>My biggest complaint though is that I don’t think it does nearly enough to lampoon the type of people that these are. Sure there’s little moments here and there, but as a whole, I don’t think it throws anywhere near the amount of punches it needs to. These people actually exist, they’re ruining our planet, so why do I want to watch a show about them doing just that when I can read or watch it happen in real life.

Just about every episode shits on them. You see just how petty and cringe they are, how self-important and arrogant. Pretty much everyone in the show makes a mockery of themselves repeatedly. It doesn't need to be stated explicitly when you look at these guys and laugh or cringe every episode, practically every other scene. And we do see them state many times that they do view Logan as extraordinarily evil anyhow.

>Take shows like The Boys or The White Lotus, which similarly deal with the rich and powerful, but does so with vastly more interesting and deep characters, themes, and creativity

I don't see how the White Lotus is so much deeper tbh. Yes, it also critiques the rich, but in different ways. That's all it is. The White Lotus shows how their lives are cyclical and menial, how nothing they do affects them in a meaningful way. Even at the end of season 2 when the kid got scammed for 50k it was likely not even much of a dent in his family's wealth so they could go on without noticing it much. In both shoes, much is left unsaid. Succession shows what their money and status do to their self image and ambitions. They treat money extremely frivolously, their continous thirst for power causes them to bang their heads on the ceiling over and over. They entertain shameless sycophants whoo massage their egos, they live as if they have nothing to lose, because there really isn't anywhere for them to fall.

The Boys isn't really that strong of a social commentary tbh. And after how that fourth season went, I def wouodnt put it in the convo with Succession or even The White Lotus anymore tbh. Hopefully season 5's gonna be good though.

Succession is just as much of a comedy as a drama, I definitely wouldnt say it's artificial or anything of that nature, it needs the prestige treatment in combination with the chaotic, parody documentary style camerawork to work the way it's meant to. I haven't seen Yellowjackets but apart from Severance (assuming it continues to be as good as it was in season 1), I'm not sure what other show can match Succession. Even the White Lotus, as good as it is, just isn't quite on that level yet imo. I also wasn't personally a huge fan of season 1 tbh, apart from Armond most of the characters weren't very interesting to me and neither was the plot