When HBO’s Succession premiered in the Summer of 2018, it was met with mixed reviews. Though the performances were praised, the unlikeability of each of the show’s central characters was an immediate critique thrown at the series. Five years later as HBO is about to premiere its final season, Succession has become a global hit. What people hated in the beginning quickly became the very thing people tuned in for every Sunday night. In this piece, I want to delve into why the characters of Succession are so easy to hate and yet, why we love them as much as we do.
Million Dollar Home Run
Succession follows the trials and tribulations of the Roy family who are the family owners of Waystar RoyCo, a massive media conglomerate. From the outset, the series is quick to show you that each of the show’s characters are at best, naive and at worst, truly despicable. In one stand-out scene during the pilot episode, Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin), the youngest son in the Roy family, offers a young boy a cheque for a million dollars if he can score a homerun during a family baseball game. Although he gets close, the boy loses and has to watch Roman nonchalantly rip it up in front of him.
To the Roys, money is an object. It’s something that can be used over and over with no real consequence of where it ends up. A million dollars can be offered just as quickly as it can be ripped away. For the average person, money is the very thing needed to survive in the world. This sequence in the first episode, particularly for Roman’s case, should’ve been an easy way for the audience to despise him for the rest of the series.
However, Roman has become a favorite for fans with this sequence being just one part of how his insidious personality makes him endlessly engaging to watch. Roman Roy is an immature sleazeball but thanks to Kieran Culkin’s performance, there’s something electric in watching the distasteful nature of his character grow throughout the series. In some ways, he’s hard to watch but in others, he’s the center of the show’s comedic core.
Which Side Are You On?
Despite being an ensemble, there is a main character at the center of Succession. Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) is Logan Roy’s (Brian Cox) second oldest son and arguably the favorite to take over things once Logan retires. Despite this, Logan isn’t convinced of Kendall’s ability to lead. At the core of Succession is the story of a father and son rivalry. In the end, there’s no winner or loser. Logan Roy is an old man set in his ways and despite being close to the end of his career, leads a stubborn mission to maintain power on his metaphorical throne. Kendall Roy is an ignorant and spoiled child who feels a sense of entitlement to his dream role in charge.
Yet, despite this, Succession is quick to show us that beneath this entitlement is a traumatized child in a vicious family who is ready to snap at any moment. Their slow-growing hatred for each other is petty and immature yet as an audience, we’re hooked immediately. We pick sides in a fight where we will always be the losers.
For a show as seemingly inaccessible as Succession , it’s surprising how meme culture quickly surrounded it and became a driving force for the fanbase it obtained. Kendall Roy, despite being an unlikeable character on the surface, quickly became an icon in the memes produced either at his expense or in celebration of the strides they make throughout the series. Whether it’s his stunning examples of how tone-deaf Kendall truly is or the many downward spirals he faces throughout, Kendall Roy has become an iconic character not just in television but through meme culture. It’s an unlikely thing for Succession to be tied so intimately with yet it’s the drum that keeps the series beating in a sea of high-quality but forgettable television.
Breaking Some Greggs
Succession is a comedy, a drama, and even a romance. Well, not quite. When the show isn’t focused on the rivalry of Kendall and Logan Roy, we take a lot of time to delve into both Greg Hirsch (Nicholas Braun) and Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen). Gregg is a rare care in the series as a distant cousin of the Roy family. When we first see him, he’s promptly fired from a job after vomiting through the eyes of a mascot suit. Forced by his mother to find a job within the Roy family, he’s quickly snatched up by Tom who treats him horribly in a play of power. Gregg takes all of Tom’s bullying in stride and slowly finds a friendship with him that becomes one of the show’s many comedic charms.
When Succession isn’t throwing business and economic jargon at you alongside the cruelty associated with living as the elite, there’s a comedic charm that quickly comes through with Tom and Gregg being the heart of it all. Their chemistry is immediately a high point of the series and as they work together through highs and lows, it doesn’t take long before they become an easy duo to love. Tom’s relentless bullying with Greg is hilarious in all their dark ways but it’s their slow turn to comradery that makes their relationship shine above the rest. They’re colleagues, they’re friends and then they’re partners.
Final Thoughts
Succession is a massive breath of fresh air not just for television but for audiences looking for characters they love to hate. As the media we consume becomes more and more tuned to what they think audiences want, we’ve seen a bigger influx of movies and series telling us what to think of the characters on screen. Succession makes it clear that each of these characters at their core are horrible yet it never stops in its tracks to showcase this inorganically. Whether your favorite character is Logan, Kendall, Roman, or even Greg, the love we have for these characters stems from how much fun it is to also hate their every action.
Through all the heartbreak, misery, and despicable acts we’ve seen, it feels strange to say that we’re gonna miss the Roy Family as Succession inches closer to its final season. That said, One thing that will no doubt remain forever is our wicked love for these characters (and the memes that come with them).
Succession is now streaming on HBO Max. Check out a trailer for the show’s final season below.
