Succession, TV's Best Show, Deserved More Love At The Emmys
I will go as far as to say, even only one and a half seasons in, ‘Succession’ is one of the best TV shows I have ever seen.
Yet, this is all the Emmys had to offer in terms of respect?
That’s it!?
Look, I realize I only started watching this show a few weeks ago. Does that invalidate all of my claims? Maybe, but I won’t let it. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences really dropped the ball this year with Emmy nominations.
When it comes to the overall Best Drama award…
…this was a legacy win for ‘Game of Thrones’, let’s be honest. While I think that is dumb (especially since they didn’t give the legacy win to Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who could have gone 7-for-7), I do understand the move.
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The direction in ‘Succession’ is unmatched and they could have nominated any episode. While seeing Michael Bluth himself take home the Emmy was cool, the genius that is Adam McKay was still a snub in my book.
Now when it comes to acting awards… NOT EVEN ONE NOMINATION!?
I’ll pause for 30 seconds and let you tell me a main character actor or actress from ‘Succession’ who isn’t deserving of a lead actor, actress or supporting actor, actress nomination…
30…
20…
10…
0…
Yeah, that’s right, all of them are deserving of an acting nomination. Here are some of their best moments…
(SPOILER ALERT)
Brian Cox as Logan Roy
Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy
“Ah… Go find some other chicken coop, cunt.”
Kieran Culkin as Roman Roy
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Culkin’s incredible manic mannerisms and delivery makes him unreal on screen (he was actually nominated for a Golden Globe). One more for good measure…
Sarah Snook as Shiv Roy
Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Wamsgans
Tom & Greg and is one of my favorite TV or movie duos ever…
Nicholas Braun as Greg Hirsch
“Not really, it’s not like they pre-poop them, or something…”
Everyone on that list could be considered a snub in my eyes. Or even people not on the list, like Alan Ruck as Connor Roy, Arian Moayed as Stewy or Justine Lupe as Willa (I could go on and on). The number of clips and quotes I could have used is endless.
Luckily, they did walk away with some hardware over the weekend…
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This unreal episode, the Season 1 finale, is what got the win…
Then, as it should, ‘Succession’ also won for Best Main Title Theme Music.
It’s perfection. Also, what a stunt by the composer who won the Emmy…
What an incredible song. Every time it comes on, it just sets you in the right mood…
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The theme song is simple, yet complex, and adds so much to the experience…
The score is for strings, piano, and a distorted bass line, as Acevedo explains, breaking it down: The piano, played in a high register, adds a sense of “urgency or tension,” she says. This main melody is in a minor key punctuated by dissonant chords; some of the piano keys are even struck out of sync, producing a “messy” sound. The use of “extreme registers” on the piano—that’s the big contrast between the high and low notes—and Britell’s distortion of the bass line “rock the foundation of the theme,” she says, signaling drama. There are also two string layers at play: a “low ostinato” pattern (a repetitive musical phrase) gives the theme forward momentum, coupled with high strings that echo the piano motif with a “very raw, shrill, almost out-of-control tone.” “Nick has done a really good job of not only making a powerful score and theme but also staking out a unique sound… (via TIME)
Britell, the composer, uses the theme perfectly in each episode…
It also matters that the music matches—and elevates—the experience of watching the show. In TV shows, the music becomes its own kind of recurring character, with themes that are expanded and adjusted as needed to match the tone of each scene over the course of many episodes. But in Succession, where the theme pops up as part of the score throughout episodes, Britell plays “it straight.” In other words, the score subverts expectations and leaves it up to viewers to determine a scene’s mood or subtext. (via TIME)
Everything about the show is perfect, from the acting to the writing, the music and more. I am ashamed it took me so long to watch it and the ratings need to improve…
Those aren’t great ratings!
‘Succession’ is a pleasure to watch, ornate in the way that HBO and only a few other services can buy, and brilliantly written. Despite the swelling praise over the course of the season, the ratings have stayed fairly low… (via ShowBuzz Daily)
Is the Emmy’s the most important thing in the world? No. The ratings slipped a lot this year too, but it is still exposure and could have been good exposure for ‘Succession’ last night. I’ll let it slide this time, Emmy’s, but next year? You better be dishing out statues left and right to everyone involved with this show.