From the bloody machinations of Logan and Kendall to Cousin Greg’s buffoonery, the third series of the HBO drama continues to deliver the most thrilling and beautifully obscene TV there is
From those Apocalypse Now-style helicopters to Logan Roy (Brian Cox) roaring his intention to go “full fucking beast”, it is safe to say that Succession (HBO/Sky Atlantic) is back. Though production was delayed by the pandemic, no time has elapsed here. It drops straight into the aftermath of Kendall Roy’s (Jeremy Strong) decision to publicly eviscerate his father and the family business, Waystar Royco, at the end of season two, when he gave a press conference revealing the cover-up of the scandal for which he was supposed to take responsibility. Now that the bomb has been detonated, the fallout looks spectacularly bloody.
There was a small danger the story might have reached a climax there, from which it would be tough to move on. Much of the opening episode is taken up with frantic phone calls between potential allies or enemies, in an attempt to gather up the pieces and begin to sort them out. It is a testament to the show’s quality that this relatively static wrangling – though the characters zip all over the world, to find the safest place to settle – makes for thrilling television, and that various conversations about choosing a side are as gripping as they are. It may all be a play, but when the play is as nasty as this, it is impossible to look away.
