Originally published in print in December, 2021.
Succession is essentially a show about an extremely wealthy family, the Roys. The family company, Waystar Royco, is a gargantuan international media conglomerate. During much of the show, we follow this family as they swan around on private planes and yachts, do very morally questionable things, and blame others when the consequences of their actions come to the fore. What then, if anything, makes people resonate with the show’s characters and draws us into their lifestyle? It is true that part of the show’s appeal lies in its voyeuristic elements. As an audience, we’re able to get a glimpse of what life could be like for a wealthy billionaire family that is otherwise unavailable elsewhere. Those involved in the creation of the show have done an excellent job in making everything in Succession look and feel ludicrously expensive, from the mansions and holiday homes they reside in to their suits and crockery. After the past 18 or so months, Succession has been a welcome watch for many looking for an easy respite from the mundanity of lockdowns and isolation.
Notwithstanding this, the main reason why Succession resonates with people is that the characters, although despicable in many ways, are actually fairly relatable on a human-level. The Roy children all find themselves victims of a highly dysfunctional family scene. Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong), the most obvious successor to patriarch of the family, Logan, struggles with addiction issues and anxiety brought on in part by the ruthlessness of his father. Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook) is similarly unhappy as she finds herself desperately trying to please Logan only to face repeated humiliation. Although unprincipled and reactionary, Shiv is often the most pragmatic and considered out of her siblings, yet is often undermined by fellow family members through references, both subliminal and literal, to her status as a woman. Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin) is addled with an inferiority complex brought on by his position as someone who wields immense power despite being extremely incompetent. Even if we don’t necessarily sympathise with the Roys, we at least understand them.
Perhaps even more interesting are the characters of Greg Hirsch (Nicholas Braun) and Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfayden). Both are related to the Roys, but are not necessarily considered part of the family; Tom is Shiv’s husband, Greg a distant cousin. This is hilariously outlined in an episode of season two when the Waystar Royco head office is locked down after a gunshot is heard. The two find themselves escorted to a different panic room than the rest of the family, much to the ire of Tom, who is more concerned about this than the fact that his life could be in danger. The perpetual nervousness of Tom about his position and status within the family is the driving force behind his anger and depraved moments. After throwing numerous water bottles at his ‘executive assistant’ in the panic room in frustration, he admits ‘I don’t always like who I am, Greg’.
Greg is probably the most relatable character of the series. He starts off as an unassuming kid looking for a leg up in the world and quickly finds himself embroiled in all the tumult scandal of the Roy family business, and learns to use his outward naivety to aid his ambition and self-preservation. His relationship with Tom is not solely abusive, they demonstrate genuine affection in sadistic yet self-aware moments where they recognise how morally decrepit their positions lend themself to be. After Greg blackmails Tom with some secret nefarious information he holds about Waystar Royco in order to move up in the organisation, Tom can’t hide his elation, seeing it as a coming of age moment for Greg; ‘look at you, Greg, you fucking slimeball!’. The show’s characters feature as a sort of extension of ourselves, at our worst and most selfish. This is in part why the ‘slimeball’ moments of the show are so funny; there are inklings of dark humour in these incidents. They show how self-serving humans can be.
Succession was created by Jesse Armstrong, the co-creator of British comedies Peep Show and Fresh Meat. In an interview with Josh Glaney of The Times, Armstrong gave his insight into the characters of the show. ‘I don’t even think they’re that bad. I don’t think they’re a different order of corrupt than you or I.’ While Succession operates on a higher plane than something like Peep Show, there are some notable parallels between the two. The protagonists of Peep Show, Mark and Jeremy, are highly selfish individuals and their inward struggle to do the right thing often prove to be the funniest moments of the series. However, as Mark and Jeremy lead fairly ineffectual lives, their own self-corruption doesn’t result in many disastrous consequences. In Succession the characters are similarly self-serving yet they exist in positions that hold immense power over the world thus their selfishness has far-reaching consequences. Aside from being funny, this aspect of Succession also acts as a critique of the snakes and ladders of corporate careerism. Succession’s cynicism is what makes it resonate with people, and with skill it subtly portrays how humankind’s innate desire for self-preservation can be replicated in a high-stakes business environment with terrible and terribly funny results. When we laugh at Tom’s delight at Greg’s newfound slimeball-ery, we’re also laughing at ourselves and the world in which we inhabit.
