The Unbeatable, Unstoppable, Unparalleled MVPs from Billions Season 4 Episode 1

Half-zipped fleece vests, Michter’s whiskey, transcendent coffee jargon, Dollar Bill antics, Wags’ words of wisdom, Chuck seniorisms, hedge fund shenanigans and a multitude of fuck words can only mean one thing – BILLIONS IS BACK BABY!

This season we will review each episode and award our Most Valuable Players (MVPs) for the utmost brazen, uber shameless, ultra scheming, unmatched bad asses to date – from sports references, music, and tasty food to pop culture remarks, shocking twists and ultimate paybacks. This will serve as our prize ‘Billions MVP Fanbook’ commemorating all those in honor of such achievement.

Here are our Billions awards for Season 4, Episode 1, “Chucky Rhoades’s Greatest Game.”

Gingersnap

Unbeatable Bromance – Axe and Wags. Don’t kidnap Bobby’s buddy!

Nostalgic Mention – Sandicot

Best Line – Chuck Senior to his ‘sonny boy’ – “I would slap your face and tell ya to act like a man if I didn’t think it’d turn ya on.”

Best Pop Culture Reference – Wags referring to Boogie Nights when he says, “It doesn’t mater if it’s as swole as Dirk Diggler on his first night with Roller Girl. This is one of those rare cases where size actually doesn’t matter.”

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Award – Mx. Taylor Mason in a cocktail dress and long wig. I did not know this beauty was Taylor until Wags told me, forcing me to rewind. RuPaul, ya’ll!

https://twitter.com/AsiaKateDillon/status/1107741732899295234

Most Laugh Out Loud Scene – Axe and Bonnie:

Axe: “I want you two in synch like incestuous ice dancers.”

Bonnie: “My thong’s already riding up my crack; I don’t need you up there too, Axe.

Axe: “Oh that’s exactly where I am!”

Overall Episode MVP – Chuck Rhoades. From dancing a jig to Al Green to working the wheeling and dealing landscape of New York. He traded favors and moved like a honey bee from one meeting place to another, robbing Peter to pay Paul (plus all The Beatles) trying to secure his nectar, all the while to the backdrop of Fun Lovin’ Criminal’s King of New York and determined as hell to unload that Park-Anywhere permit. And smitten he was to finally find a recipient! His storyline had all the feels and pace of Ocean’s 13 and season two’s Golden Frog Time, both written by Billions co-creators and show runners Brian Koppelman and David Levien. Coinky dink? I think not! This truly was Chucky’s greatest game.

And somebody we all know feels the same about our MVP’s happy dance, claiming it is one of his top three Billions’ moments:

This makes me so happy.
Goes straight into Top 3 Billions Moments. Instant classic. pic.twitter.com/Q4aOVHBnHb

— Damian Lewis (@lewis_damian) March 18, 2019

Lady Trader

Best Song –  Yeah, I’m gonna brag about it, because, hey, why the hell not! I correctly predicted “Ace of Spades” would be the Motörhead song used when Axe wore his metal t-shirt. I fangirl out when these metal moments happen. I’m happy it does, but can I be sad it was the first episode? I want more metal!!

Worst Song – What ever the hell that song playing in the club Wags was partying at. Sorry, just gross.

Best Wall Street Reference – In the first time that I can remember, Billions talked about real companies the firm was making plays on: Teva (ticker: TEVA), America Movil (ticker: AMXA), and Rio Tinto (ticker: RIO). Billions has used made up companies in the past, and I’m loving being able to recognize real firms. Makes me really understand the various plays the fund is making.

Overall Episode MVP – And coming in from left field…. Grigor Andolov. Without raising his voice, he did something we rarely see: scared Axe! MVP stand for Most Valuable Player, and Grigor’s value to Taylor right now is priceless. No sweat Fonzie!

Damianista

Best Friend – Bobby Axelrod. Loyalty is everything for the boss. As he tells Mafee in Season 1: “You don’t try to be loyal. You just are. Or you’re not.” Wags has always been loyal to Axe and the “Kommandant” is ready to say “Fuck Axe Capital” when he knows his right hand man is in danger.

Ultimate Insult – Police Commissioner Sansome’s words when Chuck finds him at Sparks Steakhouse.

Whaaaaaa? Who says this? I mean we have serious contenders in the vulgarity department on this show but this?!?! Good thing Chuck is a Machiavellian. He keeps his composure even though he probably feels like shit!

Loser of the Week – One of the picnic boys! But I am not sure which one.

Three pieces of information make me think Mafee may be the loser of the week and he may have no idea that he is! 1) Axe fires Rudy because he “fraternized” with Mafee.  2) Mafee speaks his mind to people “outside the family” like Danzig. 3) Axe Capital hires Danzig. So how about Axe using Rudy, who he has very publicly fired, as a mole? It would be quite easy for Rudy to cry on Mafee’s shoulder after getting fired and extract information about Taylor Mason Capital when opportunity arises? Time will tell.

Top Dreamer – Bryan James Flynn Connerty who thinks he can make the world a better place under Jeffcoat’s watch. Nope. It will not happen.

TheTailThatWagsTheDog

Best Prop – Chuck’s “Park Anywhere” pass. Has any slip of paper gotten as much mileage in the course of a story as that one 5×7 card did?

Best Disguise – Taylor. I will admit I had no idea who that was until Wags mentioned it to Bobby. And even then I wasn’t convinced until the hawk landed on their arm and they started talking.

Do whatever it takes.

Catch up on the #Billions season premiere now: https://t.co/RKJrzjWNDO #Showtime pic.twitter.com/w2Vjdv2qmR

— Billions on Showtime (@SHO_Billions) March 18, 2019

Best Resource – Hall. Admit it, in seasons one and two you hated Hall for all of the dirty tricks he was pulling, but now you were rooting for him to find dirt on the Sheikh, weren’t you?

Worst Predictor – Me. In my predictions for the year I called for an increased role for Rudy – so what happens? He gets Axed in the first ten minutes of the show, showing that I have no clue what direction the writers are going in. Which is fine by me.

Author: Gingersnap

Management Analyst, part-time Adjunct Professor and Computer Software Consultant by day and Damian Lewis aficionado by night. View all posts by Gingersnap