Must Hate Television

I'm late to the fair on this one.  "Succession" has already blown through two seasons on HBO and I just now caught up with it, courtesy of rave recommendations from friends.   They are now people I worry about.

Don't get me wrong.  I pretty much got engrossed in the series which has sported ten episodes for each of the first two seasons.   You can binge them quickly and you want to see what happens next.

So, what's the problem with that, Len?   Well, I keep tuning in because I can't wait for each of the main characters to die.   I want to see the worst possible ending for each of them.   It's because every character on this show is completely and utterly hateful.

"Succession" is a drama loosely based on the Rupert Murdoch family.   Here it's the Roy family and no only do they own a cable news network but also a theme park operation.   So, maybe it's a little bit Murdoch and a little bit Disney.  Whatever, it's the same dynamic.   Hateful Dad is getting older and a little crazy.   His four kids (all from different women) are jockeying for the top spot in the company.   And they have all taken after Papa.  Yep, they are hateful, too.

That's the main reason my review of "Succession" is a bit skeptical.   While I am watching it, I have no character to root for.   They all are terrible, rotten folks.  In truth, it makes me worry about human nature.   I mean, it's getting an audience and obviously has its fans.   Have we all grown that much meaner?  Are our worlds now that dark?

Someone countered my thoughts on "Succession" and told me that "The Sopranos" provided the same villainous dynamic.   I would argue back that the latter did provide me with a lot of humorous moments from characters that, despite their murderous capabilities, you could enjoy.  Even though it tries to be inject some comedy into the proceedings, "Succession" remains at its core...grim.  For instance, one of the Roy kids (played by one of the Culkin boys) is written to be sarcastic and get some levity into the program.  But, again, he is ultimately unlikable and you want to snap his neck in two.

Yet, I keep watching because I want to see bad endings for all these terrible people.   So, in summation, I'm no better than anybody else.

I'm going to end today's blog entry right here and go into a corner to weep quietly.

Dinner last night:  Breaded chicken cutlets.