Succession star Nicholas Braun reacts to show’s viral Burberry bag scene

Viewers can’t stop talking about Succession right now, with one particular scene stealing the limelight in episode one - now, one of the cast has weighed in.

Cousin Greg's date Bridget (played by Francesca Root-Dodson) rocking her Burberry bag in Succession. Picture: Binge

Succession is arguably one of television’s most talked about shows right now – and it’s perhaps due to that handbag scene in the first episode of the new season.

Now one of the show’s most beloved stars, US actor Nicholas Braun – who is currently on a promo tour in Australia to promote the fourth and final season of the series – has weighed in on the scene that’s gone viral since last week’s season premiere on Binge, 

“[I like] letting the internet take over,” Braun exclusively told Page Six at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on Sunday. “I like letting the show do its thing.”

In the scene in question, Braun’s character ‘Cousin Greg’ brings a date named Bridget (played by Francesca Root-Dodson) to the birthday party of his uncle and family patriarch, Logan Roy (Brian Cox).

At the affluent gathering, Bridget commits a monstrous fashion faux pas by rocking an obnoxious Burberry bag in an attempt to fit in, but she unfortunately comes off as desperate.

Nicholas Braun aka Cousin Greg's date Bridget (played by Francesca Root-Dodson) rocking her Burberry bag in Succession. Picture: Binge

Creator Jesse Armstrong wanted Bridget to stick out like a sore thumb on the episode. Picture: Binge

She is quickly called out by Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen), who eviscerates Bridget in a private chat with Greg (it’s a masterclass in script writing). Greg doesn’t quite understand why Tom and their family members are mocking her fashion choice. It’s Burberry, after all?

“She’s brought a ludicrously capacious bag,” Macfadyen says in character. “What’s even in there, huh? Flat shoes for the subway? Her lunch pail? I mean, Greg, it’s monstrous. It’s gargantuan. You could take it camping. You could slide it across the floor after a bank job.”

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Nicholas Braun as Cousin Greg and Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Wambsgans on Succession. Picture: Binge

British author Bolu Babalola, who attended the show’s recent London premiere, explained that Succession’s creator Jesse Armstrong and his crew researched what bag and brand would be offensive in this scenario – and Burberry came up trumps.

“They interviewed a New York wealthy woman and said something like ‘what is the most offensive bag a woman could bring to something like this. would be the tackiest thing that someone who was trying to fit in would bring?’” Babalola tweeted.

at the #succession premiere jesse armstrong said they interviewed a new york wealthy woman and said something like "what is the most offensive bag a woman could bring to something like this. would be the tackiest thing that someone who was trying to fit in would bring?" https://t.co/fOJFR4yQVz

— Bolu Babalola 🍯&🌶 (@BeeBabs) March 27, 2023

Other Twitter users agreed, with Babalola’s fellow author Camilla Blackett tweeting: “That handbag was so perfectly chosen. It’s exactly off in the right way. I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“The fact that it was Burberry. The visible print. The size. The model of the bag… everything was just perfectly awful,” another social media user commented.

The hit show about an uber-wealthy and dysfunctional family began airing in 2018 and stars Australian actress Sarah Snook and former child star Kieran Culkin, who play siblings on the show.

New episodes of Succession hit Binge on Mondays