Mass in Time of War

"**Mass in Time of War**" is the second episode of the third season of *Succession* and twenty-second of the series overall. It premiered on October 24, 2021 on HBO and HBO Max. It was written by Jesse Armstrong and directed by Mark Mylod.

## Premise

Kendall tries to get his siblings, as well as Stewy and Sandi, on his side. Fearing his legal situation, Greg asks Ewan for help.

## Plot synopsis

Greg confides to Kendall that he is afraid of legal ramifications if he were to release documents regarding the cruise lines, but Kendall reassures him that he will not be compromised. Greg then receives a threatening phone call from Tom demanding access to the papers, but Greg insists that he is ignorant of their whereabouts. Greg then reports to him that Shiv plans to meet with rival Kendall, and Tom decides not to disclose this to a paranoid Logan. Kendall receives a large model of a Trojan horse from Stewy.

Shiv and Roman then arrive at Rava's apartment to meet with Kendall. Kendall meets with Lisa upstairs, where she warns him of an inevitable subpoena and suggests they must prepare, asking to review all copies Kendall has of company documents. Shiv, Roman, Kendall and Connor then speak privately in Kendall's daughter's bedroom. Kendall cites both Waystar's declining cultural relevance and historic complicity in sexual misconduct as arguments in his favor, but his siblings remain unconvinced.

Kendall then meets with Stewy and Sandi, who puts her father on the phone, outside in a car. Kendall proposes to the three of them that they join his team, arguing that Logan would sideline them and that with Kendall, together they can avoid a contested shareholder vote.

Back in Rava's living room, Shiv, Roman and Connor agree that if they were to support Kendall, it would ensure the desired downfall of their father. Kendall returns and reports that the three of them agreed to back down from the proxy vote and instead work with Kendall's team. Shiv, concerned, states that Logan's removal would jeopardize their chances of retaining control over the company at the upcoming shareholder vote. Kendall then proposes that he become CEO to ensure security, which receives immediate disapproval from the others.

Shiv and Roman then leave separately to make phone calls to Tom and Gerri respectively, both of which speak on Kendall's proposal. Shiv admits to Tom that she's worried her inexperience at the company hurts her chances of becoming CEO. Gerri warns Roman that he and his siblings will not be successful in voting Logan out of the company, meaning the choice of successor will then be out of their control.

Back downstairs, the siblings are unsettled to find a box of doughnuts delivered to them by Logan, indicating that he knows they are meeting with Kendall. Out of fear of their father, Kendall's three siblings ultimately decide to back out of his offer and remain aligned with Logan. Kendall then becomes enraged and lashes out at each of them as they leave.

Unsure whether to side with Kendall or Waystar, Greg meets with his grandpa Ewan, who hires his personal attorney Roger Pugh to represent Greg. Pugh, both of anti-capitalist leanings, hints that he and Ewan both want to exploit Greg's insider position at Waystar for their own benefit.

Logan, meanwhile, has Marcia flown in to Sarajevo, his legal team having advised that the two appear reconciled to the public. Marcia, feeling betrayed and humiliated over Logan's affair with Rhea, makes several demands from the company to ensure her cooperation, namely: her role in the family trust finalized, job security for her son, financial compensation for her daughter, and hefty improvements to her own financial position.

Logan then decides to return to his family in New York and lands the following morning. In the car, he offers Shiv the title of President at Waystar. Shiv believes the position to be meaningless, but Logan says she will be his "eyes and ears" inside the company, assuring her she is under complete legal protection while Gerri is acting CEO.

### Notes

1. ↑ Historically, the Trojan horse was built by Greeks and presented as a gift to be taken into Troy, but was secretly filled with armed soldiers.

## Cast

* Nicholas Braun as Greg Hirsch
* Kieran Culkin as Roman Roy
* Dagmara Domińczyk as Karolina Novotney
* Peter Friedman as Frank Vernon
* Justine Lupe as Willa Ferreyra
* Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Wambsgans
* David Rasche as Karl
* Alan Ruck as Connor Roy
* J. Smith-Cameron as Gerri Kellman
* Fisher Stevens as Hugo Baker
* Sarah Snook as Shiv Roy
* Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy
* Arian Moayed as Stewy Hosseini
* James Cromwell as Ewan Roy
* Sanaa Lathan as Lisa Arthur
* Hope Davis as Sandi Furness
* Larry Pine as Sandy Furness (voice)
* Peter Riegert as Roger Pugh
* Juliana Canfield as Jess Jordan
* Jordan Lage as Keith
* Scott Nicholson as Colin
* KeiLyn Durrel Jones as Remi

Guest* John Sanders as Oliver Noonan
* Gabby Beans as Lia

## Trivia

* "Mass in Time of War" is the English translation of *Missa in tempore belli*, an 18th-century mass by Austrian composer Joseph Haydn. The mass was composed as Austria was moving into war, and is described as having "a sense of foreboding."

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Succession Ep 2: Mass in Time of War | Official Website for the HBO Series | HBO.com
2. ↑ Shows A-Z - succession on hbo | TheFutonCritic.com
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 *Succession*: Season 3, Episode 2: "**Mass in Time of War**"
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Succession | Official Website for the HBO Series | HBO.com
5. ↑ Shows A-Z - succession on hbo | TheFutonCritic.com
6. ↑ Succession recap, Season 3, Episode 2: 'Mass In Time Of War' : NPR
7. ↑ Haydn's "Mass in Time of War" — Boston Baroque