Fans are looking forward to the return of HBO’s Succession for Season 3 after the series’ critically acclaimed sophomore season ended in October 2019.
Succession’s popularity, measured in terms of total viewers, has been rising since the series premiered on HBO in June 2018.
Succession Season 2 wrapped up on October 13 with an explosive finale episode in which Kendall betrayed Logan during a televised press conference by revealing his role in the scandal that rocked Waystar-Royco.
The Season 2 finale was watched by 1.1 million total viewers across all platforms, an increase compared to the Season 1 finale that attracted 1 million viewers.
However, the finale’s viewership fell short of the record high of 1.2 million viewers posted by the season premiere, which aired on August 11, 2019.
Season 2 also received near-universal critical acclaim, with a 97 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 98 critical reviews, compared with season 1, which scored an 88 percent approval rating based on 80 critical reviews.
Since it premiered on HBO, Succession has also received multiple Primetime Emmy Award nominations, won multiple Golden Globe Awards, and the BAFTA TV Award for Best International Program.
The overwhelmingly positive critical and audience response to the series gave fans the confidence that it would receive a Season 3 renewal.
Since Season 2 ended with a bang in October, fans have been looking out for the latest updates on the highly-anticipated upcoming season.
To help you stay updated, we have compiled in this post everything you need to know about Succession Season 3, including release date, cast updates, and plot.
Is there going to be a Season 3 of Succession?
HBO renewed Succession for Season 3 on August 20, 2019, after two episodes of Season 2 had aired on the network. So fans were able to watch the rest of the Season 2 episodes with the assurance that they would see more seasons of the lives of the dysfunctional Roy family.
Release date latest: When is Succession Season 3 likely to come out?
HBO has not announced the release date for Succession Season 3. Season 1 premiered in the late spring of 2018 and Season 2 in the summer of 2019, so fans hoped Season 3 would premiere in the spring or summer of 2020.
However, these hopes were dashed when Deadline reported on March 27, 2020, that HBO was suspending pre-production and delaying production on Succession due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Succession was not the only high-profile HBO show delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. HBO also announced at the time that pre-production on Barry was being suspended and production delayed. But the network said that writing on the upcoming seasons would continue remotely.
“We are looking forward to resuming preproduction when it is safe and healthy for everyone working on our shows to do so. Where possible, our writers are continuing to write remotely.”
Both Succession and Barry were scheduled to start shooting in April 2020.
The announcement that production on Succession Season 3 was delayed came two weeks after HBO announced the shutdown of production on all series. But they said at the time that they were weighing a decision on the statuses of Succession and Barry.
While it seems clear that Succession Season 3 will miss its previously expected 2020 release date, fans can hope that the coronavirus pandemic restrictions will be lifted in time to meet a 2021 release date schedule.
Succession Season 3 cast updates
Fans can safely look forward to the return of most members of the main cast of Succession in Season 3.
Brian Cox will reprise his role as family patriarch Logan, Jeremy Strong as Kendall, Kieran Culkin as Roman, and Sarah Snook as Siobhan (“Shiv”).
Other cast members expected to return in Season 3 include Alan Ruck as Connor and Hiam Abass as Marcia.
J. Smith-Cameron will also likely return as Gerri, alongside Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Wambsgans, and Nicholas Braun as Cousin Greg.
What is Succession about?
Succession is a comedy-drama series that follows the dysfunctional but wealthy Roy family that controls the global media, entertainment, and hospitality conglomerate, Waystar Royco.
Members of the family jostle to gain control of the company as the health of the aging family patriarch, Logan Roy, wanes.
Although Logan keeps control of the family conglomerate, his children — Connor, Kendall, Roman, and Shiv — know that his retirement is inevitable and imminent. So, they begin plotting to position themselves for control after their father bows out.
Season 2, Episode 8, which aired in September 2019, showed the family at a party to celebrate Logan’s 50 years at Waystar Royco. The episode treated viewers to the cringe-worthy spectacle of Kendall’s unabashedly sycophantic rap performance.
Succession Season 3 plot
In the Season 2 finale, the family went on what was supposedly a brief cruise vacation onboard Logan’s yacht.
However, the real purpose was to take time off to decide on who would take the fall for the mismanagement scandal that recently rocked Waystar-Royco.
Logan decided that Kendall should take the fall to save the company. However, Kendall betrayed Logan by revealing Logan’s role in the scandal during a televised press conference.
He accused Logan of corruption and gross misconduct.
Succession Season 3 will likely start where Season 2 left off by focusing on the fallout of Kendall’s betrayal.