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HBO’s Succession (2018–2023) offers a sharp dramatic analysis of corporate and familial power. In its first season, the show establishes a central tension between performative authority and actual control. This paper examines how Season 1 uses dialogue, non-verbal cues, and spatial dynamics to depict the struggle among the Roy children for their father Logan’s approval and the CEO position of Waystar Royco. Drawing on theories of linguistic performativity (Austin, 1962; Bourdieu, 1991), I argue that power in Succession is not inherent but is constantly enacted, interrupted, and destabilized through failed speech acts.
In Episode 1, Kendall Roy’s attempt to announce a vote of no confidence is undercut by his own stuttering and Logan’s sudden appearance. This scene demonstrates what Bourdieu calls the “right to speak” — a right that Logan never delegates fully. By contrast, characters like Tom Wambsgans use hyper-formal, obsequious language (“Uh, just wanted to check in on the, uh, the, uh, the, uh, pre-nup”) to signal submission, not authority.
Power also manifests in silence and space. Logan’s silent glares and his physical occupation of the head of the table during the board meeting (Episode 6) reassert dominance without a word. Shiv Roy’s shifting posture — confident in political backrooms but hesitant in her father’s office — reveals the family’s internal hierarchy.
Unlike traditional corporate dramas, Succession Season 1 opens with a patriarch whose authority is physically diminished (a stroke) yet symbolically absolute. The series’ protagonist–antagonist structure revolves around who can speak for Logan Roy. The infamous line, “You are not serious people,” delivered by Logan to his children in Episode 6, crystallizes the season’s thesis: power is the ability to define who is a legitimate speaker.
Performative Power and Linguistic Hierarchy in HBO’s Succession (Season 1)
Austin’s concept of the “infelicitous” speech act — when a performative utterance fails to enact its intended effect — recurs throughout Season 1. Kendall’s declaration, “I am the CEO,” after orchestrating a bear hug (Episode 10) is immediately nullified by Logan’s counter-narrative in the press. Similarly, Roman’s attempt at a serious negotiation for a loan (Episode 4) collapses into vulgar jokes, exposing his performative incompetence.
