We're at the movies again as Gabi and Brendan discuss each of the nominees for Best Picture at the upcoming Academy Awards, whether any of these films are any good, and what they say about the particular present anxieties of the American movie industry. We also recap the last hurrah of Succession's awards tour.…

Brendan, Gabi, and producer Dan reunite for a retrospective look at the complete run of Succession by attempting to rank every episode of the series. Discussion also covers the cast and crew's final tour of the awards circuit, the publication of the full shooting scripts, and unreconciled feelings about the series finale. ~~~RoyCast is a passion pr…

In the Succession series finale, "With Open Eyes", the closed-loop system begins another revolution as the Roys lose Waystar for good. Critic and author Adam Nayman returns to the RoyCast to discuss the anxieties and potential pitfalls of this final season, the insular quality of the ending, frustrated expectations, the uncertain fate of Mencken's …

At Logan’s funeral mass, Kendall and Shiv eulogize their father while rallying their forces, and Roman goes to pieces. Number one boy Vikram Murthi returns to the RoyCast to talk about “Church and State” as a classic penultimate episode, the show’s signature blend of dry humor and pathos, the direction and staging of Logan's funeral, the decline an…

It's election night in "America Decides", where the Roy family tragedy spills over into a national catastrophe of their own making. Brendan and Gabi sit down for a solo discussion that dives deep into the road to this inevitable outcome, the episode's atypical structure, the details of the show's electoral reality, lost votes in Milwaukee, Kendall'…

At the Roys' pre-election party, the simmering tension between Shiv and Tom finally boils over. Critic and programmer Madeleine Wall returns to discuss the staging and writing of that climactic blowup, the paths leading both Shiv and Tom to finally unload their grievances, scorpions and frogs, Shiv's moment of recognition, the layers of the episode…

Kendall's ambitions take flight as the Waystar team preps for a Hollywood investor presentation in "Living+". Returning guest Danny Bowes joins the RoyCast to discuss the episode's grim central conceit, its larger social and political implications, the season's tragic endgame coming into view, a standing ovation for director Lorene Scafaria, Kendal…

The Roys are off to bleed the Swede in "Kill List", where newly minted CE-bros Kendall and Roman face new developments in rival Lukas Matsson's bid to acquire Waystar. Critic and author Charles Bramesco joins the RoyCast to help work through the shifting power dynamics of the Gojo deal, revelations of Matsson's true character, Alexander Skarsgard's…

The Roy family gathers with Waystar colleagues and assorted hangers-on for a wake at Logan's home, where an ambiguous pencil stroke complicates their search for an interim CEO. Novelist, TV writer and showrunner Megan Abbott joins the RoyCast to discuss this week's installment of Dark Kendall: Waystar Rising, Shakespearean themes, Logan's true inte…

In “Connor’s Wedding”, Logan disrupts yet another blessed family event by unexpectedly passing away on his flight to Stockholm. Critic and programmer Maddie Whittle joins the RoyCast to break down the shocking yet mundane execution of this endgame development for the series, TV deaths, siblings bonding through crisis, the episode’s intricate direct…

In “Rehearsal”, Succession’s final season begins to take shape as old habits die hard. John Semley joins the RoyCast to discuss the episode’s theme of regression, insularity versus circularity, the cable news landscape, new wrinkles in the Gojo deal, Connor’s blues, family lore, karaoke confrontations, desperadoes, the season’s use of NYC locations…

In Succession's final season premiere, a merger-of-the-week plays out in sunny California with dark clouds on the horizon. Marie Bertonneau returns to the RoyCast to discuss Logan's troubling state of mind, Catholic perspectives on sin and redemption, the world's dullest birthday party, a rare glimpse into Colin's backstory, the show's relationship…

Filmmaker and film production professor Alex Sherman joins Brendan for a discussion of the 2022 film Armageddon Time, starring Jeremy Strong, Anne Hathaway, Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Chastain, John Diehl, Banks Repeta, and Jaylin Webb. Before getting to the film itself, Brendan and Alex dive deep into the career of writer-director James Gray, whose …

The RoyCast reacts to Jesse Armstrong's unexpected announcement that Succession will end with its upcoming fourth season. Topics include: the five stages of grief, the dashed hopes for a fifth season, creative decisions, what we'll miss most, spinoffs, holiday specials, ill-advised predictions, what to expect from a final season, what NOT to expect…

Brendan and Gabi reunite to discuss Succession at the 2022 Emmys, speculation about the upcoming season, a recent trend in commentary about the show and other media that depict the super-wealthy, as well as our favorite films and television of the year.Financial Times: The ‘Succession’ effect: how TV dramas got angrier about the rich https://www.ft…

In the second half of an epic recording, Brendan, Gabi, and guest Marie Bertonneau take a long view of the doctrinal, social, and political contexts surrounding The Righteous Gemstones, whether it represents a softening of its creators' earlier satirical projects, and the musical, historical, and literary influences that make up its deep-fried visi…

For the first installment of a two-part episode covering HBO's The Righteous Gemstones, Brendan, Gabi, and guest Marie Bertonneau take a deep dive into the history of collaboration between multihyphenate creators Danny McBride, Jody Hill, and David Gordon Green. The discussion starts with their time at the North Carolina School of the Arts and goes…

For the first installment in a series exploring works that make up the creative DNA of Succession, critic and author Adam Nayman joins Brendan to discuss The Game, the 1997 conspiracy thriller directed by David Fincher starring Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, and Deborah Kara Unger. The discussion kicks off with an analysis of the title sequence, which…

From a chat recorded on March 7th, Brendan and Gabi reunite for a loose, hangout style episode to share some news about the podcast, discuss season 3 with the benefit of a few months’ hindsight, and share wildly outdated thoughts about the awards race. Topics include: Euphoria, The Righteous Gemstones, Golden Globes, SAGs, Emmys, Succession season …

Dominoes fall in the Succession season finale, and "All the Bells Say": too late. Isaac Butler returns to the RoyCast for a spirited debate about the third season's flaws and virtues, as well as to weigh in with some expert commentary on the recent Jeremy Strong discourse. Topics from the finale discussion include: Ken's confession, the Roy childre…

In another of Succession's trademark bad vacations, "Chiantishire" moves the season's plot, and maybe Kendall, towards an endgame. Anna Golez joins the Fly Guys to discuss the direction of Mark Mylod, new Nicholas Britell cues, the season's theme of historical change, Greek tragedy, deadbeat dads spanning multiple generations, Peter Munion, Kendall…

At Ken's maximalist 40th birthday party, the Waystar team celebrates a sudden release from consequences while Ken looks for a resolution of his own. Film programmer and critic Madeleine Wall joins the RoyCast to discuss some of the episode's extreme highs and lows: Tom's King Kong moment and subsequent rough night, vagina tunnels, Connor's bag, Gre…

With returning guest Jeremy Mongeau, the Fly Guys wade into the swamp and try to dispel some of the very bad vibes emanating from “What It Takes”. Topics include: the show’s approach to the U.S. political system, the limits of triangulation, Justin Kirk’s home run performance, the Conheads, Shiv’s identity crisis, Roman’s show biz aspirations, the …

At the much-anticipated Waystar shareholder meeting, "Retired Janitors of Idaho" finds the cast of Succession in a madcap scramble as they try to salvage a last-minute settlement with Sandy and Stewy while dealing with an incapacitated Logan. Emily VanDerWerff joins the RoyCast to discuss this episode's farcical energy, its visual and narrative for…

A deceptively quiet episode that sets the stage for the looming shareholder meet, "Lion in the Meadow" reunites Kendall and Logan for a critical encounter at the island estate of major shareholder Josh Aaronson (Adrien Brody). Film and television critic Vikram Murthi returns to the RoyCast to talk the loaded silences and emotional violence of Ken a…

Everyone's struggling to control the narrative in "The Disruption", which sees Ken and Shiv trading blows while the government comes knocking on Logan's door. To discuss a busy installment, The Fly Guys are joined by podcaster and historian Everett Rummage. The conversation begins by digging into Succession's fascination with the Napoleonic era and…

Kendall pitches his siblings on his vision for their future in “Mass in Time of War,” which re-establishes the emotional and material stakes of the series. The Fly Guys are joined by Fran Hoepfner to discuss the episode’s centerpiece scene, its thicket of character motivations, guilt, complicity, Messiah complexes, Based Ewan, and the return of Mar…

Succession is back and the vibes are off in the season three premiere, "Secession". Critic and author Adam Nayman joins the Fly Guys to break down COVID's impact on the filmmaking process, Succession's changing relationship to contemporary reality, Kendall's clout madness, Shiv's flop era, and a handful of new characters.Adam Nayman (Twitter: @brof…

In a freewheeling reunion special, the Fly Guys return from a nearly two-year hiatus to take stock of Succession's critical and awards success, online fandom, a recent New Yorker profile of Jesse Armstrong, new additions to the ensemble cast, indulge in reckless speculation about the upcoming season, and answer some mailbag questions.…

The Fly Guys are joined by Katie Stebbins to discuss the Succession finale.By RoyCast

Logan meets an existential threat as the cruise scandal unravels and faces tough questions in D.C as the various Roy children rise to their family's defense. The Fly Guys are joined by Brandon Nowalk to discuss the episode's deft writing and parallels to previous inquiry episodes in the extended Armstrong-Iannucci universe. Brandon Nowalk is a free…

Logan is visited by old ghosts in his hometown of Dundee, Scotland, as Succession lays the ground for the season's endgame. Brendan and Gabi were joined by Alex Heeney to discuss one of the season's funniest episodes, plus King Lear, death, history, and Ken.W.A.Alex Heeney is the Editor-in-Chief of Seventh Row (http://seventh-row.com), an online fi…

It's a family affair as Succession revisits the emotional terrain of season one for a visit to Lady Caroline, a return to the scene of Ken's crime, and a spiritual sequel to "Austerlitz". We brought the RoyCast family together with producer Dan Black hopping on the mic to discuss this episode's subdued tone and its theme of irresolution.…

The bomb planted all the way back in season one finally goes off in "Argestes" as the Roys deal with the fallout from a damaging article about "the death pit" and attempt to salvage the Pierce deal. Nick Usen joins the Fly Guys to talk the staging and direction of one of Succession's busiest hours yet. Find Nick on Twitter at @nickusen.…

Everyone shits the bed in "Tern Haven", as the Roys fly out to the Pierce family estate to close Logan's deal of a lifetime. The Fly Guys are joined by Brandy Jensen to decide whether the Pierces are worse than the Roys or merely just as bad.Brandy Jensen is an editor for The Outline where she authors the column "Ask a Fuck Up". She is on Twitter a…

A long day at Waystar headquarters is an opportunity for major confrontations between Tom and Greg, Logan and Pierce CEO Rhea Jarrell (Holly Hunter), and finally Ken and Shiv. Brendan and Kate explore what makes this hour of Succession so special with their guest Jeremy Mongeau.Follow Jeremy on Twitter at @JeremyMonjo.…

Succession's second season soars to new lows of absurdity and depravity in "Hunting". The Fly Guys are joined by Julie Kosin for an episode discussion and a friendly game of Boar on the Floor.Julie Kosin is the Entertainment Director for Harper's Bazaar and can be found on Twitter at @juliekosin.By RoyCast

Succession's second season gives season one episode "Lifeboats" an unofficial sequel in "Vaulter", which takes a turn for the grimly realistic. Gabi, Kate, and Brendan were joined by Maya Kosoff to talk the episode's resonances with the new media landscape, Shiv's career choices, and Tom's new challenge at ATN.Maya Kosoff can be found on Twitter at…

We're back from our silica mud bath to dig into the season premiere of Succession. Ken's a dead man walking, Logan's got his groove back, and everyone looks shinier somehow. Friend of the show Shelley Farmer joins us to talk about how the show avoids the sophomore slump, Mark Mylod's direction, and which character won the week.Follow Shelley on Twi…

The first season's tragic structure comes into focus in the finale, "Nobody Is Ever Missing". For this pivotal episode, Gabi and Brendan are joined by expert guest Isaac Butler, who speaks on the show's relationship to Shakespeare. live theatre, and the poetry of John Berryman.Isaac Butler is a writer, director, and the host of Slate's Lend Me Your…

Wedding bells are ringing, but the death pit looms ever darker and nearer as the Roys gather overseas for the Roy-Wambsgans (Wambsgans-Roy?) nuptials. We're joined by Chris Person (@papapishu) to discuss the episode's satirical edge, the various agendas at play behind the scenes of this wedding, its depiction of women, Gil, Marcia, Greg, and much m…

It's haters in the building as mutual friend Cam shares his more critical perspective on the first season. Fortunately, the group reaches a consensus on "Prague" as one of Succession's finest hours and dives into its deliberate visual style, the script's mix of comedy and symbolism, and manage to bring Game of Thrones and Hell's Kitchen in the mix …

The three hosts fly solo for an extended discussion of trauma as the show's central theme, how the Roys' "family therapy" compares to other TV depictions of therapy, Ken's relapse, and the question of what makes a Logan Roy. This episode comes with a content warning for discussion of trauma, substance abuse, and sexual abuse.…

With its sixth episode, Succession upsets the game board for the second half of the season and kicks into high gear. Joining Gabi, Kate, and Brendan for this episode is actor, writer, and erstwhile podcaster Danny Bowes, for a talk about the geography of New York state, television production, revolutionary language, and the various delusions of the…

It's a holiday episode as the Roys come together for Thanksgiving, so we invited one of our nearest and dearest, writer Jordan Freiman, to chat about what exactly the deal is with Roman and Grace, Uncle Ewan's politics, and Greg's Watergate scenario.Follow Jordan on Twitter @JordanFreiman.By RoyCast

The Roys get dressed for the RECNY ball, and we venture into "the death pit" with our friend Kate H., who speaks on her experience with nonprofit fundraising and on the toxic culture of WayStar/RoyCo.Follow Kate on Twitter at @Katehascats. The Age of Napoleon is available on iTunes and Spotify and is on Twitter at @AgeofNapoleon.…

Film and TV critic Vikram Murthi joins the podcast to discuss "Lifeboats", the internal culture of WayStar/RoyCo, the evolution of Succession's critical reception, the TV recap economy, and more.Vikram Murthi is a frequent contributor to The AV Club, Vulture, The Film Stage, and RogerEbert.com. He is on Twitter at @fauxbeatpoet.…

The three hosts return to discuss the second episode of Succession.By RoyCast

Brendan, Kate, and Gabi are joined by special guest Brendan James to discuss Succession's pilot episode, the work of series creator Jesse Armstrong, the politics of the show, Cousin Greg, and much more.Brendan James is a co-author of The Chapo Guide to Revolution: A Manifesto Against Logic, Facts, and Reason. He is occasionally on Twitter at @deep_…

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