How That Brief Cut to Brody’s Expression Did It: Nancy’s Story

Hello, everyone! Welcome to a new Fan Story Tuesday!

We have said time and again this blog has been a very rewarding experience and one major reward has been the beautiful friendships we have built over the almost two and a half years that we have been live. And Nancy is no exception. She and I “met” on Twitter and clicked almost immediately. And even though we “met” through our admiration for our favorite guy, an introduction to Nancy requires a mention of another guy whom you all probably know and admire, too: Roger Federer. Now, Nancy is a big Damian Lewis fan and you will truly love her story. Having said that she is first and foremost a Roger Federer fan. She does not only follow Roger’s career very closely but has also been extremely lucky to see some of his most important championships! And, yes, Nancy has a lovely big smile but I do not know if she ever smiled bigger than in this picture.

After Federer’s 50th ATP Master Series Championship, Cincinnati 2007, copyright: Nancy

Nancy, I cannot tell you how lucky I feel to have met you and we cannot thank you enough for sharing your fan story with us. Cheers! Continue reading “How That Brief Cut to Brody’s Expression Did It: Nancy’s Story”

Best of Billions Season 2

source: Showtime

Decisions, decision, decisions. We aren’t quite ready to let go of Season 2 just yet and we encourage you to share your ‘Best of’ in the comments below.

Billions is no longer the new show on the Rhoade. Nope, Season 2 has left us all desperate for Season 3 which thankfully we know is confirmed.

Continue reading “Best of Billions Season 2”

Billions FanFic: Rubble

Always such touchy business posting fanfic. Folks more versed in the fanfic world always give such effusive disclaimers, it’s almost like an admission of guilt somehow. Guilty because somebody else’s work inspired them so much that they had to write their own? You’d think such a thing would be the highest form of praise. Anyway, all those standard disclaimers apply here as well. I love these characters a lot, but I own them not one bit. And, if it needs to be said, I earn absolutely nothing from this blog for anything I write. Nothing but readers, which to any writer really, are the real gold (albeit actual real gold is quite useful too, don’t get me wrong :)).

Here’s an expanded version of the Billions fanfic I wrote before Season 2 began. Setting remains a flashback to the time around 9/11, possibly a couple days, or maybe a week, after it happened. In this version, it’s more of an imagined bookend to the end of this year’s fantastic season. Also, I should add, I’ve written this only because, I think, it is decidedly NOT something that’s going to happen on the show. I wrote it because someone had to go there. I figured, why not me. Enjoy!

Continue reading “Billions FanFic: Rubble”

Damian Lewis – Designing His Own
Philanthropy, Part I

Hello all! We welcome you to a very special guest blog today.

Lynda, one of our first and constant supporters, whose lovely fan story we published a few weeks ago, has been a consultant working with charitable families, foundations and trusts throughout the U.S. for more than 25 years. We are extremely thrilled to have her as a guest blogger today putting her expertise to work in a survey about our favorite actor’s philanthropic efforts.

Without further ado: Here is Lynda giving us Damian Lewis – Designing His Own Philanthropy, Part I. Please come back for Part II next Thursday!

Philanthropy, a word derived from ancient Greek roots, means love of humanity. In modern terms, it is the act of promoting the welfare of others through charitable donations and charitable acts.

GIVE and GET are two critical commandments in the world of philanthropy.   Philanthropists GIVE their money plus their time, often rolling up their sleeves to undertake physical, onsite work days on behalf of a cause important to them, whether building a house or needed playground or making an educational film or counseling young aspiring entrepreneurs. It is impossible for any one person or one family to give to all of the worthwhile charities in the world. So, people have to ask themselves, “What issues or challenges are important to me and my family?” Strategic giving involves setting charitable priorities and selecting recipients wisely through vetting and paring down. Some philanthropists sponsor fundraising events – luncheons, banquets, galas, marathon runs – that “get” or encourage others to give. And public figures can also lend their celebrity to make meaningful contributions to charitable causes. In doing so, they can GET others to donate money, time and effort. In the case of Damian Lewis, he has mastered so many of these generous strategies. Continue reading “Damian Lewis – Designing His Own
Philanthropy, Part I”

Billions on Showtime 2.12: Ball in Hand

We sit in the mud, my friend, and reach for the stars.

― Ivan Turgenev, Fathers and Sons

Here we are, at the end of Season 2 of Billions, and what a ride it’s been. I know I’m not alone in wishing that these folks wrote and worked and filmed and screened all at the same time, so we wouldn’t have to suffer the excruciating dry months of waiting for the next season to start. In this season, the entire lot of them exceeded all expectations. The story was tight, the performances even tighter. It’s like they all came into their own skins this season and it was a treat to watch.

My review here won’t be a recap, because you’ve already read those. Instead I’ll focus on the father and son scenes central to Season 2, Episode 12, “Ball in Hand.” And I can’t leave the season without talking a bit about Bobby and Wendy. While most other connections between characters are clear, it seems there reigns a central mystery, still, between who Bobby and Wendy are to each other. This season, wonderfully, didn’t solve the mystery a bit, it only intensified it.

Continue reading “Billions on Showtime 2.12: Ball in Hand”