Previously on Billions: Season 2, Episode 11 “Golden Frog Time”

Two weeks ago, we are in Cullen’s Tavern with Terry shaking down someone who owes him money. He gives him a punch for good measure which compels the guy to say

“I will make things right, no matter what I have to do.”  

Ominous from the off!

One week ago, Wags is shaking someone else down on the phone in an entirely different manner. Wags storms into Bobby’s office with a

“Remind me the next time I forget, there is no one in this business who won’t sell you out if they think there is a nickel in it.”

Bobby finds this strangely reassuring.

Wags is there to tell Axe that Boyd was right about the IPO for Ice Juice and Chuck Snr has taken out a large position. He also tells Axe that Ira is in too and Axe chastises him for coming in to tell him there is no way to short when Chuck Snr and Jnr’s closest friend is involved.

source: Showtime

Taylor has been working up Snr’s financials and Snr has a lot invested in Kingsford. They could not find where the capital for Ice Juice came from and Wags concludes it came from a personal loan and Bobby’s brain cells fill in the blanks. Bobby starts talking about poison.

Chuck Snr, Jnr and Ira are celebrating the impending IPO. Chuck tells Ira not to give up his day job and Ira responds

“I already did…well not quite but near enough”.

He is selling his share in his firm to his partners.

Wendy and Chuck are in bed together, but Chuck has to go before the kids see him. Chuck confides in Wendy he is in the Ice Juice IPO as well.

source: Showtime

Bobby wakes up to an empty bed and is immediately paranoid that Lara has gone again.  The boys are having breakfast. Lara is having an early morning workout.

Chuck is getting plaudits at Jijitsu

“You saw you had to give them something and you used it against them.”

Taylor has the task of firing someone and has done the numbers on it. Wags says that Taylor’s way of doing it is “cold even by my standards”. Axe says that it is not the way they do it there and Taylor has to meet with everyone and “look into their eyes as the life drains right out of them.”

Chuck’s computer is being set up so he can watch the markets. Team Chuck and Spyros arrive for a meeting. Spyros is providing the details on Klaxon auto and leaves the finding of criminality to the “Super sleuths of the Southern District.” Spyros leaves of his own accord, but Bryan and Kate are prompted to leave by Chuck who is clock watching for the opening of the market.

Ben is clearly nervous with Taylor during his interview. Ben pretty much seems nervous with most people. We then see Taylor interviewing different people including one who tells them what his father said…

Kate arrives with research on Klaxon auto and reviews it sitting in Bryan’s office. When she reveals that Taylor signed the research off, Bryan moves Taylor further up the board of suspects.

Taylor goes to Wendy for guidance on how to fire someone. Taylor’s father was fired when they were 7 and that it had an effect on the family. He was working at an aerospace company.

Hall tells Axe everything is in place, waiting on his word. Hall sounds creepily delighted.

Ira tries for a high five with Snr as they watch the stock price go up, bit Snr isn’t having it.

Bill comes and offers to take Taylor for a coffee. Taylor is bemused and Bill is awkward.

Lara is unimpressed with Bobby’s flowers which are an attempt at getting back in her good books.

Ira and Chuck Snr do now share a high five as the stock price continues to rise.

source: Showtime

Axe tells Hall

“It is golden frog time”.

Six nights ago. Hall is arranging for bacteria to be obtained to poison Ice Juice. Axe, nice guy that he is, is with Dr Gilbert to ensure the bacteria won’t do permanent damage if the people are healthy. Is he going to do a medical on people before they take it?

Hall has a man in the factory where Ice Juice is being produced to spread the bacteria.

Three night ago Axe is in Cullen’s looking for help and the guy from the start “who will do anything” is offered up.  Victor’s cleaner is offered up. Danny Margolis is reeled into help provide bodies too. Danny’s guy craps out of doing it so Danny presumably drinks the poisoned Ice Juice himself.

Dimonda gets the story that people are getting sick on Ice Juice.

Axe is shorting and Wendy finds out. She warns Chuck, but Chuck does not appreciate that Wendy thinks he is so pathetic nor her lack of faith in him. Wendy says she thinks he enough of him to violate her agreement with Axe.

source: Showtime

Wendy is angry at Chuck and asks Mafee to put her in on the Ice juice short.

Ira and Chuck Snr are having a meltdown as Ice Juice is being battered.

Chuck realises Axe is behind it.

Peter, who spins Taylor a yarn about not really fitting in anywhere, keeps his job…has a staff member of Axe Capital worked out how to play Taylor?  Looks like it to me.

Shops selling Ice Juice are being closed.

Wags is glorying in Snr’s losses and Axe is looking to buy anything Snr sells on the cheap. Axe and Wags are celebrating. Mafee brings the trading report to Axe which includes the detail that Wendy was in on the short. He gives Mafee a rollicking for putting it through without checking with him, but is impressed Wendy made a move against the family.

Snr and Ira are broken and Chuck appears to be too.

Wags arrives to find out who Taylor fired. They fired Munzio.

Bill gives Taylor $250K in cash as a personal thank you and a back-up for when Taylor needs it. Bill has Taylor’s back. By his own admission “I am cheap as f***k.”

Chuck arrives home to Snr and Ira and Ira feels like utter crap as he finds out Chuck put his trust fund into it. Snr put it all in unknown to Chuck who had only authorised use of some of it. Ira says he feels sick and Snr responds with

“You did have that Ice Juice today.”

Bryan is back for another go at Taylor, but Taylor does not believe in souls and tells Bryan to worry about their soul and they will just keep doing their job. They also say they believe in actions, but they are silent on the consequences part.

Lara says that Bobby looks like Bobby ’f*****g’ Axelrod. They try to patch things up and have a “first date”. Bobby mentions Bruno and Lara says “F**k Bruno”.

Lara starts crying during sex indicating that everything is not all right and I could not help but think back to Magical thinking.

Chuck arrives home and sits on his bed. He appears to be crying hysterically.

Two weeks ago, Chuck visits Boyd and makes him an offer of getting out of his own personal hell. Chuck instructs Boyd to tell Axe about Ice Juice. Boyd wants their agreement in writing and Chuck says the terms of his release will be but not the play in Ice Juice.

Dake has been made interim US Attorney of the Eastern District on Chuck’s leverage of the AG. Chuck meets with Dake on his arrival and suggests he goes straight for Axelrod and Dake does exactly that. He suggests that Axe and all his people are followed.

Chuck was with Boyd earlier when Axe told him he would use the Golden Frog.

Back in the present with Chuck who is not crying, but is in fact laughing hysterically.

source: Showtime

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