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when SuccessionThe popularity of the series skyrocketed in 2020 as everyone discovered the series on their pandemic TV parties, as did the number of opinions circulating about the characters. From fans echoing Kendall and Roman to Tom being dubbed Princess Diana on the show, people have been stating their favorites. Of course, everyone on the show isn’t objectively great people, but it’s a fantasy, and if we can’t reach out to anyone or at least enjoy being on screen, there’s nothing to be of interest to us romantically. This is something most people understand intuitively, but when it comes down to it ChefLots of people dismiss the idea.
Succession It takes effort to make each of the siblings uniquely freaky, but also lovable at the same time. It is a sign of excellent writing that these two things can be true simultaneously. However, it doesn’t take a genius to see why people resent Shiv and those who enjoy her character. As the only woman at the core of the show, she would always be held to a different standard than the rest of her family. Whether you think it’s poorly written – or even misogynistic – or you think it’s an incorrigible villain, here’s why you’re wrong about Shiv Roy.
The importance of true complexity
There has been an important push in recent years for not only more women on screen, but for these women to be interesting and complex rather than the lazy stereotype or other trope. However, when we’re given layered female characters who resist either extremes of being 100% innocent or 100% evil, many viewers end up angry and confused. This is exactly the case with Schiff, who leaves the audience dumbfounded when she displays cruelty and selfishness after appearing to also have a moral compass with liberal leanings.
In the first moments of SuccessionSchiff has no interest in joining the family business and instead chooses a political advisor to a Bernie Sanders-type politician. To many viewers, this indicates good manners compared to her family members who are apolitical or even fascist. So, when it turns out that Shiv actually wants to dive into the Waystar rat race, what does that mean for her character? Besides, when she turns out to be so good at it and so completely devoted to him that she was willing to silence victims of sexual assault, where does that leave her?
There are a lot of conversations online about how supporting or enjoying Shiv is wrong because she’s actually “really pathetic and disgraceful” (via Twitter), or any other insult under the sun. But this ignores the important factor that we are watching a TV show, which is particularly aware of its fantasy, and uses it to its advantage. There is no single central character in Succession more or less moral than the others because they all cling to wealth and power above all else. Kendall has little to no relationship with his kids, and Roman was responsible for hiring a fascist president, so why do we have to draw the line at Schiff?
These viewers are simply unable to allow the women on screen to operate by the same rules as their male counterparts. We know the Succession The universe is sick, we know these characters are “evil,” but fantasy is where we get to explore things that can’t be studied and enjoyed in the same way in real life.
Is Aries’ arc for a lazy chef?
In contrast, there is an opposite opinion to the idea that Shiv is the most evil character in it Succession is that her character is spoiled by lazy writing and misogyny. Sometimes, this complaint manifests itself in implying that Schiff has no depth. For example, when discussing Schiff’s character in an article for Slate, Lili Loofbourow says, “There’s no interesting irony there, no unusual angle of approach, no obvious meta-complications.” Alternatively, some also argue that most of what happens to her, particularly the pregnancy, lacks creativity and simply reverts to old misogynist tropes.
It seems silly that Shiv as a character is so complex and so simple, but something about her makes people react negatively any way they can think of. What is important to note when it comes to her is that sexism is present in her Succession It’s not like Schiff being a victim of sexting. The fact that she’s missing out on opportunities because of her femininity, or more specifically her pregnancy, doesn’t mean the writers think women don’t deserve success, it’s just a commentary on the realities of our world.
Shiv definitely lacks agency throughout the show’s entire narrative, and there’s no denying that. However, this is a key component to the success of the storyline and the same can be said for both Roman and Kendall. Everything that happens in the series, even after Logan’s death, can be traced back to the simple fact that the kids either want to carry out Logan’s wishes or thwart his plans. Either way, Logan always wins. So, when Shiv seems to lack control, it’s because she does. While Kendall may seem like he’s given more agency because he’s constantly at odds with his dad, it’s never actually worked out.
Every complaint about Shiv tends to come down to a misunderstanding of the show as a whole, which has a consistent central thesis that trauma cycles will always perpetuate themselves. Shiv’s termination of pregnancy and in a loveless marriage is not a commentary by the book on what she deserves, it shows that no matter how hard she tried, she would always end up as a wife and mother. Her story is tragic, but it’s not the story of an evil woman who gets her score or vindication from lazy writers.
