Author: Damianista

Academic, Traveler, Blogger, Runner, Theatre Lover, Wine Snob, Part-time New Yorker, and Walking Damian Lewis Encyclopedia :D Procrastinated about a fan's diary on Damian Lewis for a while and the rest is history!

Which Moment Made Damian Lewis Prouder? Receiving an OBE or Scoring in the Soccer Aid Penalty Shoot?

Here is a question from a fan for Damian Lewis in American Buffalo programme booklet. Jon Holdsworth asks:

“Which moment made you prouder – receiving an OBE from the Queen or scoring in the Soccer Aid penalty shoot-out in 2010?”

obesocceraid

Ha! That’s a tough one!

Let’s first remember these two TOP moments in Damian Lewis’ life!

Damian was made Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) as part of the Queen’s birthday celebrations in June 2014. OBE is part of the UK honor system and it is “awarded for having a major local role in any activity, including people whose work has made them known nationally in their chosen area.” Accordingly, Damian Lewis has been commended for “his services to drama.” Continue reading “Which Moment Made Damian Lewis Prouder? Receiving an OBE or Scoring in the Soccer Aid Penalty Shoot?”

Decisions Matter: Game Theory in
Billions – Part III

“What makes someone like Bobby tick, someone like Chuck tick? I think it’s the game and the game only. I think that becomes more important than the money or status and everything. It’s just the desire to win. And the greater your desire to win the greater you will compromise yourself. I think we all love watching people try to win.” – Damian Lewis

In case you missed Part I and Part II, you can see them here and here. And Part III is dedicated to the most impressive game we have seen in Billions: Chuck’s long game to get Axe.

Chuck delivers his most honest lines of the entire season as he stands in front of Axe in the last few minutes of Season 1: Continue reading “Decisions Matter: Game Theory in Billions – Part III”

Decisions Matter: Game Theory
in Billions – Part II

In case you missed Part I, you can see it here.

We are getting into more intricate territory in Season 1 Episode 6 The Deal with Wendy now getting involved in the game with her two boys! 😀

Paul Giamatti, Maggie Siff and Damian Lewis at a Billions photo shoot at TCA 2017

Costly Signaling

We see Bobby playing a textbook signaling game in The Deal like Chuck does in The Pilot. He invites Wendy to a meeting at a very unusual spot: A spa pool. Bobby wants to make sure no one is listening but also, and more importantly, wants to find out whether Wendy is loyal or not. We know where Axe stands on loyalty from what he said to Mafee earlier: “You don’t try to be loyal. You just are. Or you’re not.” It is loyalty that rules Bobby Axelrod’s billions. Continue reading “Decisions Matter: Game Theory in Billions – Part II”

Billions Season 3: The Ultimate Pissing Contest Continues *UPDATED*

We kicked off the festivities for Billions Season 3 with a detailed coverage of Billions at TCA 2018 and now that we have an airdate, a trailer, a teaser and the new season poster, speculation rules until Season 3 premieres on March 25 10pm EST.

I wrote about what to expect when we are expecting Billions Season 3 based on my own thoughts and hints from a few set photos before they dropped the first few Season 3 promos. But now that I have seen the promos my head is spinning and my imagination is going wild. And as I keep the focus on the trailer and the teaser in this post, I leave the forensic analysis of the new season poster to Gingersnap. Stay tuned!

Continue reading “Billions Season 3: The Ultimate Pissing Contest Continues *UPDATED*”

Decisions Matter: Game Theory in
Billions – Part I

Game Theory. A term we have repeatedly heard on Billions.

Chuck talks about his strategy to make Pete Decker sing in Season 1, Episode 3 Yum Time:

Spyros: That’s what I like to call “the prisoner’s dilemma.”

Chuck: No, you don’t like to call it that. That’s what it’s called. Started as a thought experiment, game theory in the ’50s. Does no one ever check you on this bullshit?”

Wendy talks to Axe about Krakow (without naming him) in Season 2 Episode 1 Risk Management:

source: Showtime

“And the manager played some heavy game theory on me, boxed me into a spot, essentially put himself in a position to win no matter what I said.”

Axe tries to get Taylor play in the Alpha Cup in Season 2 Episode 3 Optimal Play:

I had a feeling, pulled your resume, saw some game theory strengths, looked into it a little bit more.”

What is game theory? Continue reading “Decisions Matter: Game Theory in Billions – Part I”