It is through the characters’ hateability that the show pulls off a masterstroke: It humanizes its obscenely rich, white and thoroughly hateful characters without necessarily inducing audience sympathy for them. There are no healthy relationships in “Succession” either, as every character is bent on manipulating each other to gain power for themselves.

Viewers of the show have long remarked that every character is a terrible person. “Succession” is really about just two things: power and close relationships, which become sources of manipulation and trauma due to the cast’s insatiable hunger for power. But though the writing has stayed top-notch in the third season, I would no longer consider the show to be a simple hate watch - it’s better.

A year ago, I wrote a column about the second season of “Succession,” describing it as a “hugely enjoyable hate watch” due to its impeccable, profanity-laden writing. “Succession,” HBO’s critical darling of a TV show that returned with a third season two weeks ago, is about members of the fictitious Roy family struggling for control over their media company.