Succession (2023) Complete TV Review

Bottom Line Up Front: Succession concluded its four-season run in 2023 as one of television’s greatest achievements, delivering a masterful finale that perfectly capped off the Roy family’s devastating power struggle with unparalleled writing, performances, and cultural impact.

The End of an Empire

The fourth and final season of Succession premiered on HBO on March 26, 2023, marking the end of one of television’s most critically acclaimed series. The season consists of ten episodes, an increase from the previous season, which had nine. What began as a dark comedy about media moguls evolved into something far more profound – a Shakespearean tragedy that examined power, family trauma, and the corrosive effects of wealth on human relationships.

The series centers on the Roy family, the owners of global media and entertainment conglomerate Waystar RoyCo, and their fight for control of the company amidst uncertainty about the health of the family’s patriarch. As patriarch Logan Roy’s empire crumbles and his children vie for succession, viewers witnessed television at its absolute peak.

Critical Acclaim and Cultural Impact

The 2023 finale season achieved unprecedented critical success. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds an approval rating of 97% with an average rating of 9.2/10, based on 324 reviews. On Metacritic, the season has received a weighted average score of 92 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating “universal acclaim”.

The series didn’t just captivate critics – it dominated cultural conversations in ways few shows achieve. In 2023 reporting on media trends found that Succession spawned six times as many online articles in one 30-day period in summer 2023 as any other highly watched television show and seemed to confirm that Succession sparked outsized media coverage compared with reader interest.

Awards Recognition: • 75 Emmy nominations with 19 total wins across its four-season run • Six Emmy wins for the final season alone, including Outstanding Drama Series • Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series and individual performances • Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Ensemble Performance

The fourth and final season received a leading 27 nominations with six wins at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards: including Outstanding Drama Series; Kieran Culkin for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series; Sarah Snook for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series; Matthew Macfadyen for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series; and Jesse Armstrong and Mark Mylod for Outstanding Writing and Directing for a Drama Series, respectively, for the episode “Connor’s Wedding”.

Stellar Cast Performances

Sarah Snook as Siobhan “Shiv” Roy

Sarah Ruth Snook (born 1 December 1987) is an Australian actress. Her portrayal of Shiv Roy became the show’s emotional core, transforming what could have been a token female character into television’s most complex power player. From 2018 to 2023, Snook gained prominence for her lead role as Siobhan “Shiv” Roy in the HBO drama series Succession. The role earned her widespread critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, and two Golden Globe Awards.

Snook’s background in Australian theater and film prepared her perfectly for Succession’s demands. A graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Snook started her career in her native Australia. She received early recognition for her roles in the films Sisters of War (2010), Not Suitable for Children (2012), These Final Hours (2013), Predestination (2014), Jessabelle (2014), The Dressmaker (2015), Steve Jobs (2015), and The Glass Castle (2017).

Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy

Jeremy Strong (born December 25, 1978) is an American actor. Known for his intense method acting style in roles across both stage and screen, he has received various accolades, including a Tony Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for an Academy Award and BAFTA Award.

Strong’s portrayal of the troubled heir Kendall Roy became legendary for both its artistic brilliance and the extreme dedication behind it. The role was a career breakthrough for him; Strong’s performance in the role has received universal acclaim from critics, and his performance won him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2020.

Strong’s Method Acting Approach: • Used “identity diffusion” techniques rather than traditional method acting • Strong seldom rehearses, saying he wants “every scene to feel like I’m encountering a bear in the woods” • Isolated himself from cast members to maintain character relationships • On Succession, Strong intentionally deepened his alienation from the rest of the cast by timing his visits to the makeup trailer so that he is the only one there at the time

Masterful Writing and Direction

Creator Jesse Armstrong crafted a series that seamlessly blended dark comedy with profound tragedy. The writing elevated corporate boardroom politics into Shakespearean drama, making media machinations feel as consequential as any royal succession battle. Armstrong won the best writing Emmy for episodes from all of the show’s four seasons.

The show’s dialogue became cultural currency, with Logan Roy’s profanity-laden putdowns and the siblings’ cutting observations creating quotable moments that transcended television. Each episode functioned as both standalone entertainment and essential puzzle pieces in a larger narrative tapestry.

Key Writing Strengths: • Sharp, realistic dialogue that captured corporate speak and family dynamics • Complex character development that avoided simple good/evil dynamics
• Political and media satire that felt urgent and relevant • Perfect balance of comedy and drama without tonal whiplash

Technical Excellence

Cinematography and Production Design

Succession‘s visual language reinforced its themes of wealth, power, and isolation. The breathtaking cinematography – from convoys of luxury cars to sweeping helicopter shots of towering skyscrapers – reinforces the immense wealth and power of the Roy family. Every shot exudes an almost overwhelming sense of grandeur, allowing the audience to feel the weight of their influence and the isolation that comes with it.

The handheld camera work created an intimate, almost documentary-like feel that made viewers feel like witnesses to private family moments. This technique was particularly effective during the series’ most intense confrontations and emotional breakdowns.

Music and Sound Design

Nicholas Britell’s haunting score became inseparable from the show’s identity. The main theme’s classical grandeur mixed with modern discordance perfectly captured the Roy family’s simultaneous power and dysfunction. Each character had subtle musical motifs that enhanced their emotional journeys without overwhelming the narrative.

Cultural and Political Relevance

Succession arrived at a perfect cultural moment, premiering during an era of media consolidation, political polarization, and growing wealth inequality. The show didn’t just entertain – it provided a lens for examining real-world power structures and media manipulation.

In addition, “Succession” offers a sharp critique of the media’s role in shaping public narratives. As owners of a global media empire, the Roy family controls not just wealth, but information – underscoring the dangerous influence of mainstream media on society.

The series gained additional relevance when it was revealed that according to a December 2024 Nevada commissioner’s report for the state’s probate court in the disputed succession of Rupert Murdoch, the depiction of the chaotic aftermath of Logan Roy’s death in “Connor’s Wedding” in April 2023 prompted Murdoch’s children to discuss their own public relations strategy for their father’s death.

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Standout Episodes and Moments

“Connor’s Wedding” (Season 4, Episode 3)

This devastating episode showcased Succession at its absolute peak. The death of Logan Roy was handled with shocking realism, as family members processed grief while simultaneously calculating political advantages. The writing, performances, and direction created television that felt brutally authentic.

“Living+” (Season 4, Episode 6)

Kendall’s manic presentation became a masterclass in cringe comedy and tragic character study. Jeremy Strong’s performance oscillated between delusion and desperation, creating one of television’s most uncomfortable yet compelling sequences.

“With Open Eyes” (Series Finale)

The series finale delivered a perfect conclusion that felt both inevitable and devastating. The season finale was the most-watched episode of Succession. The final episode of the season, the series finale, drew 2.9 million viewers, making it the highest watched episode of the series. This was a 68% increase from the 1.7 million viewers for the third-season finale, which was a record high for the series.

Themes and Analysis

Family Trauma and Generational Damage

The show’s brilliance also lies in its exploration of how wealth, bad parenting, and childhood trauma shape adulthood. The Roy siblings, each scarred by their father’s toxic influence, struggle with personal demons and fractured relationships that drive much of the show’s emotional tension.

Each Roy child represents different responses to emotional abuse: • Connor – Delusional escapism and attention-seeking • Kendall – Desperate approval-seeking and self-destruction
• Shiv – Emotional distance and strategic manipulation • Roman – Humor as deflection and fear of genuine intimacy

Power and Corruption

Succession explored how extreme wealth corrupts not just individuals but entire systems. The Roy family’s influence extends beyond business into politics, law enforcement, and media, showing how concentrated power undermines democratic institutions.

The American Dream’s Dark Side

While ostensibly about a Scottish-American media dynasty, Succession functioned as a broader critique of American capitalism and meritocracy myths. The Roy children’s dysfunction despite unlimited resources suggested that wealth alone cannot create meaning or happiness.

Legacy and Impact

As Succession concluded in 2023, it left an indelible mark on television and popular culture. The series proved that audiences hunger for complex, morally ambiguous storytelling that doesn’t provide easy answers or comfortable resolutions.

Lasting Contributions: • Elevated television writing to literary levels • Influenced corporate and political discourse • Created new standards for ensemble acting • Demonstrated the power of anti-hero narratives

In 2021, BBC Culture polled 206 “critics, journalists, academics and industry figures” from around the world to compile the 100 greatest television series of the 21st century; Succession came in at number 10. In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked the show number 11 on its list of the 100 greatest TV shows. In 2023, Variety ranked Succession #13 on its own list of the 100 greatest TV shows of all time.

What’s Next for the Cast

The Succession ensemble hasn’t rested on their laurels since the series concluded. Beyond Succession, Snook appeared in further films including An American Pickle (2020), Pieces of a Woman (2020), Run Rabbit Run (2023), The Beanie Bubble (2023), and Memoir of a Snail (2024). Most notably, Snook performed in the West End and Broadway productions, with the latter being her Broadway debut, of The Picture of Dorian Gray (2024–2025), for which she received the Laurence Olivier Award and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.

Jeremy Strong continues his commitment to transformative roles, recently earning an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Roy Cohn in The Apprentice. One of those cannons will be leading a new Broadway production of Henrik Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People” about a medical officer whose scientific findings lead him to close the spa that is his town’s main source of income.

Technical Specifications and Viewing Information

Production Details: • Created by Jesse Armstrong • Produced by HBO in association with Project Zeus and Hyperobject Industries • Filming for the season began in June 2022, in New York City. Production later moved to Norway, Los Angeles and Barbados, and ended in early 2023. • Available on HBO Max and HBO on-demand platforms

Season 4 Cast: • Brian Cox as Logan Roy • Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy
• Sarah Snook as Siobhan “Shiv” Roy • Kieran Culkin as Roman Roy • Alan Ruck as Connor Roy • Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Wambsgans • Nicholas Braun as Greg Hirsch • J. Smith-Cameron as Gerri Kellman

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Final Verdict

Succession (2023) stands as a towering achievement in television storytelling. Its final season delivered everything fans hoped for: devastating character conclusions, brilliant writing, and performances that will be studied for decades. The series didn’t just end – it ascended to join the pantheon of television’s greatest achievements.

In conclusion, Succession is not just a show about a media empire – it’s a psychological drama that delves into the complexities of family, loyalty, and ambition. Its ability to make the corporate world emotionally engaging, combined with its sharp critique of wealth and power, has solidified its place as one of the most important television series of the modern era.

Rating: ★★★★★

Succession proved that television could be both entertainment and art, creating a cultural phenomenon that transcended its medium. As we bid farewell to the Roy family, we’re left with a masterpiece that redefined what television could achieve in the 21st century.