‘Succession’ Was Special Because of Its Relationship to Its Audience -

 

 

"At its loathsome best, Succession is a show about a mean, mighty father and the toxic tumult he seeds in his four quippy, quivering adult kids. Its plot is as serious about four-letter words as it is cavalier about ruining lives. It is a series that shows you the money, even when all those pennies look dreadful. It features a set of performances that have the immediacy of theater and the spark of improvisation. And, perhaps most of all, it is all wrapped up in a production that has always felt like the best kind of work-in-progress, one viewed by an audience that has come to fancy itself as some small part of the whole craft.

 

What distinguishes Succession from many other shows is the way its creative minds iterate on their ideas and even disagree in front of everyone, trying some things and abandoning others, and not being afraid to let seams and rips and smirks and the occasional Aussie accent show. The Jeremy Strong New Yorker profile launched one of the great cultural conversations of this century and instantly added a fascinating new dimension to any scene involving Strong, Cox, and even Culkin. The additions and deletions of guest stars ranging from Holly Hunter to Red Scare Dasha lent the show a dreamy “remember when?” quality. Cameras that capture actors who would normally be offscreen in a typical shoot make each episode feel as though it is being performed and broadcast live. Each script is so full of notes and references and callbacks that it feels as though it’s speaking a language tailored specifically to a global community of Royheads.

 

Because of this, over the years, the experience of following Succession has come to feel not just like watching a TV show, but also like watching a comedian work on her act, or like following a band as they bicker and tinker with a new album. So many big voices and so much creative chaos! So many cities viewed exclusively from within greige indoor spaces! All of it worth it for the sweet, sweet music that ensues, and for the feeling—however fleeting—that having followed along so closely helped make the whole experience sing."

 

read review by katie baker:

 

‘Succession’ Was Special Because of Its Relationship to Its Audience - The Ringer