Succession (TV series)

Succession
Genre	Comedy-drama[1][2] Black comedy[3] Satire[4][5]
Created by	Jesse Armstrong
Starring	Hiam Abbass Nicholas Braun Brian Cox Kieran Culkin Peter Friedman Natalie Gold Matthew Macfadyen Alan Ruck Parker Sawyers Sarah Snook Jeremy Strong Rob Yang Dagmara Domińczyk Arian Moayed J. Smith-Cameron Justine Lupe David Rasche Fisher Stevens
Composer	Nicholas Britell
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	29 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Jesse Armstrong Will Ferrell Adam McKay Frank Rich Kevin Messick Mark Mylod Jane Tranter Tony Roche Scott Ferguson Jon Brown Lucy Prebble Will Tracy
Producers	Regina Heyman Dara Schnapper Jonathan Filley Ron Bozman Gabrielle Mahon
Production locations	United States United Kingdom (seasons 1–2) Iceland (season 2) Croatia (season 2) Italy (season 3)
Cinematography	Andrij Parekh Patrick Capone Christopher Norr
Editors	Mark Yoshikawa Ken Eluto Jane Rizzo Anne McCabe Joe Giganti Suzy Elmiger William Henry Ellen Tam Brian A. Kates
Camera setup	Single camera
Running time	56–70 minutes
Production companies	Gary Sanchez Productions Hyperobject Industries (season 2–present) Project Zeus
Distributor	Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Release
Original network	HBO
Picture format	1080i (HDTV)
Audio format	5.1 surround
Original release	June 3, 2018 (2018-06-03) – present (present)
External links
Official website

Succession is an American satirical comedy-drama television series created by Jesse Armstrong. It premiered on June 3, 2018, on HBO.^[6][7] The series centers on the Roy family, the dysfunctional owners of Waystar RoyCo, a global media and entertainment conglomerate, who are fighting for control of the company amid uncertainty about the health of the family's patriarch, Logan Roy (Brian Cox). In October 2021, the series was renewed for a fourth season.

Among the series's cast are Jeremy Strong as Kendall, Kieran Culkin as Roman, and Sarah Snook as Shiv, Logan's children employed by the company. Matthew Macfadyen stars as Tom Wambsgans, Shiv's husband and Waystar executive; Nicholas Braun as Greg Hirsch, Logan's grandnephew also employed by the company; Alan Ruck as Connor, Logan's eldest child; and Hiam Abbass as Marcia Roy, Logan's wife. Peter Friedman, Natalie Gold, and Rob Yang also star, while Dagmara Domińczyk, Arian Moayed, J. Smith-Cameron, Justine Lupe, David Rasche and Fisher Stevens featured in recurring roles before being promoted to the main cast.

Succession has been widely acclaimed by critics for its writing, acting, musical score and production values. The series has received several awards and nominations, including the British Academy Television Award for Best International Programme, the Golden Globe for Best Television Series – Drama, and the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series.^[8] Both Cox and Strong received the Golden Globe for Best Actor – Television Series Drama, with Strong also winning the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

Premise[]

Succession follows the Roy family, owners of media conglomerate Waystar RoyCo. The family patriarch, Logan Roy (Cox), has experienced a decline in health. His four children – removed oldest son Connor (Ruck), power-hungry Kendall (Strong), irreverent Roman (Culkin), and politically savvy Shiv (Snook) – all with varying degrees of connection to the company, begin to prepare for a future without their father,^[9] and each begins vying for prominence within the company.

Cast and characters[]

• Hiam Abbass as Marcia Roy (seasons 1–2; recurring season 3), Logan Roy's third and current wife. Born and raised in Beirut, she is often at odds with Logan's children, whose trust she has yet to earn. She has a son, Amir, from her first marriage. She also has a daughter from a previous relationship.
• Nicholas Braun as Greg Hirsch, the bumbling and sweet yet opportunistic grandson of Logan Roy's brother, Ewan. Greg is unfamiliar with the rough terrain he must navigate to win Logan over, and finds himself indentured to Tom Wambsgans in his quest for a place at Waystar and with the family.
• Brian Cox as Logan Roy, the Dundee-born billionaire founder of media and entertainment conglomerate Waystar RoyCo. He is a brash leader whose primary focus is his company rather than his four children: Connor, from his first marriage, and Kendall, Roman and Siobhan, from his second marriage. He is married to Marcia, his third wife.
• Kieran Culkin as Roman Roy, half-brother to Connor and the middle child from Logan Roy's second marriage. Roman is immature, does not take responsibilities seriously and often finds himself lacking the common sense his father requires of him. This is likely because, as evidenced in quite a few episodes, his father's abuse targeted him. He is frequently at odds with his older brother Kendall and sometimes his sister Shiv, with whom he often vies for power and their father's attention.
• Peter Friedman as Frank Vernon, COO and later vice-chairman of Waystar RoyCo, and longtime confidant of Logan Roy. Frank is a member of Logan's old guard, on whom Kendall frequently relies to help win back Logan's favor. He is Kendall's mentor and godfather, and is disliked by Roman.
• Natalie Gold as Rava Roy (season 1; recurring season 3), Kendall's former wife and mother of his two children.
• Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Wambsgans, Shiv's fiancé and then her husband; a Waystar executive who is promoted from heading the amusement park and cruise division to running ATN, the company's global news outlet. He enjoys his proximity to the Roy family's power but is frequently dismissed by the family's inner circle. He ingratiates himself with those more powerful than he, but torments his hapless subordinate, Greg Hirsch.
• Alan Ruck as Connor Roy, the only child from Logan Roy's first marriage. Mostly removed from corporate affairs, he defers to his half-siblings on most firm-related matters and resides at a ranch in New Mexico with his younger girlfriend Willa. Prone to delusions of grandeur, he announces his bid for President of the United States in season 2, citing his interest in politics from a young age.
• Parker Sawyers as Alessandro Daniels (season 1), an executive of Waystar RoyCo who is present during the Vaulter acquisition meetings. Sawyers is credited with the main cast in the pilot episode only.
• Sarah Snook as Siobhan "Shiv" Roy, Logan Roy's youngest child and only daughter. A left-leaning political fixer, she worked for a time for presidential candidate Gil Eavis, whose political views clash with Waystar. She eventually leaves politics to focus on building a future at Waystar. She is engaged to and then marries Tom Wambsgans, but their relationship gradually becomes turbulent.
• Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy, half-brother to Connor and the eldest child from Logan Roy's second marriage. As Logan's heir apparent, Kendall struggles to prove his worth to his father after battling substance abuse and bungling major deals. He toils to maintain a relationship with his siblings, ex-wife Rava, and their children.
• Rob Yang as Lawrence Yee (seasons 1–2), the founder of media website Vaulter that is acquired by Waystar RoyCo. He holds great contempt for Waystar and particularly Kendall, with whom he is often at odds.
• Dagmara Domińczyk as Karolina Novotney (seasons 2–3; recurring season 1), the head of PR for Waystar RoyCo and a member of the company's legal team.
• Arian Moayed as Stewy Hosseini (season 2; recurring seasons 1, 3), Kendall's friend from The Buckley School and Harvard who is now a private-equity investor with a seat on Waystar's board. He is covertly in partnership with Logan's rival Sandy Furness.
• J. Smith-Cameron as Gerri Kellman (seasons 2–3; recurring season 1), the general counsel to Waystar RoyCo, who is also godmother to Shiv and a mentor to Roman.
• Justine Lupe as Willa Ferreyra (season 3; recurring seasons 1–2), Connor Roy's younger girlfriend who is a former call girl and an aspiring playwright.^[10]
• David Rasche as Karl Muller (season 3; recurring seasons 1–2), Waystar RoyCo's chief financial officer and member of the company's legal team.^[10]
• Fisher Stevens as Hugo Baker (season 3; recurring season 2), a senior communications executive for Parks and Cruises in charge of managing a scandal involving Brightstar cruise lines.^[10]

Episodes[]

Season		Episodes		Originally aired		Average viewership (in millions)
				First aired	Last aired
	1	10		June 3, 2018 (2018-06-03)	August 5, 2018 (2018-08-05)	0.603[11]
	2	10		August 11, 2019 (2019-08-11)	October 13, 2019 (2019-10-13)	0.597[12]
	3	9		October 17, 2021 (2021-10-17)	December 12, 2021 (2021-12-12)	0.553[13]

Season 1 (2018)[]

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
1	1	"Celebration"	Adam McKay	Jesse Armstrong	June 3, 2018 (2018-06-03)	0.582[14]
Members of the Roy family prepare to celebrate the 80th birthday of Logan Roy, CEO of the family owned media conglomerate Waystar RoyCo. Logan's second-oldest son Kendall believes he is the company heir following his father's retirement, but Logan shocks his family at his birthday celebration by announcing that he will not be stepping down as CEO. He presents his children with papers giving his third wife, Marcia, two votes on the trust to decide his successor upon his death. During the family's traditional softball game, Logan fires his longtime COO Frank Vernon, and agrees to give a new position to his estranged great-nephew Greg Hirsch, who was fired from his job at one of Waystar's parks. Kendall leaves the game to secure Waystar's acquisition of the media startup Vaulter. On the helicopter ride back to New York City, Logan and his children Roman, Shiv, and Connor argue over the terms of the agreement, but Logan suddenly collapses from a hemorrhagic stroke and is rushed to the hospital. Kendall receives word of Logan's stroke from Lawrence Yee, Vaulter's CEO and Kendall's rival, immediately after securing the acquisition deal, and rushes to the hospital.
2	2	"Shit Show at the Fuck Factory"	Mark Mylod	Tony Roche	June 10, 2018 (2018-06-10)	0.491[15]
The Roy children are in disagreement over who should take control of Waystar in the wake of Logan's incapacitation: Roman and Connor want to sign the papers out of respect for their father's wishes, whereas Kendall believes he should become CEO, and Shiv is opposed based on doubts about Marcia's role in the company. Marcia sends Greg to retrieve Logan's items from his apartment. Roman asks Greg to bring the trust change papers, but Shiv instructs the opposite; Greg ultimately decides not to bring the papers. Shiv's boyfriend Tom Wambsgans proposes to her at the hospital, and she accepts. It is eventually agreed that Kendall should become acting CEO of Waystar with Roman as COO. Waystar's general counsel Gerri Kellman informs Kendall that Logan is $3 billion in debt due to his expansion into parks. Logan wakes up in his hospital bed.
3	3	"Lifeboats"	Mark Mylod	Jonathan Glatzer	June 17, 2018 (2018-06-17)	0.605[16]
Kendall learns that one of the creditors to Waystar's family holding company is entitled to demand full repayment for Logan's $3 billion debt if Waystar's stock falls below 130 points. After a failed attempt to negotiate with the bank, Kendall enlists the aid of Stewy Hosseini, his friend from college who is now a private-equity investor. Stewy agrees to inject $4 billion into Waystar in return for stock and a seat on the company's board. However, Greg later spots Stewy meeting with Sandy Furness, Logan's enemy who wants to take control of Waystar. Kendall is also trying to repair his marriage with his estranged wife Rava, but after a night together, she confirms she has already hired a divorce lawyer. Shiv asks Nate Sofrelli, a fellow political fixer and former boyfriend, to run a background check on Marcia. Kendall visits a recovering Logan to inform him that Waystar's stock has still fallen below 130, but that his efforts have staved off a greater financial decline. Logan nonetheless disapproves.
4	4	"Sad Sack Wasp Trap"	Adam Arkin	Anna Jordan	June 24, 2018 (2018-06-24)	0.543[17]
The Roys prepare for the company's annual foundation gala. Frank is rehired to mentor Roman in his position as COO. Upon starting his new role as the head of the Waystar's Parks and Cruises division, Tom is given secret documents confirming a massive cover-up of crimes committed on the company's cruises, including sexual assault and potential murder. Panicked, he confides this information to Greg. At the charity gala, Connor notices changes in the transcript of Kendall's speech, leading him to mistakenly believe that Kendall plans to announce Logan's retirement. He tells Logan, who opts to make a speech in Kendall's place announcing that he is returning to his role as CEO. Tom plans to go public about the cruises scandal, but Gerri advises against it during the gala. Tom angrily accuses Greg of snitching to Gerri about the scandal, which Greg denies. However, Gerri later thanks Greg in private, confirming that he did disclose the information to her.
5	5	"I Went to Market"	Adam Arkin	Georgia Pritchett	July 1, 2018 (2018-07-01)	0.583[18]
Marcia invites Logan's estranged brother Ewan to Thanksgiving, and Greg travels to Canada to pick him up. Logan wants to aggressively acquire more local news stations for Waystar, against the advice of his children and counsel. Kendall plots to hold a vote of no confidence against his father amidst his erratic behavior. Tom sends Greg to shred company documents pertaining to the cruises scandal, but Greg secretly makes copies. During dinner, an argument erupts between Logan and Ewan over the company and family's values, and Ewan storms out, warning Greg not to trust the Roys. As he leaves, Kendall suggests the possibility of a company takeover to Ewan – who is on Waystar's board – but Ewan refuses to conspire against his own brother. The dinner falls apart after Logan strikes Kendall's son Iverson during a game. Logan's behavior convinces Gerri to support Kendall in his vote of no confidence.
6	6	"Which Side Are You On?"	Andrij Parekh	Susan Soon He Stanton	July 8, 2018 (2018-07-08)	0.673[19]
Kendall, Roman, Frank and Gerri work together to amass a majority vote in favor of removing Logan from his position as CEO. Roman is able to sway Lawrence to their side. Logan travels to Washington D.C. for a meeting with the President, but the meeting is cancelled last-minute amid concerns regarding a terror threat. Greg is advised by Ewan to stay out of the no-confidence vote, but Greg later discloses his knowledge of the vote to Tom. On the day of the vote, Kendall flies to Long Island to visit an ailing board member at her home to convince her to vote with him, but is unable to take a helicopter back to Manhattan due to a lockdown over the terror threat. He is thereby delayed in his arrival to the vote while stuck in traffic, and Frank begins the vote without him. However, a furious Logan refuses to leave the room during the vote and instead berates several board members (including Roman) to side with him, and fires everyone who voted against, including Kendall and Frank.
7	7	"Austerlitz"	Miguel Arteta	Lucy Prebble	July 15, 2018 (2018-07-15)	0.626[20]
Kendall has cut off communications with his family and is suing Logan for firing him from Waystar. Tabloids falsely suggest that Kendall, a recovering addict, has relapsed. Logan attempts to repair his public image by holding a weekend family therapy session at Austerlitz, Connor's ranch in New Mexico, which Kendall chooses not to attend. After a fruitless initial session, Shiv leaves to meet with Senator Gil Eavis, a staunchly liberal presidential candidate and Logan's public rival, after Nate persuades her to join him in working on Gil's campaign. Afterwards, she and Nate have a sexual encounter in her car. Kendall eventually does arrive in New Mexico, but chooses to join some locals on a cocaine and methamphetamine binge. Roman brings him back to the ranch, where an argument erupts between Logan and the rest of the family. Logan insults Tom and berates Shiv for meeting with Gil, causing her to leave crying. He also admits to planting the tabloid allegations about Kendall's drug use prior to his actual relapse. The argument nearly turns violent when Kendall dismisses Logan's stories of the abuse he suffered as a child at the hands of his uncle. The next morning, Logan is seen privately swimming with visible scars on his back, attesting to his abuse.
8	8	"Prague"	S. J. Clarkson	Jon Brown	July 22, 2018 (2018-07-22)	0.637[21]
Roman is put in charge of planning Tom's bachelor party. Though he initially wants to host it in Prague, Stewy invites him to a secret underground party held inside an abandoned New York railway station where powerful business and media figures mingle. Logan tasks Greg with ensuring Kendall's safety amid his renewed drug abuse. Tom is initially drawn to the party's unhinged, sexual atmosphere, but he becomes doubtful about his relationship with Shiv, unaware of her ongoing affair with Nate. He is eventually goaded by Roman into having sex with a woman at the party. Shiv meets Logan for dinner, where he implies that he knows of her affair. Shiv, perceiving this as a veiled threat, refuses to stop working for Gil. Marcia later calls Shiv to say that Logan will not be attending Shiv and Tom's wedding. At the party, Kendall meets with Stewy and Sandy, who want to buy out his share in Waystar for half a billion dollars. A vengeful Kendall instead proposes a hostile takeover that will grant them a controlling interest in the company and name him CEO.
9	9	"Pre-Nuptial"	Mark Mylod	Jesse Armstrong	July 29, 2018 (2018-07-29)	0.558[22]
The Roys gather at an English castle in preparation for Shiv and Tom's wedding. Shiv believes Logan won't be present, but Logan chooses to attend to avoid the poor optics of being absent. Kendall, Roman and Shiv reunite with their mother Caroline, Logan's second wife. To Tom's surprise, Roman is now dating Tabitha, the woman with whom Tom previously had an embarrassing sexual encounter at his bachelor party. Nate meets Tom and tells him of his history with Shiv, but when Tom confronts Shiv about her infidelity, she denies it and instead asks to know the details of the cruises scandal, hoping to use it as political ammunition for Gil. Greg later spots Shiv and Nate together, but when he attempts to relay his suspicions to Tom the following morning, Tom attacks him. Shiv tells Gerri that she will let the cruises scandal remain secret as long as ATN – a right-leaning news network owned by Waystar – stop slandering Gil over his wife's suicide. Gil and Logan agree to a truce on these terms. Kendall is told by Stewy and Sandy that their takeover of Waystar has been moved up to the day of Shiv's wedding, as they would have more leverage over Logan while he is out of the country.
10	10	"Nobody Is Ever Missing"	Mark Mylod	Jesse Armstrong	August 5, 2018 (2018-08-05)	0.730[23]
Kendall serves Logan with his planned takeover bid. A furious Logan kicks him out, but begins scrambling to get ahead of the situation with his lawyers immediately afterwards. During the wedding reception, Logan gathers his children aside and tells them of Kendall's takeover plans, which infuriates them. Shiv admits her infidelity to Tom and suggests that she is better suited for a non-monogamous relationship. Tom forgives her and later ejects Nate from the wedding. While searching for cocaine, Kendall runs into Greg, who reveals that he kept copies of the cruises documents as leverage to get him a better position in the company. Kendall, impressed, agrees to his wishes. Outside the castle, Kendall does drugs with Andrew Dodds, a young waiter whom Logan had fired from the staff, and the two drive off in search of cocaine. They swerve to avoid a deer, and the car lands in the water. Unable to save Dodds, Kendall flees the scene and returns to the wedding in shock. The police investigate the following morning, and Logan tells Kendall that he will make the case go away if Kendall calls off the bear hug and attends rehab. Kendall obliges and breaks down crying in his father's arms.

Season 2 (2019)[]

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
11	1	"The Summer Palace"	Mark Mylod	Jesse Armstrong	August 11, 2019 (2019-08-11)	0.612[24]
48 hours after Shiv and Tom's wedding, Kendall is pulled out of a rehab facility in Iceland to give a public statement regarding his decision to back off from his role in the hostile takeover. Logan's financial adviser Jamie Laird suggests that he sell the company and name his successor. Despite going to rehab, Kendall continues to indulge his cocaine addiction and receives his deliveries from Greg. The Roys assemble for lunch at the family's summer home in the Hamptons. Logan is unable to extract an honest opinion from his children about whether he should sell the company; he has each of his children individually meet him in his office, and offers Shiv the role of CEO during their meeting. Shiv is eager for the opportunity, but doesn't disclose it to Tom, only telling him that he has been promoted to ATN's Chair of Global Broadcast News. That night, Logan flies Kendall to a meeting with Stewy and Sandy, who refuse to come to a compromise. Kendall promises them that they will lose the proxy battle.
12	2	"Vaulter"	Andrij Parekh	Jon Brown	August 18, 2019 (2019-08-18)	0.603[25]
Gil promotes Shiv to chief of staff for his presidential campaign. Connor and Willa return to New York, where Connor prepares to announce his own bid for President. Logan suggests to Shiv that it would take three years for her to fully integrate into her CEO role. Tom tasks Greg with rooting out inefficiencies in ATN's operations, despite Greg's reluctance to work for the network. Logan has Kendall and Roman review Vaulter's performance; Kendall wants to keep the company, but Roman reports to Logan that its business is failing and that its employees want to unionize. Logan sides with Roman and tasks Kendall with closing down Vaulter. Shiv tells Tom that Logan offered her the role of CEO, which puts Tom's ambitions to inherit the company in jeopardy; Shiv assures him that his inheritance is safe. Shiv later quits Gil's campaign. Kendall terminates Vaulter's staff, flatly telling Lawrence that he is doing so on his father's orders.
13	3	"Hunting"	Andrij Parekh	Tony Roche	August 25, 2019 (2019-08-25)	0.607[26]
Logan plans to acquire rival media giant Pierce Global Media (PGM), against the counsel of his peers and family, and rehires Frank due to his friendship with the head of its board. The family departs on a hunting retreat in Hungary. On the way, Logan is furious to learn that someone disclosed information on him to author Michelle Pantsil, who is writing an unauthorized biography on him. While hunting, Greg confides to Tom that he met with Pantsil, and begs him to keep it a secret. Connor announces his presidential bid on a platform against taxation. Shiv has a one-night stand while Tom is away. During dinner, Logan finds out that PGM is already aware of his plans, and subjects Greg, Tom and Karl to a vicious hazing ritual called "Boar on the Floor" until the source comes forth. Kendall finds out that it was Roman who privately reached out to PGM, humiliating him in front of the family and senior executives. Kendall observes that no one present supports Logan's acquisition plan, but Logan insists on seeing it through. The next morning, Logan learns that Mo, a recently deceased board member, talked to Pantsil, absolving Greg of suspicion. Frank informs Logan that PGM's CEO is interested in a meeting. Logan tells Shiv it is time to bring her into the company.
14	4	"Safe Room"	Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini	Georgia Pritchett	September 1, 2019 (2019-09-01)[a]	0.577[27]
Logan and Kendall meet with Rhea Jarrell, CEO of PGM, who relays the Pierce family's disinterest in selling their company. Tom investigates ATN anchor Mark Ravenhead, an alleged Nazi sympathizer, but their meeting is cut short by the sound of a gunshot. The building's occupants are ushered into panic rooms, where Kendall and Logan sway Rhea with a $24 billion offer for PGM. Rhea agrees to present Logan's offer to the Pierces on the condition that Ravenhead is fired from ATN. The source of the gunshot is found to have been an ATN employee who committed suicide in his office. Greg reveals to Tom that he kept copies of the cruises documents and blackmails him into giving him a promotion. Connor and Willa attend Mo (real name Lester McClintock)'s funeral in search of donors for Connor's presidential campaign. Pantsil is present and presses Connor on his association with Lester, a known sexual predator, but Willa helps rewrite Connor's eulogy into a series of generic statements to sabotage Pantsil's attempts to entrap him. Roman, following Gerri's advice on how to earn his father's respect, enrolls in Waystar's management training program. He later finds himself sexually aroused when Gerri humiliates him over the phone. Kendall tearfully confides to Shiv his belief that his loyalty to Logan is all he is worth.
15	5	"Tern Haven"	Mark Mylod	Will Tracy	September 8, 2019 (2019-09-08)	0.507[28]
The Roys spend a weekend with the Pierces at their family estate. Logan is determined to buy PGM and instructs each of his children on how to make a good impression with the Pierce family, but conversations between the Roys and the Pierces become increasingly tense and culminate when family matriarch Nan Pierce asks Logan during dinner who will replace him as CEO. Logan refuses to name his successor, and an indignant Shiv stuns the room by announcing she has been chosen to take over Waystar. Kendall engages in drugs and sex with Nan's cousin Naomi, also a recovering addict who flew in from California to aid in negotiations. She admits she despises the Roys and Waystar for running tabloids on her during her troubled past, and that she came to ensure that the acquisition fails. However, Kendall convinces her that the money from the deal could free her from the entanglements of a family business. The following morning, Nan (on Naomi's advice) agrees to sell PGM to the Roys on the condition that Shiv be named Logan's successor on the day of the merger. Logan refuses and calls off the deal. However, he receives a call soon after saying the Pierces have changed their mind. The Roys celebrate at Logan's home.
16	6	"Argestes"	Matt Shakman	Susan Soon He Stanton	September 15, 2019 (2019-09-15)	0.610[29]
The Roys attend Argestes, an international business conference, where they plan to finalize their agreement with the Pierces. However, they learn that New York Magazine has received a tip on the cruise line scandal and plans to publish an exposé within the next 36 to 48 hours. Despite the Roys' attempts to block the story's publication, it goes online the following morning while Logan and Kendall meet with Nan and Rhea to finalize their agreement. Shiv meets privately with Rhea, who admits that she wants the Waystar-PGM acquisition to succeed regardless of the scandal. Roman attempts to secure an investment from Azerbaijani aristocrat Eduard Asgarov, who agrees to provide his family's money if Waystar runs propaganda on behalf of his home country. Kendall, Roman and Shiv take the stage for a scheduled panel discussion, but offer conflicting responses to questions about the cruises scandal. Shiv shocks the audience when she makes comments seemingly suggesting that Logan should step down from the company. An argument ensues after the event, during which Logan strikes Roman. Nan decides to call off the acquisition and fires Rhea for conspiring with Logan.
17	7	"Return"	Becky Martin	Jonathan Glatzer	September 22, 2019 (2019-09-22)	0.508[30]
Sandy and Stewy launch a public smear campaign against Waystar in the wake of the cruises scandal. Logan, Kendall and Roman travel to London to secure shareholder support from Caroline. Logan invites Rhea along to aid in strategy, and the two spend the night together. Shiv arrives in London and meets with Rhea, who proposes that Shiv become CEO of PGM; Shiv is not opposed to the idea, but remains suspicious of Rhea's motives. Shiv and Roman meet Caroline, who agrees to vote her shares with the family for a payout of 20 million dollars and her children visiting her every Christmas. Sandy and Stewy run tabloids suggesting that Andrew Dodds' death was a suicide triggered by Logan's bullying. Logan has Kendall come along to visit Dodds' family to sort out the situation; Kendall is thoroughly shaken, and revisits the house that night to secretly deliver cash to the family. He attempts to confide his guilt to Caroline, but she neglects to make herself available. Tom faces an internal investigation into the cruises incidents. He forces Greg to burn the latter's copies of the documents, though Greg covertly withholds some of them. Logan accuses Shiv of disloyalty for considering the PGM position; Shiv begins to suspect that Rhea may be trying to take over the company.
18	8	"Dundee"	Kevin Bray	Mary Laws	September 29, 2019 (2019-09-29)	0.579[31]
Rhea organizes a celebration for Logan's 50th anniversary at Waystar in his hometown of Dundee, Scotland. Shiv, now intensely suspicious of Rhea, schemes with her siblings to sabotage Rhea's chances of being named Logan's successor. Though they play along in hazing Rhea, none of the other Roy children are genuinely opposed to having her take over as CEO. Ewan arrives in Dundee and warns Greg that he will relinquish his $250 million inheritance unless the latter stops working for Logan. Gerri and other company advisors inform Shiv that a whistleblower plans to go public with details of the cruises incidents and is refusing to take a payout. Realizing that Rhea will bear the burden of the scandal as CEO, Shiv gives Logan her approval to name Rhea as his successor, which he does during a speech prior to his plaque unveiling ceremony. Marcia, feeling betrayed, leaves the event. Ewan confronts his brother at the ceremony and warns him that he will face a reckoning.
19	9	"DC"	Mark Mylod	Jesse Armstrong	October 6, 2019 (2019-10-06)	0.705[32]
The company whistleblower gives a televised interview disclosing his knowledge of the misconduct on Waystar's cruises, naming Lester personally responsible for most of the behavior but implicating Gerri, Tom and Kendall in the cover-up. Gil compels the Roys to testify before the Senate. Tom is the first to be called to the stand alongside Gerri and performs disastrously. Shiv attempts to leverage her past connection to Gil and learns that he has a new witness. Shiv meets with the woman, Kira, and talks her out of testifying by warning her that her allegations will follow her for the rest of her life. Logan sends Roman along with Karl and Laird to secure funding from Eduard's family so Waystar can go private; Eduard introduces them to his father in Turkey, but the pitch meeting is cut short when anti-corruption militia hold the building's occupants hostage. Logan and Kendall testify; Logan attempts to deflect blame onto Kendall for overseeing the cover-up during his tenure as acting CEO, but Kendall delivers a sharp rebuke to Gil. After the hearing, Rhea tells Logan she no longer wants to be CEO. Logan tells Shiv that a "blood sacrifice" will have to be made to appease the company's shareholders.
20	10	"This Is Not for Tears"	Mark Mylod	Jesse Armstrong	October 13, 2019 (2019-10-13)	0.660[33]
Logan is advised by Waystar shareholders to take the blame for the cruises incidents. The Roys spend a holiday on their extravagant yacht in the Mediterranean, where they debate over who should be the company's public scapegoat. Roman, Karl and Laird return from Turkey apparently having closed the financing deal with Eduard's family, though Roman admits to Logan that it is likely illegitimate. Logan and Kendall unsuccessfully attempt to convince Stewy to back Waystar's privatization. Tom admits to Shiv that he is unhappy with their relationship. Shaken, Shiv pleads with Logan not to have Tom take the fall for the scandal. Logan ultimately chooses Kendall; during a private conversation, Kendall asks Logan if he ever saw him fit to run the company, but Logan tells his son that he doesn't see him as a "killer." The next morning, Kendall and Greg are flown back to New York for a press conference, where the former is set to accept responsibility for the company's handling of the crimes. However, Kendall suddenly deviates from his prepared remarks and instead blames Logan, announcing that his father was well aware of the misconduct and personally oversaw the ensuing legal settlements. Greg is present at the conference with the probative documents. Logan, who is watching a telecast of Kendall's statement, smiles enigmatically.

Season 3 (2021)[]

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	U.S. viewers (millions)
21	1	"Secession"	Mark Mylod	Jesse Armstrong	October 17, 2021 (2021-10-17)	0.564[34]
Picking up immediately after Kendall's press conference, Logan decides to split his inner circle into two teams: he, Tom, Karl, Frank and Hugo station themselves in Sarajevo (as Bosnia-Herzegovina has no extradition treaty with the U.S.) while Roman, Gerri and Shiv are sent back to New York. Logan informs his team that he intends to temporarily step back as CEO; the family and company management debate who should take his place as a figurehead. Kendall, meanwhile, sets up a temporary base of operations at Rava's apartment, and hires two PR consultants to help steward his public image. He makes calls to most of Waystar's inner circle, hoping to sway more of the senior cadre to his side, but is only able to reach Frank. Shiv attempts to acquire legal representation for Waystar from Lisa Arthur, a high-profile New York attorney and personal friend, but realizes Kendall has already contacted her. In light of Shiv's perceived failure, Gerri is named interim CEO.
22	2	"Mass in Time of War"	Mark Mylod	Jesse Armstrong	October 24, 2021 (2021-10-24)	0.520[35]
Shiv, Roman and Connor covertly meet with Kendall, ostensibly to talk him out of his whistleblower campaign. Kendall refuses to compromise and attempts to persuade his siblings to join him. However, the discussion falls apart when Kendall declares that he will be CEO under their new arrangement. Seeing no personal benefit from siding with Kendall, the three siblings ultimately decide to remain aligned with Logan. Kendall additionally meets with Stewy and Sandi Furness (Sandy's daughter) to propose a partnership ahead of the company's shareholder meeting, but they remain skeptical. Greg, fearing legal reprisals for making copies of the cruises documents, consults with Ewan, who hires his personal attorney to represent Greg. Logan has Marcia flown in to Sarajevo after his legal team advises that the two publicly appear reconciled. Marcia, disgruntled over Logan's infidelity, demands several assurances from the company to ensure her cooperation. Logan returns to New York and names Shiv President of Domestic Operations at Waystar, assuring her she is under Gerri's protection.
23	3	"The Disruption"	Cathy Yan	Ted Cohen & Georgia Pritchett	October 31, 2021 (2021-10-31)	0.405[36]
Both Kendall and Logan take steps to boost their respective public profiles. Logan refuses to cooperate with the Department of Justice's impending investigation, and attempts to pressure White House aide Michelle-Anne Vanderhoven into granting him favors from the President. Tom offers to take the fall by allowing himself to be incarcerated, but privately contacts a lawyer. Kendall sabotages Shiv's speech at a company town hall intended to allay employee grievances by having his assistants blast Nirvana's "Rape Me" from a speaker; an irate Shiv retaliates by publishing an open letter questioning Kendall's mental health and invoking numerous details of his private life, including his issues with addiction and his lack of relationship with his children. Shiv appeals to Connor and Roman for support in publishing the letter, but they refuse to sign it. Kendall prepares to make an appearance on a late-night comedy show that has been disparaging him, but backs out at the last minute after Shiv's letter goes online, deeply shaken by its contents. The FBI raid Waystar's offices, forcing Logan to cooperate.
24	4	"Lion in the Meadow"	Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman	Jon Brown	November 7, 2021 (2021-11-07)	0.484[37]
Logan asks Shiv to get ATN to cover the White House more critically, in the hopes that it will pressure the President into curtailing the DOJ investigation. Shiv manages to strongarm anchor Mark Ravenhead into pivoting on his editorial position, but finds that she is receiving little respect or support either from within the company or from Logan. Tom begins to unravel over his growing fear of going to prison, as well as the frustration he feels at having to report to his wife. Greg informs him he has signed an agreement with Waystar's legal defense team after meeting with Logan. Shareholder Josh Aaronson requests a meeting with Logan and Kendall, worried that their conflict will endanger his investment, and leads them on a walk around his private island to hear each side's arguments. However, Kendall and Logan fail to present a united front, and Logan suffers from exhaustion on the walk back to Josh's mansion, refusing help until he nearly collapses. Kendall is later informed that Josh has lost confidence in Waystar's current leadership, and witnesses him meeting with Stewy.
25	5	"Retired Janitors of Idaho"	Kevin Bray	Tony Roche & Susan Soon He Stanton	November 14, 2021 (2021-11-14)	0.584[38]
At the Waystar RoyCo annual shareholder meeting, both Kendall and Logan's factions attempt to broker a settlement with Stewy and Sandi (largely negotiating on behalf of her ailing father), realizing that going to a vote would almost certainly deprive the Roys of their majority stake in the company. Logan, who is suffering from a urinary tract infection, initially refuses Sandy's terms, but becomes increasingly incoherent, forcing the other children and senior management to negotiate on his behalf. The vote is stalled while Shiv and Sandi manage to reach a deal offering either side an additional board seat; the two sides agree on the terms without waiting for an incapacitated Logan to approve. Karl announces the decision to the shareholders, but Kendall interrupts his speech to make an impromptu statement in support of the cruises victims. The President calls the Roys to announce that he will not be seeking a second term amid the blowback from ATN's attacks, jeopardizing Waystar's political survival. Ewan decides to donate his entire estate to Greenpeace, leaving Greg with no inheritance. Logan cuts off contact with Kendall.
26	6	"What It Takes"	Andrij Parekh	Will Tracy	November 21, 2021 (2021-11-21)	0.525[39]
Kendall prepares to submit the documents he has retrieved on the cruises scandal to the DOJ. However, his testimony goes poorly, and Lisa warns that the documents are insufficient legal ammunition to win his case against Waystar. An unsatisfied Kendall dispenses with Lisa's services and hires new attorneys. Meanwhile, the rest of the Roys travel to Richmond, Virginia to attend the Future Freedom Summit, a conservative political fundraiser, to pick a new presidential candidate in the upcoming election. While there, Roman learns that his mother Caroline is getting married in Tuscany to British CEO Peter Munion. Kendall arrives in Virginia and privately meets with Tom in an attempt to sway him to his side, but Tom refuses, believing Kendall will lose against his father as he always has. Among the presidential candidates, Shiv supports Congressman Rick Salgado, a traditional conservative who suggests to Shiv that he can make her Waystar's CEO, while Roman takes a liking to Jeryd Mencken, a controversial figure with fascist leanings. Logan decides to back Mencken despite Shiv's protests.
27	7	"Too Much Birthday"	Lorene Scafaria	Georgia Pritchett & Tony Roche	November 28, 2021 (2021-11-28)	0.645[40]
The company receives word that the DOJ investigation is weakening and will likely end in a settlement. Tom is deeply relieved to be avoiding prison time. Logan, who has been working to acquire streaming giant GoJo, learns that its CEO, Lukas Matsson, declined to meet him personally. Shiv and Roman attend Kendall's lavish 40th birthday party to negotiate with Matsson, who is in attendance. Roman delivers his and Logan's gift to Kendall: an offer to buy out his shares in Waystar for $2 billion. Shiv is angered when she learns she has been excluded as a beneficiary. Roman meets with Matsson alone and proposes that Waystar buy GoJo without Matsson ever having to report directly to Logan; Matsson expresses guarded interest. Kendall, feeling hurt by the buyout offer and embarrassed with the hollow excess of the party, has an emotional breakdown while searching for his children's gift and has Naomi take him home.
28	8	"Chiantishire"	Mark Mylod	Jesse Armstrong	December 5, 2021 (2021-12-05)	0.613[41]
The Roys travel to Tuscany for Caroline's wedding. Kendall demands a sit-down with Logan over dinner, where he requests taking the $2 billion buyout to permanently uncouple himself from his "evil" father, but Logan refuses. Caroline admits to Shiv she never wanted children and encourages Shiv not to bear one of her own; out of spite, Shiv asks to have a child with Tom, but tells him during sex that she does not love him, later passing it off as foreplay. GoJo's stock price soars after Matsson sends a tweet suggesting he has received major financing; Roman goes to meet him and discovers that Matsson is interested in a merger of equals with Waystar rather than an acquisition. Logan accepts the renewed terms, but Waystar's meeting with GoJo's bankers is derailed when Roman mistakenly sends a photo of his penis to Logan instead of Gerri. Kendall drunkenly floats facedown in his pool, and slowly lets his head sink into the water.
29	9	"All the Bells Say"	Mark Mylod	Jesse Armstrong	December 12, 2021 (2021-12-12)	0.634[42]
Kendall is nursed back to health after nearly drowning in his pool. GoJo's market capitalization overtakes Waystar's; Logan and Roman go to meet Matsson, who proposes that GoJo acquire Waystar with him as CEO while Logan exits with a settlement. Roman is sent back to attend Caroline's wedding, where he and Shiv discover that Logan has decided to sell the company without their input, jeopardizing the children's chances of succession. They tell Kendall, who breaks down and tearfully admits his involvement in the waiter's death at Shiv's wedding, and is met with support from his siblings. The three recall a clause in Logan and Caroline's divorce settlement granting the children veto power over any change in company control, and decide to face their father together. On the way, Shiv informs Tom, who cryptically offers Greg a chance at significant ascension within the company. Upon being confronted by his children, Logan informs them that he and Caroline have renegotiated their divorce agreement, effectively depriving the children of company control. Tom is revealed to have tipped off Logan about the children's revolt.

Production[]

Development[]

Showrunner Jesse Armstrong initially conceived the series as a feature film about the Murdoch family, but the script never went into production. Armstrong eventually expanded the scope of the story to include the larger landscape of Wall Street, which he felt better suited for a television format. Armstrong wrote a new script centered on original characters loosely inspired by various powerful media families such as the Murdochs, the Redstones and the Sulzbergers.^[43] On June 6, 2016, it was announced that HBO had given the production a pilot order. The episode was written by Armstrong and directed by Adam McKay. Executive producers for the pilot include Armstrong, McKay, Will Ferrell, Frank Rich, and Kevin Messick.^[44][45][46] On May 16, 2017, it was announced that HBO had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes. The previously announced creative team continued their involvement as the series entered into production.^{[47][48][49][50][51][52]}

On November 17, 2017, it was reported that Nicholas Britell would serve as the series' composer.^[53] On April 26, 2018, it was announced that the series would premiere on June 3, 2018.^[54] On June 11, 2018, HBO renewed the series for a second season.^[55] On May 23, 2019, it was announced that the second season would premiere on August 11, 2019.^[56]

On August 20, 2019, HBO renewed the series for a third season.^[6] On March 28, 2020, HBO announced the third season's production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[57] The third season premiered on October 17, 2021.^[7] In June 2021, executive producer Georgia Pritchett commented that the series would not go beyond five seasons, and possibly would end after season four.^[58] On October 26, 2021, HBO renewed the series for a fourth season.^[59]

Casting[]

On October 6, 2016, it was announced that Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, Nicholas Braun, and Matthew Macfadyen had been cast in lead roles in the series' pilot.^[60] On November 4, 2016, it was announced that Hiam Abbass, Alan Ruck, Rob Yang, Parker Sawyers, and Peter Friedman had also joined the main cast of the pilot.^[61] On January 24, 2018, it was reported that Ashley Zukerman had joined the series in a recurring role.^[62] On May 21, 2019, Holly Hunter joined the cast in a recurring role in the second season.^[63]

In January 2021, it was announced Sanaa Lathan, Linda Emond and Jihae had joined the cast of the series in recurring roles in the third season.^[64] In February 2021, it was reported that Hope Davis was cast in a recurring role in the third season.^[65] In March, Dasha Nekrasova was reported to have a recurring role in the third season.^[66] In May 2021, Alexander Skarsgård was cast in a recurring role while Adrien Brody was cast to guest star for the third season.^[67][68] In August 2021, it was announced Ella Rumpf would guest star in the third season.^[69]

Filming[]

The series is primarily filmed in New York City, and shot on 35 mm film.^[70] Director Adam McKay filmed the pilot in late 2016,^[71] while principal photography for the rest of the first season of the series began in October 2017.^[72] Locations used throughout the series include the American Irish Historical Society on Fifth Avenue as the location for Logan's apartment, 714 Broadway as the location of Shiv's season 1 apartment, and the Downtown Manhattan Heliport on the East River for scenes of the Roys departing on their helicopters. For scenes depicting the interiors of the Waystar RoyCo offices, the crew uses towers 4 and 7 of the World Trade Center, while 28 Liberty Street is used for exterior shots. Silvercup Studios in Queens houses many of the sets used for the series.^[73]

Other filming locations for the first season included Bellevue Hospital (where the second episode took place), the Cunard Building on 25 Broadway (which houses Cipriani S.A., the venue for a gala in the fourth episode), the East New York Freight Tunnel (the entrance of a bachelor party in the eighth episode),^[74] and the Financial District of Manhattan.^[75] From mid-January 2018 to the end of the month, the production moved from New York to New Mexico for the episode "Austerlitz", which was primarily filmed in Santa Fe.^{[76][77][78][79][72]} On February 22, 2018, filming took place in New Jersey which required the closing of the Atlantic City-Brigantine tunnel.^[80][81][82] On February 25, 2018, filming took place at Eastnor Castle near Ledbury in Herefordshire, England, which served as the setting for the last two episodes of the season.^[83]

The second season saw a significant increase in location shifts. The opening scenes of the season premiere were shot on location in Iceland,^[84] while Henry Ford II's 1960 estate in the Hamptons was used as the Roys' summer home.^[85] Oheka Castle in Huntington, New York stood in for the Roys' hunting lodge in Hungary, as depicted in the episode "Hunting".^[86] Filming also occurred in Long Island, with a mansion once belonging to Junius Spencer Morgan featuring prominently in the episode "Tern Haven".^[87] The estate is one of several in the area used as filming locations for the second season.^[88] From April through May 2019, the production recruited extras for filming in Lake Placid, and Lake George, New York, where the episode "Argestes" was shot.^[89] Production moved to Dundee, Scotland for the eighth episode, with additional filming taking place in Glasgow and Ayr for the preceding episode (which takes place in England).^[90] Starting from July 17, 2019, the crew filmed in Korčula, Croatia, for the second-season finale, including extensive scenes on a yacht.^[91][92]

Filming for season 3, which was slated to begin in April 2020, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[93] In early November 2020, star Alan Ruck announced that filming would begin in mid-November in New York City.^[94] The season had begun filming in New York as of December 2020.^[10][95] Filming locations in the city included the Woolworth Building in Tribeca, The Shed in Hudson Yards, and a number of hotels including the Marriott Marquis in Times Square and the Plaza Hotel on Fifth Avenue. Production also returned to the Hamptons, at locations including Montauk and Wainscott.^[73] In May, additional filming for season 3 occurred in Richmond, Virginia, primarily at the Jefferson Hotel.^[96][97] In June, production on the third season moved to Italy for the final two episodes,^[98][99] with filming primarily taking place in the Val d'Orcia region of Tuscany – where a wedding reception was filmed at the estates La Foce and Villa Cetinale. Additional filming took place in other nearby comuni in the province of Siena – including Pienza, Montalcino and Chianciano Terme – as well as in Cortona, Lake Como, Milan, and Florence (the lattermost of which was used for establishing shots in the opening episodes).^{[100][99][96][101]}

Release[]

Marketing[]

On January 18, 2018, HBO released the first teaser trailer for the series.^{[102][103][104]} On March 27, 2018, a second teaser trailer was released.^[105] On April 26, 2018, the first full trailer was released.^[106]

Premiere[]

On April 27, 2018, the series held its official world premiere during the Series Mania Festival in Lille, France in which the pilot episode was screened.^[107] On May 22, 2018, the series held its official US premiere at the Time Warner Center in New York City.^[108]

Reception[]

Critical response[]

Critical response

Season
		Rotten Tomatoes	Metacritic
	1	88% (84 reviews)[109]	70 (29 reviews)[110]
	2	97% (70 reviews)[111]	89 (19 reviews)[112]
	3	96% (81 reviews)[113]	92 (31 reviews)[114]

Season 1[]

The first season was met with a positive response from critics. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds an approval rating of 88% with an average rating of 7.9 out of 10, based on 84 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Peppering its pathos with acid wit, Succession is a divine comedy of absolute power and dysfunction – brought to vivid life by a ferocious ensemble."^[109] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 70 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."^[110]

Season 2[]

The second season received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds a 97% rating with an average rating of 8.95 out of 10, based on 70 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Succession returns in darkly funny form, with sharp writing, exceptional performances, and a surprising new level of sympathy for some of television's least likable characters."^[111] On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 89 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "universal acclaim."^[112]

Season 3[]

The third season received widespread critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds a 96% approval rating with an average rating of 9.35 out of 10, based on 81 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Fans already buying what Succession is selling will be pleasantly surprised to find its third season in crackling form – even if it gets a little too real from time to time."^[113] On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 92 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "universal acclaim."^[114]

Ratings[]

The series premiere episode drew 582,000 live viewers, down from the 1.39 million viewers that watched its lead-in, Westworld.^[14] The season 2 finale drew 1.1 million viewers across all viewing platforms.^[115] Season 3 premiered to 1.4 million viewers across various platforms.^[116]

Awards and nominations[]

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
Season 1
2018	American Film Institute Awards	Top 10 TV Programs of the Year	Succession	Won	[118]
2019	Golden Globe Awards	Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film	Kieran Culkin	Nominated	[119]
	Critics' Choice Television Awards	Best Drama Series	Succession	Nominated	[120]
		Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Matthew Macfadyen	Nominated
	Directors Guild of America Awards	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series	Adam McKay (for "Celebration")	Won	[121]
	Writers Guild of America Awards	Television: Dramatic Series	Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Jon Brown, Jonathan Glatzer, Anna Jordan, Lucy Prebble, Georgia Pritchett, Tony Roche, Susan Soon He Stanton and Daniel Zelman	Nominated	[122]
		Television: New Series		Nominated
	Satellite Awards	Best Television Series – Drama	Succession	Nominated	[123][124]
	BAFTA TV Awards	Best International Programme		Won	[125]
	Shorty Awards	Best TV Series		Nominated	[126]
	Television Critics Association Awards	Outstanding Achievement in Drama		Nominated	[127]
		Outstanding New Program		Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards (Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards)	Outstanding Drama Series	Jesse Armstrong, Adam McKay, Will Ferrell, Frank Rich, Kevin Messick, Mark Mylod, Jane Tranter, Tony Roche, Lucy Prebble, Georgia Pritchett, Jonathan Glatzer, Jon Brown, Dara Schnapper and Jonathan Filley	Nominated	[128] [129]
		Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series	Adam McKay (for "Celebration")	Nominated
		Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series	Jesse Armstrong (for "Nobody Is Ever Missing")	Won
		Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series	Douglas Aibel, Henry Russell Bergstein and Francine Maisler	Nominated
		Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music	Nicholas Britell	Won
2020	Casting Society of America	Television Pilot & First Season – Drama	Francine Maisler, Douglas Aibel and Henry Russell Bergstein	Nominated	[130]
Season 2
2019	American Film Institute Awards	Top 10 TV Programs of the Year	Succession	Won	[131]
2020	Golden Globe Awards	Best Television Series – Drama	Succession	Won	[132]
		Best Actor – Television Series Drama	Brian Cox	Won
		Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film	Kieran Culkin	Nominated
	Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards	Outstanding Original Score for a Television or Streaming Production	Nicholas Britell	Nominated	[133]
	Critics' Choice Television Awards	Best Drama Series	Succession	Won	[134]
		Best Actor in a Drama Series	Jeremy Strong	Won
		Best Actress in a Drama Series	Sarah Snook	Nominated
	Producers Guild of America Awards	Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television – Drama	Jesse Armstrong, Adam McKay, Frank Rich, Kevin Messick, Mark Mylod, Jane Tranter, Tony Roche, Scott Ferguson, Jon Brown, Georgia Pritchett, Will Tracy, Jonathan Glatzer, Dara Schnapper and Gabrielle Mahon	Won	[135]
	Directors Guild of America Awards	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series	Mark Mylod (for "This Is Not for Tears")	Nominated	[136]
	Writers Guild of America Awards	Television: Dramatic Series	Jesse Armstrong, Alice Birch, Jon Brown, Jonathan Glatzer, Cord Jefferson, Mary Laws, Lucy Prebble, Georgia Pritchett, Tony Roche, Gary Shteyngart, Susan Soon He Stanton and Will Tracy	Won	[137]
		Television: Episodic Drama	Will Tracy (for "Tern Haven")	Won
	Satellite Awards	Best Television Series – Drama	Succession	Won	[138]
		Best Actor in a Drama/Genre Series	Brian Cox	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or TV Film	Jeremy Strong	Won
		Best Ensemble: Television	Succession	Won
	Peabody Awards	Entertainment	Succession	Won	[139]
	BAFTA TV Awards (BAFTA TV Craft Awards)	Best International Programme		Nominated	[140]
		Best Writer, Drama	Jesse Armstrong	Won
	Television Critics Association Awards	Program of the Year	Succession	Nominated	[141]
		Outstanding Achievement in Drama		Won
		Individual Achievement in Drama	Jeremy Strong	Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards (Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards)	Outstanding Drama Series	Jesse Armstrong, Adam McKay, Will Ferrell, Frank Rich, Kevin Messick, Mark Mylod, Jane Tranter, Tony Roche, Scott Ferguson, Jon Brown, Georgia Pritchett, Jonathan Glatzer, Will Tracy, Dara Schnapper, Gabrielle Mahon and Lucy Prebble	Won	[142] [143] [144]
		Outstanding Lead Actor In a Drama Series	Brian Cox (for "Hunting")	Nominated
			Jeremy Strong (for "This Is Not for Tears")	Won
		Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Nicholas Braun (for "This Is Not for Tears")	Nominated
			Kieran Culkin (for "Tern Haven")	Nominated
			Matthew Macfadyen (for "This Is Not for Tears")	Nominated
		Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series	Sarah Snook (for "The Summer Palace")	Nominated
		Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series	Jesse Armstrong (for "This Is Not for Tears")	Won
		Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series	Mark Mylod (for "This Is Not for Tears")	Nominated
			Andrij Parekh (for "Hunting")	Won
		Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series	James Cromwell (for "Dundee")	Nominated
		Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series	Cherry Jones (for "Tern Haven")	Won
			Harriet Walter (for "Return")	Nominated
		Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series	Avy Kaufman	Won
		Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)	Nicholas Britell (for "This Is Not for Tears")	Nominated
		Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series	Ken Eluto (for "DC")	Nominated
			Bill Henry and Venya Bruk (for "This Is Not for Tears")	Won
		Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More)	Stephen H. Carter, Carmen Cardenas, George DeTitta and Ana Buljan (for "This Is Not for Tears")	Nominated
2021	Casting Society of America	Television Series – Drama	Avy Kaufman	Won	[145]
Season 3
2021	American Film Institute Awards	Top 10 TV Programs of the Year	Succession	Won	[146]
2022	Critics' Choice Television Awards	Best Drama Series	Succession	Pending	[147]
		Best Actor in a Drama Series	Brian Cox	Pending
			Jeremy Strong	Pending
		Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Nicholas Braun	Pending
			Kieran Culkin	Pending
			Matthew Macfadyen	Pending
		Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series	J. Smith-Cameron	Pending
			Sarah Snook	Pending
	Satellite Awards	Best Television Series – Drama	Succession	Pending	[148]
		Best Actor in a Drama/Genre Series	Brian Cox	Pending
			Jeremy Strong	Pending
		Best Actress in a Drama/Genre Series	Sarah Snook	Pending
		Best Ensemble: Television	Succession	Won
	Golden Globe Awards	Best Television Series – Drama	Succession	Won	[149]
		Best Actor – Television Series Drama	Brian Cox	Nominated
			Jeremy Strong	Won
		Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film	Kieran Culkin	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film	Sarah Snook	Won
	11th AACTA International Awards	Best Drama Series	Succession	Pending	[150]
		Best Actor in a Series	Jeremy Strong	Pending
		Best Actress in a Series	Sarah Snook	Pending
	Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards	Outstanding Original Score for a Television Production	Nicholas Britell	Pending	[151]
	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series	Nicholas Braun, Juliana Canfield, Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, Dagmara Domińczyk, Peter Friedman, Jihae, Justine Lupe, Matthew Macfadyen, Dasha Nekrasova, Scott Nicholson, David Rasche, Alan Ruck, J. Smith-Cameron, Sarah Snook, Fisher Stevens, Jeremy Strong, and Zoë Winters	Pending	[152]
		Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series	Brian Cox	Pending
			Jeremy Strong	Pending
			Kieran Culkin	Pending
		Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series	Sarah Snook	Pending
	Writers Guild of America Awards	Dramatic Series	Jesse Armstrong, Jon Brown, Jamie Carragher, Ted Cohen, Francesca Gardiner, Lucy Prebble, Georgia Pritchett, Tony Roche, Susan Soon He Stanton, Will Tracy	Pending	[153]
		Episodic Drama	Tony Roche & Susan Soon He Stanton for "Retired Janitors of Idaho"	Pending

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

• Official website
• Succession at IMDb