An HBO prestige drama where a family struggles for control over a vast fortune and/or corporation. The patriarch that’s currently in control of the company is so fearful that he will accidentally authorize something that will result in him losing control, that he maintains intoxication throughout his waking hours.
He’s literally intoxicated 24/7.
Slurring. Sorry, David. Even if you convince me to agree with you — and mind you, I am very agreeable right now — and I signed something, it’s legally nullified because I’m high! An intoxicated person can’t consent. If you can’t consent to sex, you certainly can’t consent to signing away control of the company to you. And you know I’m high David! I told you! There’s witnesses! Even if you convince your friends to lie for you, you’re not going to convince my man here! Slaps man next to him on the shoulder and shakes him in a good manner. He heard it too! You lose David! I outsmarted you. But don’t feel bad. I lost too.
He turns to the four ladies in evening wear flanking David.
I’m sorry ladies, but you also know I’m high, and so even though I very much would like to invite any of you… or all of you really… you over, you can’t take it. You’d be rapists. Shame. I’d tell you I wouldn’t tell, but you’d know, and would still be legally culpable, and I don’t want that to happen to you. So good evening all. I am going to take my leave. David.
Leaves.
The NYT calls him the woke hero or villain that uses wokeness to outsmart his enemies. He’s held up as a hero, or at least antihero. The terminally online left holds him up as a hero spreading gospel of about consent. The right sees him as a parody of date rape laws, because everyone knows he’s in control of actions. The even more repugnant right adopts him as one of their own. The guy that throws consent back at the left and wields it as a weapon against them in all its disingenuous glory.
The second half of the show involves David and his other rivals trying to figure out if the old man really is intoxicated, or if he fakes it. If he fakes it, then they can challenge any nullification suit, but it’s unclear if he is intoxicated or not. Maybe sometimes he is sober. But when? And how to prove it?
The show also leads to what it means for him to be intoxicated so much. How his body is getting wrecked from essentially being poisoned. He’ll have to give up the drugs and booze for a serious medical treatment. But what if he loses the company and his fortune? The last shot of the season finale is him alone starting to get sauced, only for him put the drink down, or toss the mirror with powder lines to the floor.
There’s no second season, even though it’s a massive hit, because Discovery wants to bring back Real Sex in an effort to cut costs and bring reality tv to HBO. “Prestige Unscripted” becomes the new tagline.