Succession Works Because It Borrows A Key Element From Arrested Development
This article contains spoilers for season 4, episode 6 of "Succession."
There are quite a few similarities between the Fox and Netflix comedy "Arrested Development" and the HBO tragicomedy "Succession," from the composition of the filthy rich and totally incompetent families at the center of each series to the characters' total inability to be kind to anyone. But there's one major link between them that matters most: the camera work. The plot of "Succession" contains pretty serious stuff, involving drug abuse, accidental manslaughter, accusations of sexual assault on a mass scale, child abuse, and more, but the show still manages to be brutally funny. A big part of that comedy comes from just how awkward and emotionally damaged everyone is, and the camera helps bring that discomfort into focus. Moments that could easily be played as dramatic are instead turned on their ear through the use of the handheld, frequently zooming camera that seems to hone in on everyone's most honest (and hilarious) expressions.
In the latest episode, "Living+," the Roy siblings have to do damage control after Roman's (Kieran Culkin) massive blow-up at billionaire investor Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) during last week's incredibly awkward meeting in Norway, but things have not gotten any less awkward. Now the siblings are backstabbing one another pretty blatantly once more, which means we're back to lots of eye-rolling, grimacing, and mugging for the camera as if they somehow know it's there, which is a big part of what makes "Succession" so stinkin' fun. Like the late Logan Roy (Brian Cox) said, "These are not serious people." So why should the camera follow them with any seriousness?
The power of a well-timed zoom
With a different presentation, "Succession" could be pure drama — a Shakespearean tragedy for the ages — as these titans of our times battle it out for business supremacy. Instead, they're portrayed as deeply human and fatally flawed, from Logan's bout of urinary tract infection-based dementia to, well, almost every decision Kendall (Jeremy Strong) makes. They're gross, goofy screw-ups who are incredibly inept despite (or perhaps because of) their positions of privilege. That includes Logan and the Old Guard like Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron), too, as they allowed themselves to grow more and more out of touch with reality as the years passed. The camera, serving as the eye of the audience, doesn't take them seriously, quickly zooming in at the precise moments when they pull a face or their eyes go wide with shock. Served up with razor-sharp dialogue and smart, nuanced performances, "Succession" somehow has managed to become one of the funniest shows on TV while also being one of the most dramatic, too.
The camera style, which incorporates a lot of handheld shots with carefully timed zooms for comedic effect, is closest to "Arrested Development," though it bears similarities to "The Office," "Parks and Recreation," "Abbott Elementary," and other workplace sitcoms. One major difference is that the camera is assumed to actually be there on the aforementioned comparisons, and the characters look directly at it and even address it at times. "Succession" and "Arrested Development," meanwhile, have a camera that's somewhat invasive but isn't actually present in the character's world, instead being sort of an omniscient viewer. It's a brilliant comedy device that makes "Succession" more layered and entertaining.
Leaning into the battle of egos
Here's the thing about these very unserious people: they take themselves deadly seriously. If egos were balloons theirs are all Hindenburgs, ready to blow at any minute. In "Living+," we get zooms when people are completely high on their own supply, like Ken wheeling and dealing with his siblings and then giving a presentation with the digital ghost of dear old Dad, and we also get reaction zooms, like Shiv's (Sarah Snook) furious face as she hugs Kendall and Roman after they continue to lie to her about what happened with Matsson. The zooms mirror those from "Arrested Development," like the infinitely meme-able zoom on Jason Bateman's face when his character Michael discovers that a bag reading "dead dove don't eat" actually contains a dead dove — the camera zooms whenever someone is being ridiculous or reacting to some ridiculousness, and even when it's pretty disturbing ("Boar on the Floor," anyone?), it's still really stinkin' funny.
Look, I doubt Tom Wambsgans is going to blue himself (literally, anyway) or Roman is going to lose a hand and get a hook instead, but they will forever be connected to the Bluth family through snarky siblings, hugely inflated egos, and so much backstabbing. Both are also hilarious, with a constantly-moving camera that helps do some of the comedic heavy lifting. All I know is that Lady Caroline (Harriet Walter) and Lucille (the late, great Jessica Walter) would have been truly terrifying together.
New episodes of "Succession" premiere Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.