Tech companies play a dominant role in how news, personal data, and communication are managed, and there is shockingly little oversight of their decisions. Although Silicon Valley was once heralded as a place where innovative startups could change the future in positive ways, it has become associated with the rise of meteoric conglomerates that have increasingly discounted the human experience. The inner circle of these high-earning CEOs and their benefactors was ripe for satire, and The Audacity does for the tech business what Succession did for media empires, with former Succession writer Jonathan Glatzer creating another eerily realistic dark comedy that is ruthless and authentic in equal measure.
‘The Audacity’ Is a Scathing Takedown of Tech Companies
The Audacity is the story of the innovative data analytics company Hypergenosis, spearheaded by the eccentric CEO Duncan Park (Billy Magnussen). Duncan is temperamental, argumentative, and potentially a genius, and has managed to achieve a breakthrough in tracking individualized information that could attract the interest of significant clients. At the same time, Duncan confides in his therapist JoAnne Felder (Sarah Goldberg), who has a tormented private life of her own due to a strained relationship with her husband Gary (Paul Adelstein) and her socially awkward son Orson (Everett Blunck), who suffers from severe health issues. The Audacity is grounded in the idea that those who have power over technology are guided by luck, instinct, and emotion. It’s a notion that can be both terrifying and hilarious.
The Audacity is clear to point out the ethical grey zone that all of its characters are dealing with, as the series considers the dubious impact of mining personal data. There are intimate discussions about what the ramifications of Hypergenosis’ collection of information might have, but the characters are never concerned with the legitimate consequences for those who are analyzed; Duncan is waging a public relations war to appear stable, and he’s also forced to combat any legal concerns that could limit his capacity to grow the company. It’s both a blessing and a curse that Duncan is mostly honest about his intentions, as he does not attempt to mask his selfishness in the same way that some of his rival CEOs do. The Audacity is most similar to Succession in how it shows that the wealthy seem to exist in a completely different reality from everyone else; Duncan is so used to getting what he wants that he can only act like a spoiled child when things don’t go his way.
‘The Audacity’ Review: AMC’s Gritty Silicon Valley Drama Isn’t Perfect, but It’ll Grow on You
Stick with these unlikable characters.
Although it’s easy to draw parallels between Duncan and prominent tech leaders who are frequently in the news, The Audacity has a rich ensemble of complicated characters, none of whom are traditionally “likable.” Goldberg’s performance is refreshing because it’s one of the rare instances in which television depicts therapy as a profession held by fallible human beings, rather than emotionally unavailable geniuses who are completely flawless. The power that JoAnne has over Duncan is fascinating because she can offer him an opportunity to work through his problems and receive feedback, which he can’t do with any of the subordinates who fear him. The situation is complicated by JoAnne’s other client, Carl Bardolph (Zach Galifianakis), whose approval Duncan desperately seeks. The tension between the trio is intimate without ever being romantic, and it’s fascinating to see how their relationships are built up through missed phone calls, insufficient sessions, and unresolved arguments.
‘The Audacity’ Has Some of 2026’s Best Acting
The Audacity isn’t suited for those who don’t enjoy “cringe comedy,” as the series doesn’t shy away from how awkward it is for these figures to retain their personas. That many of the characters’ children attend the same school makes the situation even more prickly, as wealthy parents have a way of fueling their ambitions through their children. While The Audacity raises serious concerns about how decisions that impact millions are determined by a select group of people, the characters aren’t depicted as caricatures and are, at times, given genuinely sympathetic moments. Orson is a particularly endearing character because he isn’t given any support from his mother, making for a difficult situation when he begins to fall for his classmate Jamison (Ava Marie Telek). Even Duncan is afforded some empathetic moments, with one twist near the show’s conclusion tragically revealing his insecurities, resulting in the best performance of Magnussen’s career.
The Audacity is a series that moves quickly to establish its world, but it has tremendous potential to get even better, which makes it all the more exciting that it’s already been renewed for Season 2. The season ends by starting a conversation about privacy that is bound to grow even more relevant in the months to come, especially since Glatzer seems to have his finger on the pulse as to what’s going on in the news cycle. There are also characters like Simon Helberg’s Martin Phister, a peculiar scientist with AI obsessions, who are bound to be more developed when they are afforded more screen time and dedicated storylines. Succession started small before becoming a phenomenon, and it’s easy to envision The Audacity following the same trajectory.
