Bits and Pieces of Life in Billions

“There’s a lot of humor in this — a lot of playfulness, which I was not expecting.” — Damian Lewis on Billions

source: Showtime
source: Showtime

Humor derived from life and delivered at the right time and place can make a TV show! And, I believe, it is Seinfeld that perfected the delivery of small but precise details of daily life on small screen! George double-dips a chip in a bowl of dip at a wake and you laugh not just because of what he does but also because you remember the guy who double-dipped at the last party you attended. Elaine’s new boyfriend is a serious close talker and you laugh because you remember the close talkers in your life. Jerry believes you don’t need any extra incentive to kill your dry cleaner and you laugh because you remember the last argument you had with your dry cleaner about the remaining stain on your favorite pants. These are the scenes that stay with you for the longest time because they all come from real life!

Many dramas, as they try hard to stick to drama, forget about this kind of humor; which, given at the right time and place, may be one of the most delicious moments of an episode and can even send a serious message home. We applaud Billions for not shying away from giving us such moments.

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As much as we are in love with the fake argument scene, an original, hilarious and genius Billions moment, we are even more impressed by the minutiae of life the writers provide with the right dose of humor. Knowing that most episodes in Seinfeld are based on its writers’ real-life experiences, re-written and re-interpreted for the show’s characters, we cannot help wonder if these bits and pieces of life in Billions are also based on real-life experiences. These moments work perfectly and the lines delivered in them become standard in our own conversations!

That is why Tbkwrm and I take a tour through Season 1 and talk about our most favorite bits and pieces of life in Billions. We would love to hear about your favorites, too!

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Billions on Sky Atlantic, Episode 12: The Conversation

So Billions Season 1 has come to an end, but we still have so much to say about it. And we promise to do our share and keep the conversation going on between seasons. While we were giving a lot of time and energy to our episode recaps, we had countless conversations about the show, the plot, the characters, and made a LONG list of ideas we want to write about. So, going forward, we will sit back, relax, go back to Season 1, keep writing about it and, of course, speculate about what could be in store for Team Axe and Team Chuck (and for us!) in Season 2. And we hope you stay with us!

In the meantime, get your Season Finale recaps here and re-live THAT explosive Billions hour!

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Damianista’s recap:

Billions on Showtime, Episode 12: The Conversation

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JaniaJania’s recap:

Billions ep 12 : The Conversation

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Previously on Billions: “The Deal”

Previously on Billions…

We start off with Wendy in some spooky looking place with Hall who directs her inside where Axe is waiting. It turns out to be a spa and it is just the two of them…well there is the possibility Hall is lurking around. Bobby says “It has been a weird couple of days”. At which point we flash back 72 hours.

Wendy is not happy. Wendy is in fact very mad with her husband. She is afraid that her absence from the office when Bill was arrested will make it seem like she knew it was coming. Chuck proceeds to tell her what they think of her won’t matter because in the end, when he is done, there will be nothing left and she is beautiful and talented and will land on her feet. Her answer is “Fuck you”.

Axe is rallying the troops and sounding the battle cry. He is standing on high surrounded by his subjects. I admit to having difficulty keeping a straight face when he began by describing Chuck as “An unscrupulous adversary”.

The scene with Axe addressing his people is intercut with Bryan and Chuck interrogating Bill Stearn. I find it hilarious that Bill is even known in these circles as the stingy multi-millionaire. Chuck lays out the charges against Bill and what he is potentially looking at, 12 years, and a $9 million fine.

Bobby is geeing up the troops with this was “An attack on all of us”.

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Previously on Billions: The Good Life

Previously on Billions…

Bobby arrives at Axe Hills on his expensive Bike to pick up eggs for breakfast. There is something about Bobby swapping his flashy bike for Tito’s very ordinary, but flower decorated bike that makes me love him even more.

Bobby is playing hardball with Wags. He’s not giving Wags anything but orders to ditch everything and the job of telling the investors as well.

Chuck is impatient and Team Chuck is feeling it because they have not been able to get very far as of yet in finding a way to get at Bill Stearn. Dale calling Chuck “dude” is a highlight. Kate steals the limelight, not for the last time this episode, by asking Bryan if he is still keeping emergency deodorant in his office. He says yes and asks her if she needs it. She looks at him pointedly and answers “no”.

source: Showtime
source: Showtime

Bobby is cooking breakfast for Lara and the kids. Chef Ryan jokingly asks if he is out of a job to which Bobby says that “breakfast is all he can handle” and Lara gives us some insight into her husband’s cooking skills by adding “yeah, trust me. We need you back”.

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Previously on Billions: Short Squeeze

Previously on Billions…

We join Danzig in the early hours of the morning shooting at deer eating everything he had planted. He is thereafter swarmed by armed Police and then arrested.

Bobby gets a phone call about it and he and Hall go to pick Danzig up.

Bobby and Danzig have a discussion outside Axe Capital before work about why Danzig did it. “I was blowing off steam I guess”. There is quite an in-depth discussion about Danzig’s feelings or lack thereof and the fact he got really pissed at the deer “Eat, move, shit. Repeat. How can things that dumb have the gall to occupy the same space I do?” Danzig clearly has some issues. He asks Bobby if that one makes sense to Bobby and Bobby replies “Yeah, more than you know.”  I also remember another Showtime character shooting at deer eating his flowers and matters did not end well for him!

source: Showtime
source: Showtime

Wendy drops Chuck off at work and he gets flustered when she asks him about Pete Decker who she sees walking towards his building. He denies knowing anything about Decker and bolts.

We are back with Danzig and Bobby. Bobby tells Danzig there won’t be any record of what Danzig has done presumably because Hall clearly has a relationship with the arresting officers. Bobby then embarks on explaining why Danzig needs to reign himself in. He can’t have this behaviour at Axe Capital. I understand where Axe is coming from, but his talk isn’t helping Danzig. Danzig needs Dr Mojo.

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