« Succession »: The Others!
« Succession »: The Others! But how does this HBO series measure up? While Twin Peaks brought series into modernity, it was with its pioneering shows « The Wire » and « Oz » that HBO elevated series to the status of a major art form, on par...
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« Succession »: The Others! But how does this HBO series measure up? While Twin Peaks brought series into modernity, it was with its pioneering shows « The Wire » and « Oz » that HBO elevated series to the status of a major art form, on par with cinema, and no longer just a form of entertainment. But since streaming platforms inundate viewers with short-form content of all kinds, sometimes bordering on « copy-paste » formats, HBO seems to have struck gold with « Succession ». A series that began four years ago, but on which we now have the necessary perspective.
« Succession » remains a « copy-paste » in its archetype!
The art of series primarily suffers from two major flaws. First and foremost, each series has become a replica of the structure of another. After the resounding success of the masterpiece « Breaking Bad », series creators launched « Ozark ». We’ve lost count of the remastered versions of « The Bron » airing in countries all over the world. Even « Game Of Thrones » has copies popping up everywhere, from Amazon Prime to Netflix. There’s less and less creativity, or rather, capitalism drives producers to favor the least risky projects, and by extension, series that have already succeeded. This explains the resounding success of the Korean series « Squid Game », which is unlike any other.
As a corollary to the first proposition, even when they show originality like « La Casa de Papel », series get bogged down in the multiplication of seasons and unnecessary sequels, much like in cinema. Even « Breaking Bad » gave birth to spin-offs. For « Game Of Thrones », we’re expecting nearly 3 or 4 series derived from the main work. This is indeed the problem with « Succession ». Even though the work is a total success, it takes the principle of « Game Of Thrones » into the 21st century, with power, influence, and vast fortunes. It’s not original, but it’s highly effective. It’s an improved version of « Dallas »!
Succession: The intelligent sitcom!
Yes, because even if you spend your time watching « Succession » while labeling it as a fundamental critique of the perversity that money can provoke, and the destruction of capitalism on the pyre of vanities, don’t forget that you’re watching a sitcom. In reality, the narrative structure of « Succession » is not so far removed from « Dallas » and « Dynasty ». The admiration for the wealthy, coupled with an irresistible desire to see them as vile, Machiavellian, arrogant, and vain beings, is a driving force that pushes us to watch this series.
Comparing a series like « The Wire », which opts for truth and documentation, to « Succession », is simply impossible. Before creating « The Wire », David Simon conducted an investigation in Baltimore to understand all the intricacies of the system. One can’t imagine for a second that the creator of « Succession », Jesse Armstrong, strolls around the Bloombergs to conduct a similar investigation.
Nevertheless, the series is exceptionally effective. Actors Nicholas Braun, Brian Cox, and Kieran Culkin break all records of realism. The series’ boldness in portraying an empire in decline, with all the excesses of a family living outside the world, perched on an island in the sky, is the main asset of this captivating series. Even though it starts from a stereotype, it holds the entire world captivated with this somewhat depraved and terribly cruel family. Certain scenes, like in the first season when Kieran Culkin proposes to a kid to play baseball and win a few million dollars if he succeeds, have become iconic. Yes, because if « Succession » tells the banal story of a succession war (an archetype that has existed since Shakespeare), it’s in the details that the genius of « Succession » is hidden. The devil is in the details. It’s undoubtedly one of the best productions HBO has delivered in a long time.
L’article « Succession »: The Others! @ Rapmattaz.
