The HBO Hit Series SUCCESSION Comes to Bluray

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray is the massively successful HBO hit series for fans who want to revisit the family of SUCCESSION: The Complete Series.

The Roy clan owns a media conglomerate called Waystar RoyCo. headed by the family patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox). The family also includes son Kendall (Jeremy Strong), daughter Shiv (Sarah Snook) and her husband Tom (Matthew Macfadyen), son Roman (Kieran Culkin), son Connor (Alan Ruck) and nephew Greg (Nicholas Braun). At a family party, Logan sends shockwaves through his family by announcing major shake ups and changes to the company. When Logan collapses, emotionally entitled son Kendall rushes to make deals but learns from general counsel Gerri Kellman (J. Smith-Cameron) that not everything is as it seems.

As Kendall shifts and twists with maneuvers, Roman and Shiv have other ideas along with Frank Vernon (Peter Friedman). He is not the only one that can play the conglomerate game. When things don’t go according to plan, meaning Logan is not one to be toyed with, Kendall is left in the cold but has plans of his own to go up against his own father. In England, a wedding is happening but that doesn’t stop Logan and the family from as the family is dealing with affairs, hostile takeovers, relapses and cover ups – more than usual for the family.

Back in the states, the family gathers again in the Hamptons as Logan tries to get an honest opinion from his family about the company. Shiv learns of her fathers plans but so do Logan and Kendall who are trying to find a way to deal with Logan. Connor has decided to run for president much to the amusement of his family. While all of this is happening, Logan rehires Frank and wants to go after a rival media company but finds out that someone has been telling a writer about his personal life history and is furious.

Logan and Kendall off a price to PGM, the media company they want but during the meeting, a gun shot rings out. Keeping the meeting going, Greg and Tom are going at it in a blackmail way while Roman is having a freak fest with Gerri. That doesn’t slow down a deal with PGM and Kendall is back on his self-destructive tour. Thinking they are celebrating a deal; the Roy’s learn of a potential scandal that could destroy everything. But, as with the Roy’s, there is always juggling happening. Tom is dealing with the investigation; Logan believes his daughter has not been loyal and Shiv suspects that another woman is trying to sabotage her plans.

Over in Dundee, Scotland, Logan is celebrating 50 years at Waystar and Shiv isn’t going to let anything get in her way. Gerri tells her that there is a whistleblower about the cruise rumors and Shiv finds a way to put all the blame on someone else. At the Senate hearing, things become a bigger disaster as Tom can’t string two believable sentences together. Escaping to the Mediterranean, its time for each to try and smooth over the problems plaguing the Roy family. Logan decides who will be the fall guy for the cruise ship disaster but there is one person that is not going to let that happen.

Logan makes changes in his inner circle sending Roman, Gerri and Shiv are back in New York and thinks about who will temporarily take over. Kendall decides it is time to re-vamp and re-create his public image with the thought of still going after his father and trying to convince his siblings to join him. Shiv has other plans and if she can wait it out, things might just go her way. In the meantime, Logan has made it clear he will not help the Department of Justice in anyway wanting the President to favor him. Kendall is still on a tear and his aim now is to his sister Shiv in the most brutal way forgetting that she can be just as lethal as he is.

Dealing with Stewy and Sandi, Shiv manages to find a way to keep Waystar functional while Logan recuperates from an illness. Kendall decides to go to the DOJ against his father but things don’t, once again, go as he plans. In Tuscany, Italy, the siblings learn their mother is engaged but Kendall decides to use the moment to once again attempt family to his side to no avail. In the meantime, Logan wants to meet the CEO of GoJo Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgard) to obtaining the streaming service but Roman wants a way in. Soon Roman discovers that business is a more brutal and unforgiving business than he could have imagined for himself.

As the siblings decide to fight Logan using a small piece of information, they are equally shocked when it is discovered that Tom was not on their side. As time passes, Kendall, Shiv and Roman decide they want to purchase PGM and rival bid against their father. Returning to New York, Logan and Matsson seem to be on a high of their own but Logan isn’t done playing the siblings against one another. At a very gloomy gathering at Logan’s apartment, the fight once again takes on sibling form were once together, now at cross purposes with each other.

Making separate decisions, it all comes to a head with Matsson causing senior management to make a crucial decision about Waystar. Shiv, Roman and Kendall can’t seem to get out of their own way but only one thing is going to save them – a lie that is not coming out of their mouths. That doesn’t take care of their problem with GoJo, especially with election night happening as everyone is running around insane trying to control every little event. Once again, the siblings are against one another as there is a made scramble for power and even more lies are being told and betrayed against one another.

No one sees how it is all going to end!

Cox as Logan Roy is a powerhouse that I have always admired as an actor. He has a stellar presence and a voice that forces you to listen whether you want to or not. As Logan, he has spent his life making deals and crushing anyone that gets in his way – including his own family members. I loved watching him play this role and it seemed to much fun to do. There is something to be said about playing a devious character and Cox absolutely nails it.

Strong as Kendall is a hot mess who can not seem to get it right. He fights against his father and it is like hitting a brick wall again and again. He definetly doesn’t seem to have the ability to understand why there are problems instead of recognizing that he IS the problem. Strong plays this role masterfully and has left an impression on his ability to chose such a complex role. Snook as Shiv is exactly like Logan Roy with her attitude. She wants something from her father that he dangles in front of her like a pot of gold continually and she tries to find ways around him to get it on her own terms. Shiv is such an amazing character and the Snook makes it every bit hers and the show would have a huge void without her.

Culkin as Roman is a character with a magazine rack full of insane issues. One minutes he is just the wisecracking son enjoying the rich life and the next he shows that he has potential to be a leader and then he switches it up again. Culkin may be the ‘comic’ relief of the show but his penchant for bizarre behavior is stunning. Macfadyen as Tom knows which side his bread is buttered on but that doesn’t mean he isn’t going to try and get a slice of bread all on his own. He is insecure for sure and not someone I’d tell a secret to, but he makes it work in his favor in the oddest and most unexpected ways. Well done, Macfadyen! Ruck as Connor is that family member that people know about but don’t expect anything from. In this case, it is absolutely true. The family basically keeps him out of everything and when he does silly things like running for President, they say, “that’s great” out loud but privately they are rolling their eyes and laughing.

Smith-Cameron as Gerri is a keeper of secrets, keeper of keys to the vault of family lies and deceptions and most of all, the most loyal to Logan Roy. Watching her always remain calm is the most stunning performance in the four seasons of this show. Smith-Cameron is always the strongest person in the room and spins lies into truth with precision. Braun as Greg is slightly under equal footing to that of Tom. He brings a childlike presence who seem oblivious to the real world, cannot be trusted with company secrets (or private family ones for that matter). He had me slapping my head consistently with his inability to read the room but Logan keeps him around anyway. Alexander Skarsgard as Matsson comes in to be the final adversary in the show. He is sleek, charming and a bit ditzy, but when it comes to what he wants for his company, he is enjoying the game of who is going to get what in the end. Skarsgard stands out and watching his performance is sharp, sly and enjoyable to watch.

Other cast include Hiam Abbass as Marcia Roy, Natalie Gold as Rava Roy, Rob Yang as Lawrence Yee, Dagmara Dominczyk as Karolina Novotney, Juliana Canfield as Jess Jordan,Arian Moayed as Stewy Hosseini, Justine Lupe as Willa, Scott Nicholson as Colin, David Rasche as Karl Muller, and Fisher Stevens as Hugo Baker.

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Special Features include Over Two Hours of Bonus Content, Including INSIDE THE EPISODE Featurettes, Character Recaps, Cast and Crew Interviews, and much more!

This is a family that is brutally verbal from the first scene to the last and I absolutely loved it. SUCCESSION is an absolute four season joy no matter how you slice it. This is a family that is loyal to no one yet loyal to who ever is on their side till they are not on their side – you follow? The games they play with each other and their thought process should be on someone’s psychology curriculum because they are all a hot mess in the grand scheme of things. Speaking of schemes, there are plenty, an absolute plethora of them which means there is never a boring episode or break in the game they are all playing.

I watched the series when it ran on HBO but trust me when I saw I spent most of my time stunned at the performances. Being able to revisit the complete series on Blu-ray, I had the opportunity to remember why I feel SUCCESSION was one of the greatest HBO shows ever. I once again cheered for my favorite characters and boo’d those who tried to take them down. The family one-liners are still my favorite and the cutting way they interact with each other reminds me that my family isn’t so bad after all.

As summer comes to a close and we spend more time indoors, get your own copy of SUCCESSION: The Complete Series and let the heat from the Roy family keep you warm.

In the end – take what’s yours!