Succession: The Warped Perspective of the Rich & Powerful

Succession is my favourite series of the last two years. It’s got brilliant acting, sharp writing, and quite possibly the best intro theme I’ve ever heard, but what puts it over the top is its examination of the rich and powerful’s psyche. The motivations of the each member of the ultrawealthy Roy family are almost as nuanced as Breaking Bad’s breakdown of Walter White - and that’s no small compliment.

On the surface, Succession follows the Roys and the schemes that unfold when it’s revealed that Logan, the aging patriarch, may be too weak to retain control of their dynasty. The gripping plot, great cast chemistry, and biting humour, are reason enough to watch the show, but there’s more to it than that.

Dig a little deeper and you find that Succession provides a dramatized insight into the mind of the rich and powerful. From masochism to absolute disconnect with reality to a drug abuse, each character is shaped differently by money and power that surrounds them.

Unsurprisingly, this creates amazing TV scenarios. Absurd situations (like forcing company execs to act like various animals in a show of dominance) become surreal when you understand the character traits and motivations behind them. Good ol’ Cousin Greg acts as a brilliant foil for the rest of the Roys in these scenarios, but inevitably begins to adapt himself to the otherworldly lifestyle of the elite. Even Greg the Egg can be corrupted.

Beyond the more obvious vices of the rich, Succession also touches on the all-too-culturally-relevant ideal that only the wealthy are ‘real’ people. They run the show, make all decisions, hold all cards, and that makes them players in the game of life. It makes them real. Everyone else is a ‘non-person’, and there’s no real person involved, the rich and powerful won’t think twice about ruining a ‘non-person’s life.

In the coming season I hope the showrunners will continue to push the boundaries of morality in each of the characters. Who has what it takes to seize control? Who can’t handle the guilt of steamrolling a non-person? Whenever season three rolls around, I’ll be tuned in to see just how far the Roys are willing to go to fulfill their ambitions. As Logan says, “you have to be a killer.”