“From The Trader’s Desk”: All Good Things…

I’m just the pieces of the man I used to be
Too many bitter tears are raining down on me
I’m far away from home
And I’ve been facing this alone for much too long
Too Much Love Will Kill You – Brian May (Queen)

Welcome to “From the Trader’s Desk”.

As the title of this post states, all good things must come to an end, and for now at least, Bobby Axelrod has left the Billions building. The title also plays homage to another one of my very favorite television series “Star Trek: The Next Generation” as the very last episode was titled “All Good Things…” which I still consider two of my favorite hours on television.

In preparing for this post, I read back most of my previous diatribes, and noticed how much Billions, the character of Axe, the Fan Fun community, and my writing and analysis evolved. I also loved re-reading the interaction with our readers. We had many a spirited debate on these pages, and the discussions were always civil, thoughtful, and good fun. A very sincere thank you to each and every one of you who read all of our Billions posts. And a special thank you to Brian Koppelman, David Levien and the entire cast of Billions for being so kind and generous with their time and contributions to our Billions pieces. Continue reading ““From The Trader’s Desk”: All Good Things…”

An Ode to Bobby Axelrod: Top 40

Cheers to five years of Bobby Axelrod on Billions! What an indelible character Damian has etched in our pop culture forever. I’m sure you all have heard by now that Damian has left the show after five seasons. Both the New York Times and Entertainment Weekly reported that there’s an opportunity for him to return – never say never, right – but his time as a regular on the show has come to an end. What you may not know, and the publications go on to explain, is that Damian has always had just a 5-year contract and three years ago Damian expressed the desire to spend more time with his family in England, for obvious reasons. So his departure has always been in the works. But we sure will miss him on our television screens and streaming devices each Sunday, won’t we?

As Billions season five came to an end and Axe escaped to Switzerland for cool nights next to a warm fire with fine chocolates and artisan cheeses, I thought about all the droplets of wisdom and maverick sayings I would miss hearing from this alpha-male hedge fund billionaire each Sunday. So I’ve curated some of my all-time favorite quotes, speeches and one-liners into this Casey Kasem ‘Top 40’ style post, just like the radio disc jokey I used to listen to each Saturday morning during the 80’s.

Let the countdown begin. Here is my Top 40, Axelrod style!

Continue reading “An Ode to Bobby Axelrod: Top 40”

Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory Bring Their Magic To Poetry: A Tribute

source: gloucestershireecho.co.uk

The Sunday Times reported over the weekend that Damian Lewis rediscovered a love poetry recording he and his late wife Helen McCrory did together at Cheltenham Literature Festival back in October 2014. Well, I was there in the room when Damian and Helen read love poems to each other from The Love Book, a brilliant collection of classic and contemporary love poems that vary from Shakespeare to E.E. Cummings to Maya Angelou coming together in a book as well as in an app. It was a moving and intimate hour with a powerhouse husband and wife team reading poems, teasing each other, and sharing their dynamic chemistry with the audience.

It turns out that when the festival inquired about a possible video recording of the reading in 2014, Helen and Damian said no. Damian tells The Sunday Times: Continue reading “Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory Bring Their Magic To Poetry: A Tribute”

Best of Billions Season 5

We are thrilled that Billions has been renewed for Season 6! To keep with that Billions state of mind, how about a fun visit to the best of Billions Season 5? Feel free to play along in the comments section. And for those just joining us, you can catch up on the rest by reading Best of Billions 1 , Best of Billions 2, Best of Billions 3 and Best of Billions 4.

Continue reading “Best of Billions Season 5”

A Spy Among Friends: Here’s All We Know About Damian Lewis’ New Project

Kim Philby is arguably the most famous – or should I say infamous? – secret agent of all times. He may not be as well known as James Bond, but in contrast to 007, Philby was a real-life spy and the most successful member of the Cambridge Five, a group of spies recruited by the Russians to pass information from the UK to the Soviet Union during the Second World War through 1950s. A charming and brilliant Cambridge graduate, he quickly rose to the top of the counterintelligence unit at the MI6. He became the head of the anti-Soviet unit, served as the MI6 chief in Istanbul and ultimately became MI6’s Washington-based liaison with the CIA. Having his confidantes at MI6 and becoming close friends with James Angleton, a rising star at the CIA . While his betrayal got some of his colleagues into big trouble and took several Soviet defectors to their deaths, nobody suspected Philby for years. And when some at the MI5 flagged him, his colleagues at the MI6 and the CIA came to the rescue. When they finally had the evidence to confront him, Philby had already provided secret information to the Soviets for 30 years! Continue reading “A Spy Among Friends: Here’s All We Know About Damian Lewis’ New Project”