‘Succession’ is a masterful HBO series that leaves you pitying the rich

The show follows a rich family at war with each other and themselves

Today's expression: Curry favor with
Explore more: Lesson #463
April 28, 2022:

‘Succession’ is all about media mogul Logan Roy and his children, who are all trying to succeed him as CEO of the family company. Instead of envying the rich, the overwhelming emotion we feel toward these characters is pity. The children are portrayed as the victims, not the beneficiaries, of Logan’s life and fortunes. Plus, learn “curry favor with.”

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This HBO series makes us pity the rich, not envy them

Lesson summary

Hi there everyone, it’s Jeff and this is Plain English, where we help you upgrade your English with current events and trending topics.

From time to time, we talk about movies or TV shows, and we will do that again today. I’ve been wanting to create a lesson about this show for a while, so here we are: we’ll be talking about the HBO Max series “Succession.” It’s all about media mogul Logan Roy and his children, who are vying to succeed him as CEO of the fictional Waystar Royco.

As always when we talk about movies and TV shows, I’m going to tell you about the plot, but I’ll try not to give away any major spoilers. But if you want to watch the show completely fresh, then maybe save this lesson for the future.

The English expression we’ll review today is “curry favor with” and we have a song of the week. This is lesson number 463 of Plain English. JR is the producer, as always, and he has uploaded the full lesson to PlainEnglish.com/463.

Misery of the rich on display in ‘Succession’

The word “succession” refers to one thing following another in sequence. In the business world, “succession” often refers to a person who takes over the leadership of a company. Most large companies—and many smaller companies—work hard at “succession planning.” Companies want to make sure they have a plan for who will get the top job in case the current leader leaves the company or retires.

The HBO series “Succession” is about who will succeed—or, who will follow—the patriarch of a large American media conglomerate. Logan Roy is the chief executive officer of Waystar Royco, a fictional media company that owns television stations, newspapers, cruise ships, theme parks, and other entertainment businesses. The octogenarian Logan has four kids. They are Kendall, who sees himself as the natural next CEO; Shiv, who is active in politics and social causes; Connor, who thinks (incorrectly) that he would be a good politician; and Roman, the insecure, youngest sibling.

Through three seasons of eight hourlong episodes each, the four siblings, their spouses, more distant relatives, and a cast of minor characters all compete to curry favor with Logan, angling for influence and, potentially, a shot at the top job when Logan finally retires.

But he doesn’t retire; instead, he keeps them all in suspense. As soon as he begins to favor one sibling, he withdraws his approval. He drops hints; he never makes promises. And in doing so, he keeps everyone around him on pins and needles.

As time goes on, especially as the ageing Logan has a health scare, it’s clear that the company needs a succession plan. But Logan, so successful and decisive in other parts of his business, can’t decide who should come after him. For too long, he hoarded all the power and decision-making for himself. Now, when it’s time find a replacement, he discovers that nobody else could live up to his impossible expectations.

The one thing that stands out to me about the characters is that they all have a natural talent, but they’re all trying to be something else. Kendall is the son with the most business prowess and he has the best chance of being an executive at Waystar Royco. If he took the time to learn the business, he could probably even be coached into the top job. But he can’t overcome his extraordinary sense of entitlement and really learn the business. Instead , he always tries to make a big splashy move to win his father’s approval. When he inevitably disappoints his grumpy father, he tries to refashion himself as a socially conscious impact investor.

Shiv, Logan’s daughter, has some talents for public and media relations. She, too, craves her father’s approval and a leadership role in the company. But in an act of rebellion, she goes to work for a political candidate with views opposite her family’s. It’s quickly clear, though, that she didn’t take this job out of any political conviction; she enjoyed being rebellious, but she didn’t even agree with the candidate’s policies. She quit the campaign to try again at being part of the family business.

Roman, the youngest sibling, shows no interest in doing any actual work, or any interest in what Waystar Royco even does. But he craves an office and status inside the company. Conner, who lives on a ranch, is lonely and delusional. He blows his money on a fantasy that he could run for president, despite never having worked at any job in his life.

Even Logan is pretending to be something else. Logan is a ruthless executive with a talent for boardroom hardball. He built the company brick by brick over many years and earned extraordinary wealth in the process. He’s abusive and dismissive toward those around him, but that’s the price of his success. At one point he insists that everything he’s done has been for his family; at a late hour, he’s pretending to be a family man. Nobody seems to be aware that the children are the victims, not the beneficiaries, of Logan’s life.

Sometimes on TV, the rich are evil. They’ve earned their wealth by crushing other people; they’re immoral; and they don’t deserve their wealth. We resent them for their wealth; we hope they lose it.

Other times, we envy the rich: they’re leading glamorous lives. We’re invited, as viewers, to fantasize about what it would be like to have a lifestyle like that. We think that with enough money, we could manage any problem.

Succession doesn’t follow either of those two patterns. Sure, a lot of people hate Logan. But the overwhelming emotion we feel toward these characters is not envy, hate, or resentment. It’s pity. We would never trade our lives for theirs.

They constantly stare at their phones. They can’t concentrate on anything; they get no peace. They’re obsessed with what other people think about them. They bicker and fight with each other. They stab each other in the back. They drink constantly; it’s hard to say if they’re more addicted to money, drugs, or alcohol. They have superficial if not purely transactional relationships with their spouses. They’re pretending to be something they’re not. They’re desperate for their father’s approval, which he will never give. There is not a single honest, intimate, or fulfilling friendship or relationship in the entire show.

They live empty and unhappy lives against stunning backdrops of mansions, castles, elegant apartments, Central Park views, helicopter rides, exclusive parties, yachts, and the finest clothes. They don’t know how unhappy they are; their wealth blinds them to it. They can’t even enjoy the luxuries all around them.

Twice in the first three seasons, the family is in danger of losing control of the company. They’d still be fantastically rich; they just wouldn’t control Waystar Royco. But they’re horrified at the possibility of losing the company that’s making them all so miserable.

HBO did a masterful job. In some episodes, the plot is advanced with phone calls and huddled conversations, but the scenery and characters keep the pace moving. It’s not a funny show at heart, but one character, the aloof cousin Greg, provides comic relief at key moments. There are enough supporting characters to keep the plot interesting, but not too many to keep track of.

Season four of “Succession” is set to begin filming in June of this year, with a release potentially at the end of 2022 or the beginning of 2023.

Check out HBO Max

I had never in my life subscribed to HBO until just recently. When I was growing up, HBO was a premium cable channel, and you had to pay extra—it was like $20 per month more than your typical cable bill, which was already high. So we never had HBO in our house growing up. And then I was more into sports than movies for a while—and then of course with Netflix, HBO just seemed like a brand left behind. Well HBO Max, the streaming channel, is very good. I just got it last month and I’ve found a lot of great movies and shows on there. If you’re looking for something else besides “Succession,” check out “The Flight Attendant” and “Mare of Easttown.”

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Expression: Curry favor with