New York Magazine – August 05, 2019

66 new york | august 5–18, 2019

succession, a black comedy about a rich family battling for control of a far-flung

media empire, is one of HBO’s best current shows and one of the best the network

has aired in recent years, but it’s not a huge hit, and if you stumble upon a particular mo-

ment in the second-season premiere, you can understand why. Logan Roy (Brian Cox), the

80-year-old patriarch, has called a family meeting at the “summer palace,” a Gatsby-ish

seaside estate on Long Island, to discuss whether to sell the company to investors attempt-

ing a hostile takeover or fight to stay independent. Servants have prepared a lavish spread,

but a mysterious foul smell is emanating from somewhere in the house, and Logan re-

sponds by announcing that the food has been contaminated and must be thrown out. So

out it goes. All of it. Steaks, shrimp, whole lobsters go straight into the

trash. The Roys eat pizza instead.

This blithe wastefulness is characteristic of Succession’s view of the

superrich as fundamentally cruel, thoughtless people whose senses of

decency and civic responsibility have been withered, perhaps at the

genetic level, by proximity to billions in cash, assets, and playthings. The

show is constantly quoting Shakespeare and is bound to remind viewers

tv / architecture / movies

of other HBO antihero families, such as the

Sopranos and the Lannisters. But because

the series lacks the abstracting effect of

genre, you’re aware that these people, how-

ever invented, are as real as the plutocrats

you hear about every day in the news, and

not for one second does Succession leaven its

bitter, condemnatory viewpoint with little

exemptions and sentimentalizing touches.

It’s not “The rich have problems just like the

rest of us” but “Here’s how the rich cause

problems for the rest of us.” The log line

could be “King Lear meets Arrested Devel-

opment.” But while that description captures

the series’ peculiar mesmerizing tone, which

mixes corporate thriller, family soap, and

blackhearted satire, it doesn’t get across the

show’s most distinctive feature: its merci-

lessly corrosive depiction of the plutocrats

who run the global economy and rarely con-

sider its governments to be anything more

than speed bumps standing between them

and the prizes they covet.

The title refers not just to the practical

matter at hand—which of Logan’s four chil-

dren will run the company when he dies?—

The CULTURE PAGES

CRITICS

Matt Zoller Seitz on Succession ... Justin Davidson on the New Museum ...

David Edelstein on Cold Case Hammarskjöld.

SUCCESSION

HBO.

SUNDAYS. 9 P.M.

Superrich People Problems

In its second season, Succession finds

new levels of corruption and

cruelty for its family of narcissists.

TV / MATT ZOLLER SEITZ

Jeremy Strong and Sarah Snook.

PHOTOGRAPH: PETER KRAMER/HBO

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1619CR_critics_lay [Print]_35566550.indd 66 8/1/19 6:05 PM

66 newyork| august5–18, 2019

succession,a blackcomedyabouta richfamilybattlingforcontrolof a far-flung
mediaempire,is oneof HBO’s best currentshowsandoneof thebest thenetwork
hasairedinrecentyears,butit’s nota huge hit,andif youstumbleupona particularmo-
mentinthesecond-seasonpremiere, youcanunderstandwhy. LoganRoy(BrianCox),the
80-year-oldpatriarch,hascalleda familymeetingat the“summerpalace,” a Gatsby-ish
seasideestate onLongIsland,todiscusswhethertosellthecompany toinvestorsattempt-
inga hostiletakeoverorfighttostayindependent.Servantshaveprepareda lavishspread,
buta mysteriousfoulsmellis emanatingfromsomewhereinthehouse,andLoganre-
spondsbyannouncingthatthefoodhasbeencontaminatedandmust bethrownout.So
outit goes.Allofit.Steaks,shrimp,wholelobstersgo straightintothe
trash.TheRoyseat pizzainstead.
Thisblithewastefulnessis characteristicofSuccession’s viewofthe
superrichasfundamentallycruel,thoughtlesspeoplewhosesensesof
decencyandcivicresponsibilityhavebeenwithered,perhapsat the
geneticlevel,byproximityto billionsincash,assets,andplaythings.The
showis constantlyquotingShakespeareandis boundto remindviewers

tv / architecture / movies

ofotherHBOantiherofamilies,suchasthe

SopranosandtheLannisters.Butbecause

theserieslackstheabstractingeffectof

genre,you’reawarethat thesepeople,how-

everinvented,are asrealastheplutocrats

youhearaboutevery day inthenews,and

notforoneseconddoesSuccessionleavenits

bitter,condemnatoryviewpointwithlittle

exemptionsandsentimentalizingtouches.

It’snot“Therichhaveproblemsjust like the

restofus”but“Here’showtherichcause

problemsfortherest ofus.” Thelogline

couldbe“KingLearmeetsArrestedDevel-

opment.” Butwhilethat descriptioncaptures

theseries’peculiarmesmerizingtone,which

mixescorporatethriller, familysoap,and

blackheartedsatire,it doesn’t getacrossthe

show’s most distinctivefeature:itsmerci-

lesslycorrosivedepictionoftheplutocrats

whoruntheglobaleconomyandrarelycon-

sideritsgovernmentstobeanythingmore

thanspeedbumpsstandingbetweenthem

andtheprizestheycovet.

Thetitlerefersnotjust tothepractical

matterat hand—whichof Logan’sfourchil-

drenwillrunthecompany whenhedies?—

The CULTURE PAGES

CRITICS

Matt Zoller Seitz on Succession ... Justin Davidson on the New Museum ...

David Edelstein on Cold Case Hammarskjöld.

SUCCESSION

HBO.

SUNDAYS.9 P.M.

SuperrichPeopleProblems

Initssecondseason,Successionfinds

newlevelsofcorruptionand

crueltyforitsfamilyof narcissists.

TV / MATT ZOLLER SEITZ

Jeremy Strong and Sarah Snook.