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'Succession's 'ludicrously capacious bag' becomes ludicrously capacious meme

"What’s even in there, huh? Flat shoes for the subway? Her lunch pail?"

Meera Navlakha

on March 30, 2023

Two men in suits speak closely to each other in the corner of a opulent living room.

"The Disgusting Brothers" discuss. Credit: Macall B. Polay/HBO

It's been a few days since the premiere of Succession Season 4, and one standout moment from HBO's much-awaited melodrama is still captivating the internet. Beyond the Roy siblings' war with their media mogul father, a certain Burberry bag is hogging the limelight, spouting memes and discourse — as any good TV episode has the power to do. This time around, the conversation is coming from a healthy mix of Succession fans, fashion critics, shoppers, and meme-makers alike.

The bag in question was the subject of a monologue from Tom (Matthew Macfadyen), who spews his elitist wisdom at Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) about his date Bridget (Francesca Root-Dodson). Greg hasn't 'cleared' Bridget with the family as a guest at Logan's (Brian Cox) birthday party, which makes as many petty waves as Bridget's chosen accessory. Her bag is covered in the quintessential tartan pattern associated with the Burberry brand. It's far from discreet, veering into ostentatious, as Tom points out in a series of insults to Greg, starting with the now-beloved dig at her "ludicrously capacious bag."

So why has this particular moment piqued the interest of the Twitter timeline? Some have suggested the underlying messaging to be that of quiet luxury and "stealth wealth", addressing the visible sign-posting of Bridget's bag which is at odds with the more subtle sartorial looks of all the billionaires attending the party.

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But others are just impressed with Tom's vicious takedown: a mix of hilarity and sheer cruelty, both known trademarks of the Succession characters. His questions — "What’s even in there, huh? Flat shoes for the subway? Her lunch pail?" — and delivery are now in the Succession hall-of-fame. He should know, though, that the Google searches for that particular "gargantuan" Burberry bag (retailing at around $2,500) have skyrocketed to ludicrously capacious levels, likely thanks to an ongoing slew of think-pieces and memes.

Turns out, Tom's tacky is the internet's fascination. Here's some of the best reactions to the rant, the bag, and Succession.

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Topics HBO Memes

Meera Navlakha

Meera is a journalist based between London and New York. Her work has been published in The New York Times, Vice, The Independent, Vogue India, W Magazine, and others. She was previously a Culture Reporter at Mashable.