Succession (TV Series) Living+ (2023) User Reviews

Grief+

[ossie85 · 9/10 · 1 May 2023]

The incredible writing abilities of the show's creatives are again on display. While this episode is about Ken and Roman announcing a new app Living+, what makes this episode stand out is the way in which it portrays the characters' struggle to come to terms with their grief.

The portrayal of grief in this episode is absolutely heartbreaking, as we see Ken struggling to keep it together while he makes huge decisions about the company's future. Roman is also making rash decisions trying to be his father. While both men are grieving in their own way, it's evident that they aren't handling it well.

The combination of heartbreak and dark comedy in this episode is what makes it all the more compelling. Shiv and Tom are both sad and absurd. It's moments like these that are quintessentially Succession in that they depict the dysfunctional Roy family dynamic perfectly.

One of my favorites this season !

[tristan_19 · 10/10 · 1 May 2023]

Living+ is a great episode, full of great subtext and development. From the beginning, you feel it's about to be quite memorable.

Roman and Kendall coming in full swing and getting the ball rolling is super exciting to see. Shiv and Tom have great chemistry moments this episode. The whole build-up to Ken's presentation is superbly done.

It's sort of amazing seeing this side of Roman, where he is no longer taking abuse from anyone and he goes more aggressive. The Gerri scene leaves an impression.

With Logan gone, Karl takes the opportunity to go full attack mode and tries to one up Kendall by threatening him. You get to see that, even though you might have felt bad for characters under Logan before, these guys still have a more vicious side just waiting to come out to step over the next little guy.

Kendall's speech was great. It brought back some Season 3 vibes (or even S2), with it being performed on stage in front of an audience. Tension was filling up the room, and Lukas took his shot to send a worrisome tweet. But seeing the group not crumble under the pressure and respond with their heads held high was quite formidable.

You see the allegiances shifiting or even just the relationships. What is Shiv gonna do with Matsson ? How are we going to handle the Gerri and Karl situations ? What are Greg and Tom's futures ? The soldiers are moving one side or the other, and the ending is still unclear and unpredictable.

If it feels scary.. its because the potential is scary!

[and_mikkelsen · 10/10 · 1 May 2023]

Succession delivers another great episode with great dramatic build-up as usuall! This episode was all about Kendall and Roman as they both tried to capture Logan's leadership-style in their own way!

The episode was a slow build up! It is all about Investor Day so the episode spends time building up to that, exploring the different characters and where they stand! There are some great dramatic scenes, like the one with Romsn and Gerri, and Kendall qnd Karl!

Seeing Kendall walk on stage made me anxious! I was both really nervous and excited at the same time! We have seen before in this show when he goes on a stage! Its make it or break it! Jeremy Strong perfectly captures the chaotic personna!

Now the ending just has me really excited for the next! Amazing show!

Living Through Grief

[rxckne · 9/10 · 1 May 2023]

As we enter past the halfway point of Succession's final season, the wheels are starting to turn and we're getting a closer look of how Kendall, Roman and Shiv are making turns in the drivers seat in the place of Logan. But due to the events of Connor's wedding there is still a lot of grieving going on throughout the process of the siblings moving forward with the company.

Clearly as we saw in the last episode, while Kendall and Roman were insistent on keeping Shiv included with them, they've shown not to be fully committed in terms of that but it goes without saying that the siblings all have their own ways. At the end of episode 4 when Kendall tells Hugo to go through with his task even though Roman wasn't insistent on it, Roman going on somewhat of a power trip without the advisement of his team, then Shiv going solo and getting closer to Matsson without her brothers knowledge. But while they go their own routes at times they do it with the intentions that it's for the best for Waystar, as it was shown with Shiv as she could have Matsson's ear which is for the best. But with Kendall and Roman I question if they are just very ambitious and confident with their actions, or are they getting ahead of themselves.

Gerri telling Roman he's not his father I thought was very powerful considering the siblings seem to be looking to what their father might've done in a certain situation, which makes complete sense since they're filling his big shoes after all, but it's important for Roman to realize he doesn't have to try to fill those boots and instead he can make his own.

Even though it might not be for the best, I love Kendall backing up Roman after the decisions he made. I love the confidence and faith he has in his brother that Roman could use and the vision Kendall sets for the company is great to see, but I feel like this is a double edged sword at times for Kendall. Because this is the energy we saw after the finale of season 2 when he went out on his own after Logan told him he wasn't a killer. We saw it didn't work out well for Kendall and his birthday party was a clear example of what he went through most of that season. But now that he's officially crowned as the new king, (or co-king should I say) I worry that when he gets fixated on something that he can sometimes get ahead of himself and overshoot due to his excitement with his own vision. And seeing Shiv get in Roman's ear and question if this is a good idea from Kendall is a clear example of that.

To get on to Kendall's speech, (and what an entrance with Public Enemy playing in the background) I was surprised with how well it went because I assumed after Roman questioned Ken's ideas he'd have a huge adrenaline dump, but he was very open with his announcement and hit all the nails on the head for the most part, also being humorous and looking humane while doing so. How he handled Mattson's tweet in real-time was also well done even though it could cause some trouble, but that's why Shiv being in Mattson's ear is best for them.

And to close in on this episode regarding Shiv, my favorite scene was with her and Tom discussing the events that took place in All The Bells Say when Tom chose Logan over them. It's one of the most iconic moments in the series that created some large waves and broke Tom and Shiv for good, or so I thought. I still believe that Tom made the right decision and hearing him talk about being scared to lose all the glitz and glamor he has in his life was a very humane approach that I wish I saw more of from other characters in the show, but not all of them are like Tom. And seeing him show that side of him in this episode was a nice breath of fresh air for his character, and hopefully for his relationship with Shiv.

With that being said Succession continues to move the train forward as we approach the finish line for this fantastic show. I'm anxious to see if Kendall and Roman take a stand and decide to not go through on the deal with Matsson, or maybe they try to jump the price even higher. But there are many more moving parts that still need to be settled, and hopefully we get to see Logan's funeral in one of these final episodes because a real goodbye is needed not only for us as an audience, but for the characters.

Grief takes many forms

[Criticalstaff · 8/10 · 8 May 2023]

It's powerful how this episode shows the different forms grief can take. However, it does it through a "normal day in the life", via the not-so-relatable routine of running a major corporation, which also happens to be a family business. It is unironically refreshing to have an episode focused on business work. It gives us a plot that is a bit more grounded. The previous episodes, and the whole arc they followed, were more focused on the drama and on inter-personal relationship dynamics. They helped us understand each characters inner struggle. But they were always in flux, always a pathway and not quite a destination.

Here, the plot has a more conventional structure, with a beginning, middle and end. The brothers had tried to kill the merger deal from the outside by trying to alienate Matsson. This time they are trying to do it from the inside, by either souring the board or unlocking "unlimited growth".

What is of note is that the siblings are at very different mental states. Kendall is the most emotionally open; it doesn't make him necessarily the most vulnerable. You could actually argue that acknowledging the grief and harnessing it into a productive endeavour is somewhat positive. Yet, as we've seen with Kendall again and again there is a superficiality to it. It is all kinda fake, it's all just buzzwords. And you can feel that it's fragile, that the façade could crumble anytime. And he knows it. We have seen that happen before were he started confident and bombastic but it lead him ultimately to a hard crash. I believe it happened every season so far. Nevertheless, as for now Ken is in charge and de facto the best Roy to take over. We'll see if the bubble bursts, or if Ken can find a way not to drift away in the ocean.

Roman, on the other hand, is almost the polar opposite; he agressively refuses to face his own feelings. We've seen already how it lead to an unhealthy outburst that resulted in a situation that is the opposite of what he wanted. This time, his whole behaviour is a continous outburst of repressed denial. And you can see the anger and sadness in the way he wants to fire anyone who stands up to him. Yet there is also something changing in Roman, Ken is taking his feelings head on but it's just the same old Ken. Roman's grief is making him into someone else, and for now it seems it can go either way, for better or for worse.

Shiv is somewhere in between the two in the large spectrum of grief. Not quite delayed sadness, not quite repressed anger, but a bit of both at the same time. It is revealing: for her pain and pleasure are very alike and she revels in receiving it as much a giving it. Maybe even more so.

This episode allows us to see how these emotions manifest themselves.

Roman in car

[willcolterwright · 9/10 · 6 May 2023]

This is a superb episode. One of the series's best. The most most amazing part for me was the scene near the end where Roman is playing a clip of his father-clearly edited due to its hodgepodge lack of audible clarity-which has him saying negative things about Roman. Plays to the character of Roman in the show and is downright amazing.

The direction too is excellent. The mountaintop closeup of Roman as he speaks sternly and emotively to Mattson is excellent.

Really though Kieran Culkin should be recognized for his work on this show by some awards committee. It's a complicated character and he is excellent at portraying it.

Divide and Submerge

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 1 May 2023]

Kendall tries to keep on the road to what he feels is success. The siblings are each looking their own ways. Roman is feeling his oats and decides he should fire people to assert himself. Shiv is a backstabber. As we go along, it is obvious that while Kendall makes ultimate decisions, they aren't really going to be accepted. Do they want the deal? Should they stay? Should they back out? It's eventually all about smoke and mirrors. The fact of the matter is that no one is speaking his or her true minds. The will u-turn on a whim but don't share their thoughts. Tom comes rolling in strong and is moving around Shiv like a jackal.

Oh dear...

[richwardlaw · 9/10 · 2 May 2023]

Things are about to get real messy!

To me this show is about the great Logan Roy's dysfunctional children (and cousin) and how they survive in such a high powered world.

Logan's death has thrust them into the spotlight and it is like watching a train wreck in slow (or maybe fast!) motion.

Last episode they 'pulled a Homer' by somehow extracting an increased offer from Matsen and it has seemingly gone to their head. Roman starts by wielding the axe and cutting 2 vital members of the Waystar leadership team. Kendal then decides to 'play God' fudging numbers and editing Logan's speech to try to somehow 'fool' analysts into believing they will somehow overdeliver thereby warding off takeover attempts by pushing the Waystar stock well above Matsen's offer. If it works it will only be temporary before the bloodbath begins.

To me Matsen ain't stupid - he can see what they are doing and his intentionally disruptive tweet may be the catalyst to walk. Shiv meanwhile lurks in the background and is ready to play her (deserved) part as the only true leader amongst the siblings.

Will be fascinating to see how the market reacts to such foolishness and then how things start spiralling out of control leading to the finale.

I forgot to breath and now I'm dead

[DivorcedThrice · 9/10 · 1 May 2023]

This show despite offing one of the major characters somehow manages to continue to be in my opinion the best season yet. The character writing as always is off the charts, the acting is extremely good and boy was this one tense episode of TV.

So many of the scenes in this episode made me so nervous, it's gotten to the point where I'm so attached to this show and it's characters that any time someone even does a strange expression I have a panic attack. I genuinely believe that succession is my favourite fiction and I'm so happy that it seems to be ending on such a high note. Can't wait for the next episode.

Some of this one was unexpected

[UniqueParticle · 9/10 · 1 May 2023]

Roman Roy takes more initiative than general times which is understandable with this being the last season. I haven't felt well today but wanted to review this anyway it's always satisfying to see Succession and I love putting my thoughts into the stellar spectacular episodes even though I gave this one a 9. I love how tense some of the scenes are and great so much of it is! A little uneasy, always well written, and magnificent entertainment; this show is a perfect example of what important business guys should be like on a daily basis! Health and happiness would be nice to have more of Kendall is pretty good at his speech.

Definitely wan't to Live at Living+

[warriors_kings · 9/10 · 2 May 2023]

Another solid episode, but what could you expect. The writing is magnificent with so many funny lne liners I don't know where to begin. First of all I hope you were as excited as I was when we first see Logan Roy! Good to see him once more, and dissing his children once again. This episode shows that Kendal is growing into the man and killer his dad once said he wasn't and you clearly see thst once Roman denies going up on stage with him. I didn't notice it when I was watching the show but at the end when is by the ocean he actually scribbles number 1 into the sand. Also, looks like Roman is going to start spiraling out of control, but well see. Sad that we are down to the final four episodes but also pumped for the 4 episodes. Lets gooooo!!

This episode was just ok to me.

[BruceWayne3 · 7/10 · 1 May 2023]

Roman is turning into the joffrey of the show. I'm starting to find him super annoying and am hoping he gets crushed and loses his money. I don't like the way he treats people. I think a lot of ppl are like that, they will never be like their parents, they try to be, but end up over compensating and look silly like roman looked firing the exec and Geri.

We've seen this before with Kendall, he thinks he is the man, and that he has all the answers just to be proven wrong time and time again. So looking forward to the crash and burn.

I think shiv will take Lukas side and the brothers will be left out of the deal.

The bros are not cut out for that life.

Geri should of told him to his face the truth.

Living+ with a lasso around it's neck

[Adam-09265 · 9/10 · 1 May 2023]

The awkwardness still flowing through the Roy family as they try to unfold the new launch of Living+. It was almost like Ken and Roman were certain stages of Logan's personality, Roman being Anger with his short fuse on Joy and Gerri saying they're fired for having a hairs width of an opinion. Kendall being the negotiator trying to set up the perfect launch to set off Living+ despite the last minute snags. Ken being the light and Roman being the dark but maybe that wasn't the intention however it's how i saw it.

I don't think Shiv realises that Lukas is just using her, i did think she started to know but towards the end when she realised he went too far with the tweet is when i'm concerned to what side she's actually on here. Karl playing dominance over Kendal as a bargaining chip, the snakes are closing in. Ken and Roman under the fragile ice with the snakes underneath ready, the question is can Ken and Roman keep it together. I feel a fuse has been lit. Gerri, Frank and Karl are at their own game now. When the king treats you like dirt and then dies, the burning eyes of hate turn his children. The Roy legacy is a huge room of chaos and Ken and Roman are stood right in the middle.

Something's building up.

Most Satisfying Episode of The Season

[BKRLIBRE · 10/10 · 2 May 2023]

This was the best episode of the season for me, and for the first time in a long time I pretty much smiled through the whole episode. I've loved this season so far but most episodes have been super awkward (in a good way), sad & intense.

This episode felt like everyone finally getting their act together. Roman taking charge, Tom being a bit more in control with Shiv & her slowly letting her guard down with him, and of course Kendal taking charge of the ship.

I've always been team Kendal, so to see him finally coming out on top in this episode & prove doubters wrong, was really satisfying. His speech had me sold!

I absolutely loved that end scene of Kendal entering the sea, it felt like it could've easily been the series finale for me leaving it ending on a high note. I really hope things don't turn out too bad for Kendal, although with a few episodes left still I am slightly nervous for what they have in store for him!