“From the Trader’s Desk”: Breakout the Tux, it’s Casino Night! Billions S7E7 “DMV”

You see life through distorted eyes
You know you have to learn
The execution of your mind
You really have to turn
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath – Black Sabbath

After a brief hiatus, the Trader’s Desk is back, and we are diving into Billions S7E7 “DMV”!

I chose the above lyrics from Black Sabbath because oh my, did Philip see Prince in a new light this week. And I think he learned something about himself as well.

I am going to break this week’s post into three parts: the driving test incident, Prince being a pure tyrant and possibly turning another employee against him, and Casino Night, which was my favorite part of the episode.

Continue reading ““From the Trader’s Desk”: Breakout the Tux, it’s Casino Night! Billions S7E7 “DMV””

Billions on Showtime, Season 7 Episode 7: DMV

A road test. An amazing technology. An evening at the casino. This fun episode aptly called DMV demonstrates once again that nothing is what it seems in Billions!

It is time for employee performance reviews at MPC but the employees  are not comfortable about it thanks to the recent employee survey and feedback drama at the firm. Even though the boss recuses himself from rewarding and punishing anyone on the team, the employees are feeling uneasy with the composition of the review panel; e.g.  Scooter, who is not in touch with them at all (they do not even invite him to the movie night because they know he would never show up!) is sitting on the  review committee. They ask the panel to skip the review for a year… Continue reading “Billions on Showtime, Season 7 Episode 7: DMV”

Billions on Showtime, Season 7 Episode 6: The Man in the Olive Drab T-Shirt

In one of the best opening scenes in Billions, Robert and Charles, as they call each other, meet at an airport in Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands) in Iceland and set the tone for the episode. This one is all about respecting your adversary. Grigor Andolov rightly points out that one adversary you should respect is the one who knows about your abilities the most. And the title of the episode is a clear tribute to President Zelensky and the people of Ukraine to whose resilience and determination Russian President Vadimir Putin has had zero respect whatsoever. Continue reading “Billions on Showtime, Season 7 Episode 6: The Man in the Olive Drab T-Shirt”

“From the Trader’s Desk”: Man the Torpedoes! Billions S7E5 “The Gulag Archipelago”

How I lied, went to hide,
How I tried to get away from you, now,
Am I right, if I fight?
That I might just get away from you, now
Megalomania – Black Sabbath

 

Welcome to the condensed version of “From the Trader’s Desk”! I will be heading out of a business/mini vacation trip mid-week, so my thoughts are going to be quick and dirty as they say!

I chose lyrics from a song on Black Sabbath’s sixth studio album, Sabotage, since it seemed fitting. Taylor has decided to join the fight to stop Mike Prince, so they are right to fight!

I really want to focus on Taylor and their brilliant move in dinging the good ship Prince, so just a few thoughts first.

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Billions Season 7 Dining Guide, Episodes 1-5

One of my favorite things about my favorite TV show is how it showcases the New York dining scene from hole-in-the-walls to neighborhood gems to Michelin-starred restaurants. And it has been my pleasure to share the information about restaurants appearing on the show first in my weekly recaps and then in a full dining guide by the end of the season for Season 1,  Season 2Season 3Season 4. and Season 5.

Fan Fun Billions dining guides are some of the most popular posts  on the blog and even some leading media outlets have noticed. Look what Forbes Magazine says about us!

“There are posts on actor Damian Lewis’s official website, that diligently track, with screenshots, all the food locations featured in every season. These posts even manage to name-check the take-out Chinese in one scene as the beloved eatery Wo-Hop.”

I describe each restaurant/bar that makes an appearance or gets a mention in Billions Season 5 below with a picture of the scene as a refresher, a link to the establishment’s website, its location as well as its Yelp review where available. I really hope you have a chance to try one or several of these places! Continue reading “Billions Season 7 Dining Guide, Episodes 1-5”