Succession

“You can’t make a Tomlette without breaking a few Gregs”

By Peter Nomeland

Rich people suck. We all know this. But luckily, so do the writers of “Succession,” HBO’s Emmy-award-winning series currently airing its third season. Following the billionaire Roy family, as they run their media conglomerate Waystar Royco, the series makes it abundantly clear that these are some of the most despicable, self-absorbed people you will ever find on TV. And yet, you can’t stop watching them.

The series centers around Logan Roy, the aging founder and CEO of the company, as he determines which of his children will inherit control of the business when he either steps down or dies. The contenders include Kendall, the most involved in the company who plans on a takeover while also dealing with severe substance issues; Shiv, the only daughter of Logan and an outsider of the company who secretly wants approval from her father; and Roman, the least ambitious and most eccentric of the siblings. However, the two best (and funniest) characters may be Tom, Shiv’s insecure fiance, and Cousin Greg, the family’s distant relative who unwillingly finds himself caught in the middle of the family drama.

The best way I could describe the show is a combination of the politics and betrayals of “Game of Thrones” with the organizational ineptitude and spewing of insults of “Veep.” Or maybe it’s more like “The Sopranos” meets “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” It’s both the funniest show on TV and the most compelling,  all while highlighting some of the worst people in the world. And Pusha T did a remix of the theme song. Need I say more.