Just three episodes in and we have received terrific news that Showtime has renewed Billions for a third season! The news is not surprising given that Billions is the SMARTEST show on TV but still THIS WAS FAST! Congratulations to the entire cast and crew, we are over the moon for you and yeah, for us, too!
And who knew “Paulie Pennino” of Billions would come back to direct Axe in Season 2 Episode 4? It is a true delight Noah Emmerich is directing this episode! I love him as Agent Beeman in The Americans! And, hey, he is also directing Richard Thomas, who brings to life Beeman’s boss Agent Gaad in The Americans and whom I loved as John-Boy in The Waltons as a little girl, in this episode!
Axe is finally in the final three in his bid for the NFL team. Over lunch at Vaucluse, Mark Cuban tells Axe NFL does not like guys like them because they did come from nothing, earned their money calling bullshit openly and publicly and so they come across as people that can break the etiquette. According to Cuban, Axe needs to hang up the gloves and focus on changing the “hearts and minds” that will give him what he wants.
Because he believes more money would get him more love, Axe has increased his bid 100K over his initial bid which was already 100K over the highest sale prize ever. Now he needs to support the bid in ways that would remove “no” from NFL’s vocabulary. That strategy got him a 911 in his first year on Wall Street.
Bach arrives with a new look and good news: Chuck’s request for dismissal of their law suit was denied by the judge.
“Boom. Body Shot.”
Axe now needs to convince the NFL it was Chuck who crossed the line first so he wants to have the deposition immediately. He is confident no replicant or no lawyer would rattle him… until Bach gives him a pop quiz. Depositions are “unpredictable beasts” and Axe needs to learn where he should ask for a break.
Getting Chuck out of the way is absolutely necessary but not sufficient to get the NFL team. Axe needs to work on his public image. He calls Sanford Besinger, the third wealthiest man in the country, who leaves Cleveland only for a handful of economic conferences and to reel in billionaires to commit a big chunk of their net worth to his Giving Oath.
As they have hot dogs at Crif Dogs in Williamsburg, we find out Besinger is one direct man. He knows people avoid from pledging their money since it reminds them they are mortals. And THEY ARE. Men fuck, father and put their names on buildings and make money because it feels good. But “accumulation with no end in sight is gluttony.” A disease. Besinger has found the cure in giving away.
“The reason that nothing levers up your happiness like giving is because it puts you back in charge of the only thing that you ever really cared about – yourself.”
That may at least be a partial cure for Axe who seems to have lost control over himself for a while now. BUT can the man who came from nothing part ways with his money just like that?
Well, Axe has had his photos taken with Besinger while leaving dinner and had a statement written that talks about doing good for the communities and the usual blah blah to be read by either Bill Gates or Bill Clinton or both. His pledge is nothing but a show to prop up his public image to help secure the NFL team.
Marco, Bruno’s nephew, who looked like he was all suited up to meet Axe when he stopped by to pick up their pizza order in Episode 1, finally has his moment with Axe thanks to his uncle. Marc(o) wants Axe to consider investing in Sandicot where he is serving on city council: Not as a favor to his uncle but because of the casino coming to town. Axe is entertaining the idea because this is the ideal kind of giving, or in Taylor’s words, the kind of giving that would benefit him the most 😀 Taylor is tasked now with finding out the answers regarding Sandicot.
I agree with Lara that Carolina sauces are very vinegary and appreciate her love for The Wire — “It’s our fucking corner, Stringer!” — but cannot bring myself to enjoy her business tactics. Mercy Squad, a hangover relief service owned by Dan Wolfe, a private equity guy, is cutting prices to kick Lara out of the market. Well, we all know messing with Lara is not a good idea. She makes a deal at Cullen’s Tavern with some guys from her old neighborhood and pulls a trick on Wolfe to put him on the headlines for “aggravated pimping.” While I was thinking this could bring some tension to Axelrod marriage, guess what… Axe is proud of Lara!
While Axelrods do not leave anything to the Gods, Chuck is all about WWII this week.
He gets news that the AG will show him the Hans Gruber Memorial exit – a brilliant tribute to late Alan Rickman – unless he makes progress on the Spartan-Ives case. Time is running out.
Mr. McKinnon, whose wife had some fun time on Boyd’s plane in Optimal Play, is not able to help them because there has been no Spartan-Ives Treasury bid rigging since Boyd found out about the investigation. While Bryan tells McKinnon to man up, Chuck knows his Westerns well: McKinnon is John Wayne in Who Shot Liberty Valance. McKinnon is standing in where as other men in his position would tend to hide. This is just a set back but Chuck has a plan. He is thinking of Normandy!
Chuck starts with a search warrant sending Windbreakers to the beautiful Cunard Building just across from the Charging Bull that stands for Spartan-Ives headquarters in Billions! This first wave is just to make sure the second wave stands a chance.
He then meets Boyd at The Lotos Club and makes good use of The Franklin Effect: The most effective way of bonding with someone is not through doing a favor for him but asking a favor from him. Boyd is happy to sacrifice a few mid-level executives and coordinate press releases with Chuck so the investigation will be over and Boyd will have peace of mind on his boat off Antibes this summer.
I do think Bryan is not talking about coffee but Dake himself when he says he closes his eyes and thinks of England. Well, Dake may not be Bryan’s personal Anton Chigurh but he still gives me the creeps. Bryan is not selling Chuck out. Besides, he seems inspired by his plan that he is now eager to go through the Panama Papers to find an offshore account for Boyd. He does not find Boyd but does find Kate’s dad in there. And he goes to Kate’s apartment to share this information only to get a cold “I know” and no invitation to come in. In fact, her body language hints she may even have company.
What I like about Kate is she never leaves a loose end. She certainly keeps score and cannot afford anyone else to go to Chuck with this information about her dad. What she hears back from Chuck is quite reassuring:
“Anyone else in the world will fuck you over… friends, lovers, bosses. No, your father is the one person you’re gonna be able to count on when it matters.”
Well, nobody knows this better than Chuck! Chuck Sr has already taken the initiative to have Bryan followed and now that he knows it is impossible to follow Axe, how about his top people? And he does not leave it there, either. He also does his part to make Boyd believe the deal is real. Chuck Sr is determined to see his son as the NY governor.
Boyd thanks Axe for his help but he chooses to shake Chuck’s hand rather than cutting it off. And now that he believes Chuck has seen the bigger picture, Boyd goes back to business as usual… rigging the Treasury bids. So Team Chuck is back in business, too! McKinnon is ready to be a hero!
Bryan does what he tells earlier McKinnon to do: He mans up and tells Dake to fuck off at the East Coast Memorial honoring the missing American servicemen who died in the Atlantic Ocean while engaged in combat during WWII. What Bryan does not know is Chuck has seen his earlier conversation with Dake where Dake tells him he knows he made the call. Yikes! It will be delicious to watch how Chuck will follow up on that. Hope Chuck Sr delivers a tape on Bryan’s last conversation with Dake, too!
Well, every time Chuck and Axe are together on screen, I bow in front of the two actors who just STORM it together. If this is not acting heaven, what is? And I would URGE everyone to read the recent LA Times interview with Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis. Because they are BRILLIANT together off screen, too!
Back to Axe Capital: It is beyond hilarious Dollar Bill flinches when he spots Chuck at Axe Capital 😀
Axe conveys his message on his t-shirt:
“Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?”
Not Axe. Not now.
On the record. Off the record. On the record. Off the record.
Neither Chuck’s “Sometimes I laugh myself to sleep at night just thinking about you ripping the place apart” nor Axe’s “You know I never think about it. But of course I’m not alone at night. Where are you sleeping now?” are words grownups would utter freely. These two are more like teenage boys than 40+ year old men but it is very realistic since, let us admit it, men have the capacity to be adolescent boys when it comes to playing games! Oh and I need to add Axe is absolutely pissed about how Chuck tricked him into ripping the place apart. Oh yeah, he is thinking about it.
The deposition starts well for Axe since Bach has guessed the first couple of questions right. Then Ira asks whether Axe would be willing to disclose the monetary damages he had because of Chuck. The answer is No. Now, since he is not willing to disclose concrete monetary damages, can Axe claim mental or emotional damages that Chuck cost him? Ha! Who wants the street to hear THAT? Ira certainly deserves his $1400 an hour rate.
Axe takes a break during which he gets a call from Besinger who is obviously disgusted by Axe’s “giving is later, headlines are now” strategy.
Axe is there only for the photo-op, not for the oath. And Besinger is pleased to let him know the NFL is turning down his offer.
“Sports franchises are how we knight people in this country. And you’re not royalty. You’re a robber baron.”
OUCH. We have seen expressions this season on Axe’s face that we never saw in Season 1. It is humiliation written all over his face now. Losing is not Axe’s thing, is it? But, hey, “hate is nature’s most perfect energy source. It’s endlessly renewable.” It is hate, I believe, that makes him get up from his desk and go back to the deposition room. And it goes without saying Damian’s switch from vulnerable to cocky in the blink of an eye is mesmerizing.
I do not know if Axe ever really considered hanging up the gloves, but now that the NFL team is gone, gloves are all out. And, yes, he has concrete monetary damages to report now. Chuck cost him a professional football team.
It is time for Axe to accept, privately if not publicly, the mental and emotional damages he has suffered lately and have a real session with a certain freelancer who seems to be more essential for him than ever. It is only Wendy, whose story I have left to the end, that can put Axe back together.
FarPoint is an innovative tech firm owned by an Elon Musk-like character, Craig Heidecker, who compares himself to Edison and Oppenheimer in terms of vision. Wendy is there to check whether Elena, the woman Heidecker is planning to put on his 1.2 billion vessel and send to another planet, is “psychologically bulletproof.”
Billions loves metaphors and the story Elena shares with Wendy about Wilco is brilliant. Tweedy and Bennett were true partners communicating at a level only a few could. But even though they knew they made each other better, they could not find a way to work things out. Bennett left and Wilco was still Wilco but never as good again. And Bennett, who just could not keep it together on his own, died a few years later of a drug overdose.
Hmmm… Elena does not pass the test but she gives Wendy some good food for thought! How can you find a true partner and keep them? When things get messy, how do you keep trucking? Wendy is soul-searching this season and these should be a few of her favorite questions she constantly asks herself.
And as much as she wants him to call and make an appointment, she seems happy to find Wags and his “Yosemite Sam” ass tattoo, which he does not know how he got, at her office door. He is one of the lost boys, one of HER lost boys, that needs help. And if Wendy wants to get her hands dirty, there is no other place like Axe Capital. She can start with Wags and move directly to the boss. He needs her more than ever.
Great episode and great review! Could there be any greater contrast between the craven gluttony of fictional character Bobby Axelrod and the generosity of spirit of the real life Damian Lewis? I cringed when I saw Bobby fake the Giving Oath. Damian Lewis is the real deal, a philanthropist who rolls up his sleeves as a patron of the EB Sohana Research Fund, as an ambassador of the Prince’s Trust, and as a participant in so many other charitable efforts.
Thank you! OMG, Lynda, believe me, I was burning your ears as we were watching the episode last night! I understand where Bobby is coming from in terms of optimal play. He just wants to prop up his public image for a short time to be on the right side of the NFL until the deal goes through. But, hey, this kind of optimal play may not be as optimal as one thinks when one is violating the societal norms! One may get what you want (if NFL had made its decision earlier, Axe could have got the team) but his reputation might take a big hit with it. Axe should know his actions have consequences: His 9/11 deals. How he stole Donnie’s Christmas. And now faking The Giving Oath. He is now very far away from where he started with his reputation in Season 1. As someone that understands game theory, he knows he needs to find something big to turn this around — to change the conversation, if you will — and it will be a thrill to see what he will come up with! 😀
Damian is one of a kind when it comes to philanthrophy. Sohana Research Fund. Prince’s Trust. He donated an original art work to Anno’s Africa. He is the face of Red Nose Day this year for Daily Mail. He certainly does his share, always happily and gracefully. He is certainly one of the good guys.
So much in that episode. No Country For Old Men, The Wire, Bladerunner, Wilco, Megadeth, Die Hard, John Wayne, WWII/Normandy, Tennyson, NFL, Yosemite Sam, space travel & hotdogs.
Just when I think S2 episode 2 is my favorite #billions episode ever, I see episode 3 and change my mind. Then last night I changed my mind again to episode 4. A true effect of such brilliant writing.
And Damian’s acting this season is on fleek! Sandy from Twitter said it best: “How in the hell does #damianlewis do cocky/confident AND soft/vulnerable all in the space of two minutes?” Such talent!
Love the recap. And I’ve actually been to the East Coast Memorial! 🙂
Thank you! Funny but I’ve never been to the East Coast Memorial 🙂 I certainly will now.
SO MUCH in this episode. Locations. References. Subplots. My favorite is still Episode 2 so far. I think I just loved Taylor’s play on Krakow and “180, Chuck” a bit too much! But, I think, overall, the show goes deeper this year. I think they are more confident than ever now in exploring the characters which is a true delight to watch! No false note in writing or acting – BRILLIANT.
As much as I am personally turned off by Axe’s recent actions, and yes I miss the smug — I love it that Damian has the opportunity to show us an even larger range of emotions this season. I loved Sandy’s tweet, too. This is Damian’s specialty, isn’t it? And I don’t think he needs even 2 minutes to switch the mood from cocky to vulnerable or vice versa 😀 He needs 2 seconds to do his magic! Axe has reminded me Henry in the last two episodes because of the quick and seamless mood swings. He is starting to become sort of a Henry, too; an animal, if you will.
Yes! And at Paley Live Damian even talked about how each actor is more confident in exploring the characters this season. And wow, does it ever go deeper. I am now having to watch it twice in a row and Google terms/pop culture references. I’ve been making it habit of watching each episode a third time before the next new one airs.
Are we twins separated at birth or something? Our watching pattern is exactly the same. With me, the third watching is all about FUN. I watch two times Sunday night making notes and researching terms/references/locations. Then I watch one more time during the week — relaxed, just for fun, and I find new stuff. For example, I did not notice Chuck’s empty book shelf until my third watch of Optimal Play. There is always something happening, you should be alert at all times!
Damian said THAT at Paley – you are absolutely right! He said they are more confident in S2 exploring their characters and also, as actors, they are more confident with taking risks with each other.
Yes, I did it again. I read the re-cap before watching (Will watch tomorrow since it’s going to be a snow day).
It sounds like there is a ton going on. I just hope I can keep up, because I have no idea on some of the references you mention! (Aside from Megadeath, of course).
YAY for Snow Day and YAY we’re meeting on Thursday!
I LOVE it that you DID it again! 😀 There is a TON going on in this episode. Billions is always rich in subplots but this is more of a bang, bang, bang kind of episode, I think.
Oh you will easily keep up! The references are fun to research about but they are not essential to understanding the show — unless you hear a name like Anton Chigurgh and really wanna know who he is — but I admit knowing makes it more fun! 🙂 But we have all the links in the recap, so here you go, whatever you wanna know more about, it is there in the recap!
And reading the recap before seeing the episode does not take away from the fun, either. With Billions, it is much more important how it happens than what happens! Happy Watching!
On a completely separate topic, you should really see this, Cat Momma: We will see it tonight and I will report back: https://www.kedifilm.com/
Kedi = Cat in Turkish <3
So I just watched the episode. I know it’s called “The Oath” but I’m calling it the Megadeth episode!!
And, yes there were a ton of pop culture references that I didn’t get, but there were a few that I haven’t seen mentioned, which I’ll tackle From the Trader’s Desk! 🙂
I did want to ask you: did you cringe when Elena said: “I have too much self respect to be an academic”?
Thank you for the recommendation of Kedi! I want to see this. No, I need to see this!! 🙂
Hahaha you got me! I think Elena’s take on academia — especially her field of theoretical physics — was spot on from HER perspective. But she seems to forget there would never have been a Manticore should there have been no academics and no researchers with PhDs about whom she thinks of people trapped in the limitations of this world! I know theoretical physics cannot be applied at the moment — I give her credit there and I think this is where self respect part comes in for her — because we still know so little in that area… BUT who knows what will happen 50 years later? Research is very incremental in every field but when it happens, it HAPPENS. As an only-child exactly like Elena, I would again choose the same profession should I come to life for a second time! So, oh yes, I cringed, but again I thought it was spot on from her perspective — funny thing is Wendy finds her fit for research. Back to school, Elena 😀 😀 😀
We saw Kedi last night. It is lovely. It sets the tone right. And it is not just about the stray cats but also about the people of Istanbul that care about them. I am sure you and David will love this film. Make it a date night. It is playing at Metrograph in LES – we combined it with a visit to Katz’s! I was craving for their pastrami since Ira stopped by for picking up lunch 😀 Everything is connected to Billions after all!
Bobby certainly is showing more dimensions this season! Great recap!
Your facility with finding so many of the references leaves me at a loss of what my Wed post can possibly add to what you’ve already provided, but, happily this time I found a couple more references to run with. This show consistently provides plenty of meat for all us to chew on, doesn’t it?
Thank you! They are absolutely going deeper this season and I love it that Damian shows us more of his incredible range as an actor.
This episode is one of the richest, if not the richest, in terms of cultural references. I know I did not include them all, because I made a list and then decided enough was enough at some point. But I think each of us should link to any reference we see fit because I am sure different people are reading different posts at different times!
I sometimes feel like there is more meat than I can chew on at one sitting in each episode. I just watched the episode one more time just for fun this evening. And I am seeing something new, or I change my view on things as I hear a conversation one more time. I cannot tell you how much I love this show, but good news is that you already know THAT 🙂
Hallo Zusammen,
hab gestern die Folge 4 gesehen und ich bin wie immer von den Socken.
Da mein Englisch nicht wirklich gut ist, kann ich den einzelnen Kommentaren nicht ganz vollständig folgen, aber nichts desto trotz macht es unwahrscheinlich viel Spaß Eure einzelnen Sichtweisen zu lesen.
Mein zusätzliches Highlight war das Wiedersehen mit “Jon Boy” aus der Serie Die Waltons… !! Nur schade das ausgerechnet er Bobby eine Abfuhr erteilen musste. Allerdings muss ich sagen, dass ich ihn von der
Präsenz her mit Damian gleichwertig sah.
Und jetzt zu Damian. Mein Gefühl ist, dass er eine ganz subtile unwahrscheinliche Unsicherheit ausspielt.
Und wie er das macht, dass man eigentlich nicht so richtig weiß, ob es nun so ist oder nicht, haut mich von
den Socken. Ich teile die Meinung, das nur Wendy ihn wieder ins Gleichgewicht bringen kann. Die Geschichte mit Donnie verzeiht er sich nach wie vor nicht. Bin gespannt, wie sich sein Seelenleben noch
entwickelt.
Seine Beziehung zu Lara sehe ich nicht mehr so tief, mein Gefühl sagt mir, dass er es abstossend findet, wenn er sich und sein handeln darin zu sehr erkennt. Die Aussage, dass er auf sie stolz ist, war für mich nicht ehrlich gemeint. Kann aber noch nicht genau sagen, warum ich so denke.
Freue mich auf nächste Woche.
Hi Petra!
It was a RICH episode! Haha I used to watch John-Boy in The Waltons as a little girl, too. Then I liked Richard Thomas as Agent Gaad in The Americans, too. He is a fine actor.
You are absolutely right that Damian brings a subtle insecurity to his character. Insecurity should have something to do about being “new money.” His family did not have money for generations so he knows what it is like to be poor. He is always, most probably subconsciously, afraid of losing what he has. And that may also be the reason why he cannot really pledge his money to a trust. Old money is much more comfortable doing that. New money is not. But beyond that Axe is obsessed with Chuck and it also damages his sense of security. And the more obsessed he gets, the more likely he makes a mistake. Yes, he NEEDS Wendy.
To be honest, I thought Axe was proud of Lara for doing what she did, and I did not like it. But I still think, if Lara keeps taking this way to handle her business problems, there may be some dark clouds over Axelrod marriage. Let’s see how this story unfolds in the coming weeks.
Much love to Germany <3
Excellent, excellent recap damianista. And I agree, one of the richest episodes so far. One poster called it the ‘Megadeath’ episode- I really like that because I’m becoming a big fan of the music since it is featured so often in the show.
For me, I’m calling it the “whose the confused doggy now, piker?” episode. The power rush of Axe, Lara, Chuck and Wendy are always the focus of each episode. However, Bryan is this odd figure in the mix. This episode I saw so many quizzical looks given by Bryan in under an hour that I was afraid his forehead will be forever wrinkled from the frequency.
1. Bryan is confused doggy (CD) when he hears that the Spartan-Ives investigation will not save Chuck.
2. Bryan is CD when Chuck interrupts him from chastising the cheated on husband.
3. Bryan is CD (twice) when he goes to Kate’s apartment. When he sees her dolled up, when he sees that she is nonplussed about the revelation that her dad hides funds and maybe. Perhaps a Third time when Kate questions if there might be money jealousy on Bryan’s part.
4. Bryan is CD when Kate tells him that Bryan should enjoy Chuck’s investigation dilemma.
Oh, so many confused doggy moments for Bryan!
5. And finally, the Bryan as CD when Chuck steers him away from the #5 to the salad in a box.
My final thoughts on The Oath…
– I found it sad that Chuck asked such a low level ‘favor’ from Bryan to change his menu choice. It kinda showed how Chuck has placed Bryan as an almost inconsequential annoyance in his life. Not worthy of the ” big favor ” manipulation trick Chuck likes to employ.
– I was shocked a bit at how Axe’s voice actually cracked when he responded to the NFL denial. He was 12 years old again and fired from the golf course once more.
– Steph rubbing Wags nose in the fact that the Sandicot meeting went ‘fine’ without him. Ouch.
– Axe’s incredulous look at Boyd when Boyd says that Chuck has “opened his eyes to the bigger picture.” Sure.
– Could that have been Lonnie in Kate’s apartment? Who else would care about the Panama papers? And as we all know, it’s Lonnie’s house! Kate is not adverse to doing “extra credit” to advance.
– And an out of the box speculation- would Chuck consider arresting his own father? When Chuck Sr. said to Jr. in Dead Cat Bounce that his son talked like he had a terminal disease, was that really a comment about Sr.’s imminent metaphorical death? Hmmmm.
Thanks so much for reading and for your comments – you are a brilliant observer!
You are absolutely right – Bryan may, in fact, deserve his own post this season. Tbkwrm is our Bryan expert. She has followed the character very closely from day one! His character has lost his trust in the system, he is obviously struggling. But I think Chuck, with his new strategy, has just made him come around. I loved how Bryan manned up and told Dake to fuck off. I am so curious about his next steps! BTW, I thought the “favor” Chuck asked from Bryan in the end was a joke given that he had shared with him about “The Franklin Effect” earlier. Do you think Bryan took it at face value? He was smiling so I thought it was sort of an “insider joke” now between the two of them. Still, I am dying to see how Chuck will deal with the video his dad sent him. There is no proof in the video other than Dake saying he knows Bryan was the one to call… well, we’ll see!
I think the US attorney’s office is way stronger this season than the first season – they are brilliant together!
I thought, from Kate’s body language, that she had a date in the apartment. Probably not Lonnie. I don’t think Kate would get involved with Lonnie – I would say relationships are frowned upon in such offices, no? Maybe that was the reason Kate ended it with Bryan, too. Lonnie is married, too; we had met the pianist wife last season – it is of course not a real barrier, but still…? Lonnie is playing safe. It’s not his thing to visit Kate at night, I would say 🙂
Very interesting observation about Chuck and his dad. Yeah that “terminal disease” reference haunted me, too. And I hope it stays metaphorical!
I LOVED Axe’s reaction to the call from Besinger – a real slap on the face! He has been humiliated. Yes, he was that 16 year old on the golf course again. And we’ll see if he will deal with Besinger later, too! I am a huge Mad Men fan, and I always thought Don Draper’s brilliance in advertisement has always come from changing the conversation when he needed to. That should be Axe’s next move! Now that people are talking about his bid getting turned down by the NFL, he has to come up with something BIG and change the conversation. Last season we saw him serving Birch’s head to Chuck so people would not talk much about his Hampton house and to save time to take measures for Chuck’s investigation into his business. Let’s see how he will change the conversation now!
I’m still betting that Lonnie was at Kate’s apartment. Who else would care about the Panama papers? And as for the “relationships are frowned upon in such offices”, that didn’t stop Kate from having sex with Bryan earlier, or Bryan having sex with the FBI agent. And as for the intro of Lonnie’s wife- I thought it was to show a strained relationship. She had her piano career and it was obvious she wasn’t happy that her practice was being interrupted with Lonnie’s business. Then there was the cute little Thai food in the office moment. Lonnie likes his food (way to a man’s heart, etc.) and Kate will do that “extra credit.” Her dad even said in ep. 3, Optimal Play, that Chuck may likely pick either Connerty or Lonnie to fill the vacant seat,and she could be in place for the deputy position with whomever gets the job. I don’t think Kate believes deep down that Bryan is getting the vacant seat no matter how much he yearns for it, so she is setting her sights on Lonnie. And after her discovery of dad’s money hiding, she isn’t going to just follow his advice to not play favorites. She’s going out on her own. She’s in it to win it.
Who knows maybe you will turn out to be right! It’s so much fun speculating!
Oh, of course, some have not avoided from having relationships – my take on Lonnie is that he is playing safe to the end. He wants to be Chuck’s pet if he stays on being the US attorney or the next US attorney’s pet.
I think, even though her dad advised that he will not, Chuck may give Head of Crim to Kate. Yes, she is in it to win. Certainly! If not Head of Crim, then Deputy for Chuck or his successor as US attorney.
Chuck is watching all of them and the kind of game they play. What kind of a person would he want as Head of Crim? Lonnie? Bryan? Kate? I just think he will keep postponing filling that position to keep everyone loyal to him.
ps. But I don’t get your “who else would care about the Panama papers?” There was movement inside but I didn’t think it was necessarily an interest about Panama Papers. I guess I missed that in the episode.
I thought that Bryan reviewing the Panama papers was how he accidently found out about Kate’s dad. It was the money hiding trail and the 3 ( Lonnie, Bryan & Kate) knew about the Panama papers.
Oh, yes, that part is okay. I thought you were somehow linking it to Lonnie being in Kate’s apartment. I probably misunderstood what you said.
Love all the speculation about Team Chuck… Poor Bryan’s on the outs with everyone while Lonnie and Kate are making strategic moves and succeeding in getting ahead as well as Chuck’s attention. But I am wondering if it will ever come to light that Lonnie spoke to Dimonda who was after background on Chuck for a story? Yes, he was pissed off at having been moved to the Eastern District, but he still broke ranks by speaking to the journalist. Chuck’s choice for head of crim is certainly going to be interesting. (My guess is if Lonnie doesn’t get it then bringing Chuck down will become his mission instead. But what will Bryan do when/if he misses out?)
Great recap & love this site!
Ha! So true that Lonnie was the “insider” in Dimonda’s article. We’ll see if it will come to light. Ever.
Bryan is the most sincere player in the office – or he seems to be – what kind of a player is Chuck looking for to appoint as Head of Crim?
Bryan is certainly the character to watch this season!
I would only advise Chuck to postpone the appointment until the Dake investigation is over 😀
Thanks so much for your comments and feedback – please keep it coming!
Wonder if Dimonda will reappear at some point. Part of the reason I reckon Bryan will get head of Crim is because he is the one we are seeing struggling with everything and essentially you might say he is being tested a little out of his comfort zone. As Orrin says, he needs to be the one making the decisions. Bryan will test and challenge Chuck (so should expect it the other way), but ultimately has his back…I wouldn’t say that Lonnie does and am on the fence about whether or not Kate will value loyalty or do as her father says and look after herself.
So much in that episode. No Country For Old Men, The Wire, Bladerunner, Wilco, Megadeth, Die Hard, John Wayne, WWII/Normandy, Tennyson, NFL, Yosemite Sam, space travel