Decoding Succession's Opening Credits

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Let's take a look at Succession's opening title sequence and see how it elegantly establishes the core issues in the show itself.
Twitter: / jacknugent27
Patreon: / nowyouseeit

[@blinkfilms1]

Im obsessed with that last shot from the opening of the kids all looking at their dad as he walks away. That's the whole show.

[@athena2448]

spoiler warning for s4e3 ultimately they didn't get to see him as he left for the last time. brilliant.

[@Hossein7r]

It also looked like they are hanged.

[@marshhen]

Yes I have been getting that same feeling whenever I watch it. I rarely watch open credits after the first few times, but this one is so well done. I watch it almost always. That show with the head turn is everything.

[@trinaq]

Three Seasons in, and I've never skipped the intro! The theme music matches perfectly with the visuals of the Roys' unhappy childhoods. I also love how a different sibling is focused on in each season. In the first, it was Kendall, in the second, Shiv, and in the latest, it was Roman.

[@BlyGuy]

Who gets season 4, Connor or Tom?

[@James-fw5ew]

@@BlyGuy Conner is the eldest son

[@bobwoolerOriGinal]

@@BlyGuy ..or Greg

[@Toni_Snark]

Did you watch the video by Vanity Fair on the composer, Nicholas Britell ? It’s really interesting to hear how he came up with the music.

[@shal6511]

Who else feels the music is a replica of Mad Men

[@hansenriquez1810]

I always thought of it as "two perspectives." Obviously Logan is the Super 8 footage and Kendall is the HD video. Just like with the score itself. Logan is the classical strings, Ken is the hip-hop beat. The old and new guard clashing.

[@NowYouSeeIt]

I love this!

[@trinaq]

I really love your interpretation of the opening! Kendall is the one sibling who is the most desperate for Logan's approval, so it makes sense that their respective interests would oppose each other the most.

[@LuisSierra42]

@@trinaq I think he's past his need for his father's approval, he's now on full kill mode

[@lonefinch2127]

There’s also some VHS footage too, so there seems to be three perspectives represented. I think your idea about the score is spot on though!

[@futuropasado]

👏

[@YM-eh7fp]

Give Matthew Macfadyen his f*cking Emmy! He has delivered his parts exceptionally brilliant, nuanced and phenomenal - throughout all 3 seasons!

[@MariaVosa]

The origin story of Littlefinger, played out before our eyes.

[@YM-eh7fp]

@@MariaVosa you better 🤐

[@cvigurifam]

I think it’ll be a no-brainer. He completely killed it this last season.

[@YM-eh7fp]

@@cvigurifam Golden Globes sleepy voters snubbed him! Kieran got nominated over him, something I can't understand! If he doesn't win the Emmy, it'll prove that the Emmy voters are just as incompetent to be voting as those sleepy GG voters, and that there's something seriously wrong with the awarding system, like seriously F'ed up!

[@snpetsmom1]

Remember that incredibly good shows such as The Wire and Twin Peaks season 3: The Return received no acting nominations! So Matthew Macfadyen is in good company.

[@rachel-gi6ul]

You don't need a billion dollars to have an insane family, it's actually surprisingly affordable lmao!!! Love it.

[@handsoap3346]

Equal rights😌✊❤️

[@omg9261]

I lived that too. After hearing that line on the video I started to read the comments 😂

[@tcbobb1613]

My dad's family had 6 kids including him

[@uglybetty8747]

I agree I’ve 2 older siblings it’s already crazy

[@uglybetty8747]

@@tcbobb1613 lmao same dude

[@MariaVosa]

Excellent analysis. One of the most revealing cuts for me is going from Logan's back at a table set out for the family at his estate, to his back at a board meeting in the office. Because this is a man that runs his family as a company - and thinks of his company as his true offspring. And Succession is indeed the true successor (ha!) to GOT, because power and family is also what GRRM was really fascinated with. Unfortunately B&W were too simple minded to understand more than "t*ts and twists".

[@jerry85g7]

GOT SUCKED

[@kirkredburne1552]

That is so true. Logan's true child is Waystar - Royco. No wonder his kids can't compete against that.

[@samg6940]

From what I've seen of GRRM, he created that environment all on his own

[@boltzenberg6836]

The very last shot of the opening credits (5:21) always felt to me like we see the Roy kids hung by a rope. As if their tragic fates were sealed from the beginning to be guilty of Logan Roy's children.

[@jackfrancis5238]

That punch-in has always caught my eye tbf. There has to be some meaning behind it.

[@jackfrancis5238]

Or it could be that to stay on the wide shot and have the Director credit appear in the middle of the screen in white text colour, would make reading the text too difficult because of the middle kids' white clothing🤷‍♂️who knows lol

[@modestestmouse4820]

There was always something about that shot that unsettled me but I never knew what it was. You've just pointed it out for me. Thanks!

[@anshikasriva]

I came here to say this. It feels like the footage from 'Sinister' where the kids are hung from a tree

[@Herbert2892]

I've always interpreted the close in their shoes as like "now you are on your own feet"

[@s_u_l_f_u_r]

The very first shot of the intro is Logan resting his hand on his son's shoulder and then immediately awkwardly walking away. I love how subtle that detail says a lot about their father/son dynamic.

[@blondie9422]

Only shows the mildest form of affection for the camera and then is off like a shot as soon as it’s done.

[@robchuk4136]

I raise a glass to this show for keeping opening credits alive. It's a dying art

[@safol123]

It’s not a dying art in countries like South Korea 😊

[@bajabl]

@@safol123ok

[@hotaruhime]

I never skip the opening to Succession. The main song by Nicholas Brittell is probably my favorite tv theme of all time. You said it well, this show is like a Shakespearian play, or a Greek tragedy. The opening is so good at getting you in this epic family drama mood, with all the beautiful omnious shots of New York City. Loved this analysis !

[@kirkredburne1552]

I've literally played the Succession theme on repeat. But I also like the visuals themselves. The clever intercuts between the city of New York and this family that has such sway in it is almost like the various Law and Order intros which I also love.

[@albablabla]

I always found the opening credits slightly heartbreaking. Something so sad about seeing the siblings as children and knowing their father was never really there for them, and he never truly will be. Those children have it all, but Logan will always consider his company as his greatest, most important achievement.

[@Hybries]

Can't ever skip this intro because it sets the stage for every episode. The profound nostalgic sadness, every Roy children looking for their father as he distances himself... Never have I seen a show where the opening is as much a part of the storytelling as this one

[@echpouno]

I've always noticed the focus on the swimming pool in the opening credits, particularly for season 2 - the Roy children said their father didn't swim but we see him in the water with the scars on his back

[@dianegoodreads]

The pool is shallow, so he can stand in the water. That’s why the therapist knocked his teeth out when he tried to dive.

[@Delta82]

“No sudden deaths.” Succession:”and I took that personally!”

[@Davidiedo]

Good video and great insights, I only disagree with the budget comment. While they might not be flooded with expensive CGI, can you imagine how much it would cost to rent the locations they use,not only the luxurius apartments,but all offshore locations, not to mention that they use helis as if they were taxis.

[@lucasjohansson2158]

Yes, the budget for Succession is actually huge, but for different reasons like you mentioned

[@corbinbishop1991]

It's the only show where I watch the intro every single episode, and look forward to it.

[@blondie9422]

I never skip the intro!! And I’m usually a big intro skipper

[@trinaq]

I also wondered why Connor was depicted as a child in the opening, when he was Logan's son from his first marriage, and would have been in his twenties by the time Kendall, Roman and Shiv were born.

[@TheSwordfish-g3r]

the family shown is not the roys

[@LuisSierra42]

@@TheSwordfish-g3r You don't know that, the footage might be subjective, like sometimes you don't remember everybody's precise age

[@voidsff]

@@TheSwordfish-g3r That makes no sense, youre telling me theyre just showing flashbacks of another family side by side with the current day Roys

[@TheSwordfish-g3r]

@@LuisSierra42 subjective footage? So not real footage, recreated from ... a dream?

[@TheSwordfish-g3r]

@@voidsff yep

[@dougm3037]

I would personally rank Succession's opening sequence almost as highly as Game of Thrones stunning title graphics which is high praise from my perspective. Succession's credits tell you so much about the family dynamics with a compelling visual style accompanied by an appropiately discordant musical theme. Perfect!

[@theoblongbox4909]

4:21 I love Greg so much. Every line from him cracks me up.

[@mnt5592]

In 4:27 , it is also kind of ironic that even HBO itself wanted to make another show to be their flagship after GOT, which is Westworld. But ultimately they found it in Succession

[@Homer-OJ-Simpson]

They found it in Westworld but not got a season. The show quickly went downhill in season 2. Now they have their money on the prequel House of the Dragon.

[@seraphik]

the first season of Westworld was mind-blowingly good. sadly the second hasn't really matched up, and i haven't even felt like watching s3.

[@racheldollton]

I've always loved that they paid homage to David Fincher in the opening credits. I wonder how he feels about the show.

[@tealsquare]

The L-turn shot too!

[@aprilngo7015]

the fact that it opens with logan and young kendall is so telling. he was always his number one boy.

[@cindyfofi5160]

Great analysis and I can't help drawing comparisons to the fabulous Madmen with its haunting opening credits ......it's sets the tone for what we are going to see...outstanding writing and performances.

[@mccann82]

“No sudden dea…” oh well.

[@avatarmikephantom153]

I came here to say this. Thank you.

[@chrisfloyd77]

I love the kids on the elephant (Logan) during the crescendo/climax. The kids are just along for the ride and the ride is rough.

[@kirkredburne1552]

This was really insightful but I would push back on the idea that Succession defies the Game of Thronesian big budget trend. They don't have CGI dragons or massive fight scenes, but they do have a lot of characters in private jets and helicopters, the sets of their homes are all luxury condos and duplexes, and they frequently seen in extremely shiny and chrome office buildings. So they still spend a fair bit of money to portray a mega-rich family.

[@amberburroughs5144]

Succession is one of the best shows ever I got the whole office hooked

[@brainfartism]

I also find the amount of time we hear the line, 'is it real' extremely intriguing

[@timskully3496]

my favorite shot in the intro (not covered in this video) is when one of the kids (i think its supposed to be young kendall) is smoking a cigar, seemingly at like 10 years old. sure, not the wildest thing a 10 year ole can do, but definitely indicative of logan’s negligence towards them. i mean it makes sense given how kendall is such a drug addict in the first 2 seasons.

[@human_aka_manav]

I get chills everytime when open credits theme starts playing randomly inside each episode when someone's bout to flex their Wealth n Power.

[@KshitijPatil1]

"...it is surprisingly affordable" 😂 I just lost it

[@jonatassantos188]

Succesion's Opening is a masterpiece. You don't need any flashbacks throughout the show to understand their lifes as kids because in the Opening you already see everything that's there to see: They doing expensive things by themselves (rarely together) without the presence of their father.

[@afafeelkasimi2704]

4:45 "there are no sudden deaths" *S04 E03 enters the chat*

[@RemyMarlandJ]

“you don’t need $1 billion to have an insane family. It’s surprisingly affordable. “ I laughed so hard I choked on my cereal

[@henryclifford1247]

Great video, but the comment about budget... Succession has an insane budget, the cast and locations set them back a huge amount. It is far from a cheap show

[@Ten_Thousand_Locusts]

All the rich white folk are going to argue and then whoever's best is going to win a kiss from daddyyyyyy

[@RogueAstro85]

Who will it be?.. Tom?... (probably not)

[@Ten_Thousand_Locusts]

@@RogueAstro85 Gerri, (definitely not)

[@PostImperfect]

My money's on Greg the Egg

[@amsheel9921]

My guess is that noboby wins. It's most likely going to end tragically for the characters.

[@infairvarona]

Or win m&m's from their dad lol

[@watchingvids101]

To everyone saying it's Logan's family; have you watched the show? Season 2 literally shows us where Logan lived as a young child in Dundee. He had a poor childhood until his mother sent him to Canada to live with his uncle who had some money but not the amount depicted in the opening credits. The opening credits are meant to be symbolic of the type of dysfunctional rich family dynamics portrayed in the show, particularly the psychological effects of child negligence from an absent father and self-indulgent mother.

[@FractalRaver]

Brian Wilcox had to fight to let them use Dundee. And yes, in the family footage he’s walking away and separated in every shot. And the music is awesome. However, I don’t find it sad or reminiscent of a bad childhood. It reminds me of Requiem for Dream but not too sad and orchestra-hip hop. It’s an awesome theme song, like most HBO shows (True Detective season 1 was AWESOME)

[@djangofreeman9498]

Who ever thought that was Logan's family? He only had two siblings if I'm not mistaken (an older brother and sister)!

[@djangofreeman9498]

Ok! Just dug deeper in the comments...there are people who haven't actually watched the show & think that could be Logan's childhood. Smh!

[@gabrielidusogie9189]

I think of it was both being one and the same, for Logan, life is one big business deal. Perhaps that’s why it cuts from a dinner table to a business deal. You’ll note that in earlier seasons, dinner scenes were as tense as board meetings. The game never stops

[@chrishintz1077]

The acid rain feel of the piano theme. Fabulous. Theme song memorable in same way as sopranos theme. Both a clarion call. One upbeat with energy, the other an unsettling touchstone.

[@bernadinetinker3028]

The shot when the children were riding on an elephant...a precarious seat.

[@bobbysealejunior6590]

And for some reason that seems to be when the music reaches a crescendo, at a minimum its definitely the moment of its darkest delivery. You can almost feel the piano keys as the kids ride that elephant.

[@michellea.1603]

The last scene of the intro also changes with the seasons, it used to be Kendall standing next to Logan and then it shifts to Shiv.

[@MOTHtbh]

04:45 'there are no sudden deaths' 🙃

[@bassbaine]

I might be over analyzing this, but when the elephant brings the kids after Logan's big hand gesture, the music ramps up. Doesn't that whole sequence feels like confrontation is coming and they're ready to go to war? If you look at it that way, the whole looking at Dad from a distance could be interpreted as the kids sizing him up, as if they're almost hunting him. Obviously Logan is not prey but his children had made a habit of biting more than they can chew

[@bottlesofchris]

These opening credits are so good (as someone who usually skips the opening credits) it’s the episode about their childhood that we so desperately want but can’t have. My fave is the shot of one of the boys smoking a cigar and that theme song never gets old

[@molnarcsaba85]

"And as a guy who also have 3 siblings I can confirm that you don't need a billion dollars to have an insane family" You've spoken from my heart mate ❤

[@EJTDB]

I've been waiting for this video for a long time.. Well done and can't wait for season 4!

[@anchovyfish9884]

"You don't need a billion dollars to create an insane family. It is surprisingly affordable. " *raises hand* I've got an extended one, and this just hits😂😢

[@98bocinas]

4:44 "there are no sudden deaths" oop-

[@royjones8312]

That no sudden deaths comment have aged well lol.

[@serifcagil1925]

Logan just leaving the scene without any further affectionate lingering after the photos are shot tells the whole story

[@jbanks979]

I take the kids as “archetypal rich kids”, almost a terrible cinematic retelling of their lives. (It would make sense they totally get Connor’s age wrong as he would be minimum teen when they were a children and would have been 20+ when the others were kids)

[@ethanpierce2014]

"No sudden deaths." S4 Ep3 would like a word

[@KelleyGreenEcstasy]

"It has no sudden deaths" kekw @4:45

[@ijustwanttosleepnow]

I think their outfits make sense because old money was slow to change in aesthetic especially back in the late 70s to 80s and then sped up mid 80s onwards.

[@ivanacvetanovic7611]

As for the "inaccuracy" of the opening credits - it is clear that they are not supposed to show the actual Roy family. That's obvious from the shot of the 4 children - Connor is at least 15 years older than Kendall, so he shouldn't look anywhere near his siblings' age.

[@Bdhstl95]

Show n credits have always reminded me of the Busch family (as in beer) that grew up in Saint Louis at Grant’s Farm. It was the former home of a US President and had unbelievable animals on the property. When I went there as a kid in the 70s, it was a tourist attraction n open to the public because it was so large yet they still lived there.

[@iansawyer3332]

One does not simply skip the HBO tv series intros

[@redeyedbuggers]

Daaaamn, this whole time I’ve been watching Succession, I thought Logan was the actor Rip Torn. They look so much alike! Didn’t realize Rip Torn passed away in 2019 😢

[@maridioxido]

that was a great analysis.

[@srini9267]

Well put! This title track has been my phone ringtone since Succession first aired.

[@kingofthepirates5656]

might be something to be said about having antiquated film in the 80s shows Logan’s refusal to move on to newer more modern forms of media.

[@ct6852]

The intro reminds me of the clips from that Fincher movie The Game in the 90's. Hope Fincher does TV again. Mindhunters was awesome. A little off topic.

[@dragonfly1153]

Reminds me of the Mad Men theme too.

[@mrlepercon]

Flashbacks would be so cool

[@FractalRaver]

I like how Logan is always running away, like he’s too busy for family photos or videos

[@CateBaum]

I think the credits show Shiv and Tom's kids, not the Roy kids we see in Succession. It's the future. The wife in the credits is blonde or redheaded, like Shiv, not dark-haired like Caroline. The back of the head is Tom.

[@abdulaji8395]

Yes it is that’s the happy ending

[@NotSoRandom_]

The best show on TV

[@Memento_Kuzeh]

what am I gonna do with a soul anyway

[@annoir]

Boo soul.

[@sweetegg]

Riding on that 3rd season hype I see, I'm all for it!

[@williamtseng]

“No sudden deaths” 😂😭

[@CultureDTCTV]

We need the return of opening credits sequences in TV shows

[@celeritas2-810]

I cannot bear the Yellowjackets one, so discordant and stressful

[@vintage1520]

Really good intro!!! And the opening is just amazing. It is not really the Logan Roy's children but like a representation.

[@ajae...]

When I slow this to .75 you sound like a person who knows and cares about cinema as art and communication.

[@nadacool]

Lovely opening. HEAVILY influenced by the flashbacks Michael Douglas experiences in “The Game”.

[@evanwakelin7944]

I've never skipped the intro to this show. Not even when re-watching the entire series with my wife.

[@FlorisDVijfde]

You missed the best part of the opening credits, where younger Shiv is looking as uninterested as possible and starts smiling only after the family photo is taken.

[@hdng1984]

I cannot watch the intro without singing the "All the rich white folk will argue" parody

[@hkr1240]

So glad you connected it to The Game. After recently rewatching The Game I was hoping that someone else caught the similarities to Succession.

[@bigyardstyle00]

Been with the show from the beginning. Interestingly I thought to myself, it was a modern day version of the Lannister family, and wondered if they were doing a minders day GoT, to fill the void. However I read that it’s loosely based on the Murdochs, Redstones and Hearsts.

[@djangofreeman9498]

Also, GoT was set in a fantasy world where winters lasted for years, dragons were real, Ice Kings could kill & zombifie people (& creatures), little girls could wear a variety of faces, giants weren't so jolly, & did I mention dragons were real?! But, in a way, one could imagine the show is more of a real world depiction of the Lannisters.

[@klina7645]

I definitely have seen parallels between the Roy and Lannister families. I could totally picture Tyrion showing up drunk yelling "FAMILY THERAPY!" the way Kendall did 😂

[@caronstout354]

I always thought it was a modern-day version of Shakespeare's King Lear...

[@klina7645]

Also reminds me of the Getty family- the teenage grandson was kidnapped and the rich grandfather refused to pay the entire ransom because he was a cheap s.o.b. , so the kidnappers cut off the grandson's ear ☹️. I could imagine Logan reacting the same way if one of his children or grandchildren were kidnapped.

[@petdackson]

One of the BEST part of this show...Love Succession!!!

[@siphonophore4]

"no sudden deaths"

[@slagoona1790]

4:44 hits different in 2023

[@gedbeat15]

4:44 lol at "no sudden deaths" IYKYK

[@najrenchelf2751]

5:04 - shots were fired, and they were serious! XD

[@bitticlan]

"There are no sudden deaths.." And I OOP-

[@blondie9422]

They all looked so miserable and wooden round eachother. It felt sad when the dad shows a tiny bit of affection for the camera and then is just off like a shot as soon as it’s done.

[@benrose3753]

“There are no sudden deaths”😅

[@FractalRaver]

The credits and even the pilot are very much inspired by “The Game” which is also the name of the first episode. Watch the first 15 mins back to back. It’s not exact, but it’s SO close. It doesn’t have the awesome soundtrack but the video comparison (and “The Game” being the pilot) is NOT an accident. And they never return to this plot point after a few episodes. I guess it’s an homage.

[@qjames0077]

The whole Adrian Brody episode I was expecting him to start playing the opening on piano Because he's The Pianist

[@LuisSierra42]

Gud one

[@kitwalker2268]

There is more than 20 years age difference between Connor and the other three. Yet they all look the same height and similar in age in the last shot of the four kids left there as Logan walks away from them.

[@hilarymaslon4397]

Im captivated by the brief but poignant the shot of the feet... its comprehensible to me only on an emotional level. It encompasses a sense of helplessness, children caught up in a world not made for children. Also, I have a issue with showing the blurry family picture hung at the top of the stairs. It reeks of lineage. But we are not talking old money here. Logan bulldozed his way from the bottom... So where as the poetic license of the opening doesn't bother me in general, here I struck with suspended belief.

[@kyleharvey7]

Son, Succession Is One Of The Most Expensive Shows Ever To Film.

[@huntervasser8492]

The true genius of the opening is the music

[@drewlavay]

Everytime u see Logan from behind he looks like Roman..

[@Oreorat]

Watching this in 2023 and hearing “no sudden deaths” 😬

[@janiceweaver6945]

Incredible observations on an amazing show.

[@jennifergilder-farooq9540]

Absolutely love it could watch it non stop

[@kushagrakishore933]

4:43 - 4:45 "There are no sudden deaths"

[@belendemaria1989]

Yeah, the intro makes it look like the kids grew up in the 60s, when they grew up in the 80s and 90s... not to mention there has to be like a 20 year difference between Connor and Roman, no way they were ever kids together...

[@beback_]

4:44 "there are no sudden deaths"