About Succession
Post 1363:
Spoilers ahead.
If I was ever to become filthy stinking rich, I wouldn’t let it adversely effect me. I’d handle my vast fortune with grace and benevolence, allowing it to impact me only in positive ways that would serve mankind and make our world a better place to live. More humble. More relatable. Some people can handle money. Guess I’m just lucky.
To prove me correct, please send money to my Patreon. Just kidding. I don’t have one. I really need to set one of those damn things up.
Speaking of the rich, let’s talk about Succession on HBOMAX. OR MAX. Whatever. My opinion here will be complicated. I had a hard time getting into the show. The middle was stronger. The end was just kind of nothing. Actually, it was something. Not a good something.
Why was it hard to get into? The production and acting is great. The premise pretty classic. A rich old man is getting up there and his kids and underlings are all scratching and clawing to get what they think they are owed once he passes on. It’s a tale as old as time. Shakespearean. Still, sometimes I didn’t understand why I was watching. The dialogue is funny and engaging, dark and biting, but without an ultimate purpose.
Not that every scene has to serve the destination of the narrative. But I want to feel like there is one.
Kendall is the presumptive heir who will take control of the empire when his father passes. Very early, this plan gets thrown out the window. I’m not really sure why. He’s had problems with drugs and alcohol, but he seems to have it together. I have trouble understanding why he isn’t good enough. The father obviously doesn’t want to relinquish control. But that doesn’t mean there’s a worthier successor than Kendall.
My theory is that they tried to make the ending super relevant to the culture today. Contested and corrupt elections, bigotry and gender themes seem to really be at the forefront. The people that “win” have no right to. They write it a certain way and then pull the rug out. It’s not a good rug pull. It’s a head-scratcher. Surprising the viewer is one thing. Leaving them dumbfounded is another. The story gets too big and unwieldy. When it stays personal between the family members, I enjoy the hell out of it. Eh, I guess they did their best.
This is why I’m donating my vast empire to the government. I figure they’ve been asking for money all my life, and they ask so nicely, I might as well give them everything. They obviously know what’s best. This is good advice. This way you avoid succession. As far as Succession, should you avoid it?
That’s not for me to say. I will say negatory on the last season. It isn’t the best. I’m still trying to decide whether or not this is symptomatic of an inherently flawed show or simply a failure to stick the landing. Hard to tell. You tell me. Cheers and see you after.
