A while back they promoted TV shows with the words “ripped from the headlines” as a draw. The phrase was often used for shows in the Law & Order franchise, when a crime featured on the show sort of mirrored something that had happened in real life. The link between fiction and reality was direct and overt. Seeing the promos for season 2 of Billions, I couldn’t help but to think of that phrase again. No, there isn’t a direct and overt link from the political discourse of the day to the plot lines and character development of Billions. The link is more metaphysical, it runs deeper, and, thus, may be even more telling and informative.Ā Art, when it’s done right, can show us things about our world and ourselves that we wouldn’t be able to see otherwise. I have a sneaking suspicious that Billions is going to take us there in Season 2.
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