‘Succession’ on HBO captures America’s new gilded age

Brian Cox plays media mogul Logan Roy on HBO's "Succession"

Times writers discuss the return of the HBO family drama that’s channeling the political moment

Aug. 9, 2019

4:30 AM

HBO’s “Succession” wears its contempt for the billionaire class on its sleeve.

Back for its second season, heroes are in short supply while an ensemble of entertainingly loathsome and amoral characters backstab and sabotage each other as they battle for power and control within a global media empire.

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The scheming family serve as stand-ins for the Murdochs or the Redstones. But the siblings’ angling for affection and love of their father has distinct echoes of President Trump’s adult offspring.

“Succession” takes you inside the privileged bubble of the 0.1% without glorifying that lifestyle.

The critically acclaimed series was nominated for five Emmys, including best drama, and Times TV editor Matthew Brennan (@thefilmgoer) says it’s the show you need to watch this summer.

Mark Olsen (@IndieFocus) talks with Brennan and Meredith Blake (@MeredithBlake) about the show that’s hitting the political and cultural zeitgeist right on the nose.

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Katie Cooper

Katie Cooper is a former podcast producer for the Los Angeles Times. She previously was a longtime producer on KCRW’s news shows “Which Way, L.A.?” and the nationally syndicated “To The Point,” hosted by Warren Olney. She also created and managed a special KCRW series marking the anniversary of the 2016 election and the start of the Trump era. A former general assignment reporter at The Times’ Ventura County edition and a former attorney, Cooper grew up in Southern California and graduated from UC Berkeley and Loyola Law School.