Succession (HBO) | The Boneyard

Succession (HBO)

nelsonmuntz

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This is HBO's next swing at prestige Emmy bait. Reviews were brutal, although I think reviewers hold the show to too high a standard. I feel like every show that isn't the next Mad Men or Game of Thrones gets filleted out of the gate. I find cable shows often struggle in Season 1 before hitting their stride in sesaon 2. The first few episodes of Game of Thrones were a grind, and it took me about 3 episodes to really get into Mad Men.

My take: Episode 1 has some issues, but the show has potential. Brian Cox is OK as the Patriarch of this very wealthy family. He isn't quite refined enough to pull off the media billionaire role, although I will wait to make a final judgment.

I already like Jeremy Strong as the heir apparent, loyal son. Even in just one episode, you saw both the entitled bullying of someone born to greatness, and the fact that he just doesn't have "it". That is hard to illustrate, and the show didn't cop out with exposition.

I don't have a good view on the rest of the characters yet, other than I hope the show fleshes them out since they all seem a little stereotypical in the first episode. I also hope the show dials back the -hole factor, because it is set at 10 for the entire family. A comedy can have a cast of unlikable characters, but it is hard to hold a drama together if the audience hates everyone.
 

nelsonmuntz

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Episode 2 is good, and was pretty funny in spots. I don't get some reviewers problem with this show. Other than the daughter's fiancé, who is a little lame, all the main characters are interesting. This is a solid show.
 
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Watched the first, will wait til the season is over to decide if I will come back to it. Life is to short to spend an hour a week with such horrible people
 
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Watched the first, will wait til the season is over to decide if I will come back to it. Life is to short to spend an hour a week with such horrible people

Nelson touched on this in his first post and I agree with the both of you. The characters are too stereotypical and overall dislikable. Greg is almost too stupid to believe. The hippie brother is a caricature of a caricature. Shiv is grating and Roman is another stereotypical buffoon. The future fiance may be worst of all. I can't imagine someone with so little social awareness, between his conversation with Logan's wife and his bizarre proposal. I do like Kendall. I will give it a few more episodes but there is too little time to watch mediocre shows.
 
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nelsonmuntz

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I am starting to really like this show. Kendall is smart enough to know what his options are, but not a good enough decision maker to make the right choice. Every decision he makes takes him a step backward. He is scalitoing up all over the place, and it is fun to watch.

Roman is highly educated because he comes from wealth, but is emotionally a child and will piss off everyone around him. Making a lot of pronouncements while bringing nothing to the table gets old very quickly with the people around him. I actually know someone just like this. There are hundreds of these middle aged trust fund "kids" in New York and San Francisco.
 

nelsonmuntz

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Episode 4 is really funny. The show will get away with the characters being so awful because it does mock them quite a bit. It doesn't matter whether we like the characters if we are laughing at them. The "virus" is very funny while being uncomfortable to watch.
 
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Episode 4 is really funny. The show will get away with the characters being so awful because it does mock them quite a bit. It doesn't matter whether we like the characters if we are laughing at them. The "virus" is very funny while being uncomfortable to watch.

It really was. What a train wreck of a family.
 

nelsonmuntz

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It really was. What a train wreck of a family.

Everything about the show is so well done. The children, and fiance, are spoiled brats that are in way over their heads, but they are just smart enough to be hanging on by their fingernails. That is hard for a show to pull off. Logan's long time advisors are yes men that are adept at avoiding land mines. The show doesn't tell us this, it shows us.
 
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Everything about the show is so well done. The children, and fiance, are spoiled brats that are in way over their heads, but they are just smart enough to be hanging on by their fingernails. That is hard for a show to pull off. Logan's long time advisors are yes men that are adept at avoiding land mines. The show doesn't tell us this, it shows us.

Good point. And so much of what happens inside the company is accurate if you've been in large corporations. For me this is a must watch.
 

nelsonmuntz

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Good point. And so much of what happens inside the company is accurate if you've been in large corporations. For me this is a must watch.

The Kendall character is great. He is smarmy and entitled, but his desperation makes him appealing. He is subject to multiple humiliations every episode, and he just keeps grinding through it. His wife doesn't love him, his dad doesn't respect him, and his loser younger brother mocks him endlessly. Actually, no one respects him.
 

nelsonmuntz

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Are there any shows that James Cromwell does not guest star in?
 
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Liked this week's episode - think the characters are starting to find their groove.
 

nelsonmuntz

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I suspect that a lot of the reviewers didn't get past the pilot or second episode, because they seem to be reviewing a completely different show from the one I am watching.

The last two episodes have had several very funny moments, and the dynamics between the major characters is awesome. Even the Tom character has become interesting. You have to fight through the pilot and the first half of episode 2, and then this show really comes around.
 
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I suspect that a lot of the reviewers didn't get past the pilot or second episode, because they seem to be reviewing a completely different show from the one I am watching.

The last two episodes have had several very funny moments, and the dynamics between the major characters is awesome. Even the Tom character has become interesting. You have to fight through the pilot and the first half of episode 2, and then this show really comes around.

The thing with Connor's "girlfriend" Willa was fantastic.
 
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I suspect that a lot of the reviewers didn't get past the pilot or second episode, because they seem to be reviewing a completely different show from the one I am watching.

The last two episodes have had several very funny moments, and the dynamics between the major characters is awesome. Even the Tom character has become interesting. You have to fight through the pilot and the first half of episode 2, and then this show really comes around.

I like the show now. It was hard to tell the tone throughout the first 2 episodes but I am glad I stuck with it. The show doesn't take itself as seriously as I imagined it was going to and this has made it easier to actually like some of these absurd characters like Tom and Greg.
 

nelsonmuntz

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One of my favorite shows. You can kind of understand why they tolerate each other despite the fact that they are all so awful.
 

nelsonmuntz

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Episode 8 was a home run. This show is awesome. That party was insane, and hilarious, and completely scalitoed up. I want to go to a party like that.
 

nelsonmuntz

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Roman bringing the snowballer to his sister's wedding is hilarious. The whole rehearsal dinner was great. These people are so screwed up that anything is possible, but they are just relatable enough to make the show worth watching.

This show is awesome.
 
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Roman bringing the snowballer to his sister's wedding is hilarious. The whole rehearsal dinner was great. These people are so screwed up that anything is possible, but they are just relatable enough to make the show worth watching.

This show is awesome.

Just watched the last 2 episodes. Riveting. So well written.
 

nelsonmuntz

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I didn't like the last 20 minutes of the season finale. When there is a twist that big, it makes almost everything that happens before it irrelevant.
 
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Due to word of mouth I just went back and watched (through 9 now). It is really good, like really really good. Some of the episodes are really funny cause it is nice to laugh at really horrible people. The only decent person is the idiot cousin.
 
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Fantastic.

To anyone on here reading this wondering "should I watch this?":

Yes.

Get off the boneyard and go watch this right this second.
 

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