Showtime Billions at TCA18

It’s been a long winter, but now that Billions has announced a return date of March 25 for Season 3, bluier skies may be ahead. On Saturday, showrunners and stars graced the stage for this year’s Television Critics Association winter press tour, where they dropped the first promo and got the buzz up and running for the new season.

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The party got started in some fun Facebook live sessions. These short interviews were great at revealing actors’ insights into the characters they play as well as some fun behind the scenes bits.

First was Asia Kate Dillon. As we’ve seen, Taylor has been playing an increasing bigger role since first appearing on canvas. Last season, Axe promoted Taylor to CIO. It looks like this season their role may be even more significant.

Q: “Axe doesn’t trust many people, why does he trust Taylor?”
A: “In Taylor, Axe sees something unique and something practical: Taylor can make Axe a lot of money… Axe can see there is no ulterior motive.”

Q: “They can appear almost impenetrable. Do you think they have any weaknesses?
A: “Taylor is full of emotion, certainly, but is aware of when and how to titrate those emotions to get a desired result.”

Brr, that sounds cold, doesn’t it? Also a bit magical that Taylor is able to envision a result of something while also living that thing. In a show where the brain butts up against the heart, the practical against the ideal, a character like Taylor seems to function as a fulcrum on the scale.

Next came Malin Akerman and Maggie Siff. They were asked to describe Season 3 in one word. Their answer: “Fierce.” Then they played a game.

Q: “Who is the funniest on set?”

A:
Malin commented that Damian has that British quick wit charming sense of humor. And Maggie agreed that he was very funny even though she picked professional comic Dan Soder as the biggest tickler of the funny bone.

Q: “Who nails it on the first take?”

A:
“Maybe two,” Malin clarifies. Maggie says of Asia, there’s a “clarity out the gate.”

Finally, showrunners David Levien and Brian Koppelman’s session was a riot of behind the scenes anecdotes. First, our very own Gingersnap got a shout out for asking her brilliant question on who plays better ping pong, Koppelman or Damian? You can read her bit and hear the clip here.

Then there was the requisite talk on Damian’s accent. As we’ve heard before, Damian stays in the American accent throughout their shooting days, on and off the camera. Levien and Koppelman quipped:

“As soon as we got on the plane last night, he became a British flight attendant.”

Levien: “He became a very elegant man…full service was beautiful to watch.”

Koppelman: “Quite a mixologist too.”

That settles it. A cocktail party, you esconced safely behind the bar mixing it up for your coterie of adoring fans. How about it, Damian?

Koppelman dropped names of hedge fund guys who “threw in with [them] early.” Marc Lasry and Jim Chanos “both lent info we were able to use, words that ended up coming out of Axe’s mouth.” He continued: “And Preet Bharara, we’ve spent time with as well, to learn the US attorney’s side.”

On the topic of food, Koppelman teased that Episode 5 will feature a quintessential NY restaurant with a quintessential NY chef. He remarked that the food press have written favorably on how Billions depicts “social structure as it’s revealed thru restaurants.”

Talk turned to story. Levien summarized:

Chuck had a great victory on one hand, but he had to alienate a lot of people in the process and that left him very vulnerable to somebody coming back at him. Bobby Axelrod’s the kind of guy who’s going to pick up on that opportunity to go after him.

Levien and Koppelman had their chance at one word to describe Season 3.

Levien: “Exciting.”
Koppelman: “Fucking great.”
Interviewer: “That’s two words.”
New Yorker Koppelman: “Yeah, to you.”

We didn’t attend the TCA event ourselves, and, unlike commercial media, we don’t get advance episodes, but we followed along closely as flies on the flies in the room. Diane Gordon from Surf Report treated us to a storify with some official photos, worth checking out here.

Some great reveals from her reporting are the new faces we’ll be seeing this season:

Koppelman says the role Danny Strong plays was written for him. Look for Mike Birbiglia in episode 4 this season – in a role that was written for him. #Billions #TCA18

— Diane Gordon (@thesurfreport) January 6, 2018

Koppelman confirms Mike Birbiglia will be recurring:

And my man just KILLS it. Multi episode arc! @birbigs. Not telling you who he plays or what or why. But he’s full on great. https://t.co/jOG5IpB92r

— Brian Koppelman (@briankoppelman) January 7, 2018

And apparently Damian does a killer impression of the comedian:

Never knew I needed a Mike Birbiglia impression by Damian Lewis, until now. #Billions #TCA18

— Matt Mitovich (@MattMitovich) January 6, 2018

Damian Lewis impersonating Mike Birbiglia is the sugar rush I needed as I wait for the sweets break at #TCA18.

— Yvonne Villarreal (@villarrealy) January 6, 2018

Damian Lewis said Birbiglia asked “How am I gonna be on a show where everyone talks so quickly?” which is kind of adorable. #TCA18

— Soraya Nadia McDonald (@SorayaMcDonald) January 6, 2018

They pulled another casting coup for film nerds such as themselves, wrangling Clancy Brown who played Kurgan in Highlander, a film that has featured more than once in Billions dialog:

Look for Clancy Brown as the Attorney General of the U.S. this season on #Billions. #TCA17

— Diane Gordon (@thesurfreport) January 6, 2018

I demand a buddy movie starring Paul Giamatti and Clancy Brown #Billions #TCA18

— Joe Otterson (@JoeOtterson) January 6, 2018

Now for the promo:

https://youtu.be/7dKownfx75E

The tagline is: What has the stronger pull: Fear or Money?

When Wendy notes Bobby’s hesitation, neither fear nor the potential to lose his money figures in his explanation. It’s rage. Could the show be going into an examination of the stultifying and self-defeating nature of rage?

Axe has been confronted by the possibility of prison, for doing something that comes naturally to him, something he’s convinced himself hurts no one, the simple act of making money. He may say otherwise, but he is defeated, the floor has dropped out from under him. As someone charged with a crime, he is effectively without power.

Given the niceties of the criminal justice system, white collar criminals are free to walk about untethered even when under investigation, so he’s still able-bodied enough to hand over his business activities to eager-to-please trusty Lieutenant Taylor. How that works out for him remains to be seen, of course. The line “I needed total loyalty, I got less than that” is most likely inserted totally out of context as promos often do. But, it gets you thinking anyway, doesn’t it.

In short, his admission of rage, not resolve, not empowerment, but sheer rage, is very telling I think. Coupled with the fact that he may have lost his family in the bargain, yeah, he’s angry. And I can see it being a sort of helpless “but all I wanted to do was make money” kind of anger. And the rage itself may be his kryptonite.

Deadline Hollywood shared:

“That was a box that we wanted to put the character in. We had these characters that are super powerful within their worlds,” said Levien. It’s fascinating to us to put them in situations where they become vulnerable or less powerful. It’s a changing landscape. The question is how will Axe react?”

“By the 3rd episode of this season it’s pretty clear that he’s not going to accept that that’s his modern life,” expounded Koppelman. “He’s going to work really hard to change that. We just wanted to take a superhero in a way and put them in a box for which it’s hard for them to escape.”

“People go down on this show but they get back up pretty quick,” Lewis teased. “That buoyancy is what makes it so exciting to watch… He has a lieutenant now and they are the avatar of everything that he likes and believes in. He will find a way to come back.”

In the promo, we see Connerty offering his insight:

They’re meat eaters, the only win they can live with is total….he expects to get all of it, everything.

If that particular cut of the promo is to believed, Chuck doesn’t seem very convinced. Gotta say, neither am I: Bobby is cornered, and he’s blinded by rage. Given the desperateness of such a position, some radically new shit is definitely going to do down.

On to Lara and Wendy’s roles in all of the power play.

Maggie Siff: what was done skillfully last season is that there was a page turned in everyone's lives. This season, Wendy is back between Chuck and Axe but in a very different way. #Billions #TCA18

— Diane Gordon (@thesurfreport) January 6, 2018

#MaggieSiff says Wendy has complex relationships with Chuck and Axe, making her stuck between a rock and a hard place. In season 3, she returns on very different terms. #Billions #Showtime

— Billions (@SHO_Billions) January 6, 2018

I’m like the girl version of an 11 year old boy every time I hear the expression “between a rock and a hard place”, so, forgive the prurience when I say, given the return to cowhide and other gear for Wendy and Chuck, I do believe that Axe may be the rock in that formula.

We’ve seen the exhilarating back and forth between the two ends of the scale in the last two seasons, and this season will most likely continue that dynamic in new interesting ways. Axe starting at the lower end bodes well for Season 3 being a compelling ride!

Looks like cast decided to make a full day and night in Los Angeles out of it. Here they are at Showtime’s Golden Globe party:

https://twitter.com/SHO_Billions/status/949870900039467008

ETA: Gotta add this pic of Damian and Asia, speaks volumes:

Also, that Southern-sounding chain gang blues march you hear behind the promo? Why, another young new face that belies the depth of his voice, Barns Courtney, “Glitter & Gold”