The third season of the American satiricalcomedy-drama television series Succession premiered on HBO on October 17, 2021. Series creator Jesse Armstrong serves as the showrunner for the season. The series centers on the Roy family, the owners of global media and entertainment conglomerate Waystar RoyCo, and their fight for control of the company amidst uncertainty about the health of the family's patriarch.
In August 2019, HBO renewed Succession for a third season, which had begun filming by December 2020 in New York City. In June 2021, filming for the final two episodes took place in Tuscany. The season consists of nine episodes, a decrease from the previous season, which had ten, and the lowest episode count in the series. The season received critical acclaim. It was nominated for 25 Primetime Emmy Awards, and received four wins, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Macfadyen, and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for Armstrong. The season broke the record for the most acting nominations in a single year, with 14.
Picking up immediately after Kendall's press conference, Logan decides to split his inner circle into two teams: he, Tom, Karl, Frank and Hugo station themselves in Sarajevo to avoid being extradited to the U.S., while Roman, Gerri and Shiv are sent back to New York. Logan informs his team that he intends to temporarily step back as CEO; the family and company management debate who should take his place as a figurehead. Kendall, meanwhile, sets up a temporary base of operations at Rava's apartment, and hires two PR consultants to help steward his public image. He unsuccessfully attempts to sway more of Waystar's senior cadre to his side. Shiv attempts to acquire representation for Waystar from Lisa Arthur, a high-profile New York attorney and personal friend, but realizes Kendall has already hired her. In light of Shiv's perceived failure, Gerri is named interim CEO.
Shiv, Roman, and Connor covertly meet with Kendall, who refuses to compromise and attempts to persuade his siblings to join him. However, the discussion falls apart when Kendall declares that he will be CEO under their new arrangement. Seeing no personal benefit from siding with Kendall, the three siblings ultimately decide to remain aligned with Logan. Kendall additionally meets with Stewy and Sandi Furness (Sandy's daughter) to propose a partnership ahead of the company's shareholder meeting, but they remain skeptical. Greg obtains legal representation from Ewan's attorney. Logan has Marcia flown in to Sarajevo after his legal team advises that the two publicly appear reconciled. Marcia, disgruntled over Logan's infidelity, demands several assurances from the company to ensure her cooperation. Logan returns to New York and names Shiv President of Domestic Operations at Waystar, assuring her she is under Gerri's protection.
Both Kendall and Logan take steps to boost their respective public profiles. Logan refuses to cooperate with the Department of Justice's impending investigation, and attempts to pressure White House aide Michelle-Anne Vanderhoven into granting him favors from the President. Tom offers to take the fall by allowing himself to be incarcerated. Kendall sabotages Shiv's speech at a company town hall intended to allay employee grievances by having his assistants blast Nirvana's "Rape Me" from a speaker; an irate Shiv retaliates by publishing an open letter questioning Kendall's mental state, invoking his addiction issues and poor relationship with his children. Kendall prepares to make an appearance on a late-night comedy show that has been disparaging him, but backs out at the last minute after Shiv's letter goes online, deeply shaken by its contents. The FBI raid Waystar's offices, forcing Logan to cooperate.
On Logan's orders, Shiv gets ATN to cover the White House more critically, in hopes of pressuring the President into curtailing the DOJ investigation. However, she finds that she is receiving little respect or support either from within the company or from Logan. Tom begins to unravel over his growing fear of going to prison. Greg informs him he has signed a joint defense agreement with Waystar after meeting with Logan. Shareholder Josh Aaronson requests a meeting with Logan and Kendall, worried that their conflict will endanger his investment, and leads them on a walk around his private island to hear each side's arguments. However, Kendall and Logan fail to present a united front, and Logan suffers from exhaustion on the walk back to Josh's mansion, refusing help until he nearly collapses. Kendall is later informed that Josh has lost confidence in Waystar's current leadership, and witnesses him meeting with Stewy.
At the Waystar RoyCo annual shareholder meeting, both Kendall and Logan's factions attempt to broker a settlement with Stewy and Sandi (largely negotiating on behalf of her ailing father), realizing that going to a vote would almost certainly deprive the Roys of their majority stake in the company. Logan, who is suffering from a urinary tract infection, initially refuses Sandy's terms, but becomes increasingly incoherent, forcing the other children and senior management to negotiate on his behalf. The vote is stalled while Shiv and Sandi manage to reach a deal offering either side an additional board seat; the two sides agree on the terms without waiting for an incapacitated Logan to approve. Ewan decides to donate his entire estate to Greenpeace, leaving Greg with no inheritance. The President calls the Roys to announce that he will not be seeking a second term amid the blowback from ATN's attacks, jeopardizing Waystar's political survival.
Kendall's testimony to the DOJ regarding the cruises scandal goes poorly, and Lisa warns that the documents he has retrieved are insufficient legal ammunition against Waystar. An unsatisfied Kendall dispenses with Lisa's services and hires new attorneys. Meanwhile, the rest of the Roys travel to Richmond, Virginia to attend the Future Freedom Summit, a conservative political fundraiser, to pick a new presidential candidate in the upcoming election. While there, Roman learns that his mother is getting married in Tuscany to British CEO Peter Munion. Kendall arrives in Virginia and privately meets with Tom in an attempt to sway him to his side, but Tom refuses, believing Kendall will once again lose to his father. Among the presidential candidates, Roman takes a liking to Jeryd Mencken, a controversial figure with fascist leanings, who he believes will significantly boost ATN's ratings. Logan decides to back Mencken despite Shiv's protests.
The company receives word that the DOJ investigation is weakening and will likely end in a settlement. Tom is deeply relieved to be avoiding prison time. Logan, who has been working to acquire streaming giant GoJo, learns that its CEO, Lukas Matsson, declined to meet him personally. Shiv and Roman attend Kendall's lavish 40th birthday party to negotiate with Matsson, who is in attendance. Roman delivers his and Logan's gift to Kendall: an offer to buy out his shares in Waystar for $2 billion. Shiv is angered when she learns she has been excluded as a beneficiary. Roman meets with Matsson alone and proposes that Waystar buy GoJo without Matsson ever having to report directly to Logan; Matsson expresses guarded interest. Kendall, feeling hurt by the buyout offer and embarrassed with the hollow excess of the party, has an emotional breakdown while searching for his children's gift and has Naomi take him home.
The Roys travel to Tuscany for Caroline's wedding. Kendall demands a sit-down with Logan over dinner, where he requests taking the $2 billion buyout to permanently uncouple himself from his "evil" father, but Logan refuses. Caroline admits to Shiv she never wanted children and encourages Shiv not to bear one of her own; out of spite, Shiv asks to have a child with Tom, but tells him before sex that she does not love him, later passing it off as foreplay. GoJo's stock price soars after Matsson sends a tweet suggesting he has received major financing; Roman goes to meet him and discovers that Matsson is interested in a merger of equals with Waystar rather than an acquisition. Logan accepts the renewed terms, but Waystar's meeting with GoJo's bankers is derailed when Roman mistakenly sends a photo of his penis to Logan instead of Gerri. Kendall drunkenly floats facedown in his pool, and slowly lets his head sink into the water.
Kendall is saved from drowning in his pool. GoJo's market capitalization overtakes Waystar's; Logan and Roman go to meet Matsson, who proposes that GoJo acquire Waystar with him as CEO while Logan exits with a settlement. Roman is sent back to attend Caroline's wedding, where he and Shiv discover that Logan has decided to sell the company without their input, jeopardizing the children's chances of succeeding him. They tell Kendall, who breaks down and tearfully admits his involvement in Doddy's death, only to be met with support from them to his surprise. The three recall a clause in Logan and Caroline's divorce settlement granting the children veto power over any change in company control, and decide to face their father together. On the way, Shiv informs Tom, who cryptically offers Greg a chance at significant ascension within the company. Upon being confronted by his children, Logan informs them that he and Caroline have renegotiated their divorce agreement, effectively depriving the children of company control. Tom is revealed to have tipped off Logan about the Roy siblings’ revolt.
Production
Development
On August 20, 2019, following the premiere of the second season, HBO renewed Succession for a third season. The season consists of nine episodes, a decrease from the previous season.[10] On March 28, 2020, HBO announced the third season's production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11]
All main cast members return from the previous season, excluding Rob Yang, with Hiam Abbass and Arian Moayed only appears in a recurring capacity. Justine Lupe, David Rasche and Fisher Stevens, who previously starred in recurring roles, were promoted to the main cast for the season. In January 2021, it was announced Sanaa Lathan, Linda Emond and Jihae had joined the cast of the series in recurring roles in the third season.[12] In February 2021, it was reported that Hope Davis was cast in a recurring role in the third season.[13] In March 2021, Dasha Nekrasova was reported to have a recurring role in the third season.[14] In May 2021, Alexander Skarsgård was cast in a recurring role while Adrien Brody was cast to guest star for the third season.[15][16] In August 2021, it was announced Ella Rumpf would guest star in the third season.[17]
The season premiered on HBO on October 17, 2021, with episodes releasing weekly until the finale on December 12, 2021.[29]
Home media
HBO released the third season on DVD on May 17, 2022.[30]
Reception
Audience viewership
The third season premiered to 1.4 million viewers across various platforms and ended with 1.7 million viewers across all viewing platforms, a record high for the series.[31][32]
Critical response
The third season received critical acclaim. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the season holds a 97% approval rating with an average rating of 9.3/10, based on 146 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Fans already buying what Succession is selling will be pleasantly surprised to find its third season in crackling form – even if it gets a little too real from time to time."[33] On Metacritic, the season has a weighted average score of 92 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[34]
^Medd, James (September 17, 2021). "Where was Succession filmed?". CN Traveller. Archived from the original on November 1, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
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