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Succession Succeeds Beyond Our Hatred of the One Percent

Photo: Macall Polay/HBO

Into It host Sam Sanders can’t get enough of Succession. The show has turned the phrase “Fuck Off†into a term of endearment among his friends. But he can’t quite put his finger on why so many love it at a kill-their-firstborn-level of devotion. As it draws to a close, why does this show about miserable white people still resonate so much for so many people? Hunter Harris, who writes about Succession for her pop-culture newsletter, Hung Up, has a handful of theories. “Culturally, we’ve become much more aware of the fact that we are kind of handcuffed to a couple of like, absolute lunatic oligarchs,†she says. The show is much more interesting about the media than a typical newsroom drama. Unlike other shows about family dynasties, Succession isn’t afraid to throw everyone under the bus. “There’s some kind of Bravo cinematic universe chaos streak in Logan that I think is so interesting,†Harris says. One of Succession’s riskier elements is that none of the characters change; they are always at their core who we have known them to be. Hunter and Sam discuss more theories, their favorite plot points of the current season, and whether it’s a good time to end the series. Listen to the full episode here and subscribe below.

Into It with Sam Sanders

Succession Succeeds Beyond Our Hatred of the One Percent