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After The Circus publicly broadcasted their killing of an NYPD police officer, several New York-based organizations were understandably upset. One of these, The Wolves, hired the hacker group Cicada to flush out any information they could on The Circus. The interrogation and subsequent execution of Bill Quinn was broadcast to the Circus's leader, The Ace of Spades. This kicked off a war between The Wolves and The Circus.

This was not, however, the sole face of the war. Various back room dealings lead to the formation of the Miami Triangle and the New York Alliance, in opposition to not only each other but also to The Circus. What had started as a petty feud had blown up into a war that would decide the fate of New York's criminal element.

After the end of The War for New York, The Circus set up shop in Pennsylvania, the home turf of the Appalachian Vipers. Irritated at the continuing encroachment on their territory, the Vipers declared war on the Circus to kick them out of PA.

Tropes pertaining to this season[]

  • Anti-Climax Boss: Hector, upon realizing that Ace is defeated, simply retreats along with the rest of the Triangle rather than face off with the Alliance in New York.
  • Big Bad: The Ace of Spades plays this role to the New York Alliance, though he's not as large a threat as he thinks he is, and he's actually being played and manipulated by Hector, who takes on the role of...
    • Bigger Bad: Hector largely manipulates Ace into fighting the Wolves so as to weaken the New York gangs, making it easier for his forces to take over. The plan likely would have succeeded if Lloyd hadn't come forward and told the other gangs.
  • Big Bad Ensemble: Ace, Hector, Nikolai Zolnerowich, and Marshal S. Grant are this, with the last three forming the Miami Triangle.
  • Curb-Stomp Battle: Both wars end up being this for the Circus, who loses a whopping 66 people, while the NYA as a whole only loses 6 people.
  • Double Agent: Lloyd Kumar and Omnia Venena actively work for Ace and the Miami Triangle, but also formed and assisted the New York Alliance in defeating them.
  • Dragon-In-Chief/Hyper Competent Sidekick: Omnia Venena works for the Ace of Spades, but proves to be far deadlier and far more competent than the Circus ever was.
  • Early-Bird Cameo: Ollie Lindon, a major player in season 3, is briefly heard giving orders during a raid on a Circus-run warehouse, and later sells the Wolves some bulletproof vests. Oddly, his iconic hatred of the Wolves isn't mentioned.
  • Early Installment Wierdness: Two major examples:
    • Lullaby's more violent and boisterous traits aren't really on display here, and he's oddly calm and reserved when compared to later seasons.
    • Ollie Lindon is seen dealing with members of the Wolves, despite season 3 revealing that he hates the Wolves with a fiery passion.
  • Mob War: The season initially starts with a conflict with the Wolves and Vipers on one side, and the Circus on the other. It quickly escalates into a massive war involving all of the factions battling for control of New York. The second half of the season focuses on a low key conflict in Pittsburgh between the Vipers and the Circus.
  • Plot Tailored To The Party: Every character tends to be good at something, and everyone gets a chance to show their skills.
  • Pragmatic Villainy: Lloyd betrays Hector because he realizes that his power play will destroy the balance of power in the crime world, and thus ruin long-term profit for his organization.
  • Small Role, Big Impact: Bill Quinn is something of a joke to the other gangs, but Alpha hiring Lullaby to kidnap and kill him causes a chain of events that leads to the destruction of three gangs and a massive shift in power.
  • Wham Line: Lloyd: "Hector's asking me to have The Circus backstab Cicada, then go all-in to push out The Wolves, Cicada, and the Appalachian Vipers from New York."
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