The Kink of Billions – Season 5 (1st half)

At the end of Season 4, we saw Chuck come to terms with his kinky proclivities. While campaigning to be New York’s attorney general, he gave his “Overton Window” speech, where he said the following at a press conference:

I, in my private life, in the confines of my happy marriage with my consenting wife, practice sadomasochism…Bondage, dominance, all the rest. Masks, binds, ropes, fire, wow…even just saying it like that, I can feel my shoulders loosen for the first time in decades. I am a masochist. In order to experience sexual gratification I need to be tied up, punched, pinched, whipped, kicked or otherwise tortured, by my loving wife. 

In Season 5, we see the consequences of this breach of marital privacy, which is that his marriage is dead and Chuck is an emotional wreck. To heighten his misery, because the BILLIONS writers are sadists, they make Chuck attend his dad’s wedding where he faces serial indignities. One of the guys at his table eyes Wendy, asking, “What’s the statute of limitations on exes, these days?” When Chuck cuts in on a dance between Wendy and Chuck Sr, the father disses him as well. “You had your chance, Sonny. Maybe if you’d been this insistent when she was yours…” As a final blow, Wendy refuses to leave with him. Continue reading “The Kink of Billions – Season 5 (1st half)”

Billions on Showtime, Season 5 Episode 7 (Mid-Season Finale): The Limitless Sh*t

I cannot believe this is the last episode of Billions Season 5 that we will see for a while! Since they had to stop shooting mid-March due to Covid-19 crisis – which gets its first mention in this episode –  Episode 7 is the mid-season finale that leaves us with more questions than answers. I just hope they can resume shooting as soon as possible when it is safe to do so, and given what we have seen so far, the rest of the season is sure to be a crazy ride! Hope you stay with us between the two halves of Season 5 because we still have a lot to say about what we have seen in the first seven episodes!

The Limitless Sh*t, written by Brian Koppelman, David Levien and Emily Hornsby and directed by the one and only David Costabile, addresses a billion dollar question: Is anyone incorruptible? Continue reading “Billions on Showtime, Season 5 Episode 7 (Mid-Season Finale): The Limitless Sh*t”

Billions on Showtime Season 5 Episode 6: The Nordic Model

A painting. A drawing. A kidney. A patent. Oh, and an IQ test!

This fast-paced and clever Billions episode gives us an extremely  fun hour in which Axe, Chuck, Taylor and Wendy all have to play fast chess to deal with both personal and professional matters. Anything is fair game to get what they want. Some win, some lose and some get, well, outright creepy! Continue reading “Billions on Showtime Season 5 Episode 6: The Nordic Model”

Bobby Axelrod: The Boy Whose Dad Never Came Back

It is no secret I have been fascinated by Bobby Axelrod’s backstory in Billions, in particular his family background. A few glimpses we had into the life of young Bobby in every season made me think hard and deep about his past as well as how that past seems to have shaped Bobby Axelrod’s life. I was able to see the trauma he went through in his relationships – from his marriage to his parenting to his friendships. And I sat down and wrote about Bobby Axelrod – the boy whose dad never came back. Continue reading “Bobby Axelrod: The Boy Whose Dad Never Came Back”

The Unbeatable, Unstoppable, Unparalleled MVPs from Billions Season 5 Episode 5

We continue to award our Most Valuable Players for Billions season five in a compilation post called the ‘Billions MVP Fanbook,’ which commemorates all those in honor of achievement for the utmost brazen, uber shameless, ultra scheming, unmatched bad asses to date – from sports references, music and tasty food to pop culture remarks, shocking twists and ultimate paybacks. In case you missed it, here are the MVPs for episode one, episode two, episode three, and episode four.

Let us continue with that tradition as we award our Most Valuable Players (MVPs) this week. Here are the Billions MVP awards for Season 5, Episode 5, “Contract.”

Continue reading “The Unbeatable, Unstoppable, Unparalleled MVPs from Billions Season 5 Episode 5”