Succession has always been praised and respected but its popularity has significantly spiked with season three, becoming a show that you have to watch immediately each week otherwise it’ll be spoiled. It has somehow become this cultural phenomenon that everyone seems to be watching, like Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones in their heydays.

I’m not going to pretend like I’ve been a fan of Succession from the beginning because that’s not the case. I watched seasons one and two during the first lockdown when Sky made the boxset available for free. And now it’s one of the only things I use my NowTV subscription for (also shout out to Scenes from a Marriage and Mare of Easttown) and the only show I religiously watch once a week.

No matter how late to the party you are, welcome to the club! And if you’ve still not taken the plunge, here are some reasons why you should:

The writing

I don’t think anybody can deny that the writing for this show is spectacular. It’s a drama but it makes me laugh more than some comedies. Who would have thought a show about the business dealings of the media conglomerate Waystar Royco and family members fighting to come out on top would be so funny? It could have been super dry, boring and serious in different hands but it’s gripping and so entertaining. Every week there are stone-cold gems that come out of the characters’ mouths that are just so memeable. Also, if you want to play a drinking game, take a shot every time someone says optics and temperature – you’ll get drunk in no time!

The characters

I’m generally of the opinion that you need at least one character to like or root for to stick with a TV show. But with Succession, they are all pretty awful people but I still can’t stop watching as I want to find out who comes out on top. There are different shades to my dislike though – I outright despise Logan (Brian Cox) as he is just the worst and there is no excusing his behaviour; Kendall (Jeremy Strong) is annoying as hell but I’m glad he’s going against Logan; I used to like Shiv (Sarah Snook) but she’s too interfering and getting too big for her boots, and Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) is very snaky and I reckon he’s not as harmless and clueless as he seems. Meanwhile, Connor (Alan Ruck) is OK as we only get him in small doses; Roman (Kieran Culkin) is irritating but has some redeeming factors, and my thoughts about Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) fluctuate week on week (I like him currently). Gerri (J. Smith-Cameron) is probably the character I like the most.

You don’t need to know about business or politics

I have no idea what’s going on in terms of Waystar, its shareholders, and the proxy battle but that doesn’t hold me back. Tbh I don’t think you need to follow this stuff to enjoy it, but it might give you an added something if you understand it. I’m here for the family drama, the tug of war between Logan and Kendall and the witty writing.

I genuinely have no idea how this storyline is going to play out and who will ultimately end up leading Waystar – and I can’t wait to find out. Succession has always been good but season three has taken it to another level. Gripping top-tier television.

Airing on Sky Atlantic and NowTV every Monday