Succession: the cult series that amazes Hollywood

Everyone is talking about Succession, although it is not a new phenomenon, but one that has been around for some time. This happened because, as revealed by the Clarín media, the series won the "biggest prize" of the virtual ceremony of the 2020 Emmy Awards.

That is, this series was left with five statuettes in drama: best series, best direction (Andrij Parekh), best leading actor (Jeremy Strong), best guest actress (Cherry Jones) and best script (Jesse Armstrong), according to Infobae. All very important awards that make this series more and more popular.

From the specialized media Fotogramas they also highlight that it was a triumph for HBO, the chain that decided to broadcast this story. Therefore, we decided to review the reasons for the success of this series that, despite all its nominations and awards, is reaching a peak of popularity due to its great narrative forms.

The success of the Succession series

The 72nd edition of the Emmys, held by the Academy of Television of the United States, recognized the best successes of the small screen. Just because it's an atypical celebration for the coronavirus pandemic, it didn't mean that we couldn't see some great productions stand out, such as Succession.

We are talking about an American drama that, so far, has 2 seasons with a total of 10 episodes each, all hugely acclaimed by the audience and critics. Now , what are the ingredients that allow it to be a mind-blowing story? According to what Página 12 comments, it could be that “the protagonists are capable of anything”.

This derives from the narrative of the story itself, where power and money are omnipresent elements. The specialized website of Out of Series mentions that the plot revolves around the “power struggle, stabs and laughter” of a rich family that wants to obtain control of the clan's company.

The fact that we are talking about a drama does not mean that it does not have elements of humor, hence its consideration of "satire" in a wealthy family, according to the El País website. Therefore, we are talking about a dysfunctional family that owns an empire of audiovisual media and entertainment, so criticism of the industry is also present.

Furthermore, we are talking about a product that, despite being highly valued by critics, does not seem to be "massive". This is exemplified by the La Vanguardia media, saying that the best weapon is “word of mouth”, that is, the recommendation that is given among people through the favor of criticism and without the need for an advertising investment.

Also read: Emmy winners and where to watch them

This is why the award took some people by surprise, since not everyone knew the power of this story. At the same time, the fact that it has been recognized in a ceremony with this prestige implies that, progressively, more and more people are interested in this plot.

Obviously, the series makes its own merits to take all this specialized recognition. From Zinez's point of view, the fact that power, politics and family mix make it a “perfect cocktail”, which grabs the audience due to the dramatic twists that involve betrayal … although cooking over a slow fire.

This is the second consecutive year in which this series "catches" critics, something that leads to many recommending watching it. GQ Magazine mentions that it is necessary to give it a try since it is not a fantasy series or a story that comes from the side of nostalgia , but rather shows us the darker side of the life of the rich, through the relationships between the Roy family.

Similarly, from the BBC they emphasize that Succession's "recipe for success" is based on the fact that we will hate all the characters since it has a very unique tone of telling things, different from what we are used to on current television. In addition, the dark sense of humor predominates in its two seasons, being cynical and sarcastic.

While the first episode may not be completely disruptive, we will begin to assess the motivations of the characters and be surprised by the decisions they can make.