I can’t believe that it has been two years since the last episode of Jesse Armstrong’s stellar satire series, “Succession,” aired. It’s been far too long, but the wait is nearly over with the premiere of season three just around the corner in a few weeks. Rejoice and cue the theme song by Nicholas Britell.
For those unfamiliar, “Succession“ follows the Roy family, a contemptuous clan of corrupt, uber-rich egomaniacs that own the media conglomerate Waystar Royco, who resemble the Murdochs (owners of Fox News), the Redstones (Viacom owners), and Sulzbergers (publishers of “The New York Times”). When family patriarch, Logan, experiences a brain hemorrhage, his children, including weirdo black sheep Connor, wannabe CEO Kendall, sardonic and hyena-like Roman and politically savvy girlboss Siobhan or “Shiv,” begin a desperate vie for power and their piece of the pie. What follows in the series is nothing short of a treasure trove of terrific television.
If you haven’t watched the show, you should. “Succession“ is one of the best dramas on television and you are simply missing out if you haven’t pressed play yet. It is a superb, divine comedy with pitch-perfect, darkly funny writing that rivals “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” for the worst, most dysfunctional family on television.
Get to watching.
For those familiar, here’s a quick recap of what happened at the end of season two.
Spoilers ahead. Obviously.
A lot happened in the finale appropriately titled “This Is Not for Tears.” Like a lot.
After a tumultuous testimony by Cousin Greg, the family, mulls over the decision of who has to fall on the sword for Waystar RoyCo’s part in a massive coverup of crimes that occurred on the company’s cruise ship tours whilst aboard a luxurious yacht of their own.
Everyone is on high alert and at each other’s throats. Connor and Willa are reeling from the negative reviews of her play. Shiv ineffectively tries to reignite the spark of her marriage with Tom by suggesting a threesome with one of the ship crew members. Roman returns after being held hostage by an anti-corruption militia in Turkey. And finally, the arrival of Greg, Kendall, and Naomi, his drug relapse contributor, only adds to the stress.
What follows is a tense episode of drawing straws to see who will take the fall. Logan nonchalantly offers himself up to everyone’s dismay, so that other options can present themselves. Roman offers up a “Tom sundae with Greg sprinkles,” which others nod in agreement to, including Shiv whom Tom later expresses his unhappiness and dissatisfaction with their marriage. Also unsatisfied, Logan doesn’t think they will be enough to appease the public, so, after a brief island hiatus with Roman and a persuasive talk with his father, Kendall offers himself up as a sacrificial lamb of the family much to the shock of others. He becomes the Isaac equivalent to his domineering Abraham father. Logan and the rest of the family sorrowfully agree to this while Roman is named COO.
The next morning, Kendall holds a press conference to announce his “sins,” but instead drops an even bigger bombshell. He calls his father a “malignant presence, a bully and a liar,” revealing his true role in the cruise ship coverups with documents to prove his involvement.
The mic has been dropped. It has hit the fan. The lines have been drawn. Everyone knows this, even Logan who faintly smiles at his son’s actions. Kendall is finally the “killer” that his dad always wanted him to be.
The season finale was truly not for tears but dropped jaws.
What comes next in “Succession” is anyone’s guess, but all I know is that I’ll be watching when season three premieres on Oct. 17.