Celebration

Like so many pilots, this is about exposition. If you are criticizing this because the characters are creeps, you may as well stop watching. That's the subject matter. It is corporate greed and infighting among an unlikeable family. It's a series. It's going to play out with an ensemble cast, and it's going to take time to know them. The old guy really has the reins and he is in the hospital, and he has set up a war. Wait and see.

After 30 mins Im guessing Greg is going to wind up as the successor to Logan

Succession explodes onto the screen with a pilot that immediately signals its intent.

We're plunged into the dysfunctional world of the ultra-rich Roy family, introduced not subtly, but through sharp, often brutal characterizations.

The "mockumentary" style, with its intrusive zooms and handheld camera work, is initially jarring but quickly becomes a signature, enhancing the fly-on-the-wall feeling and amplifying the characters' raw, often unflattering, truths. It's a compelling, if unsettling, introduction to a show that demands your attention.

Logan Roy's feigned frailty gives way to tyrannical control, while his children - Kendall's desperate ambition, Roman's cynical cruelty (highlighted by the baseball scene), Shiv's nascent political independence, and Connor's detached eccentricity - are all vividly, if unlikably, drawn. Cousin Greg, the vomiting, awkward outsider, serves as our bewildered entry point into this morally bankrupt elite.

The episode masterfully blends high-stakes drama with an uncomfortably biting dark humor. Jokes land like daggers, exposing the Roys' casual disregard for anyone outside their orbit.

The pacing is deliberate, building tension around Logan's birthday and the bombshell announcement, allowing the viewer to absorb the intricate family dynamics.

Excited for more...

I'm surprised there isn't more positive reviews. Its well written, nice amount of dark humour. The characters are mostly horrible people you'd never want to meet in your life. I love it.

Jesse Armstrong makes his big return to television after "Fresh Meat," doing so with a satirical drama about a big media family. In an age where Donald Trump is the leader of the free world, it looks like Armstrong has made a series that could end up being more relevant than the first look would suggest. As a series, it presents a collectible of unlikable characters that all become interesting in their own ways before the final name has passed the screen during the end credits. It sets up a possible outcome from the very beginning and without noticing it, crafts an environment that could bring something extraordinary to the table. While not being the new pinnacle of TV, "Succession" starts off strong and interestingly enough to keep viewers wanting to watch the next episode, both through interesting storytelling and a huge ensemble cast, led by the brilliant Brian Cox. Adam McKay also brings a lot of his trademarks to the series, and as a fan of that style, it seems like a match made in Heaven. This could turn out to be the next great thing, or it could turn out to be a complete waste of time and energy.