3 Years Later, HBO’s 10/10 Must-Watch TV Masterpiece Is Better Than Ever

5 days ago 9

Published Jan 29, 2026, 5:11 PM EST

Greg is a Lead TV Writer & Critic at Screen Rant who also covers Movies and Music. He's published over 2500 articles at SR, including weekly binge guides and dozens of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He previously worked in Development at ABC Television & Lawrence Bender Productions.

Greg majored in Film Production at Chapman University's Dodge College. Greg also has years of broadcast TV production experience at major networks such as NBC, TNT, and ESPN. He currently lives in Greater Boston.

One of the greatest HBO shows of all time is better than ever, even though it concluded three years ago. The star-studded and Emmy-winning series cast a large shadow on HBO after its 2023 departure that the network has yet to adequately fill.

While there's been plenty of movies and TV series inspired by the critically acclaimed drama series, and even HBO is currently running what has been called a "replacement" show, nothing has really satisfied the void left by this masterpiece ending too soon.

Succession Ended Too Early While Still In Its Prime After 4 Seasons

HBO's Succession is one of the greatest shows that the network ever produced, and its triumphs are felt even more so three years after its conclusion. Winner of 19 Emmys, including three Outstanding Drama Series awards, Succession is really starting to feel like the one that got away for HBO.

Series creator Jesse Armstrong made the creative decision to end Succession after four seasons, as he felt the story had reached a natural ending point. The series premiered in 2018 to mostly positive reviews before becoming universally celebrated, resulting in an overall Rotten Tomatoes score of 95%.

While Succession has stylistically influenced several notable films, like Blackberry and Armstrong's own Mountainhead, as well as series like Industry, you could argue it was also derivative itself. Director Adam McKay directed the pilot episode of Succession in 2018, following the massive success of his 2015 Oscar winner The Big Short, which blends corporate drama with dark comedy much like Succession.

That said, Succession evolved into a masterpiece thanks to the inspired direction of Mark Mylod, who directed 16 of Succession's 39 episodes, and the brilliant writing of Armstrong and his staff. The casting was also expert, crafting the ensemble of Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, Matthew Macfadyen, Nicholas Braun, Alan Ruck, and more, who each made their characters completely signature and magnetic.

HBO Needs To Make Succession Season 5 Or A Spinoff Series

The Succession cast on a poster for season 3

HBO always has some huge wins in the TV department year after year. Since Succession ended, its biggest hits have been The White Lotus, House of the Dragon, The Penguin, The Last of Us, Hacks, True Detective, and so on. Imagine, though, if in addition to all these great titles, Succession had continued for another two seasons, carrying on after the surprise twist ending of season 4.

The fact that HBO is pushing Industry as a Succession replacement and enlisted Armstrong to write and direct a botched Succession-esque movie last year says it all. The world of Succession is still in demand and has plenty of creative potential left worth expanding on. It feels like the ball is entirely in Armstrong's court when it comes to Succession season 5 or a spinoff series chronicling the new leadership. If that's the case, HBO should do everything it can to incentivize the Succession gang to get back together in some capacity, and soon.