Succession

In 2023, I saw the final episode of my favorite Television show of all time, Succession. From the star-studded cast who rose to the occasion on every scene, no matter how difficult, to the cinematography that always made the show seem bigger than life, to the breathtaking score and sound (the theme song is playing on a constant loop in my head), Succession was truly “can't miss TV“ in a way that I had never personally experienced in my life. In the age of streamers like Netflix dropping full seasons of TV shows at once, it was so refreshing to know that when Sunday at 9 pm EST rolled around, my friends, family, and I, all dropped everything we were doing to check out the next chapter in this story we had all grown so invested in. Season 4's format had fans clinging to the edge of their seats. It felt like every episode evoked an all-caps text to the group chat at least once throughout its duration. While I'm sad my favorite show is now over, we all know “You can’t make a Tomelette without breaking some Greggs.” Wrapping everything neatly up into a tight 4 seasons must have been a difficult decision given the show's popularity. However, it was done in truly remarkable form by the writers, and I'll be able to look back on all 4 seasons as a cohesive, thought-provoking, and truly awe-inspiring piece of media. Although the Roy family will no longer be seen on HBO, they have made an incredible impact on those who were lucky enough to be along for the ride.

To wrap the Succession fandom into a single word in 2023, I would have to call it “bittersweet” We got a resolution to the story that spawned countless fan theories and predictions, and fans got another phenomenal season of one of their favorite shows. At the same time, knowing that this was Succession's last hurrah absolutely evokes some sadness that we won't be able to see the Roys tackle whatever comes next on screen.

I hope this isn't the case, but Succession's legacy may go down as one of the last times that prestige TV truly felt prestigious. Each episode of the final season truly felt like an event that couldn't be missed. Succession was a truly phenomenal show that deserves to be remembered as one of the best because it didn't take itself too seriously while still packing a massive emotional punch.