The more this series goes on you think that the Roy family cannot get more dysfunctional yet they do. It is incredible in many ways. The most important way is that it is incredibly watchable. Ooh boy, is it ever!
The Roys….what can be said about them? No matter that you thought you had seen it all over the course of the first two seasons, but ooh wee, there is more. Each and every one of them – father Roy (played by Brian Cox) to his kids Roman (played by Kieran Culkin), Connor (played by Alan Ruck), Shiv (played by Sarah Snook) and Kendall (played by Jeremy Strong) – are terrible in their own way. But certainly terrible. This season even they plummet to deeper depths in the awful people pool.
Season two ended with a twist. Son against father kind of twist. Kendall turns against Roy. Feeding him and the entertainment conglomerate he owns to the ever present circling sharks. Now the rest of the family is scrambling to keep what Roy has built. Brother against father/brother/sister. A real Shakespearean tragedy mixed with a little bit of dark horror. All this equals plenty of I can’t believe it mouth gaping moments. Plus hours and hours of great watching. But be warned, hang on tight or you’ll get bucked off of this wild horse.
Over the course of the 10 episodes of this great HBO series you will see sex, drugs, deceptions, backstabbing, lies, sabotage, parties, and on and on. Plenty to chew on. What holds it all together is the excellence behind and in front of the camera. It all starts with an incredible script. Woo this story! Incroyable! Always one step ahead of you. Smart but never trips itself up. Dialogue you kinda wish you had said despite it being horrible. Lines that will have you shaking your head or chuckling to yourself. Not because it is funny, but mostly because it is shocking. Thinking “Are there actually people like this out there?”
No matter how disgusting their characters are you cannot help but tip your cap to this excellent cast. All of them. Major players or the supporters. All excelling at playing slippery, damaged, disgusting people who seem to have no idea that they are awful. Must be fun for the actors.
You will love to hate the Roys. But you will love to love this show.
Special Features:
- Who Said It?
- Roy Family Food Chain
- Succession: Controlling the Narrative
