10/10 Dramas Are Rare, but HBO's 4-Part Masterpiece Has Zero Bad Episodes

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Image via HBO Max

Published Mar 21, 2026, 8:16 PM EDT

Jen Vestuto is a TV Features Writer for Collider. A born and raised New Yorker, she started her career on set as a production assistant for shows like Law & Order: SVU and Person of Interest. In LA, she worked in the writers' rooms for The Vampire Diaries and Nancy Drew. Along with her writing partner, she joined the writing staff of Nancy Drew in Season 2 and stayed on the run of the show, which ended in 2022 with Season 4.

Jen grew up on Long Island in a loud Italian family. She's been writing creatively since she was in elementary school and would often make her younger sister act out scenes from her favorite movies with her. Jen is also a massive sports fan and was an athlete herself growing up.

Writing features for Collider gives her the opportunity to share her passion for great storytelling and compelling characters.

In the era of peak TV, it’s harder than ever for a series to stand out as truly flawless. Even the most acclaimed dramas tend to have a weak season, a divisive storyline, or at least a handful of episodes that don’t quite measure up. That’s what makes Succession such a rarity. Across four tightly constructed seasons, the HBO drama never once dips in quality, delivering a run of television that feels remarkably consistent from beginning to end.

Created by Jesse Armstrong, Succession built its reputation on sharp writing, exceptional character work, and a tone that balances biting satire with genuine emotional weight. What truly sets it apart, though, is its consistency. Whether it’s a quiet character moment or a high-stakes spectacle, the series never loses momentum, consistently delivering at an elite level and earning its reputation as one of the best modern dramas.

What Is HBO's 'Succession' About?

First airing on HBO in 2018, Succession follows the Roy family, the ultra-wealthy owners of the global media conglomerate Waystar Royco. Patriarch Logan Roy, played by Brian Cox, is a ruthless and aging CEO whose looming retirement sparks a power struggle among his children, Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin), each of whom believes they are the rightful heir to the empire, even as they repeatedly prove just how unprepared they are for the role.

What unfolds over four seasons is less a traditional corporate drama and more a deeply dysfunctional family saga. Characters like Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen), Shiv’s opportunistic husband desperate to climb the corporate ladder, Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun), eager to secure his place within the family, and Connor Roy (Alan Ruck), the eldest sibling with political ambitions but little interest in the business, add to the show’s rich ensemble. As the series progresses, the performances only grow stronger, with standout guest appearances and increasingly complex characters who may not be easy to love but are impossible to look away from.

Kendall and Shiv looking pensive in Succession.

Despite its focus on billionaires, Succession remains grounded in recognizable human behavior. Whether the characters are on a luxury yacht, a private jet, or halfway across the world, they are still, at their core, insecure and deeply flawed people whose need for validation feels painfully real. That combination of heightened stakes, exceptional performances, and razor-sharp writing is what allows the series to thrive and evolve with each season. It’s also a big part of why the show remained so compelling from episode to episode and earned widespread critical acclaim, including three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series.

'Succession' Doesn't Have a Single Weak Episode

Across four seasons, the series never relies on filler or narrative detours like so many other shows — even great ones — often do. Every episode serves a purpose, and even those that feel smaller in scale are carefully constructed to build tension, often setting up explosive moments later in the season. A big part of that comes from the ever-shifting dynamic between Kendall, Shiv, and Roman, whose relationships constantly evolve between alliance and rivalry. Their often hilarious, biting barbs contrast with the rare moments of genuine vulnerability between siblings who have always been searching for love and validation. It’s a dynamic that never feels repetitive, no matter how many times they circle the same question of who should take over. That level of precision is rare, especially for a show operating on such a large scale and under immense pressure and expectations.

That consistency is also driven by the show’s exceptional writing. Jesse Armstrong and his team built the series on an incredibly strong foundation, creating characters that feel fully realized from the very beginning. The cast elevates that material even further, delivering performances that make even the Roys’ most despicable moments strangely compelling. The show also isn’t afraid to take big narrative swings — and when it does, they pay off in a major way. By the time it reaches a major death, the series delivers one of its most poignant episodes, and arguably one of the best hours of modern television.

Very few dramas manage to sustain that kind of quality from beginning to end. It’s a series where there are no weak links, and no episodes that feel skippable. It’s that consistency, more than anything else, that cements its status as one of the best modern dramas and a true 10/10 achievement.