HBO's Succession: How does it rank in the FanSided 250?

HBO’s Succession made the cut in FanSided’s FanSided 250 list. How well did it place? Also, what made it popular and successful?

Without further suspense, Succession ranked at #102 out of 250 spots in the FanSided 250 overall rank. Not so bad, right? In fact, it’s just one slot behind the almighty Pokémon, which is under the gaming category. You’ve heard of Pokémon, right? As the Succession entry explains: “…[Everyone] under the sun seemed to catch up on Succession over the summer and the social media takeover when the show returned for season 2 was the kind of coup the Roys dream of.”

Why season 2 ranked fairly high

Season 2 seems to have gained more acclaim than season 1, in fact, and why wouldn’t it? Many of the characters were expanded upon and made considerably more multi-dimensional than in the first season (not that the first season was bad, mind you). In fact, even Logan Roy (Brian Cox), the so-called “patriarch” of Waystar Royco, was depicted in a way where we could better understand his motivations and even wonder what we’d do in his position. Similarly, Romulus “Roman” Roy (Kieran Culkin) no longer looked [italics] just like an obnoxious rich boy, and at times seemed to care about real responsibility.

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The writing was excellent and well-balanced in other ways, too. In many ways, Siobhan “Shiv” Roy (Sarah Snook) could have been a simple “female empowerment” stereotype character with no genuine flaws. However, there were at times where, oddly, she seemed about as bad as the other Roys, if not worse! This was especially due to her callous treatment of Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen), who has become sort of detestable yet lovable, especially as we see how he actually cares about Shiv

Speaking of Tom, some of the funniest moments of the season were between him and Greg Hirsch (Nicholas Braun), who was himself noticeably less innocent this season. As with season 1, there’s just something funny about Greg shredding documents. It’s actually funnier than it has a right to be.

There are also some unforgettable moments such as “Boar on the Floor” as well as Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) getting his groove back by lashing out against his father. Also, what about the weird quasi-partnership between Roman and Gerri Kellman (J. Smith-Cameron)? On top of that, one can’t help but wonder about Connor Roy (Alan Ruck) and his candidacy for President. Although everyone assumes he’s a quack, that doesn’t mean his quacks won’t be loud enough to eventually gain more steam, possibly as a political commentator on a popular podcast (or something like that).

Award prospects for 2020

For the 2019 season, Succession has 3 Golden Globe nominations pending. Those are for best Drama TV Series, Actor in a Drama TV Series (Brian Cox), Supporting Actor in a Series (Kieran Culkin, who was also nominated in 2019). It also is nominated for 3 Critics’ Choice Television Awards.

Next. 2020 Golden Globe nominations: Surprises and Snubs. dark

This includes Actor in a Drama Series (Jeremy Strong), Actress in a Drama Series (Sarah Snook) and Best Drama Series. For the Satellite Awards, Succession is nominated for Best Drama Series, Best Actor in a Drama / Genre Series (Brian Cox), and Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or TV Film (Jeremy Strong). The series could have also been included in the comedy categories, as it is far from just a drama. Still, having some nominations is better than having none.

What are your thoughts on Succession, its placement on the FanSided 250 and its award season potential? Let us know in the comments!

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