TV Show review
Review basis: 4 seasons · through May 28, 2023
June 3, 2018 · TV-MA · Ended
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Succession follows the Roy family as they fight for control of their massive media and entertainment company while dealing with their aging father's health and legacy. Created by Jesse Armstrong, the series delivers biting satire on wealth, corporate greed, family betrayal, and how media empires shape politics and culture across four seasons. It realistically depicts sexism and power struggles in elite business circles and critically portrays right-leaning news media through the fictional ATN network's role in elections. Audience-visible elements stay focused on class and ambition rather than identity politics or social justice messaging.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Succession.
Woke representation / casting
The central Roy family and most key executives are white, accurately reflecting the real-world demographics of legacy media conglomerates and old money elites; supporting cast includes some diversity but no audience-visible push for quotas, swaps, or identity emphasis; cast members publicly defended the composition as realistic rather than ideological.
Woke political dialogue
The show satirizes media power through ATN, a right-leaning network that backs a Trump-like nationalist candidate described as fascist by some characters; liberal characters like Shiv show hypocrisy; election episodes highlight institutional manipulation but remain character-focused satire without explicit activist lectures.
Identity-driven story themes
Gender tensions appear through Shiv facing sexism from family and colleagues in a male-dominated empire, portrayed as part of the toxic elite culture rather than a call for feminist revolt or girlboss empowerment; no central queer storylines or identity arcs drive plots.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Sharp critique of unchecked corporate power, wealth hoarding, media's corrosive effect on democracy, and family systems warped by ambition; critiques right-wing populism and conservative media more directly via ATN/Mencken arc, with some nuance on liberal elites; avoids modern framing around systemic identity issues like whiteness or patriarchy as primary villains.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Minimal public complaints from right-leaning viewers accusing it of pushing woke or DEI messaging; occasional online notes on perceived liberal bias in political portrayals or lack of conservative heroes, but overwhelmingly received as balanced elite satire rather than propaganda.
Creator track record context
Jesse Armstrong brings left-leaning political satire experience from The Thick of It and Labour Party work, with public comments linking the show to Trump-era concerns over right-wing media; most other writers and directors focus on sharp character comedy/drama with little documented activist history; Alice Birch's feminist background adds minor context but limited involvement.
Production
