First though, consider what games and shows have had the most impact on you. The big narrative games, the ones that stick with us are the ones with strong narrative moments. Aeris and Cloud, Joel and Ellie, Nate Drake, John Marston, Sheppard, and more. If you’ve played the games, you know the names and that’s because narrative matters. If we want the stories to stick with us, to have an impact, whether it be gaming or shows, it’s imperative that we have good writing and that’s why it’s important to look at a show as incredibly well written as Succession.
That’s not to say that the show isn’t without a flaw or two. There’s certainly a spectacular amount of spicy language and some moral ambiguity that would make almost anyone blush going on here with Roman, Siobhan, Kendall, and Tom Wambsgans as well as basically everyone else. The sheer level of betrayal, sleaze, and naked ambition on display is both enticing and sickening at the same time and it makes it hard not to watch as things spiral in unexpected directions. Maybe we need a bit more focus on dialogue in our games, not just the big story stuff, but dialogue that gives us a deeper impression of the personalities and motivations of characters. That’s something that’s by and large lacking in many of our games, aside from a few more recent games like Mass Effect and Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth (review here).
Regardless of whether you think it should be inspiring to creators or that it’s a train wreck of wealth and power gone wrong, there’s no denying the power and pull of Succession. We’re always drawn to the drama of the wealthy and powerful, just check every single social media site ever if you don’t believe it. There’s something about spectating in worlds we consider unattainable that is inherently compelling and Roy and his family are definitely that world, at least for most of us.
The long and the short of it is that even if you’re not interested in the concept, Logan Roy and his family are inherently fascinating. If you’ve ever been through aging family members in your family, especially ones that have some sort of estate, it’s entirely possible you’ve dealt with similar issues, albeit on a smaller scale. Relatives and friends tend to become bitter enemies and rivals at the end of someone’s life and a surprising number of otherwise normal and decent people become vicious when they see that carrot dangling in front of them. Succession is that concept realized, the ego being eclipsed by the id and discarding the superego entirely to put things in Freudian terms. When there are billions of dollars involved things get much nastier and Roy’s health is suffering, sparking greed and lust for power in all those around him as he heads inevitably toward his mortal end.
There’s really not much more we can say about how Succession unfolds without ruining the plot and that’s not the purpose here. Instead it’s to look at the new release of Succession: The Complete Series on Blu-Ray. The set comes in an oversized plastic clamshell with a cardboard sleeve enclosing the case. This is similar to other WB releases such as Supergirl: The Complete Series and Babylon 5: The Complete Series. Unfortunately, the cardboard for the sleeve is a bit thinner than other sets, which leads to a bit of crumpling around the edges of the gently curved clamshell case. For hardcore collectors, it’s going to be tough to get a perfect cardboard sleeve, though there isn’t anything truly notable about the sleeve itself.
We’ve talked about these clamshells before and the loose disc holder inside can easily be completely removed, showing the interior liner notes, in this case a complete episode list by disc along with all special features. It can be a little bit frustrating to get the discs out unless you press at the correct spot in the middle but by and large they are quite stable and if the clips holding the disc holders snap out of place, you can just snap them back in. The clamshell itself is extremely sturdy and latches well, reassuring for more expensive sets like this one. The front and back of the clamshell have the exact same artwork as the cardboard sleeve sans the Blu-Ray banner and honestly, the set displays better without the sleeve, providing a more refined look with the subtle graphic design of the logo with an almost entirely black background.
With 12 discs covering 39 episodes over four seasons, there’s a lot of content to watch in Succession: The Complete Series. Chances are good that it will take you a while to get through the whole thing and honestly, it’s glorious chaos, made even better by the conscious choice to shoot the entire series on 35mm film. The series was shot with minimalist lighting as well, opting to instead use environmental lighting as much as possible, creating a grittier, more realistic look than most shows tend to have. In an age of digital touchups and focus on major key shots, Succession feels different, almost conversational in comparison and it accentuates the entire story. The camera work is unique too, with a lot of hand-cam scenes and close-in shots that add to the realism even further. It’s a welcome respite from other shows but be aware that in the transfer to Blu-Ray you’re naturally going to get occasional artifacting and grit, where you would not in say, Vikings: Valhalla Season 1 (review here) which was shot digitally.
Audio is equally good here with DTS-HD Master 5.1 Audio capturing the highs and lows of various scenes effectively, immersing viewers. Modern cinematography has the nasty habit of failing to record sound at high enough levels, resulting in a whole generation of kids resorting to subtitles just to watch shows these days, so it’s a refreshing change to be able to hear even soft-spoken dialogue and there is absolutely no question that dialogue is the crux of the entire series. The score complements the sound mixing effectively as well and the whole of the audio package heavily influences the impact both the occasional action scenes and the omnipresent dialogue have.
What you won’t see here are many nods to viewers from other countries however. Succession: The Complete series features only English subtitles and audio with no other tracks provided. That’s a bit of a surprise considering how popular the show is. That’s a bit of a surprise because the previous release of the first season on Blu-Ray featured multiple audio and subtitle languages. Perhaps the decision was made to keep costs down but it will definitely limit foreign audiences for this release.
There are a number of special features also included in this set (over 20 in fact) including a number of Inside the Episode featurettes, Cast and Crew commentaries, and even a short series of episodic featurettes called Controlling the Narrative. Along with some character introductions and a variety of fun little extras, there’s a lot to enjoy for fans of the series here in addition to Succession itself. All in all, there are a couple extra hours of bonus content that will add additional depth and background to scenes and episodes if that’s your thing.
All in all, this is an excellent package containing the entirety of Succession and a few fun bonus features. Excellent video and audio quality make this a fantastic way to experience Succession for the first time or re-experience it if you’ve previously watched and enjoyed the series. At $94.99, it’s not the cheapest series out there but you’re definitely paying for quality and it’s very reasonable on a per season basis so don’t hesitate to pick this one up. You’re not going to regret it because Succession: The Complete Series is going to stick with you for a long time!
This review is based on a physical copy of Succession: The Complete Series provided by the publisher. It was viewed on a 55” Sony 1080p TV. Succession: The Complete Series is available on HBO Max and in physical format at fine retailers everywhere.
Nate Van Lindt has been a gamer since the days of yore (aka Commodore 64), and has played a bit of virtually everything out there. He's also an avid comic book collector, both vintage and current, and reads a fair amount of sci-fi and fantasy. On top of that, he watches a fair number of movies and TV shows as well. Oh, and he has a family, a full-time job, and lives somewhere in the urban wilds of Southwestern Ontario, Canada, foraging for old video cables and forgotten game soundtracks.