Appetite for Power – Eating, Drinking & Dealmaking in NYC: A Billions Guide *UPDATED release date*

I have news!

So… I sat down and wrote a book πŸ™‚ And, I mean, I knew it was happening but I felt that it was really happening when I saw the book on the publisher’s website with my name on it!

So I give you…

Appetite for Power – Eating, Drinking and Dealmaking in NYC: A Billions Guide

If everything goes according to the current production plan, Appetite for Power Guide to Eating, Drinking and Dealmaking in NYC: A Billions Guide will be out on November 3, 2020 – yes, on Election Day of all days! You can check the book out and pre-order a copy on the publisher’s website or on the usual suspects Amazon or Barnes & Nobles.

Update 10/24/2020: Well, I was right saying “if everything goes according to the current production plan…” since I just heard from my publisher that the book release will coincide with the return of Billions Season 5 to Showtime – hopefully sooner than later in 2021.

Now, if you are interested in the extraordinary journey I have had, writing a book about my favorite TV show that is, here it is. Continue reading “Appetite for Power – Eating, Drinking & Dealmaking in NYC: A Billions Guide *UPDATED release date*”

An Exclusive Fan Fun Interview with Kelly AuCoin and Stephen Kunken

Last week I had the absolute privilege to conduct a Zoom interview with Kelly AuCoin and Stephen Kunken while they were holed up in New York City, on hiatus from the filming of Season 5 of Billions. In the interview we talked about how they are dealing with the COVID crisis in NYC, which has been at the center of the crisis, as well as how they got their start in Billions, what it’s like working with Damian Lewis, and a certain scene involving a minivan and a Porsche, as well as a host of other topics. While it is hard to tell from just the written word, it was abundantly clear in the interview how much they genuinely care for each other, how much they truly enjoy working with each other, and how much they appreciate working on Billions.Β  That bromance we see between Dollar Bill and Spyros is not just a creation of the writers (we talked about them, too), but it is a real reflection of the affection and respect these two very talented actors have for each other, the show and their fans.

Continue reading “An Exclusive Fan Fun Interview with Kelly AuCoin and Stephen Kunken”

Countdown to Homeland: Another Turn

The final season of Homeland is premiering February 9 and, I for one, am ready to watch. Think what we will about the story of Carrie Mathison post-Brody, we can all agree that Homeland was the show that had the most impact on Damian’s fame around the world and his career going forward. The show certainly had not a minor impact on us either, your friendly bloggers of all things Damian! So even if Brody is long dead and is not likely to return even as hallucination, Homeland remains one of the big topics of conversation and writing on this blog.

The first teaser for Homeland has been released, and the show had its TCA panel, where we learned a bit about the upcoming season from friendly intrepid reporter Diane Gordon. You can read all her live tweets from the Homeland event here: Showtime #TCA20: Homeland.

Recall at the end of last season we left Carrie Mathison newly released from being held captive in Russia for several months. In the teaser, we get a taste of what happened to her in those months. She was holed up with Yevgeny Gromov and he did some things: refused her medication, played with her mind, and other nefarious deeds we have yet to learn. Color me intrigued as heck that the character of Yevgeny Gromov lives on this season and will be a part of it till the end. The scenes between Claire Danes and Costa Ronin are going to be electric, I’ll bet my blogger’s salary on it. πŸ™‚

Furthermore, from the panel discussion at TCA, we hear the tantalizing news that Carrie may or may not have been “turned.” Diane Gordon tweets:

Alex Gansa says the really big idea of the season is that Carrie Mathison steps into Brody’s shoes – she’s the one under suspicion & her memory is fragmented from her time in captivity.

See, Brody fans: As I’ve said before and always, Brody NEVER dies. At least to those of us who have imaginations. He remains alive in the show’s imagination till the very end. It all comes full circle, with Carrie now in Brody’s position, an American patriot possibly working for the enemy. Gordon tells us:

Claire Danes says the story this season fuses Carrie psychically, with Brody which felt right.

Psychic fusion? Yes, please, and thank you.

Sounds like it will be a hell of a story and bring the perfect closure to this tremendous feat of a series. And I’m not at all offended that they didn’t go with my fanfic idea for this season. πŸ™‚ Now about a revisit to that fanfic? Here it is linked all in one place with excerpts for your reading enjoyment.

Another Turn: A Homeland Fanfic

Chapter One
The counselors would periodically share small details about where he was and who they were just for the purpose of maintaining his trust, keeping him open and talking. Eventually, Brody realized that all he learned from them had come from a script they had been given to follow. It didn’t matter, because he was free. A new man: cured.

Chapter Two
Great leap of faith they took in training a man to wrangle the information highway knowing he had been holed up in a cave through most of the internet revolution. A leap of faith for which he was now indebted to them.

Chapter Three
β€œYevgeny Gromov!” Alex exclaimed, still whispering.

Brody looked to where Alex had gestured. A group of people were walking so rapidly that he didn’t see any of their faces, just arms and legs swinging down the hallway. Were they the same men he had seen in the office earlier? Hard to tell, but it was clear that most of them appeared to be men. Except for one: a petite woman with messy tangled hair, the color of corn silk, hunched over and being led by the elbow.

Chapter Four
He’d seen the same thing on the field in Iraq and Afghanistan, this knack he had for getting the guys to listen to him like he was some god. He had no idea where it came from or what to do with that kind of power. Nothing, that is, but give his guys the best of himself. In this job too, he was here to give the best of himself, the ethics of the thing never really occurring to him. Maybe those questions would come up later, but right now it was the job, that’s it. It was a mystery to Brody that most people didn’t operate the same way. Well, one person did. A firecracker wisp of a woman with corn silk hair.

Chapter Five
Brody found his way to the area designated on the map. Gromov had an entire barrack all to himself, it seemed, with hallways all around his central lair. Brody entered the northern hallway and confirmed that it was clear. He walked along the wall of the central room until he got to a window and waited there, listening. Was that music? Aretha Franklin’s Respect, at low volume at first but then turned all the way up. Brody glanced in to the window to see a tall bearded man, his back turned, dancing and singing along to the song.

Chapter Six
All the unknowns. All the things he could have known about her if only his story hadn’t taken precedence. The Turned Marine tattooed across every second of the little time they spent together. She never got to show him all of herself. The craziness surrounding him was enough to keep them both busy. She never had the chance to just be. Yet, she still managed to be so totally herself, the inside of her soul worn on the outside. Despite the subterfuge her job required, she never held any of herself back. She was trained to not show everything she was thinking, but she always let you know what she was feeling.

Chapter Seven
β€œI’ve missed you too,” Brody breathed. The words just barely came out. He had a hard time wrapping his head around this entire thing. Being gone for so long, and, now, finding Carrie here, of all places. He’d said goodbye so many times to so many lives. Once when he was stuck in a hole for 8 years, then when he was back but not as himself, and now after ending it all again after Iran. How many incarnations was one man allowed? Insane the way time and space just rolled up to nothing with her touch, as if the years hadn’t passed, as if they’d never said goodbye at all. β€œHelp me. Tell me how to get you out of this place.”

Chapter Eight
β€œNow here,” Gromov gestured widely. β€œHere is where soldiers across the world can come to learn state of the art warfare. Much more sophisticated, much less messy. Why worry about taking out bodies when you can control minds? Win over the enemy from the inside out. Don’t you agree Sergeant?”

Thank you for reading! I’ll meet you all in front of your TVs and monitors for Homeland, the Final Season, starting February 9 on Showtime.

Billions at Showtime’s “For Your Consideration”

Last night, Billions took center stage for Showtime’s Emmy consideration panel. “For Your Consideration” is a campaign rally where the goal is to get the story of a show, its actors and showrunners, into the minds and hearts of folks making Emmy nominations. In the crowd of shows, you gotta make yours stand out and cast members Paul Giamatti, Damian Lewis, Maggie Siff, and Asia Kate Dillon along with showrunners David Levien and Brian Koppelman did just that in a vibrant conversation with Jake Tapper where they were asked questions about their show and characters.

You can hear the conversation at least for the next few hours on the show’s Instagram. (If you’re like me and need your child to show you how to work instagram stories, some tips to save you the embarrassment: Works only on mobile, click the avatar. The desktop version has some cute stills and gifs from the event but not the live video.) No worries if you don’t get it, that’s what we’re for! Here, I’ll transcribe some of the conversation. Continue reading “Billions at Showtime’s “For Your Consideration””

From the Trader’s Desk: Trust No One! Billions S4E6

Yes I know the secret that’s within your mind
You think all the people who worship you are blind
You’re just like Big Brother, giving us your trust
And when you have played enough you’ll cast our souls into the dust
Who Are You? – Black Sabbath

Trust: firm belief in the reliability, truth or strength of someone or something

Happy Friday and it’s time for another view From the Trader’s Desk, and what this trader would short this week is trust. There is a lot of talk from this group of loyalty and trust – but that is all that it is, talk. And we all know that talk is cheap.

A little housekeeping before I get into my trust meter:

I have never heard of this organization Wags gets rejected from, Kappa Beta Phi so I have not a thing to add. It’s a secret society, so that explains it. However, I would love to see these titans of the financial world dressed in drag, because anyone who knows me knows that I love RuPaul’s Drag Race! I am anxious to see just how Wags gets his revenge! It will be one for the ages! Continue reading “From the Trader’s Desk: Trust No One! Billions S4E6”