The Characters, Dialogues, Structure and Core of "Succession"

In fact, "Succession" could be a project that is easily rejected at the pitch stage because the story seems to be outdated and cliché: Logan Roy is the CEO of the fifth-largest entertainment and media group in the United States. The company is facing a development problem, and his second son, Kendall Roy, wants his aging father to step down and let him take over the company. However, this desire is crushed by his father at the beginning. His father refuses to hand over the reins. Thus, the "battle of succession" to overthrow the father begins.

An outdated and cliché theme does not necessarily mean it is obsolete. How did the screenwriters turn such a seemingly conventional story into a masterpiece? In the following analysis, I will explore the series’ character relationship design, dialogue style, ensemble structure and ethical core to reveal why "Succession" has become a new hit of HBO.

01. Everything is in Dynamic: Uncertain Changes of Character Relationships

The character relationships in "Succession" are easily understood. Everything in the story revolves around the question of "who will be the heir". In addition to the second son, the large family includes an idiotic eldest brother, a carefree youngest son, and an extremely ambitious daughter.

Although they are all potential heirs, as an audience, it is difficult to discern Logan Roy's true intentions - who will ultimately inherit the position. He remains mysterious and inscrutable, and every word he utters is filled with strong probing and speculation. Each child treads as if on thin ice when speaking to him.

However, this tyrannical father does not completely avoid discussing the matter of the heir. When asked about the choice of heir, the father often feigns indifference in front of his children, implying that everyone has a chance. This strong sense of uncertainty keeps the children on guard and suspicious of each other. The father's calculated ambiguity and the intense competition among the sons and daughter create a constant sense of suspense in the plot.

Each season of "Succession" brings significant changes in character relationships. In the first season, the second son, who has been attempting to ally with external forces to seize power, is caught by his father after accidentally causing someone's death. As a result, he can only seek his father's help in exchange for his "return".

In the second season, the second son undergoes an abrupt transformation, evolving into a mere tool to carry out his father's will—a puppet manipulated at will. As an audience, we keenly sense the suppressed anger within him as he faces manipulation and humiliation from his father. Consequently, in the season finale, the second son orchestrates a dramatic counterstrike, utilizing the corporate scandal evidence he has gathered.

In the third season, the battle for patricide and power resumes, but this time, he is not as powerless as before. Armed with evidence, he gains substantial leverage in the ongoing struggle.

When setting up changes in character relationships, this series instills a sense of crisis in each character involved in the succession game. They constantly switch positions based on their identities, interests and mindsets when facing crises. The dynamics of character relationships in "Succession" keeps the story fresh and propels the plot forward with depth.

Of course, the changes in character relationships should not be excessive or overly complex, especially when writing group stories. The fluid character relationships must always revolve around the main storyline. This allows the story's character relationships to evolve and intertwine in order.

02. The Hidden Psychology in "Gibberish" - Reflections of Pseudo-Documentary in Dialogues

Most viewers can notice the pseudo-documentary style of cinematography in "Succession", but they may not pay as much attention to the dialogue design that complements this style. The various characters in the show have a lot of seemingly meaningless "gibberish". However, it is precisely these dialogues that allow the audience to feel the complex aspects behind each character.

Take Tom, a son-in-law of the wealthy family as an example. Although Tom comes from a middle-class background, he can be described as humble in front of such a grand influential family. In the show, Tom always has two different aspects. When facing the members of the Roy family, he presents an extremely self-deprecating and submissive side, always acting like a clown. Every response he gives to the patriarch Logan Roy makes people feel embarrassed by his extreme flattery.

However, when Tom interacts with Greg, another peripheral member of the family, he enjoys using verbal violence and mocks Greg in various ways to achieve psychological release. Here, we see the transformation of a "victim" into a "perpetrator". This character is designed as a comedic character initially, but his behavior in front of others reveals just how self-deprecating he is and how strong his inner repression is.

Normally, whether it's flattery or verbal violence, these kinds of dialogues may seem like "gibberish" at first glance. However, the content of the "gibberish" is not the focus; the focus is the context in which the characters utter these lines. In the abundant "gibberish" dialogues in this series, there are hidden emotions and psychological aspects of the characters that are both secretive and serious. They enrich the depth and texture of the characters naturally, allowing us to understand them as living individuals.

When we write dialogue for characters, instead of asking ourselves what a character should say, it is better to ask who the character is speaking to. Or think about it in real life, do you have a consistent tone when speaking to someone you like, dislike, respect, or fear?

03 Design of Group Narrative - How Top-Tier "Melodrama" is Created?

Another highlighted aspect of "Succession" is its group narrative structure. Almost every episode of the series is built around a major event that drives the main plot. The patriarch's birthday celebration, the daughter's wedding, business negotiations between the two powerful families... Many characters are brought together in these big gatherings, harboring their own ulterior motives, testing each other, and resembling a melodramatic battle favored by young people nowadays.

In the second season, Logan Roy arranges a family and executive annual conference. During the conference, news of Logan's plan to acquire another company is prematurely leaked. Unyielding in his approach, Logan suspects that the mole is among the attendees of the conference dinner. Consequently, he orders the waitstaff to close the doors, creating an atmosphere akin to "The Last Supper" under flickering candlelight.

Initially, the mole investigation appears to follow certain rules. However, faced with evasive responses during questioning, Logan escalates the situation, transforming it into a game. He compels those he deems cleverly evasive to crouch on the floor and play the role of squealing pigs.

In Logan Roy's world, he can do anything he wants, and soon the game turns into a brutal execution scene. Those playing the "pigs" must scramble on the floor to grab a sausage thrown by Logan - whoever fails to get the sausage in the end is deemed the mole. In this absurd game, we can clearly feel the fear that everyone present has towards Logan. Various ugly aspects of human nature are vividly exposed in this group scene.

Moreover, group scenes in "Succession" are not just a group of people sitting together and discussing things dryly. To make the scenes livelier, the creators incorporate many elements of revelry. Sometimes it's the pig game, sometimes it's a family blame game... In these grand gatherings, there is always a strong dramatic tension. Ensemble scenes are suitable for the development of significant events and the climax of the story. However, every group scene must have elements that excite the audience because, after all, no one likes to watch scenes that are as dull as a regular meeting.

04. Divided Values and Broken Families - the Ethics Core Under the Shell of Business Warfare

Many people compare this drama with Showtime's "Billions", but in fact, these two shows are not comparable. As the creators mentioned in interviews, business warfare is just the outfit of the storytelling, and ethical conflicts are at the heart of "Succession".

"Succession" reveals a story of a broken family with divided values. It shows us to what extent a family can be distorted because of enticing power and money, and how fragile they can be. The father's tyranny, dominance and indifference towards his children are shown to backfire on the family once the children become adults. The absence of love presents each child with unbearable challenges.

It also presents an alternative perspective on portraying wealthy families and the elite world: when they discard their glamorous disguises, their true essence begins to surface. This underlying essence is a commonality shared by all humans, serving as an effective means to resonate with ordinary viewers. The media has frequently hailed this series as a Shakespearean-style drama of business warfare, underscoring its grandeur and profundity.