Succession: Stunning Slight Smile

So, here's a confession (for anyone who's interested) about this mostly TV-review blog: I watch shows that I love, but don't review.  For whatever reason, I just really enjoy watching these shows, and just want to leave it there.  It's not that I love such shows more than the ones I review, it's just that everyone once in a while, all I want to do is watch the shows.

But also every once in a while, I do write a review of one of these shows.  I did that last year for three shows my wife and I always watch - the Chicago triplet series (Med, Fire, PD).  And I thought that I'd do that for another series my wife and I also always watch.  It was excellent last year, but off-the-charts superb this year, in its second season: Succession on HBO.

The season-two finale on last night had an ending that truly surprised us.  I didn't expect Ken to just passively go through with his father Logan's request that Ken take the fall. I was afraid that maybe he would take his own life.  The twist at the end was far better: he turns on Logan and blames him for the company's ills.

The slight smile on Logan's face was also incredibly compelling.  Likely he was betraying some admiration for what his son did.  But could it be that he was in on this, and Ken's pointing the finger at Logan was something he and Logan planned?  We'll just have to wait until next year.

In the meantime, we can enjoy the recollection of what I think is one of HBO's best series since The Sopranos and The Wire.  The acting, the writing, the mix of drama and wry comedy are, indeed, something we've only seen on a very few series on any kind of television over the years.