot wise, for the season was that it often took too long to get the point, which made it just barely engaging enough to keep watching. Though, the season did recover from this pacing with its finale, which is on par with what we expect from the series. This criticism also applies to characters, where some gained tons of development, while others suffered from the lack of development, or the elimination of their likable character traits. Really, the biggest problem with this writing is that it was very inconsistent with itself. I do love the growth we see with Kendall and Tom, and the finale is probably the best in the series, but the inconsistency of the writing takes a lot away from what, by the end, was a great season. So, I would give this season an 8/10. 

By Holden Gruel