Is Succession's Election Storyline Going Where We Think It's Going?
This post contains spoilers about the latest episode of "Succession."
Fascism has been bleeding into "Succession" for years now, but you'd be forgiven if you didn't really notice. The drama has consistently sidelined talk about the rise of authoritarianism, relegating the most serious global news to quick asides that the Roy family often sandwiches in between cutting insults and emotional breakdowns.
The show is a satire at heart, but its sharpest commentary comes between the lines, as the self-absorbed siblings think as much about their massive influence over American politics as they do about what they'll be having for lunch. In the latest episode, Kendall (Jeremy Strong) even jokes offhand about inheriting his dad's political contact sheet, including "crypto-fascists," "right-wing nut jobs," "venture capital Dems," and "centrist ghouls." As its final season kicks into high gear, though, it's becoming increasingly clear that the personal lives of the "Succession" ensemble are headed directly into a political storm; the right-wing rise on the periphery of their own drama is about to become the drama.
The writers of "Succession" are experts at crafting subtle, iceberg plotlines that eventually cause damage, often after remaining an unspoken source of tension for large stretches of time. Kendall's guilt over the dead waiter from season 1 came up in the third season finale, while the cruises scandal was a blip on the radar overshadowed by more pressing concerns before it suddenly came to the forefront late in season 2. Some plot threads, like Roman's (Kieran Culkin) rumored inappropriate conduct with a male personal trainer, have never even come up again. At every turn, the Roy family puts a bandage on the bigger problem to focus on their own short-sighted egotism.
Is Succession going to end with an insurrection?
Every "Succession" character wants to maintain an illusion of complete control, so when skeletons start leaning up against their closet doors, their strategy is often to ignore them. This week's episode, which takes place the day before election night, shows the Roys being as dismissive as ever, but it also hints heavily at a looming plot point that mirrors the real-life 2020 U.S. election. As the series finale looms, it's impossible not to wonder: is this show going to end with a climax that mirrors America's January 6th insurrection?
While "Succession" has by now gone somewhat off-book from its original pitch as a show about the Murdoch media family, the series does tend to incorporate reality-inspired elements. For example, this season's antagonist (and arguably its most important character), Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård), shares some qualities with high-profile businessmen including Elon Musk, and details of the rocky deal between Gojo and Waystar call to mind his headline-grabbing past behavior. It's not a stretch, then, to assume that "Succession" might co-opt some of the real-life details of the 2020 election, which could land the Roy family — who control FOX News-like network ATN — in hot water.
Whether "Succession" ends with the metaphorical guillotine or the Roy family weathering yet another scandal with their wallets intact, we can't say there weren't signs that this is where the show was headed. Last season, Logan (Brian Cox) helped pick the Republican candidate for president behind closed doors and opted for alt-right Jeryd Mencken (Justin Kirk). Before that, Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) was asked to vet an ATN anchor who clearly harbored Nazi sympathies. The Roy family has obviously always been in bed with fascists, but until now, they've been mainly waging a media war. Now, it looks like that war is heading to the streets.
The latest episode is full of canaries in the coal mine
Throughout the course of this episode's tailgate party, several characters make allusions to election-related violence and the public's hatred for Mencken. At one point, there's a reference to "victory vans" and "O'Malley f**ks," and while the terms aren't explained, context clues hint that they might be people on the street engaging in some type of political intimidation or violence. Later in the episode, Roman immediately dismisses reports of firebombings in Arizona as overblown without so much as hearing the details about the news. ATN, meanwhile, has started putting a spin on the poll numbers at the Roys' request, calling any news favoring the Democratic candidate a conspiracy.
All of this would be enough to have average citizens — like Willa's (Justine Lupe) friends and family, who hate Mencken — scared or incensed, but it's just another punchline for the Roys to laugh at from their ivory tower. The walls of that tower might be coming down soon, though, as Kendall's ex, Rava (Natalie Gold), kicks off the episode by telling him that their daughter was involved in some sort of racist, borderline violent incident on the street. The encounter is only vaguely explained, but Rava says it involved a man with a Ravenheads shirt (Mark Ravenhead is ATN's probably-Nazi-affiliated news anchor), and it sounds like Sophie Roy (Swayam Bhatia) herself was doing the pushing in response to his comment. Now, Sophie's scared to go to school. "I will do anything to protect her: ANYTHING!" Kendall exclaims, showing more genuine signs of life than he has in a long time.
The Roy's dynasty might finally be truly threatened
The breaking news bulletins scattered throughout this episode of "Succession" begin to pile up, and they point to an endgame for the series that will have much larger implications than any company acquisition or CEO gig. While the show has by now gotten us unironically invested in the fate of the Roy family by letting us into their personal world, it's certainly never been unreservedly on their side. Equal parts schadenfreude-filled comedy and grand, dynastic tragedy, the show has let us laugh at the Roys' failures even as we empathize with their experiences as abuse victims at the hand of a bad dad.
All the while, "Succession" has perhaps accurately portrayed what should be its most sympathetic figures — namely, everyone who isn't obscenely wealthy — as unnamed and insignificant in comparison, powerless against the machinations of these overgrown babies who play a game of Monopoly with their lives. It's a purposeful strategy, and one that seems to have been leading somewhere pointed after all. With a contentious, possibly rigged election underway and Waystar-owned ATN in Mencken's pocket, the show's power dynamic seems likely to change. There's a good chance that before "Succession" draws to a close, the wolves will be at the Roy family's door — if not the door of the White House itself.
New episodes of "Succession" air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.