Tag: Billions

Billions on Showtime 2.09, 2.10, 2.11: Sic Transit Imperium, With or Without You, Golden Frog Time

A three in one special this week from your intrepid reporter. I was away across the merry pond having a merry time with limited vpn and limited time to spend on my usual pondering over the intricacies of this show. Was going to skip writing about Season 2 Ep. 9, 10, and 11 entirely, but once I returned home and caught up, the muse came rushing back and here I am with my bits on “Sic Transit Imperium”, “With or Without You”, and “Golden Frog Time.”

The circle of story around the unfortunate little upstate NY town gutted by Axe and used by Chuck for preliminary campaign photo ops has closed. Axe did what he had to do in Sandicot, and Chuck responded with whatever he could do, given the fact that his hands were also not entirely clean in the deal. Both Axe and Chuck come out the other end relatively unscathed. The only real casuality of the story is Bobby’s relationship with Bruno, his childhood father figure of sorts. But as Lara succinctly says: Fuck Bruno.

Continue reading “Billions on Showtime 2.09, 2.10, 2.11: Sic Transit Imperium, With or Without You, Golden Frog Time”

Previously on Billions: Season 2, Episode 10 “With or Without You”

The morning after the night before…Axe wakes up to an empty bed and a note from Lara “You lied to me”.  He leaves his first message “You can’t just…can you just call me, please?”

source: Showtime

Wendy is ordered in to Axe’s car by Hall, who is not happy and blaming Wendy for Lara taking off.  He snidely lectures Wendy on Lies perhaps being acceptable in her marriage and insists he has only lied to Lara once. I don’t believe that. Clearly, however, Axe has a scale on what he considers to be a lie.  His behaviour in this scene is threatening and aggressive.  Wendy submits “Can I get out the car now.” She is asking for permission! Say, what, now?

Hall then adds a bit more threat “If we have any further questions I will call…or maybe I will just show up.”

Hall shows Axe security tape from the house of Lara taking money and leaving with the boys. Lara appears to have used none of Axe’s resources (vehicles) or other properties they have. She has just disappeared and Hall disabled the GPS in her car months ago at Axe’s request. The three phones are off! No credit cards have been used.

Continue reading “Previously on Billions: Season 2, Episode 10 “With or Without You””

Previously on Billions: Season 2 Episode 9 “Sic Transit Imperium”

We open with a ‘hedge against humanity’ called the Arc, which Wags has bought Axe a place in for the end of times. Axe’s birthday preparations are underway.

Chuck is rallying the troops over Axe ‘looting’ Sandicot. Bryan delivers the news that the bond deal itself is legal, but the timing is suspect. Chuck adds that Axe acted when he did because he knew something.  They need to consider how he came by the information and who might be involved.

source: Showtime

The subpoena for Steph Reed is in and Kate will be taking care of this.  Chuck tells Kate he has complete confidence in her and she asks “I thought Connerty did?” Chuck responds “I have enough confidence to go around.”

Bill is about to recoup on a major investment in a teenage baseball player who he has been paying private lessons for since he was 13. Bill has a birthday present for Axe…Klaxon, a Belgian car company. They are headed for a recall, fines, sanctions etc. Bill says they need to move on their position fast as the news won’t be held for long.  Axe asks Bill his level of certainty and we are treated to a flashback of Victor obtaining information and passing it to Bill. Bill tells Axe he is not uncertain. Continue reading “Previously on Billions: Season 2 Episode 9 “Sic Transit Imperium””

“From the Trader’s Desk” What does Axe have in common with Kings, Caesars and Mob Dons?

“So passes the Empire”

Source: Showtime

Kings, Caesars, Mob Dons. When we think of these titles we may think of power, wealth, and loyalty. To a certain extent that is true. However, what they also have in common is the struggle to keep their place at the top, how they get there and how they fall. Kings, Caesars and Mob Dons all get to the top through violence, and usually end their reigns that way as well. Through the course of their reign, they often become distrustful of even their most loyal subjects and become deceitful in order to keep everyone off balance. In the end, they are paranoid, isolated, and alone.

What does that have to do with Billions? The titles and events of the previous two episodes “The Kingmaker” and “Sic Transit Imperium”, made me think of Axe in that light. He got to the top through violence; as we learn in “Boasts and Rails” his actions during the murder and devastation of 9/11 made Axe a lot of money, and the destruction of his former company lead to the opening of Axe Capital (I write about that here). He also has wealth, power, and from many of his employees, loyalty. However, he too is constantly fighting to stay at the top. He sees the Visigoths coming, whether in the form of the government (and Chuck in particular) or other fund managers, and he will fight them all. The Axe we see in “Sic Transit Imperium” is a tired, isolated, and reflective King, wondering if it is all worth it. Continue reading ““From the Trader’s Desk” What does Axe have in common with Kings, Caesars and Mob Dons?”

Previously on Billions: Season 2, Episode 8 “The Kingmaker”

Chuck Senior takes a call from Jack Foley who is not impressed that his granddaughter Emma has not gotten that Clerkship. He is upset at the “bad form” and Chuck Jnr letting him down. Snr says that Jnr does not know and cannot ever know about Sandicot. Foley is throwing in with Bob Sweeney for Governor now…but Foley and Senior are still fine.

The Remington from Sandicot has arrived at Axe Capital, but Axe is more concerned with Foley screwing him over and specifically why.  Wags has been searching for a deal they did where Foley got screwed, but Axe says he won’t find it because he could have been harbouring the grudge for a decade.  Axe is concerned about Foley being able to do him so much damage without him seeing it coming. He orders Wags to get him in a room with Foley.

source: Showtime

Chuck Snr and Jnr are having a conversation about Jnr’s “disrespecting” of Foley i.e. not getting Emma the Clerkship. Chuck declares that he doesn’t need Foley’s backing as he has his own power and when he is Governor, Foley will have to look him in the eye.  Continue reading “Previously on Billions: Season 2, Episode 8 “The Kingmaker””