Created by : Jesse Armstrong
A media baron, Logan Roy is about to renounce his duties as one of the most successful group heads of the world. Struck by frequent bouts of bad health conditions, the baton will be passed on to Kendall who has come out of a rehab willing to accept the crown of thorns. The journey isn’t easy as it seems for the father doesn’t trust the abilities of the son, his daughter is a political strategist who holds a vote but zero interest in the group except the top job. Kiernan Culkin plays the hob-snob rich kid who has lofty expectations without any deliverables in sight pitching for himself as the next big thing know-it-all for their business.
Woven around the theme “Power is power” as quoted by Cersei in another of HBO’s highly acclaimed series Game of Thrones, succession is about the old guard unwilling to let go of its authority. The patriarch played by a fantastic Brian Cox is defiant of his vision for the firm. He has the contacts, the network but most importantly years behind his back to see the change in the media industry which is possibly going through its tumultuous best change. There are sweeping mines in the form of people who try to ingratiate Logan, take him into his confidence, all for the very obvious notion of having a chunk of his company. The fox is adamant and perspicacious about his movements. The children are petrified of their father. He wields respect out of fear. Their lives are straight out of Forbes magazine due to his alchemist touch. Simmering tensions created by exquisite dialogues, a fabulous background score done by Nicholas Britell which lets us into the inner turmoil each of these characters face while brazing a bravado to keep their positions intact.
A tale strewn well by Jesse Armstrong. Each character has a purpose to the story, you shall feel a placeholder syndrome for certain characters till their ulterior value to the bigger picture is revealed. Barring an episode devoted to a rave party, this a binge-fest. It keeps you hooked. There are silences you enjoy and less is more. The set design looks apt, the cinematography keeps you searching for clues, mines can explode anytime. This isn’t a show where all twists are unpredictable, you can feel the characters heading for doom at times, but that’s the magic, keeping the voyeurism of prediction alive whilst taking us through the joyride.
