Succession Season 4

It is quite easy to believe nowadays that we're in a bit of a TV lull. With hundreds of shows hitting streaming services and so few of them proving to be more than passable, it becomes clear that content is being pushed over anything else in the modern era of media. However, even when things look bleak, there is always a show or two that is worth bringing you back to the small screen.

For me, that show has been HBO and Jesse Armstrong's Succession, the story of three siblings as they each try and prove themselves worthy to take over their father's media conglomerate. It's a parody on the Murdoch family, but even with it being full of satire and comedy, the show at its heart can still pull you in to love and hate the characters you spend time with.

Succession is one of those shows where it can admittedly sound a bit boring if you just reel off the plot points. Considering the show is about billionaires, it can appear as if you'll easily be detached from them. However, as the episodes develop, you find yourself drawn in further into this satirical glimpse at a world so different from our own but one that exists all the same. Season 4 acts as the culmination of all this. It is our final act, as the Roy family is as broken as it's ever been, the family business looks to be up for sale, and they have a presidential election to deal with all within a span of a couple of weeks. In its final season, Succession creates a frantic feeling throughout, as one problem only leads to another. It is claustrophobic, almost, as we're often spending time in small offices or the backstage area of a newsroom, separated from the breathing space of the outside world and forced to live with these characters as they make horrible decisions for the chance they might make the smallest of gains.

I have to give props to the camerawork in Succession Season 4, which feels as tight as ever in creating the atmosphere we need in this final arc. During the election episode, where we often get a dose of shaky cam to reflect the uncertainty of the tight presidential race, we especially feel like a fly on the wall in one of the most stressful workplaces you can imagine.

Of course, it's unlikely that we'll remember Succession for its cinematography, even if it can create some beautiful moments in its visuals. Jesse Armstrong's writing has always been good. If we look at Peep Show, for example, we'll see reams of dialogue that is still quoted in British culture today. In Succession, Armstrong's comedy is still there, but it's much more subtle, as we're also treated to incredible dialogue that elevates the drama and characters beyond even the amazing performances turned in by the majority of the cast.

Speaking of performances, again they're nothing but incredible. Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook, Matthew McFadyen, I could go on. They all bring the characters of the Roy family to life, and accomplish the near impossible every episode as your feelings of hating these characters for who they are but wanting them to succeed all the same blend into one confusing mix. A special nod must be given to Alexander Skarsgård as Lukas Matsson, the overarching antagonist (if you can really have one in a show like Succession) of Season 4. He is again at times incredibly likeable but also can switch that strange charm around to make him the person you hope falls the furthest by the season's end.

Season 4 of Succession is the glistening cherry on an otherwise outstanding cake. For existing fans of the show, it'll make you laugh, cry, and scream at the TV with its final episodes. It manages to pull off the rare successful ending for a popular TV show as well, as it finishes in a way that only Succession could do. I obviously won't go into spoilers here but if you've not yet picked up this show, believe the hype. It is methodical, sometimes to a fault, as Season 4's middle episodes do tread water a little, but otherwise it manages to be a grounded, excellent comedy drama that we should be talking about for years to come.