Billions on Showtime Season 5 Episode 5: Contract

So where to begin about this episode – entertaining, surprising, and heartbreaking – absolutely the best so far in Season 5? The best point of departure may be the definition of  “contract” as Axe gives during his game of billiards with Savion since we see a number of contracts – explicit and  implicit – drawn, signed, or not, in one of the best hours Billions has given us in its history.

“A contract is an understanding between men that they’ll see things the same way, that they’ll keep code. That they’ll honor the spirit of their relationship even in unforeseen circumstances.”

Axe, Wags and Bach are sitting in Leah Calder’s – the head of the office approving state charter applications – office clueless that Chuck was there earlier with Kate to convince Ms. Calder not to approve Axe’s application and thereby preventing a crime before happening! Continue reading “Billions on Showtime Season 5 Episode 5: Contract”

“From the Traderā€™s Desk”: Home is Where the Heart Is? Billions S5E3 ā€œOpportunity Zoneā€

Times have changed and times are strange
Here I come, but I ain’t the same
Mama, I’m coming home
Mama, Iā€™m Coming Home ā€“ Ozzy Osbourne

 

TGIF and welcome to The Traderā€™s Desk. As has been the pattern the last few weeks, Iā€™ll give a brief explanation of what an Opportunity Zone is, some quick observations, and then focus on Axe and why ā€œstinkingā€ of Yonkers is a double-edged sword for him.

What is an Opportunity Zone? (The WSJ review of Billions gives a really great explanation ā€“ I use some of it here)

Opportunity zones are real. The idea is part of the 2017 tax overhaul (however the Treasury Department just finalized rules for them in late 2019). Investors who have significant capital gains can take that money and invest it into an opportunity fund, for which they get a tax break. The fund in turn invests in businesses in designated disadvantaged neighborhoods. Thereā€™s no limit on how much you can invest, but you need to keep it invested for at least 10 years to get the tax benefit. That makes it less attractive for hedge funds, which likely wonā€™t want to tie up their capital for that long. Consequently, in the real world, hedge funds have not moved aggressively into opportunity zones. There is also the question of just throwing money at these areas. While building shopping malls, business complexes and some housing is nice, if you donā€™t address the root of the issues, then in a few years all you have are empty shopping malls and business complexes. Continue reading ““From the Traderā€™s Desk”: Home is Where the Heart Is? Billions S5E3 ā€œOpportunity Zoneā€”

Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in Romeo & Juliet *UPDATED*

capuletsToday’s throwback takes us to, probably, theĀ most famous star-crossed lovers in history… Oh, no, sorry,Ā I am not talking about Carrie and Brody šŸ˜€

Damian Lewis is no stranger to Shakespeare. He playedĀ Romeo in Birmingham Repā€™s Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet in Hamlet in the Open Air Theatre, Regentā€™s Park, London in 1993 and 1994, respectively, as a fresh graduate of Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Then he did his Broadway debut asĀ Laertes to Ralph Fiennesā€™ Hamlet in Almeida Theatreā€™s production in 1995. Damian also performed asĀ Posthumous in Cymbeline and Don John in Much Ado About Nothing with the Royal Shakespeare Company.Ā He also brought to life a lovelyĀ Benedick on BBCā€™s Shakespeare Retold: Much Ado About Nothing. Damian took on the role of Lord Capulet in a 2013 big screen adaptation ofĀ Romeo and Juliet. DamianĀ kicked off Shakespeare’s 450th Birthday CelebrationsĀ in 2014 at Guildhall Library reading theĀ great man’s first five sonnets and he gave a wonderful performance of Mark Antony’s “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” speech from Julius CeasarĀ  in The Guardian‘s Shakespeare SolosĀ in 2016. Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis in Romeo & Juliet *UPDATED*”

The Unbeatable, Unstoppable, Unparalleled MVPs from Billions Season 5 Episode 4

We continue to award our Most Valuable Players for BillionsĀ season five in a compilation post called the ā€˜Billions MVP Fanbook,ā€™ which commemorates all those in honor of achievement for the utmost brazen, uber shameless, ultra scheming,Ā unmatchedĀ bad asses to date ā€“ 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, and episode three.

Let us continue with that tradition as we award our Most Valuable Players (MVPs) this week.Ā Here are theĀ BillionsĀ MVP awards for Season 5, Episode 4, ā€œOpportunity Zone.ā€

Continue reading “The Unbeatable, Unstoppable, Unparalleled MVPs from Billions Season 5 Episode 4”

Billions on Showtime Season 5 Episode 4: Opportunity Zone

While Opportunity Zone as a golden opportunity of tax breaks for the rich stays at the heart of the story, all kinds of opportunitiesĀ  – pursued, missed, noticed, favorable, fitting, promising, unique, rare, ample – abound in this week’s episode! Oh, and I think love is in the air for some!

The Bobby Axelrod that I came to like – the boy who grew up in Yonkers and beat the odds to become the billionaire that he is today – makes an appearance in the first few minutes of the episode… Continue reading “Billions on Showtime Season 5 Episode 4: Opportunity Zone”