"I don't feel like I'm losing a sister. I don't feel like I've gained a brother either. I feel nothing. It's called, borderline personality disorder. Why is everyone laughing?"
The fact that a senator read that line in the hearing made the joke land so much harder. The performances and dialogue in Succession are kind of brilliant. Too bad we have to wait a full year in order to see how Logan tries to destroy is son for turning on him. I imagine that this is the kind of thing that Shakespeare would have written if he had been born in 1980.
Evan Fields I’ve been saying this show has Shakespearean vibes. It’s like they took feudal family’s and lords and updated it which I guess is what corporations kind of are.
A big influence on the 3 main children's personalities that I think should be mentioned is their mother. She sarcastic, emotionally cold, and wields her tongue like a knife. When Kendall tries to open up to her about *The Bad Thing He Did* she totally side-steps him and then ghosts him the next morning. That's when you realize that none of them have really grown up with an adult figure they can truly confide in. No wonder they're all so stunted and paranoid.
@@creamygooger Exactly: They probably Compensate for their daddy&mommy issues by overachieving. Could be much different if they werent Rich and didnt have these Education etc opportunities. They could be criminals.
@@justgivemethetruth I'm curious where anyone said his testimony sounded realistic. You're the second person who commented something like this as if they understand how dialogue works.
@callmecatalyst This is it exactly. He's so nuanced. Like, I can never fully hate him after the way he braved Boar On The Floor rather than snitch on Greg, and i can never forgive him for his craven corruption in choosing to cover up the Cruises scandal. He's both things at once. (This would all sound so weird to someone who hadn't seen the show!)
Yep. Since it has been easily accessible for me to verify it direct from the source, his unashamed reply of "Thanks, Pops." did come in response.. ...To the astute observation from old-fart of a paper-tiger in his likely father Logan, Mr "@@shailejanarain". At least from the cut which is widely-marketed( the "TV-MA" rated one), at the very least. I stand solemnly corrected. Thanks a lot for helping me verify with your civility, if not politeness.
Having worked in Corporate America all my life with a wide assortment of psychopaths, the terrifying reality is that this truly is the terrifying reality. “Words can be meaningless while having terrible power.”. This is the fundamental truth. Saying things. Great job, Nerdwriter.
your reality, your fundamental truth, on account of having worked in corporate america all your life psychopaths are easier to avoid if you don't go to their clubs
@@lounowell4171 - Avoid 'em all you want, but their the pricks with all the power at the top making choices dictating our lives. Your constantly being indirectly fucked over by socially stunted wack jobs who are so miserable the only joy they get is power. Power that they proceed to use in any way they can get away with behind a wall of lawyers.
I think to call them "socially-stunted wackjobs" is usually giving them too much credit. That suggests they should be objects of sympathy because mommy didn't love them when they were kids. Most of them are just greedy sociopaths. Monsters. The world will never be a good place until all the people like that are utterly defeated, if not outright destroyed.
When you started talking about language I figured you’d connect it to Kendall bringing Willa’s actress friend to the Logan Roy college event, where she repeatedly describes the venue as “awesome,” leading Kendall to believe there’s no way she’d fit in in the family. There’s an immediate expectation that everyone on the show is a smooth-talker (or at least can fake it until they make it- looking at you Greg) that her plain dialogue is just as off putting for the viewer as it is for Kendall. I think that scene where Kendall dismisses her for her use of “awesome” is important in how it demonstrates to him that he should never bring around a dummy because it bores his father to not have a worthy conversational adversary, but also as a moment where Kendall gets clarity about the extent to which he can drop his corporate persona to just be an average guy. That aspect connects it to the study of class and the cynicism of their family/business culture. Competent communication is a sign of intelligence and stature and outliers are noticeable less in the way they look but the way they express themselves. Great video by the way, I always look forward to watching your content :)
Good point. I had connected his dismissal of her to him thinking she was infatuated with his dad, especially given the coy smile she had at the end of the introduction.
"dummy" is a stretch, this girl didn't appear any stupider than Tom or Gregg or even Roman at his worst moments, she's just not interested in being manipulative or thinking hard about every single thing she says, and that's not a sign of stupidity that's a sign of normalcy. Kendall and his father's reactions to the repeated use of 'awesome' show how disconnected from regular life they are, bc they can't accept that someone could just be impressed and excited to be around them. They don't respect regular people.
i wondered what exactly was to make kendall push her away (or pretty much cutting her out within minutes) and i love this analysis, classism is a central theme in the show too, the way this family interacts with low income/regular people is incredibly evil more than once
I don't think it has to do anything with intellect, but the proverbial "killer instinct" Logan so much respects. All Kendall seeks is the respect of his father and by bringing in the actress he realises that he falls even more behind in his father's eyes. That is why the S2 finale is so significant, Kendall finally gets the courage to go for the kill and his father finally respects him for it.
This show will go down as one of the best ever made. It's super entertaining, it's witty, dark, and so well written. "I was interested in politics from a very young age"...
I was worried they could cancel it after season 1. The IMDb rating was like 7 and there wasn’t much media coverage. But people slept on Breaking Bad at first too.
You can peel out layers and layers of meaning out of this show, it's a pure masterpiece and it wouldn't have worked if the writing, acting, cinematography and music weren't the work of geniuses
Never seen the show but the line at 7:01 convinced me that I should. "I wonder if the sad I'd be without you is less than the sad I get from being with you."
i think when Evan talks about Logan's 3 children (Shiv, Kendall, Roman) being suspicious of sincerity it wasn't a mistake and I agree. Connor is not the same, he's one of the few characters on the show who is almost always very honest about his intentions.
This show has one of the tightest scripts I've ever seen, and the actors and direction (and score for that matter!) to back it up beautifully. On paper, a show about so thoroughly morally bankrupt and awful people should be awful, but it's absolutely riveting.
Exactly. By end of season one and most of season two, I was thinking, "these people are such assholes, but they're MY assholes! And I want to know what's going to happen to them." Best show out right now.
I recommend The Thick Of It (and Veep) for a similarly creative use of expletives. Also both shows are about callous and psychologically damaged people vying for power, using others as pawns, doing cloak and dagger, much like Succession. Both are more slanted towards comedies than succession, however.
I’d begun watching shows with subtitles on. This show stood out to me on how much they used “huh”, “hmm”, “uh-huh”, “mm-hmm”. They use it so seamlessly-naturally-I never would’ve noticed if I didn’t have subtitles on. And it’s a stark difference with other shows cause these “filler” sounds are usually barely used, if at all. I put it in quotes cause I’m not sure what they’re called but they use it naturally. Like a “mm-hmm.” as a response to a business proposal. It’s like the sound of power yknow.
Do you think it could be considered the 21st century version of the Godfather? I don't think it will be remembered that way, but both are about families with a lot of power and influence that are closely tied to the core identity of America. Kendall and Logan even look and feel a lot like Michael and Vito Corleone.
@20 Dollar Gold Piece I know it's a satire and every character is a charicature, but the dialogue is not very in touch with how people talk. It's way more vulgar and they pretty much all talk the same way, which shows how the writer talks or at least shows his humor. Basically all characters have the same voice (except maybe Greg). You could change and interchange their dialogue and it wouldn't make a difference, it wouldn't be odd. I'm not complaining since i like the humor. But i've always found it so out of touch with reality. It's always 'fuck off' this 'fuck you that' 'super long and vulgar joke that nobody could think of spontaneously' here and 'fuck off' again. I've met a lot of people from different places in america and nobody i knew spoke like that. It seems like how some outsider thinks we speak.
@@miurtouissi1093 Only kidding. You might have a point. Was trying to answer in a Succession-style ... but too tired to really pull it off. Those writers are good!
Incredible video on language and communication. Made me realize that non-powerful ppl are taught to be "humble", "say what you mean" and to be ethical but the most powerful ppl mostly see all those things as a disadvantage and view anyone who does uphold those things as someone to be manipulated.
just finished season 2 finale. Definitely the best current show on TV, so underrated. I think Nicholas Britell also has a big part of it. Music, writing, acting... Basicly everything has combined in an amazing way, i have seen some lines from the show that i've never seen before. _“You can't make a Tomlette without breaking a few Greggs?”_ I mean, c'mon. How the hell did they come up with that?
I love this analysis. I've always found that the majority of Succession's plot is buried between the dialogue and this analysis about the meaning of the words or a lack of meaning, means a lot to me. Thank you for making this!
0:26 Succession: Poetic Dialogue 0:54 And Deeper Themes 1:15 Do words convey meaning, or are words *just nothing* ? 1:59 - Politicians tend to speak in circles using these nothing words “ words have a very flimsy relationship to their actual meaning” 2:48 Logan Roy and his family, *Sarcasm* is true, sincerity is suspicious 4:05 “Words are tools to gain advantage” 4:47 “Words are here, then gone” 5:37 Meaningless but holding super power, in business and personal life 6:12 Other characters fear the power of words 6:44 Logan has harmed his childrens’ ability to communicate 7:31 _Succession is about Words_
One of the things I've always thought of in regards to lying is "What someone says is less important than why they said it." For instance, regardless of whether someone is lying or telling the truth about something, you can look at what they said to discover what their motivations are. This, in a way, cuts through lies because the very act of trying to elicit a change in the world through dialogue shows what they value and desire. This is important to remember even with true statements. Which truth someone chooses to say can be more important than the specific facts that they conveyed.
Fantastic. Probably one of the few shows I've ever watched where I'd be comfortable looking at my phone, just because how much the dialogue takes the center stage here. This show is like a playground of charismatic dialogue that borders on the psychopathic. Fun two day binge I just finished.
"words can be meaningless while simultaneously having incredible power. it can have no link to the truth, but influencing people's actions, the world's actions if you say them forcefully enough. words can become the truth." - reminds me of a certain someone in politics right now.
I’m so happy you covered this show and there’s so many other topics you could cover from this show alone. It has become one of my favorite shows at the moment just from the first season.
2 weeks ago I saw the notification of this video. Immediately went and binged the entire show... and then watched this. Phenomenal. Trust the Nerdwriter.
it was so true and after s3 finished, I can say that one of the best decisions they made was not to talk about people's real feelings and intentions that made the whole attraction.
I’ve been following your channel for some 3 odd years and have watched pretty much all of your videos essays. Most of them are really good and they show how much work you put into them. But this... This video is a masterpiece. The use of music throughout, the scenes that you chose, the constant tension shown. To me, it highlights the sadness in the Roy family. Their insincerety is really depressing.
Outstanding man..outstanding. I just watched these seasons over the course of a week and you echoed my exact feelings while watching it. Well done man.
The scene in early s2 where logan tells Shiv that he wants her to become ceo, and she repeatedly asked "is this real?"... Just broke my heart to think how often she may ask herself that question... If you don't believe in words, then how do you know what's real...
Just came back to say thank you to Nerdwriter for making this video, it completely sold me on watching the show after season 2 and I immediately fell in love. What an incredible show ❤
i love how Greg provides a nice contrast to everyone else as he is inexperienced in corporate bullshitting but tries really hard to emulate that type of language. "Muchly appreciated" is one of my favorite lines in any piece of media ever.
The show is like a mix of The Office, Arrested Dev. GoT (minus the dragons) the Royal Tennenbaums, King Lear (with smatterings of the various King histories) and Greek Tragedy. And probably lots of other stuff that I forgot or am not aware of....
This show has, quite LITERALLY, helped me understand something I'd never dealt with before. I gotta friend who thrives on suspicion and disguising all emotions. She says I hate your cologne and stands close to take it in. Asks me to be honest with her and as soon as I did, she switched up and said she couldn't trust what I say. I gave her a hug one day. She says what the fuck is wrong? Who died? SMH. Maybe it's a New York thing. LOL. One thing this show is not ever going to be is on the nose... Not at all. Words and emotions are not allies in their world. Great analysis.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO!!!! AAAAAHHHH FINALLY!!! Succession is so much more than it presents itself to be because of its dialogues, and how those words are thrown at us. And man, I loved that season 2 finale.
Man, I missed you so much. I always feel I learn something from your videos. The subtleties, the obvious and reading the grand theme I just find that so amusing!
You keep making amazing videos out of thin air. You are one of the few channels that after years I still binge like my life depends on it. I wouldn’t call it addictive, rather a pause for rapture. Thank you for all these years of committing to create great content.
The dialogue is this was reminding me so much of The Thick of It and then when I saw it was written by Jesse Armstrong, who wrote some of the Thick of It, it all fell into place
As someone who grew up working-class, near Boston, with punk rockers-- this sort of nonsense empty talk would drive me to insanity and a feeling of isolation. Total bluntness is the only sort of communication that makes me feel respected and seen
Great job nerdwriter ‘Thomas Flight’ also made an excellent video on “The succession character you never see” (about the language of the camera work) definitely worth a watch..complements this one
I’ve never seen a show that hides almost every major plot development in *subtext.* It’s one of those shows you really have to give your full attention to, or else you’ll miss a huge plot point hidden under layers of manipulative language, facial expressions, and body language. The massive plot twist with Tom at the end of the S3 season finale was communicated almost entirely through body language and facial expressions. There were a few words spoken, but they were performed to indicate that they were lies. It was one of the most shocking moments in the entire series and the show refuses to straight up tell you what’s happened-you have to figure out everything for yourself and parse through the dishonesty to figure out the truth hidden in subtle social cues. Not to sound like a fucking Rick and Morty fan, but I really feel like a large degree of your enjoyment of this show will completely depend on *you,* the watcher, and how well you can read social situations. If you’re someone who isn’t great with those kinds of subtleties and who is very literal, you’ll be missing not only a lot of depth and complexity, but you’ll also be in the dark as to what’s going on and why people are taking certain actions. Even though the show has some pretty glaring flaws, this is genius imo. I think everyone can benefit from a rewatch of the show after they’ve caught up, too. Just in case you weren’t paying perfect attention or missed a subtlety or something offhandedly mentioned in an earlier episode that becomes extremely relevant to the motivations of certain characters later on. I love a show or movie that doesn’t hand-hold. I love watching a piece of media and having to actually think, and getting that satisfied “oooooooh!” feeling once certain things click for you after putting in the effort. I love how this show has actually *taught me a language* and that it has become easier for me to understand it’s language the more I watch it, aiding me in quicker understanding of later episodes.
I never had any intention of watching Succession until I saw this video. Now I've watched all of the series and loved all of it, especially while having my ears perked up for the themes you've talked about. A++ recommednation!
This is just fabulous. Just inspired me to write a piece on the importance of constancy in your words and actions. Thank you so much. You work is truly refreshing.
Very, very interesting how you analyze the way the communication is treated in Succession. It could be nice even anaylize Mindhunter and how even the non-verbal communication happens and we can and cannot control it. Awesome video as always, keep up!
And then there's that thing Roman does when he says the truth openly and everyone assumes he's joking
"I don't feel like I'm losing a sister. I don't feel like I've gained a brother either. I feel nothing. It's called, borderline personality disorder. Why is everyone laughing?"
@@martinebonita2658 omgggg
ua-cam.com/video/Q4WsQXfyQvM/v-deo.html
And that thing with Gerri 🤣
“I jerked off in Gerri’s bathroom last night!”
"Logan's 3 Children" I love just like characters in the show, you forgot that Logan has *four* children because Connor is so easy to forget.
Connor is the first pancake.
I like how Logan essentially bribes him to stop his "campaign." "Conheads" will be heartbroken.
@@habadasheryjones Five bags for that one.
I noticed that too and it made me laugh. Connor is going to be president so you should all show a little respect.
Connor Roy for President !
“you can’t make a tomlette without breaking a few greggs”
67 times
The fact that a senator read that line in the hearing made the joke land so much harder. The performances and dialogue in Succession are kind of brilliant. Too bad we have to wait a full year in order to see how Logan tries to destroy is son for turning on him. I imagine that this is the kind of thing that Shakespeare would have written if he had been born in 1980.
Evan Fields I’ve been saying this show has Shakespearean vibes. It’s like they took feudal family’s and lords and updated it which I guess is what corporations kind of are.
Gregorys
The show draws quite a bit of inspiration from King Lear, and there are a lot of Shakespeare references.
A big influence on the 3 main children's personalities that I think should be mentioned is their mother. She sarcastic, emotionally cold, and wields her tongue like a knife. When Kendall tries to open up to her about *The Bad Thing He Did* she totally side-steps him and then ghosts him the next morning.
That's when you realize that none of them have really grown up with an adult figure they can truly confide in. No wonder they're all so stunted and paranoid.
That scene was devastating. They never had a chance.
“Are they quite difficult things?…Why don’t we do this in the morning, over an egg?”
Exactly. Also dont forget the nannies/caretakers who lick their … They couldnt trust to them either
not to mention the insane mommy and daddy issues soup contained in all of their brains...
@@creamygooger Exactly: They probably Compensate for their daddy&mommy issues by overachieving. Could be much different if they werent Rich and didnt have these Education etc opportunities. They could be criminals.
“Is there an advantage?”
Encapsulates Logan perfectly.
Exactly
Hayley S
wow, he is so fucking manipulative. why does he think simple conversation is like some big military operation or some shit lol
Overbite Games my dad is like this
@@theshape7214 Charming
I would add "Nothing is a line. Everything, everywhere is always moving. Forever. Get used to it"
"If it is to be said, so it is." -Greg Hirsch (Quote of the decade)
Um... He actually goes by Gregory now.
Hmmm, that was supposed to be realistic? I've watched Congressional testimony ... never heard anything like that kid talking ... amazing.
@@justgivemethetruth I'm curious where anyone said his testimony sounded realistic. You're the second person who commented something like this as if they understand how dialogue works.
I still dont understand what that means
I still dont understand what that means
"Oh, king of edible leaves, his majesty the spinach"
- Tom Wambsgans
@callmecatalyst This is it exactly. He's so nuanced. Like, I can never fully hate him after the way he braved Boar On The Floor rather than snitch on Greg, and i can never forgive him for his craven corruption in choosing to cover up the Cruises scandal. He's both things at once.
(This would all sound so weird to someone who hadn't seen the show!)
"Uh... if it is to be said, so be it -- so it is" - Gregory "Egg" Hirsch
_“I can promise you that I am spiritually and emotionally and ethically and morally behind whoever wins.”_
*~ Stewie Hosseini (Succession)*
Mr. Friendship that line is from Stewy
Lebron's Rethoric
Is that lebron james
@@critical2apps Uh...
Alex & lou bloom in the same comment section, interesting!
3:22 "especially Logan's three children
lmao Connor cannot catch a break
Despite being interested in politics from a young age.
callmecatalyst billionaire**
"the first- second born son"
🎶"L to the O-G!"🎶
A.. N.. he ain't playin!
Hahhaa I think that was my single favourite scene of the whole show.
“Romalus when you laugh do it at the same volume as everyone else. We didn’t get you from a hyena farm”
bruh this one of my fave shows of all time 😂😂😂
"Thanks pops!" LOL
-There was no response from that asscock, Ms "-@@shreyaannam92"?
*Edit Note:* Retracted in full. Apologies for any inconvenience[s] caused.
@@maazkalim What? He did say Thanks pops
Yep.
Since it has been easily accessible for me to verify it direct from the source, his unashamed reply of "Thanks, Pops." did come in response..
...To the astute observation from old-fart of a paper-tiger in his likely father Logan, Mr "@@shailejanarain".
At least from the cut which is widely-marketed( the "TV-MA" rated one), at the very least.
I stand solemnly corrected.
Thanks a lot for helping me verify with your civility, if not politeness.
Having worked in Corporate America all my life with a wide assortment of psychopaths, the terrifying reality is that this truly is the terrifying reality. “Words can be meaningless while having terrible power.”. This is the fundamental truth. Saying things. Great job, Nerdwriter.
your reality, your fundamental truth, on account of having worked in corporate america all your life
psychopaths are easier to avoid if you don't go to their clubs
@@lounowell4171 - Avoid 'em all you want, but their the pricks with all the power at the top making choices dictating our lives. Your constantly being indirectly fucked over by socially stunted wack jobs who are so miserable the only joy they get is power. Power that they proceed to use in any way they can get away with behind a wall of lawyers.
I think to call them "socially-stunted wackjobs" is usually giving them too much credit. That suggests they should be objects of sympathy because mommy didn't love them when they were kids. Most of them are just greedy sociopaths. Monsters. The world will never be a good place until all the people like that are utterly defeated, if not outright destroyed.
@somn Found the bootlicker.
@@spoonikle
You think the people at the top are totally different from you, but yet them, you, and I are the same. All we want is power.
When you started talking about language I figured you’d connect it to Kendall bringing Willa’s actress friend to the Logan Roy college event, where she repeatedly describes the venue as “awesome,” leading Kendall to believe there’s no way she’d fit in in the family. There’s an immediate expectation that everyone on the show is a smooth-talker (or at least can fake it until they make it- looking at you Greg) that her plain dialogue is just as off putting for the viewer as it is for Kendall. I think that scene where Kendall dismisses her for her use of “awesome” is important in how it demonstrates to him that he should never bring around a dummy because it bores his father to not have a worthy conversational adversary, but also as a moment where Kendall gets clarity about the extent to which he can drop his corporate persona to just be an average guy. That aspect connects it to the study of class and the cynicism of their family/business culture. Competent communication is a sign of intelligence and stature and outliers are noticeable less in the way they look but the way they express themselves. Great video by the way, I always look forward to watching your content :)
Good point. I had connected his dismissal of her to him thinking she was infatuated with his dad, especially given the coy smile she had at the end of the introduction.
"dummy" is a stretch, this girl didn't appear any stupider than Tom or Gregg or even Roman at his worst moments, she's just not interested in being manipulative or thinking hard about every single thing she says, and that's not a sign of stupidity that's a sign of normalcy. Kendall and his father's reactions to the repeated use of 'awesome' show how disconnected from regular life they are, bc they can't accept that someone could just be impressed and excited to be around them. They don't respect regular people.
i think ken let her go just because of the comments she made about his father
i wondered what exactly was to make kendall push her away (or pretty much cutting her out within minutes) and i love this analysis, classism is a central theme in the show too, the way this family interacts with low income/regular people is incredibly evil more than once
I don't think it has to do anything with intellect, but the proverbial "killer instinct" Logan so much respects. All Kendall seeks is the respect of his father and by bringing in the actress he realises that he falls even more behind in his father's eyes. That is why the S2 finale is so significant, Kendall finally gets the courage to go for the kill and his father finally respects him for it.
This show will go down as one of the best ever made. It's super entertaining, it's witty, dark, and so well written. "I was interested in politics from a very young age"...
Let it be known " Connor Roy was interested in politics from a very young age"
I was worried they could cancel it after season 1. The IMDb rating was like 7 and there wasn’t much media coverage. But people slept on Breaking Bad at first too.
yes. Have never seen writing this dramatic, punchy and twistedly hilarious in one show, ever.
You can peel out layers and layers of meaning out of this show, it's a pure masterpiece and it wouldn't have worked if the writing, acting, cinematography and music weren't the work of geniuses
It's brilliant but I don't get how it's a dark show
Never seen the show but the line at 7:01 convinced me that I should.
"I wonder if the sad I'd be without you is less than the sad I get from being with you."
It is the best show on tv at the moment. Awesome!
That line is... after a ton of hard stuff to watch
@@ivad4282 it really is
tom is one of the best characters on the show, that scene was heartbreaking
You're in for a treat. My favorite thing I have watched in years.
“We here for you”
we hear for you
I love the "complicated airflow" line. It's poetic.
The OG quality essay youtuber has returned.
wizzzer1337 L to the OG
wizzzer1337 Every Frame A Painting
@@acnbk I see what you did there lol
@@bipbong2906 We need to bring that channel back.
@@bipbong2906 Nerdwriter was before Every Frame A Painting, yo
6:35 I love this scene. That's how majority of siblings deflect the topic when we are talking about emotions.
i fucking love when media holds the mirror to society.
Best scene ever. I rewatched like six times the first time I saw the episode.
I felt this comment in my soul.
@@mansamtz true. So did i
I'm an only child, but I've been trying to rehabilitate my weird parents/aunts/uncles, and it's the most BIZARRE experience.
"... the characters, especially Logan's three children.... "
Connor would like to remind you that HE IS THE ELDEST SON
i think when Evan talks about Logan's 3 children (Shiv, Kendall, Roman) being suspicious of sincerity it wasn't a mistake and I agree. Connor is not the same, he's one of the few characters on the show who is almost always very honest about his intentions.
"Will you make me the happiest man *slash* the most bulletproof candidate in the world?" is a very candid wedding proposal
This show has one of the tightest scripts I've ever seen, and the actors and direction (and score for that matter!) to back it up beautifully. On paper, a show about so thoroughly morally bankrupt and awful people should be awful, but it's absolutely riveting.
Exactly. By end of season one and most of season two, I was thinking, "these people are such assholes, but they're MY assholes! And I want to know what's going to happen to them." Best show out right now.
It sucks being earnest in a world that doesn't reward it.
Interesting take. I'm facetious by nature and struggle with overly earnest people. I guess either extreme isn't great.
He wised up in the end...LOL
This show has the most interesting use of the word “fuck” I’ve ever observed in any form of dialogue
I recommend The Thick Of It (and Veep) for a similarly creative use of expletives. Also both shows are about callous and psychologically damaged people vying for power, using others as pawns, doing cloak and dagger, much like Succession. Both are more slanted towards comedies than succession, however.
@@sams7068 Jesse Armstrong wrote for both of those as well I think
"Fuck you very much" has to be my favourite
@@strzyzenierzemieslnikow4082 my favorite is roman's "fucking go bye bye"
"Aw Greg Fuck your grandpa" is still my favorite, mostly cuz of the perfect delivery and the awkwardness that comes after
Roman "How about Tom with some Greg sprinkles" absolute classic.
my favorite part
romulus funny guy
I’d begun watching shows with subtitles on. This show stood out to me on how much they used “huh”, “hmm”, “uh-huh”, “mm-hmm”. They use it so seamlessly-naturally-I never would’ve noticed if I didn’t have subtitles on.
And it’s a stark difference with other shows cause these “filler” sounds are usually barely used, if at all. I put it in quotes cause I’m not sure what they’re called but they use it naturally. Like a “mm-hmm.” as a response to a business proposal. It’s like the sound of power yknow.
In linguistics, there's a very technical term for not saying what you mean: _being uncooperative_
This show is a masterpiece
Do you think it could be considered the 21st century version of the Godfather? I don't think it will be remembered that way, but both are about families with a lot of power and influence that are closely tied to the core identity of America. Kendall and Logan even look and feel a lot like Michael and Vito Corleone.
@@evanwessman9120 yes and no
I didn't realize Arrested Development got a gritty reboot. This looks great.
Ian Terada this one is nothing like that
That's exactly what it is 😂
@John R couldn't agree more!
@John R And that's why you always leave a note
In AD you watch the characters perform. In Succession, you feel them.
5:48 “If you say them forcefully enough words can become the truth...” Sounds like someone we know.
An Emmy well deserved for Jesse Armstrong. Who also wrote Peep Show
Super Hans make an appearance?
@@Demiglitch Chance would be a fine thing
This show is so good... I'm glad in the world of Netflix shit , HBO still brings some good stuff like Chernobyl and succession
And the outsider and almost all its other shows
@@Anicius_ ikr... HBO has best tv shows
Amen
Barry to
@@Anicius_ Outsider's fuse went wet after two episodes, unfortunately
The scriptwriters must've been pros at socialising.
@callmecatalyst explains why its so out of touch with how Americans speak
@@miurtouissi1093 wdym?
@20 Dollar Gold Piece I know it's a satire and every character is a charicature, but the dialogue is not very in touch with how people talk. It's way more vulgar and they pretty much all talk the same way, which shows how the writer talks or at least shows his humor. Basically all characters have the same voice (except maybe Greg). You could change and interchange their dialogue and it wouldn't make a difference, it wouldn't be odd. I'm not complaining since i like the humor. But i've always found it so out of touch with reality. It's always 'fuck off' this 'fuck you that' 'super long and vulgar joke that nobody could think of spontaneously' here and 'fuck off' again. I've met a lot of people from different places in america and nobody i knew spoke like that. It seems like how some outsider thinks we speak.
Martin Higgins oh, there was a mistake. Thanks for letting me know !
@@miurtouissi1093 Only kidding. You might have a point. Was trying to answer in a Succession-style ... but too tired to really pull it off. Those writers are good!
Incredible video on language and communication. Made me realize that non-powerful ppl are taught to be "humble", "say what you mean" and to be ethical but the most powerful ppl mostly see all those things as a disadvantage and view anyone who does uphold those things as someone to be manipulated.
I've never heard of this show before but it looks genuinely terrifying
Alexander Supertramp Wrong. Exactly as great as the hype.
@Alexander Supertramp Hype well deserved.
It's the funniest show on tv but also absolutely brimming with existential dread
It's brilliant. Soon to be considered in the class of The Wire and Breaking Bad
It's like those early Game of Thrones seasons, except that it's about business.
''Words are just nothing
Complicated airflow''
*Cut to helicopters*
Thats some güüd editing
That funeral eulogy was one of the funniest nothing speeches I have seen in a while
just finished season 2 finale. Definitely the best current show on TV, so underrated. I think Nicholas Britell also has a big part of it. Music, writing, acting... Basicly everything has combined in an amazing way, i have seen some lines from the show that i've never seen before.
_“You can't make a Tomlette without breaking a few Greggs?”_ I mean, c'mon. How the hell did they come up with that?
I love this analysis. I've always found that the majority of Succession's plot is buried between the dialogue and this analysis about the meaning of the words or a lack of meaning, means a lot to me. Thank you for making this!
0:26 Succession: Poetic Dialogue
0:54 And Deeper Themes
1:15 Do words convey meaning, or are words *just nothing* ?
1:59 - Politicians tend to speak in circles using these nothing words
“ words have a very flimsy relationship to their actual meaning”
2:48 Logan Roy and his family,
*Sarcasm* is true, sincerity is suspicious
4:05 “Words are tools to gain advantage”
4:47 “Words are here, then gone”
5:37 Meaningless but holding super power, in business and personal life
6:12 Other characters fear the power of words
6:44 Logan has harmed his childrens’ ability to communicate
7:31 _Succession is about Words_
Nerdwriter is hitting new highs at the moment. Sensational content! I loved this video! Thank you!
Succession is perfection
One of the things I've always thought of in regards to lying is "What someone says is less important than why they said it."
For instance, regardless of whether someone is lying or telling the truth about something, you can look at what they said to discover what their motivations are. This, in a way, cuts through lies because the very act of trying to elicit a change in the world through dialogue shows what they value and desire.
This is important to remember even with true statements. Which truth someone chooses to say can be more important than the specific facts that they conveyed.
Fantastic. Probably one of the few shows I've ever watched where I'd be comfortable looking at my phone, just because how much the dialogue takes the center stage here. This show is like a playground of charismatic dialogue that borders on the psychopathic. Fun two day binge I just finished.
Busts down the door to a homey little bar:
"BUT HE'S NOT SAYING ANYTHING!"
My brain did go to that clip actually! 😂
BUT HE DIDN‘T SAY ANYTHING!
"words can be meaningless while simultaneously having incredible power. it can have no link to the truth, but influencing people's actions, the world's actions if you say them forcefully enough. words can become the truth." - reminds me of a certain someone in politics right now.
I’m so happy you covered this show and there’s so many other topics you could cover from this show alone. It has become one of my favorite shows at the moment just from the first season.
Succession needs more Video Essays. Or maybe it's so dense and different that it's got every analyst in knots!
Ehhh it’s not that dense or layered.
@@deankruse2891 just because you're dense doesn't mean it isn't. ;)
@@ilovebooks49 haha i am for sure dense.
2 weeks ago I saw the notification of this video. Immediately went and binged the entire show... and then watched this. Phenomenal. Trust the Nerdwriter.
"Gosh, look at you, you're very plausible. Exactly."
it was so true and after s3 finished, I can say that one of the best decisions they made was not to talk about people's real feelings and intentions that made the whole attraction.
The corporate colonization of the mind. A terrible, Lovecraftian horror.
This video started my Succession journey! Thanks Nerdwriter!
I’ve been following your channel for some 3 odd years and have watched pretty much all of your videos essays. Most of them are really good and they show how much work you put into them. But this... This video is a masterpiece. The use of music throughout, the scenes that you chose, the constant tension shown. To me, it highlights the sadness in the Roy family. Their insincerety is really depressing.
These are probably the BEST shows about a show that have ever existed. Thanks.
Outstanding man..outstanding. I just watched these seasons over the course of a week and you echoed my exact feelings while watching it. Well done man.
Oh man. I had similar emotions watching this show, that some jumbled up words in my head couldn't convey. Something you did in 8 minutes. Thanks.
The scene in early s2 where logan tells Shiv that he wants her to become ceo, and she repeatedly asked "is this real?"... Just broke my heart to think how often she may ask herself that question... If you don't believe in words, then how do you know what's real...
Is it just me or this dialogue hilarious.
Man, I gotta watch this series.
That increased all the good memories of the show and I already love the show.
This show is immaculately written. There are few shows where the characters are this consistent and coherent.
Succession x Nerdwriter = two of my favorite things
Thank you dude, thank you for putting me on this show.
"A swift Greggsit strategy"
Just came back to say thank you to Nerdwriter for making this video, it completely sold me on watching the show after season 2 and I immediately fell in love. What an incredible show ❤
Omg, ive been thinking so much about meaning of words in this context and this is perfect timing
i love how Greg provides a nice contrast to everyone else as he is inexperienced in corporate bullshitting but tries really hard to emulate that type of language. "Muchly appreciated" is one of my favorite lines in any piece of media ever.
This reminds me so much of David Mamet, and State and Main specifically.
The show is like a mix of The Office, Arrested Dev. GoT (minus the dragons) the Royal Tennenbaums, King Lear (with smatterings of the various King histories) and Greek Tragedy. And probably lots of other stuff that I forgot or am not aware of....
This show has, quite LITERALLY, helped me understand something I'd never dealt with before. I gotta friend who thrives on suspicion and disguising all emotions. She says I hate your cologne and stands close to take it in. Asks me to be honest with her and as soon as I did, she switched up and said she couldn't trust what I say. I gave her a hug one day. She says what the fuck is wrong? Who died? SMH. Maybe it's a New York thing. LOL. One thing this show is not ever going to be is on the nose... Not at all. Words and emotions are not allies in their world. Great analysis.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO!!!! AAAAAHHHH FINALLY!!! Succession is so much more than it presents itself to be because of its dialogues, and how those words are thrown at us.
And man, I loved that season 2 finale.
Man, this show is so great, the greatest thing on TV right now
I JUST STARTED WATCHING THIS SHOW AND IT'S THE BEST SHOW IVE EVER WATCHED SINCE BOJACK HORSEMAN
Beautiful analysis. Elevates the show in my eyes so much!
Man, I missed you so much. I always feel I learn something from your videos. The subtleties, the obvious and reading the grand theme I just find that so amusing!
YES. THIS IS THE ANALYSIS I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR.
You keep making amazing videos out of thin air.
You are one of the few channels that after years I still binge like my life depends on it.
I wouldn’t call it addictive, rather a pause for rapture.
Thank you for all these years of committing to create great content.
This is such an amazing insight from the show. Hadn't seen it before, really makes me want to watch it.
The dialogue is this was reminding me so much of The Thick of It and then when I saw it was written by Jesse Armstrong, who wrote some of the Thick of It, it all fell into place
Never even heard of this but this cast looks amazing and I think I'll look into it just because of that.
As someone who grew up working-class, near Boston, with punk rockers-- this sort of nonsense empty talk would drive me to insanity and a feeling of isolation. Total bluntness is the only sort of communication that makes me feel respected and seen
You are seriously the most underrated show on UA-cam. Your content is gold.
2.68M subscribers, what you talking about?
•Cries in Captain Disillusion•
[It's -A- Me again]
E;R
Lindsay Ellis
Quinton Reviews
and
Internet Comment Etiquette (Erik is THE most underrated UA-camr right now)
I’ve watched this video twice. Succession is brilliant man. Favourite TV show.
Thank you for this. We SUCCESSION fan has been waiting too long for a video essay like
Another amazing video! This is one of my favorite channels. I feel like it always opens my eyes to things i never noticed. Thank you!
Great job nerdwriter
‘Thomas Flight’ also made an excellent video on “The succession character you never see” (about the language of the camera work) definitely worth a watch..complements this one
This was a brilliant and subtle analysis. Sign that the show has that kind of complexity.
Brilliant, I've never seen this show but now I'm going to watch it
the season is season is better than the first
This show is genius im glad someone is articulating that bc I can't explain exactly why it is so good. The characters are just so beautifully human
I’ve never seen a show that hides almost every major plot development in *subtext.* It’s one of those shows you really have to give your full attention to, or else you’ll miss a huge plot point hidden under layers of manipulative language, facial expressions, and body language.
The massive plot twist with Tom at the end of the S3 season finale was communicated almost entirely through body language and facial expressions. There were a few words spoken, but they were performed to indicate that they were lies. It was one of the most shocking moments in the entire series and the show refuses to straight up tell you what’s happened-you have to figure out everything for yourself and parse through the dishonesty to figure out the truth hidden in subtle social cues.
Not to sound like a fucking Rick and Morty fan, but I really feel like a large degree of your enjoyment of this show will completely depend on *you,* the watcher, and how well you can read social situations. If you’re someone who isn’t great with those kinds of subtleties and who is very literal, you’ll be missing not only a lot of depth and complexity, but you’ll also be in the dark as to what’s going on and why people are taking certain actions. Even though the show has some pretty glaring flaws, this is genius imo.
I think everyone can benefit from a rewatch of the show after they’ve caught up, too. Just in case you weren’t paying perfect attention or missed a subtlety or something offhandedly mentioned in an earlier episode that becomes extremely relevant to the motivations of certain characters later on. I love a show or movie that doesn’t hand-hold. I love watching a piece of media and having to actually think, and getting that satisfied “oooooooh!” feeling once certain things click for you after putting in the effort. I love how this show has actually *taught me a language* and that it has become easier for me to understand it’s language the more I watch it, aiding me in quicker understanding of later episodes.
which other shows are there like this and rick & morty?
You nailed it!
Curious about what you see as glaring flaws
I never had any intention of watching Succession until I saw this video. Now I've watched all of the series and loved all of it, especially while having my ears perked up for the themes you've talked about. A++ recommednation!
1:36 Is that the Cameron from Ferris Bueller's Day Off?
Kristian yep.
i rewatched it and i was even more blown away, they are portraying our reality and corporate america in a raw way
"Like a Tom sundae with a perfect little Greg cherry on top."
This is just fabulous.
Just inspired me to write a piece on the importance of constancy in your words and actions.
Thank you so much. You work is truly refreshing.
This show really is the modern version of Arrested Development
Is arrested development not modern
One of the best shows out there. Waiting for season 3
Absolutely great deep dive into an amazing show
Very, very interesting how you analyze the way the communication is treated in Succession. It could be nice even anaylize Mindhunter and how even the non-verbal communication happens and we can and cannot control it.
Awesome video as always, keep up!