Which Side Are You On?

"**Which Side Are You On?**" is the sixth episode of the first season of *Succession* and sixth of the series overall. It premiered on July 8, 2018 on HBO. It was written by Susan Soon He Stanton and directed by Andrij Parekh.

## Premise

With the vote of no confidence against Logan approaching, Roman attempts to sway a neutral board member, while Kendall frantically shores up his "yes" votes. Logan arrives in Washington to meet with the president, but worries he's been snubbed after a last-minute cancellation. After successfully thwarting a potential scandal, Tom introduces Greg to fine dining, while Shiv explores her options in D.C.

## Plot synopsis

As the vote of no confidence approaches, Kendall, with the help of Roman, works to assemble as many of the company's shareholders to his side as possible, specifically targeting Stewy and Lawrence.

Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., Shiv has dinner with her ex-boyfriend, Nate. He proposes that she join him in working for Senator Gil Eavis, an enemy of her father, during his presidential campaign. Shiv appears to be intrigued, but does not yet accept the offer. They begin reminiscing about "old times" and flirt with each other, despite both being engaged. Back in New York, Greg meets with his grandfather, Ewan, who informs him that he'll be attending the vote in support of his brother. Tom then takes him to a fancy dinner as thanks for his help with the court documents and to teach him "how to be rich". Tom is shocked to learn of the vote and immediately relays word of Ewan's presence to Kendall. Shiv spends the night with Nate, though they do not sleep together.

Marcia suggests that Kendall join his lone father for dinner. He reluctantly agrees, worried that Logan may suspect the vote; however, to his surprise, they amicably eat hamburgers while watching television. Kendall begins to reconsider going through with the vote and suggests that it be postponed, but Frank encourages him to trudge forth. The next day, he learns that Ilona Shinoy, a board member who has been battling cancer, has decided to vote despite her condition. Kendall immediately heads for Long Island to visit her in the hospital and gain her support. After securing her vote, he learns that he is unable to fly back to Manhattan, as it has become a no-fly zone amid a possible terror threat. He decides to grab a cab but soon becomes stuck in traffic, then desperately heading to the meeting on foot.

Over the phone, Kendall reads his official statement to the board room, commencing the vote. Logan is instructed to leave the room but refuses, instead berating numerous board members until they vote in his favor. In a moment of weakness, Roman also votes against Kendall. Lawrence and Stewy abstain from the vote, considering it a family dispute. Kendall, having finally arrived in the city, rushes into the boardroom, only to learn that he lost the vote and has been fired, along with the others that voted against Logan. After being escorted out of the building, he wanders around the streets of Manhattan, devastated and unmoored.

Later that evening, after the threat subsides, Logan receives a call from the president and remarks on having dealt with "terrorists of his own."

### Notes

1. ↑ As introduced in "I Went to Market".

## Cast

* Hiam Abbass as Marcia Roy
* Nicholas Braun as Greg Hirsch
* Kieran Culkin as Roman Roy
* Peter Friedman as Frank Vernon
* Natalie Gold as Rava Roy (credit only)
* Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Wambsgans
* Alan Ruck as Connor Roy
* Sarah Snook as Shiv Roy
* Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy
* Rob Yang as Lawrence Yee
* Arian Moayed as Stewy Hosseini
* Juliana Canfield as Jess Jordan
* Ashley Zukerman as Nate Sofrelli
* James Cromwell as Ewan Roy
* Scott Nicholson as Colin
* David Rasche as Karl

Guest* David Patrick Kelly as Paul Chambers

## Quotes

* **Logan Roy [to Kendall Roy]:** That was your best shot. You lost.

## Trivia

* The title refers to the American pro-labor union song of the same name, which was written by activist Florence Reece during the Harlan County, Kentucky strikes. The episode features Pete Seeger's rendition of the song in its final scene.
* In an interview with Vanity Fair, Jesse Armstrong claimed that the vote against Logan was inspired by Disney's shareholder meeting in 2004, in which Michael Eisner was forced out of his chairman role after 20 years.

## References

1. ↑ Succession Ep 6: Which Side Are You On? | Official Website for the HBO Series | HBO.com
2. ↑ Which Side Are You On? - Wikipedia
3. ↑ The Real-Life Shareholder Revolt That Inspired *Succession*’s No-Confidence Vote