Why Season 2 of "Succession" Is Better Than Ever

Succession, a black comedy about a rich New York family battling for control of a far-flung media empire, is one of HBO's best current shows, and one of the best series the channel has aired in recent years, but it's not a huge hit, and if you stumble upon a particular moment in the second-season premiere, you can understand why. Logan Roy (Brian Cox), the family's 80-year-old patriarch, has called a family meeting at their “summer palace,” a Gatsby-ish seaside estate on Long Island, to discuss whether to sell the company to investors attempting a hostile takeover or fight to stay independent. Servants have prepared a lavish spread, but there's a mysterious, foul smell emanating from somewhere in the house, and Logan responds by announcing that the food has been contaminated and must be thrown out. So out it goes. All of it. Steaks, shrimp, whole lobsters, and sides go straight into the trash, without a second thought, and the Roys eat pizza instead.