How 'Succession' feeds the hidden fantasies of its well-to-do viewers

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Robert Samuels, University of California, Santa Barbara

(THE CONVERSATION) “Succession” has returned for its fourth and final season, giving the show’s fans one last opportunity to watch the kids of the wealthy Roy family desperately try to gain the approval of their media mogul father by any means necessary.

I’ve watched every episode. But at one point, I started to wonder: Where’s the appeal in watching a group of obnoxious, pampered, backstabbing siblings?

Inspired by the family of Fox Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch, with themes and a premise pulled from Shakespeare’s “King Lear,” “Succession” tells the story of an aging patriarch who must decide which of his four children will replace him at the top.

It’s easy to assume that much of the show’s appeal lies in its playful critiques of right-wing media and the billionaire class.

But in my view, the show actually caters to an audience that wants to condemn the main characters – while secretly identifying with their pursuit of power and pleasure.

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