Have you ever been thankful for a winter storm? A Nor’easter? Well, I had not, either, until Toby hit on Wednesday. We were supposed to head back home from New York; however, thanks to the storm, Delta cancelled our flight and put us on a flight on Friday, And, lo and behold, I signed up for the exclusive screening of the first two episodes of Billions Season 3!
As much as I enjoy being a night owl and write my Billions recaps until dawn on Sundays, seeing Season 3 premiere early has given me time to process it thoroughly and fantasize a bit about what may come our way. So, thank you, Toby!
AND THEY ARE BACK!
Season 3 picks up a few weeks after the man with nothing to lose put the cuffs on the man with unlimited resources.
Axe is indicted, the government has frozen his assets, and he and Lara are separated. While Chuck has gained his marriage back, he is not doing great, either. He has thrown his dad and his best friend under the bus to get Axe, lost his entire trust fund along the way and is now trying to figure out the the new administration in DC.
“Tie goes to the runner.”
Well, at least in the new AG Waylon “Jock” Jeffcoat’s world. We meet him and his Lucchese boots in the opening scene with “I was born in San Antone” playing in the background. Jeffcoat is from West Texas: He breeds horses, loves baseball, and believes “tie goes to the runner” when the big business is concerned. Jeffcoat gives Chuck the good news that he is keeping his job, at least for now, along with a list of high-profile cases his office should slow down on.
At the ballroom reception to celebrate the “new sheriff in town” Chuck finds the words to compliment Dake for freezing Axe’s assets in the world of wrestling: Ivan Koloff’s Bear Hug and Iron Sheik’s Camel Clutch. YIKES! But Dake is not as impressed with Chuck as the latter is impressed with him. Chuck has committed a crime of passion and his DNA is now all over the crime scene: “Wendy’s short” requires a private conversation.
It turns out, over dinner at 4 Charles Prime Rib, Dake may not be the Calvinist he seems to be after all. He is willing to keep Wendy’s name out of the case should Chuck do him a favor that he will name later. The challenge for Dake is to come up with compelling arguments to keep Bryan away from Ice Juice transactions ( “I have forensic financial analysts combing through that right now”) and the identity of the initial tipster (“My tipster is not exactly Blue horseshoe loves Anacott Steel“). I do not think it will take long for Bryan, who lived and breathed Chuck’s ways for two seasons, to find his former lord’s fingerprints in the case.
Axe Capital employees are completely in the dark as the boss, whose funds are as frozen as Otzi in the goddamn Alps, is nowhere to be seen at the new Axe Capital HQ in midtown Manhattan. Besides, a platinum-invite “Idea Dinner” is around the corner and the new CIO needs the nervous portfolio managers and traders to keep calm and find an idea bright enough to prove Axe Capital is still the sharpest shop in town. As Taylor guarantees bonuses to motivate the employees, Wags shows he knows his Top Gun:
But where the fuck is Axe?
Wendy finds him at his bachelor pad, a 48-million-dollar penthouse in Tribeca. She is on a mission to convince Axe, who believes Kennedy was not under as much pressure as he is during the Cuban Missile Crisis, that he needs to be at the office.
While Wags tells Axe Capital employees they sent emissaries and gifts to ensure Axe attend the Ideas Dinner, Axe confesses to Wendy he begged his way into the dinner. He believes this is the only way to respond to the “crooked” Bobby Axelrod story the government is writing at the moment and show to the world he is not cowering, not hiding, not defeated. But for the first time in his life, he feels he cannot do it and he knows why: Rage.
Now, I am not a psychiatrist like Wendy, and having anger issues is obviously less than ideal for a man who needs to dig himself out of his own grave. That said, being self-aware may be a good first step to recovery, no?
Wendy runs a Dickens Process to analyze the rage: This is a technique based on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in which the Scrooge meets the ghost on Christmas morning and is shown how his future would be like if he kept up his current behavior. The painful process turns him into a kinder, gentler man.
Can Bobby Axelrod take the pain?
We travel back to Bobby doing a fake memorabilia sale in fifth grade. He sells some rich kids an Islander jersey and a Koho hockey stick “signed” by star players like Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier 😀 And he enjoys his new sneakers and an Atari (if you had one like Axe and I did, then you are generation-Axe!) until the kids find out and go to town on him like Dave “The Hammer” Schultz. Bobby vividly remembers how angry he was with those kids, with his parents for not having enough money and with himself for getting caught. But it was that rage that worked like jet fuel or years and made him. Wendy pushes him further. Holding on to that rage, where does he see himself in 5 years? 10 years? 20? Happy? Fulfilled? Lonely? Bitter?
“Fuck Dickens.”
As much as this may look like Axe not giving a shit about the exercise, it is, in fact, Axe being terrified about the future, so much so that he walks away from the idea. But he agrees to go back to the office and as soon as he is back, Billions starts pulling surprises left and right!
And as we try to process the news Todd Krakow is the new Secretary of the Treasury, Lara drops by Axe Capital with Steven Birch of all people.
Birchie is back to taking outside money and more than willing to help “family and friends” to which Axe’s response is “we’re neither.” Lara bringing in a competitor who has as much edge as Mr. Rogers should be painful for him. Yet, knowing he broke the trust in his marriage, Axe, despite Wags’ protests, allows Birch to see all the trade activity Lara wants him to see and justifies his decision:
“Lots of guys watch Bruce Lee movies. Doesn’t mean you can do karate.”
In fact, Birchie is the least of Axe’s problems right now. He is looking at a 15-20 year jail sentence and tens of millions in fees. Axe’s disbelief in where he stands personally and professionally is visible. Whatever we may hear him say along the way, he knows he has taken the pissing contest way too far this time and seriously fucked up along the way.
The ultimate surprise arrives when Axe decides to engage their new head of compliance! We do not know if Ari Spyros is still wearing his cologne but he is certainly having his cortado!
The “answer man” answers the billion dollar question: If Axe wants his assets to be unfrozen immediately, he needs to give up his license to trade. Easier said than done. We are talking about a trade addict here.
“I might as well give up my license to breathe.”
Fair enough.
In the meantime, Chuck seems to have given up his license to sleep. He takes a late night walk to find Ira, who has an interview with the Eastern District boys soon, at Veselka.
Chuck has lined up a seat for Ira at a trust company – one meeting a quarter, 350K a year. And if he impresses people, he will have a few more of these seats making “a nice little sinecure” for him. I mean, can Chuck get lower than this? Yes, he can! He reminds Ira he must not say a word about his involvement in Ice Juice. Ira does not want to speak with Chuck ever again and he is not alone in his sentiments. Chuck Senior finds it a “bridge too far” to eat at the same table with his son. Yet, Black Jack Foley seems to have adopted Chuck. Foley has the paperwork showing Senior got into his son’s blind trust without his consent and he will not let Senior run that young man down! Now, who can blame Senior for telling Foley that his son is unfit to run?
As Axe Capital employees are frantically looking for THE IDEA, Wags takes Taylor on a field trip to Russian and Turkish Baths and confronts them about an offer they received from Todd Krakow to steward his fund while he serves as the Secretary of Treasury. Taylor passes the loyalty test by their capacity to take the heat not only literally but also metaphorically.
But Axe gets pissed off with both when he gets the scoop on Axe Capital from Dollar Bill: The employees are like the Czechoslovak Gymnastic team in 1970s, ready to defect if things go on like this, and the PM meeting was a shit show. As Axe is trying to find a scapegoat, Wendy openly tells him the business will go back to normal only if they are liquid again and there is only one way for it to happen.
Wendy knows Axe like the back of her hand: He is worried that Taylor will be the face of Axe Capital if he gives up trading: Ship of Theseus. But as long as it is his money, it is still Axe Capital. It is Axe’s ship.
“Are you sure?”
“It’s not me that has to be sure.”
Ah I love these little moments where Peter, ahem, Axe lets Wendy sew his shadow! And I am telling you, Wendy may be pulling the strings this season! It is thrilling to see she is back to her formidable self. Axe seems to be listening to her, at least for now, and she has a transparent relationship with Chuck. Well, almost. Wendy and Chuck obviously had a conversation about the Ice Juice short, but I am not sure if they had a conversation about Wendy’s one-night stand. Does Chuck use “therapy” as an opportunity to take a glimpse of it and take pleasure from his own suffering?
Axe Capital is now liquid and everyone has a different take on it. Chuck thinks Samson has got a real buzz haircut. Does this mean Chuck is Delilah and Dake is the servant who cuts Samson’s hair? 😀 Probably a better analogy than the teaser and the stud for Chuck! Dake believes only a man who thinks he will lose in court is desperate enough to try and get his money back as soon possible. Bryan, on the other hand, believes Axe would not be content without a total win and if he gives up trading then he believes he will kick ass in the court, too. Time will show which analysis is better but I put my money on Bryan’s 😀 And I wonder, given the new administration is pro-business, if Bryan has as serious a top spin in Ice Juice case as the one he has at Wang Chen’s Table Tennis Club.
Taylor finds THE IDEA in IOT (Internet of Things) and now we know why we see them hammering smart phones earlier in the episode – research!
The companies manufacturing smart devices have non-disclosure agreements with the chip companies they work with so their competitors cannot imitate them. Taylor, checking several different devices, detects Quartes as the possible chip company dominating the market. They call Quartes pretending they are producing internet-linked washing machines and get the exact specs of the Quartes chip.
Voila!
Nine top hedge-fund managers take their seats at the Ideas Dinner at Del Posto and talk about the breaking news about the man whose seat is vacant. And I spy with my little eye Mr. Charles Koppelman, Brian Koppelman’s dad, at the table 🙂
An unexpected guest interrupts the speculation about Axe. A Troublemaker Doppelganger! That is who Taylor is! AND THAT IS HOW AXE CAPITAL IS DOING IT, BABY! Hats off!
The season premiere closes with Axe standing on his terrace with the stunning view of One World Trade Center in the background. Given that Axe’s rise to glory starts when the planes hit the towers, it is quite ironic it is his view right now. Less is always more with Damian and you feel Axe the best in his stillness: He may be the Liege, the Nagusi, the Sahabi. But he is lonely. And given he is a trade addict, I wonder if he will go cold turkey.
OK. I have kept the moment that scandalized me to the end: The young woman that shows up at Axe’s penthouse and takes him upstairs!?!?
I know Axe and Lara are “on a break” (Friends, anyone?) but I cannot believe a man who has been loyal to his wife for 15 years or so can move on so quickly. Could it be because he has pictured Lara and Birchie running around together and wanted to get even as it is his usual habit?
Axe asking “Want dinner? We need to do that?” hints he is paying for her services. But why do I have this gut feeling that it may not be what it seems? Lewisto says I have to accept the fact that Bobby Axelrod is just another man. He may be right. Or not.
The only thing I think I missed was a reference to Top Gun that Wags says Taylor made before his about “check cash”. (Which btw did not originate with that movie.) Did you catch it?
Confession: I never watched Top Gun. I knew about the “check cash” thanks to secondary resources. I can’t stand Tom Cruise. I could not stand him even when I was 12 and Top Gun was all the rage! All boys had Tom Cruise haircuts in my school. An on-going joke at home is how I will deal with it if Damian makes a movie with Tom Cruise 😀
you havent watched top gun? are you a terrorist?
Hahaha. Let’s say I am allergic to Tom Cruise and have been so since I was 12 and Top Gun was all the rage. I just cannot stand him. It is an on-going joke in my household that how I would be able to deal with it if Damian did a movie with Tom Cruise 😀 Thank you for reading!
I really appreciate you doing this!!! continue to help us catch more references 🙂
Thank you for your kind words, we will keep doing it. I also try to catch all locations and restaurants, too. It is so much fun for me to find the hidden information. Cheers!
So WTF did you catch Wags’ Top Gun reference?
Well, I did catch that one, too. But not the Taylor one. I trust WTF caught both! 🙂
Oops I meant Taylors’. Go on Take My Breathe Away
Now, now, NotLinda, I have to admit I like that song! <3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=Bx51eegLTY8
Taylor told them they won’t “fall below the hard deck”….that was the Top Gun bit. That movie’s quoted so many times but I had to look this up, since I don’t really find the movie all that quotable. Damianista and I may not agree on everything, but we agree on Tom Cruise. The “hard deck” is the minimum elevation one of the fighter jets could go before things got dangerous…or something. 🙂
%-D
So what is an invalid security token and why can’t I post on here?
I’m trying again, for the 3rd. and final time. Does anyone else think the writers lifted one scene right out of LIFE? Axe’s visitor leading him up the staircase….shades of Charlie Crews! Otherwise, after 9 months of waiting I was terribly disappointed. For 2 season I watched each episode several times throughout the week. Not this one.
Charlie Crews was single! But yeah Bobby Axelrod is sort of single, too, right now. Still, I am not sure if it is what it seems, Billions loves to throw curveballs all the time. We will wait and see! The episode was very loaded and had lots of moving parts and a number of hilarious surprises in my opinion, and it culminated nicely to “troublemaker doppleganger” that is who Taylor is, isn’t it? Why didn’t you enjoy it?
ps. Sorry for invalid security token. It should be a wordpress glitch.
Several reasons why I didn’t enjoy it. It was so disjointed with too many snippets tossed in supposedly at random. These writers are talented, so they must have a big picture in mind, but I find that annoying. Of course there is my ever present dislike of Wendy and her therapy. Axe wasn’t going to go there. Oh dear, he must have lied again! She is not a super woman and I find it quite unlikely that anyone can remain in her marriage and still be loyal to Axe without one of those scenarios being a farce. Granted, it is fiction, a story we are merely supposed to enjoy, but I have been around this old spinning globe far too many years to buy into that premise. Not being from the world of finance, I pretty much tune out all that Wall Street/Hedge Fund lingo, or whatever it can be called, so I can live with that. But Axe wants loyalty. No matter how much he needs Taylor’s talents right now, where his is own loyalty to his people, namely, Wags or Dollar Bill? I am sure most, if not everyone, on here will disagree with me on these points. We all would likely be happy sitting watching Damian read from the phone book. (Do phone books still exist?) But truth be told, I will continue watching only because he is in it. Damn!
I can understand a few of Connie’s points. I also dislike Wendy, and don’t truly believe in her or her methods. But that is just me, and I know I’m in the minority on that. I also don’t see any chemistry between her and Chuck, and truly find their “therapy” one big yuck.
That being said, I loved this episode, and have to truly thank Damianista for links to some of the references. They go by so quickly sometimes I don’t catch them on the 1st (or even 2nd) watch. However, I didn’t need anyone to tell me about “Blue Horseshoe Loves Anacott Steel” since that is the movie (“Wall Street”) that changed my life.
This from the viewpoint of a New Yorker, a kid growing up in the 80’s and a trader, this episode was so authentic: Ira having the pierogies at Veselka (I always get them fried, and always get the large plate in which you get one of each delicious filling); references to 80’s movies and WWE (it was WWF back then) wrestlers, and having real hedge fund managers at the idea dinner.
I won’t give too much more away, as I have my “From the Trader’s Desk” on Friday, but I hope you are correct and that young “lady” that took Axe up that staircase is his Yoga instructor!!
Oh, and can I say my new favorite “new” character is Jock Jeffcoat! He’s my kinda man!!
Confession: I’ve never been to Veselka. I will correct this next time I’m in the city. I figured out the restaurant thanks to the name written on the plates 🙂
Two things about the young lady: First, she is not a date or a girlfriend and Axe is certainly paying for her services. So it is not a fling but maybe just sex. That said, the body language was so casual that I felt he was, as a man who has been loyal to a woman for more than 15 years, too comfortable with her. That made me think that it may be different from how it looks. And knowing that Billions loves to throw curve balls, and keep us guessing, I am holding hope… while my husband is laughing at me! 😀
Jock Jeffcoat?!?!?! He’s all yours! 😀
Oh D’ista, you’re so sweet! If course she’s a hooker. I’m with Lewisto on this one.
Come, come now, like I said in my post she was there to polish his stones…or dust the Koons hanging over Axe’s bed, or straighten the lampshades, or line up the blinds, fix the sink, make sure the seat is down, fold his knitwear, etc, etc.
Oh is that what they’re calling it these days 😉
I loved those WWF references – The Iron Shiek and the Camel Clutch – classic stuff. The number of pop-culture references they make in one episode is truly astounding – it’s like a bunch of Easter eggs for us to find. You can tell the writers really think about what they are doing – every line is carefully thought out.
btw – sorry for the redirect – and I know this particular angle is not everyone’s favorite here – but did anyone else notice the real mental anguish in Chuck during his and Wendy’s S&M session? When the scene started I thought – ok – diversion time – but that ended up being a very real, very painful scene that could have some serious ramifications down the road. Chuck and Wendy may be back together, but they are not completely healed, not by a long shot.
I, on the other hand, find the constant references a tad twee. They seem to build a sense of “posse” among viewers, that would seem to be the function.
Uh-huh, yep, I agree. The s&m scene(s) go beyond personal sexual preferences, imo. Even lovers have boundaries that can’t be breached without repercussion. But as my husband regularly reminds me “Honey, it’s TV!”
I agree about how the use of references builds a sense of “posse” in the audience, and I believe it works. Because, even if I did not grow up in the US, some of these references, especially the ones from the movies, resonate with me: The Godfather, Wall Street, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, etc. Sports references do not work as much for me, but I imagine they absolutely work for sports fans. And then there are the easter eggs they bury in the show that take you back to your childhood, make you remember the good times. The look on Damian’s face when he says “Atari” in the season premiere takes me to my childhood, too; to the endless hours spent with friends playing the Atari 😀
I have just written my thoughts about S&M scene in my answer to Paul. I think Giamatti SHINES in that scene.
I agree about all the references. I’m hesitant to even look them up anymore, because 1) I know Damianista will and 2) it kind of wastes time when I’m trying to put together thoughts on the things that matter about the episode. They’re that bit of “inside” humor, self-referential, and I’m glad the writers have fun with them though.
While I had no idea about the WWF references it was obvious they were wrestling-related, so I looked them up: The Camel Clutch? YIKES! Can you imagine Dake and Axe in that position? Oh my!
I love the easter eggs in the show as long as they are not too many (maybe it was S2 E5 Currency – I remember a discussion here that there were so many of them that one could not really understand the conversations) and I think Season 3 premiere handled it very well. What I love more than the easter eggs are the analogies: The teaser and the stud. Samson and Delilah. They are smart and very funny. As Damian has said in a recent interview, Billions is a dramedy, if you will. And a wonderful one at that!
Coming back to S&M: Paul Giamatti shines in that scene. The anguish on Chuck’s face? He is in real pain, but it is mind-blowing that he also takes pleasure in his own suffering. WOW. As I point out in the recap, while the couple talked about Ice Juice, it does not look like they talked about Wendy’s one-night stand. So yes they now have transparency but maybe not as much transparency as they liked. And Chuck used their special “therapy” session to take a glimpse into Wendy and Craig under the white sheets. You could see pain on Chuck’s face. So real. These actors really transform into the characters they bring to life. And they, especially Damian, blow my mind in their stillness.
About writing: I think Billions is one of the best written shows ever and they write dialogue in a way that they do not waste one word. If you hear something on Billions this means they will come back to it later. So you have to pay attention. And as a sucker for mental stimulation, I am in love with it. Besides, the kind of detail the show creators pay attention to, from music to restaurants to art – is at an unbelievable scale. OMG I love this show!
That’s some Yoga dress 🙂
Don’t break my heart, girl! 😀
I’m with Damianista and hoping it’s not a pro. It just seems out of character for Axe. Plus there was a familiarity there, like they knew each other. She wasn’t impressed by the apartment, and knew exactly where to go. But, in the end, it wouldn’t surprise me. If he’s not trading, he as to work out his energy somehow!
I assumed it wasn’t her first visit hence the familiarity. If I were in that profession Axe would be a valued client – and not just for the $$$!
Ohhhhhh I am with you and Damianista as well. I’m hoping it’s not a pro either! Axe is all about loyalty. It seems too soon after a seemingly few weeks has passed since his arrest. What’s throwing me is the dinner comment. If she was there FOR ANY OTHER REASON (massage, meditation, personal trainer, yoga, something, anything), there would be no need to eat, or ask about eating, in a situation like that. So trust me, I rack my brain about this everyday as to what it could possibly be, other than the obvious.
Also, the first episode didn’t actually address why Axe Capital headquarters was moved (unless I missed it). We speculate, of course, that it was due to the indictment and crossing state lines, but he lived in Connecticut, so I’m thinking the authorities would have allowed him to continue to live/work in Connecticut. He told Wendy he didn’t want to live in Connecticut. So now it appears to me that perhaps he CHOSE to move the office location because he CHOSE to live in Manhattan. This was a choice. And we see him in New Jersey in one of the previews, again, able to cross state lines (unless the NJ shot is after the charges are handled/dropped??)
Hahaha we are probably talking about the least important moment of the episode in the grand scheme of Billions, but what the heck, it is very important for us!
OK. This is how I have interpreted the dinner comment. He asks “Want dinner? We need to do that?” The simple explanation, and it is likely to be the real explanation, is that he asks if they need to do some pleasantries, or they can directly get to business, and the THAT in “We need to do that?” refers to dinner. My alternative interpretation is Axe could be trying to postpone a thing, like a yoga class, or some other hard exercise. And in his “Want dinner? Do we need to do THAT?” the THAT refers to the exercise he wants to avoid, he is too lazy to do that now, and so he tries to offer dinner 😀 I know. I know. It’s a stretch. A long stretch. But I am completely with you that for a ma,n who has been loyal to one woman for 15 years, doesn’t he move on very quickly? One explanation could be that he really imagined Lara with Birch and went for revenge — that being his signature personality trait. But the body language between the two of them, Axe and the young woman, was so casual and so comfortable like they were friends. But, again, what do I know? 😀 And because I already saw Episode 2 at the screening, there is a Wags line in there that makes me think the obvious explanation is true — but it is again such a “neutral” line that would keep us guessing!
They did not address the move explicitly but I agree with you about the CHOICE. We obviously interpreted the move to New York before the season started and so what I did was to research what happens after the indictment and it seems you need to get permission from the court to travel outside the state. That said, I don’t know which states are in the jurisdiction of the Eastern District, maybe it also includes CT and so maybe they would allow him to live there. And Wendy is absolutely right that recently single men come back to the city! 😀
Which preview shows Axe in New Jersey?
Yes, I was thinking along the line that he could have asked the court’s permission since he resided in CT. Regarding NJ preview, I was going off something I had read in JaniaJania’s comment and/or post. Turns out is not NJ.
I think you all are being unfortunately somewhat delusional. It’s late in the evening. She is dressed for the evening – she brought nothing that implies that she provides a service other than the one we are all thinking. She takes his hand and leads him upstairs. Add to that the fact that he greets her with a kiss and speaks to her with a familiarity implies that this is not a first ‘date.’ And, to top it off, this occurs after he has seen Lara with Birch. Remember how in Season 1 he passed on being with that singer who opened for Metallica? Those days are long gone my friends.
I don’t like single Axe! So the marriage is a contract and he is moving on at light speed when he is out of the contract. Maybe.
The only angle I see it, as I wrote in my post, and as you also suggest, he may be out there for revenge after seeing Lara with Birchie – he should be an idiot to think Lara may date Birchie… But please please bear with me – I will be behind my delusion until I see what is happening – if they give us a glimpse of it – with my own eyes! 😀
Paul! Let a girl dream okay!?!? LOL In another comment I told Damianista, “that’s some Yoga dress” 🙂 So…not delusional, just disappointed.
Exactly.
Hello Lady Trader! I’m so glad someone agrees with me, at least on a couple of points. The points being Wendy’s therapy and pierogis! Even more satisfying is that you and I are waaay far apart on the age scale. I grew up in the 40’s and 50’s, in a small PA town about 8 miles from where Mrs. T’s pierogis are made. Of course they can be home made as well. A quick boil, then fried with onions is the ONLY way to eat them, unless you want to deep fry. Actually, loads of credit to you since I never even noticed what Ira was eating, probably because I am always busy looking at characters’ faces and miss many of the details you young ladies pick up. So I am dependent on this blog to learn all those little items. However, none of the above changes my opinion about this episode. Perhaps I should work on being more optimistic for the remaining 11 in this season.
I have to confess that being a fan of Billions I still havent watched this episode. My dad passed away this weekend….I will this weekend on Netflix whatsoever! After having read your blog and some of the comments above…I think this season will be far better than the other two 🙂
I am so sorry for your loss, Eli. Hope the healing does not take long for the family, you are in my thoughts.
Yes, I think it was a GREAT start to yet another amazing, maybe even better than the first two, seasons!
My condolences to you and your family Elisa.
So very sorry for your loss Elisa.
My condolences, Elisa. I hope your time of grieving passes gently.
Elisa, please accept my sympathy on the loss of your father. At this time, healing and precious memories are more important than anything in your life.
please do more like this more more episodes thanks.
We will! We do three recaps a week. I do Mondays with a blow by blow review, JaniaJania dives deep into the highlights on Wednesdays and Lady Trader breaks down the financial speak and more on Fridays. Read them all. Thanks so much for your encouraging words, and for reading us, we will keep doing it!
Hallo Zusammen,
mein Name ist Programm. Ich habe wirklich das Glück und konnte die 1. Folge bereits am Montag auf Sky ansehen. Endlich ist die Zeit ohne Damian vorbei!! Endlich kann man sich wieder mit seinen ganz speziellen Gesichts- und Augenausdrücken und seiner ganzen Kunst beschäftigen.
Für meinen Geschmack war er bei dieser Folge etwas zu wenig präsent, ich bin aber zuversichtlich und denke, dass wird sich in den nächsten Folgen noch stark ändern. Im Allgemeinen gehe ich mit den Meinungen über das Verhalten von Wendy nicht ganz konform. Ich finde sie super ( die sexuell dargestellten Vorlieben mal außer Acht gelassen ) und im Gegenzug kann ich an seiner Frau nicht wirklich mehr etwas liebenswertes und Verbindendes erkennen. Bei ihr geht’s nur noch ums Geld, finde ich persönlich derzeit etwas abstoßend und ihrer nicht würdig. Schon klar, in dieser Serie geht es um´s Geld, aber Familie oder Liebe im allgemeinen sollte einfach auch so funktionieren.
Ansonsten bin ich einfach happy wieder etwas Neues von und mit Damian schauen zu können. Es wird und bleibt spannend und das ist die Hauptsache.
Ich wünsche Euch allen jetzt ein schönes Osterfest und ganz liebe Grüße aus Deutschland !!
Eure Lucky Fellow
Google-Translate:
Hello everybody,
my name is program. I’m really lucky and saw the first episode on Sky on Monday. Finally the time without Damian is over !! Finally, one can again deal with his very special facial and eye expressions and all his art.
For my taste, he was a little too present in this episode, but I’m confident and think that will change in the next few episodes. In general, I do not quite agree with the opinions about Wendy’s behavior. I think she’s awesome (disregarding the sexual preferences) and in return, I can not really recognize his wife’s likeable and connective nature. With her, it’s just about the money, I personally find something repugnant and not worthy of her. Sure, this series is about money, but family or love in general should just work that way.
Otherwise, I’m just happy to be able to see something new from and with Damian. It will be and remains exciting and that is the main thing.
I wish you all a nice Easter and greetings from Germany !!
Your lucky fellow
Yes, the time without Damian is over. YAY!
You and I are on Team Wendy then! I like her, too, and she is probably the only character I can identify with in the show. And as much as she enjoys swimming with the big sharks, she still has a moral compass the two boys have lost somewhere along the way 🙂 Axe and Chuck have more in common than they think, don’t they?
I am so curious about where Bobby and Lara end up. I would say they are a good team and they will find their way back to each other. But I have to say Bobby’s visitor scandalized me. And I really hope it is not what it seems — I know it is very unlikely 🙂
Happy Easter and Big Hugs to Germany!
Thanks Jania!
Great post Damianista, hitting all the highlights of this episode! I know how much work goes into looking up all their references, both obscure and obvious. So I’m glad our readers have you doing that heavy lifting. 🙂 🙂
Thank you! It is not heavy lifting at all, I love looking the hidden information up. But I admit my favorite pastime is finding the restaurants and the locations (new Axe Capital HQ, Axe’s penthouse, etc) — I would have been a good detective in another life! 😀 I am in love with your new slogan for the recaps: Blow by blow by Damianista, undercurrents by JaniaJania and fin speak by Lady Trader. I am now thinking “This is how Fan Fun is doing it” could be a good tweet – taking after Taylor!!!!
Hey Paul! Whadda ya mean “you ALL”!?
Hahah, yes, Paul; you, NotLinda and JaniaJania are totally on the same page!
Yes and Brody and Jessica are living happily in Mexico:-)
Brody is in Iran, he is alive, he fell in love with an Iranian woman called… did I ever tell you my real name is Persian? 😀
Dream big, my sister!
Why not? 😀
Gingersnap and Damianista – my one thought for you two (and others) is that it is such an obvious interpretation to assume he and she are … And the writers have proven that, if nothing else, they are at least a few steps ahead of the rest of us. So it could very well play out to be something else entirely. I wouldn’t put it past Koppleman and Levien to do that.
YES! Exactly. And that is WHY I have been thinking the way I have been thinking. I never take anything at its face value when Billions is concerned!
Totally agree. BUT WHAT? I keep racking my brain. Anything else, the “meeting” could have occurred downstairs.
Both the obvious and the not-so-obvious can happen downstairs, too. Why upstairs? That is the question 😀 Time will tell.
Yes. And all the other things I mentioned that COULD MAYBE occur upstairs, besides the obvious, (like meditation, personal trainer, yoga), you wouldn’t even think to offer dinner before those exercises, including the obvious LOL So the whole upstairs/downstairs – dinner invite – apparel that was worn has got my brain working overtime!
That’s where the bedrooms usually is.
Et tu, Paul V?
Going a bit off the above topic here, but I haven’t seen any reference to the way Bobby called Dollar Bill into his office when he finally went in there. It looked and sounded much like he was called his dog! Quite a change from the relationship between the two of them in previous seasons, especially when I reflect back to the fact Axe tracked Bill down to ask him how his arrest would go in the final epi of season 2, as well as the infamous “fight” scene in Axe’s office. What’s with that?
“Here, boy.” That was what he said, wasn’t it? I thought it was about their very close relationship, that Bobby can say anything and Dollar Bill will be okay with it knowing they are brothers, did you think it was condescending?
Yes, it struck me as being condescending, but since Dollar Bill didn’t seem to react like it was, I certainly could be wrong. There were a couple of other ways Axe could have indicated he wanted Bill in his office. But then he is Axe after all!
I’m assuming their relationship is such that Axe can get away with that. Remember the fake fight scene? DB is probably his most trusted guy there (next to Wags) and DB knows it.
DB didn’t seem happy with the way Axe spoke to him imo. He didn’t seem in on the joke if that’s what it was.