Succession

HBO’s *Succession* follows the Roy family as they fight over control of Waystar Royco, a media and entertainment conglomerate built by its aging chief executive, Logan Roy. Created by Jesse Armstrong, the series premiered in 2018 and ended in 2023 after four seasons. Its central question is not simply who will inherit Logan’s job, but whether any of his children can secure his trust long enough to take it.

Brian Cox plays Logan, whose health crisis in the opening episode disrupts a planned transfer of power to his son Kendall, played by Jeremy Strong. Kendall repeatedly tries to prove himself as an executive, even as his addiction and his father’s influence undermine him. Kieran Culkin plays Roman, whose jokes often conceal his desire for Logan’s approval. Sarah Snook plays Shiv, a political consultant who initially works outside Waystar but becomes a contender for its leadership. Alan Ruck plays their older half-brother Connor, who pursues a presidential campaign rather than a conventional role at the company.

The family’s private struggles have public consequences because Waystar owns ATN, a powerful television news network, as well as cruise and entertainment businesses. A scandal involving misconduct in the cruises division drives much of the second season. At its conclusion, Kendall refuses to accept blame on Logan’s behalf and instead accuses his father of overseeing the cover-up at a press conference.

Shiv’s marriage to Tom Wambsgans, played by Matthew Macfadyen, is another contest over loyalty and power. Tom works his way upward at Waystar while worrying that the cruises scandal could send him to prison. In the third-season finale, he warns Logan about his children’s attempt to block a sale of the company. Logan then moves to sell Waystar to GoJo, a technology company led by Lukas Matsson, played by Alexander Skarsgård.

The final season takes a sharp turn when Logan dies aboard a private plane while his children are attending Connor’s wedding. Kendall and Roman briefly run Waystar together, but the proposed GoJo deal keeps the succession battle alive. In the series finale, Shiv changes her vote at a decisive board meeting, the sale goes through, and Tom becomes the company’s chief executive.

*Succession* is also recognizable for Nicholas Britell’s piano-led theme music and its handheld-camera style, which frequently catches the Roys reacting to one another in meetings, hallways, and cars. The series won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series three times. Its ending leaves Kendall outside the company he spent years trying to inherit.