“Your life’s not knights on a horseback. It’s a number on a piece of paper. It’s a fight for a knife in the mud”

Before I start, for anyone that has not seen Succession yet there will be spoilers in this post. Consider yourself warned.

I find myself rewatching Succession as fall starts to show its colors in New England. For those who do not know what the show is about and do not mind getting it spoiled – the story revolves around a family who owns a media empire based in New York. In the first scene you’re transported into the back of a Mercedes-Benz Maybach with Kendall who believes he is the next in line to take over the family business. As the car speeds along and passersby attempt to catch a glimpse of the jaded Kendall Roy, he takes the elevator up to the top floor. Played by the amazing Jeremy Strong (The Gentleman, The Big Short, Molly’s Game) and surrounded by an all-star cast including Brian Cox, Sarah Snook, and Kieran Culkin, this show is loosely based on the Murdochs who own News Corp  which is the parent company of Fox News. 

Succession does an amazing job at building its characters, then shattering every expectation you have of them. If Bill Simmons ever did a Rewatchables for TV, the most iconic quote should go to “[y]our life’s not knights on a horseback. It’s a number on a piece of paper. It’s a fight for a knife in the mud”. The coldness emanating from Logan Roy makes you shiver as he tells Kendall that his life is not noble, but rather a fight for survival. Taken in context of the entire episode, you soon find out that Logan is attempting to make a massive decision that will affect all the siblings. Creator Jesse Armstrong takes you through well written characters and the arcs they go on. Most notably you see the rise, fall, and rise again of Kendall. From killing someone at Shiv’s wedding in season 1 to his battle with addiction and renunciation of his father’s business practices. The viewer is along the ride with Kendall as you witness his myriad problems.  Many critics of the series argue that the show is too slow to get into, but I fervently disagree. The genius of Succession is the pay off. Much like the massive compensation packages that the siblings receive and yet are still furious with each other, the viewer is treated to “prestige” tv and can still be upset when Tom is anointed as king of Waystar Royco.  

So how does this relate to the Murdochs? On September 8, 2025, the family reached a deal that gave control over to the oldest son, Lachlan. Rupert’s children will each receive roughly $1.1 billion when all their shares are sold. Not a bad payday.

What initially drew me to this was not the parallels to Succession, but the massive defamation lawsuit that Fox settled with Dominion Voting systems in the wake of the 2020 presidential election. The central issue to this case from 2023 was whether Fox should be liable for airing false claims  that the voting machines were used to manipulate the election. While Fox read an on-air statement regarding the settlement of $787.5 million, there was only an acknowledgement of the court’s finding. Furthermore, this isn’t going to be the last lawsuit that Fox will have to deal with. More recently, Governor Gavin Newsom of California sued Fox News for $787 million in June of 2025. Like the Dominion Voting system suit, Newsom is alleging defamation after him and President Trump had a phone call relating to the handling of the California Wildfires. This is an ongoing suit and Newsom has said that unless there is a retraction and an on-air apology from Jesse Waters, the man who promulgated the lie, then he will continue with the suit.

The similarities between Succession and News Corp not only transcend the lawsuits or the personalities that comprise them, but in the seemingly arbitrariness in which an heir is chosen. In the show, Tom is selected as a scapegoat for future problems, while the only real information about Lachlan is that he is a champion of conservative ideals and a “favorite son” of Rupert. Or perhaps it really boils down to the direction that Rupert wants the company to go. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but maybe some of this rings true. 

Questions/Comments/Concerns – let me know!  

Song of the day: Hardstyle 2 – Fred again

Citations:

I apologize for non-adherence to Bluebook rules of citation

1. See Lachlan Murdoch cements control of Fox and WSJ media empire in new family deal, REUTERS (Sep. 8, 2025), see more at https://www.nbcnews.com/business/media/lachlan-murdoch-cements-control-fox-wsj-media-empire-new-family-deal-rcna229946
2. See Helen Coster and Jack Queen, Fox settles Dominion lawsuit for $787.5 million over US election lies, REUTERS (Apr. 19, 2023), see more at https://www.reuters.com/legal/dominions-defamation-case-against-fox-poised-trial-after-delay-2023-04-18/
3. See Emily Shapiro, California Gov. Newsom suing Fox News for $787 million for defamation, ABC NEWS (Jun. 27, 2025), see more at https://abcnews.go.com/US/california-gov-newsom-suing-fox-news-787-million/story?id=123270088

*All opinions are my own and not reflective of any school or club association*