Succession Season 3 Episode 2 Recap “ Mass in the Time of War”

After the exhilarating highs of the season opener, succession brings us back down to earth with a quieter and slower-paced second episode that is mostly centered around Kendall trying and failing to convince his siblings to get on his side while cousin Greg sorts out his legal representation.

We start where we left off in the last episode with Shiv heading to see Kendall. Greg has apparently been getting calls from Tom and is now unsure of his place in the whole operation. Greg mentions to Tom that Shiv is at Kendall’s and Tom keeps it from Logan. While Shiv and Tom are still up and down( I am very interested to see how their relationship plays out over the season), his loyalties still lie very much with her. I don’t know if it’s because he loves her, something he reluctantly confirms in this episode, or because being hitched to her is his ticket to the top. Has anything changed on Shiv’s end? I don’t think so, I think she likes having Tom around and needs him because she has no one else to talk to, she will do what is necessary to keep him around.

RomanGerri have a conversation about the order of things. Roman tries to tell Gerri that he is not a loose cannon. I think it’s his way of trying to be nice and reassuring and Gerri is straight to the point letting him know that she is open to collaboration. He proposes an executive committee so Gerri’s hands aren’t too closely tied to any decision made. Throughout this episode, he is protective of Gerri in a sweet way. I worry that Roman will get burned here, I ship RomanGerri as hard as anyone I just think maybe he’s in this with a little more heart than head and she’s in it with mostly her head and I wonder if Rome might be in for heartbreak.

Kendall and Shiv meet up and talk about everything that is going on and I guess we get a better look at how Kendall really views himself and this whole situation and boy is it a royal mess. He tells Shiv she’s mad because he beat her to doing the right thing. “I’m the real you” is our key to just how clueless Ken is about everything. He doesn’t know his sister and there is just a painful lack of self-awareness there.

Logan back in Sarajevo is scrambling and there is real Panic in his eyes. He switches over to a less aggressive tone to talk to Connor, who has just gone through the absolute horror of getting on a scheduled flight back to New York, Logan does a thing where he apologizes without saying sorry and sprinkles in a few nice words, referring to Connor as number 1. Connor and Willa listen in. I think it’s interesting that Connor let Willa listen in on that. She seems to have become his partner not in a romantic way but more like the way Tom and Gerri are partners to Shiv and Roman, the first moment was her reminding Logan he forgot about Connor while giving assignments on the Tarmac.

From this point on the show takes us through a long conversation with the Roy kids interspersed with side plots. Ken tells Shiv she’s the one he wants in a way that’s almost Logan-like. I wonder if Succession is slowly trying to draw a parallel between Kendall and Logan. There was “action stations” in the first episode, now this. I’ll Keep an eye out.

Greg is offered a lawyer by Waystar after being offered one by Kendall earlier. He weighs his options with his first semester Law School friend.

Shiv lies to Tom about where she is. Roman comes up and finds Shiv and asks her what her game is and they basically play chicken with each other because why would anyone on this show be honest. Roman asks Ken how he’s doing and he is apparently feeling cleansed. Cleansed of what? The general suckiness of his family or the manslaughter?? SOMEONE GIMME ANSWERS PLEASE.

Greg meets with Ewan who agrees to help him get legal representation.

Kendall tries to convince his siblings of the honorable intentions of his actions and his open-heartedness. Roman defends Gerri and Shiv takes a shot at his sexual inabilities. Meanwhile, Marcia arrives at the Hotel Clio to wring money and power out of Logan. She was listed as a guest appearance so seeing less of her this season?

The Roy kids talk about culpability and Knowledge of the companies dealing and it seems like Shiv and Roman are being honest about the fact that neither of them knew what was going on at the company. Maybe because they were younger. Shiv mentions she was 15 at the time.

While Ken steps out to talk to Sandi, Sandy, and Stewy, Shiv and Roman and Connor basically acknowledge what I mentioned in my preview piece. If they work together, now, Logan has absolutely no chance against them.

Yet, the episode closes with them refusing to do it. The big question is why? I think it comes down to two things, Logan's gravity. Logan bends everything around him. People are reduced to shells of themselves and he inspires incredible fear. He is in rooms where he isn’t and you can see it in the way they talk to each other about him. Even in his absence, the way he is spoken about, in hushed tones, the constant hedging, every mention of going against him is talked about knowing if it got back to him he could very well destroy them.

The kids have deified their father, Roman states that he is infallible, and while Shiv doesn’t believe that she still went back to him. Kendall goes on a rant to Lisa Arthur after she says Logan can’t make the case go away. Kendall’s fear is even more apparent when he blows up at his siblings when they all turn him down. If he just calms down and plays all the right cards he can probably beat out his father, the consultants and lawyers see a good case, but all Ken sees is Logan.

The car ride away from Rava’s gave me a little hope however, Roman lies to Logan about how everything went with Ken. Maybe that small piece of resistance will inspire the kids to do something bigger.

Bits X Bobs

Did Kendall insinuate that they all know that Roman has a humiliation kink? Seems like it.

It also seems like Shiv might be seeing that somethings going on with RomanGerri, what happens if that gets out? What does that even look like in the family?

Line of the week

He was led by his Prick — Marcia while squeezing more money from Logan

My favorite moment

Isn’t this just the cutest thing? You go Gerri, we’re proud of you. Keep avoiding mess. Fuck the asterisk.

Cousin Greg Corner

Greg like everyone on this show, is looking out for himself. He traded away some information to buy favor with the other side and knew to not accept the lawyer from Waystar in his own awkward way. He is now on the path to being used as a wedge to expose capitalism. A 6"7 wedge.