How does it feel?
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
A complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?-Bob Dylan
Well, ladies and gentlemen, this is how you do a Season Finale and how you title it – with a brilliant Bob Dylan song that fits the bill perfectly!
And may I just say I will miss Sundays? Thanks to Showtime releasing the new episodes Saturday at midnight, I watched the show two times until 2am and took notes. Then I slept on it and wrote all day Sunday taking a lot of pleasure in putting together what I see, what I read between the lines, and my favorite part, predictions (I have hits and misses!) about what could happen next in this crazy ride! I give standing ovation to all brilliant minds behind and in front of the camera for surpassing all expectations!
While the season is coming to an end, we still have so much to say about it. We are currently working on a FUN Best of Billions Season 5 post, followed by the updated dining guide, a locations guide and much more. Hope you stay with us between seasons!
This insane episode, full of outwitting, outsmarting and outlasting, also drops clever, if subtle, clues along the way about what is coming as well as offers moments from Billions memory lane that I adore! We all know that Billions creators love references and they use Billions references, too, in this episode – as a tribute to Axe and Chuck, Damian Lewis and Paul Giamatti, who storm every scene they are in together. No Direction Home is absolutely one of those episodes you should really see at least twice to collect all the clues as well as all the blast from the past!
Chuck arriving at Axe Capital is always a thrill. Yet, as I expect him and Axe get to yet another of their insane exchanges, we go back in time…
43 Hours Ago
Axe has his war room set up at his country house. He wants to know the worst case scenario.
We find out from Bach that Axe may be looking at 25 years of jail time. Yikes! And he also gives the answer to the question I asked at the end of the previous episode: As the chairman of the bank, it is Axe’s responsibility to know his customer, to do his due diligence, which he skipped to be able to take the FYC money right away. He essentially trusted the due diligence Prince did for the company – fatal mistake. UGH.
We know that Prince never intended to take the FYC money. He knew that CEO Winslow was running a criminal enterprise from the get go. All he wanted was to provoke Axe to go after FYC, take its money, and fall. And Axe swallowed it, exactly like Kate said, like sushi laced with polonium. It seems Chuck can now make the case that Axe knowingly ignored Winslow’s criminal activity and conspired with her company’s money laundering. Farmer in the Dell indeed. Without the fun. UGH.
We also find out that Axe is not the only one in deep shit. Even though he had all his focus on Chelsea and not on the bank, Wags, the CEO of Axe bank, will also go down along with Axe in the worst case scenario.
As the loyal right-hand man that he is, Wags tells the man whose altar he worships at the truth: He will do *anything* not to go to jail. Well, that means only one thing, doesn’t it? Axe has to make sure Wags is not going to jail because otherwise Axe himself certainly will.
Axe tells Bach to arrange the surrender and promises he will honor it this time – remember he did not honor it and instead went to see Wendy at the World Trade Center in Season 2 Episode 12 No Ball in Hand! Axe will fight this loudly and publicly especially since there are issues, he looks at Wendy, more important than business involved here…
…Well, I certainly understand this is not the beginning Axe dreamt for them. And I would also take board shorts over orange jumpsuits! Yet if they had talked about risky business decisions rather than their dream trip to Fiji in the previous episode, Fiji would not have been a dream right now. UGH.
While Axe is looking for a way out, Chuck, happy as a clam, is sitting in his office with his new friend Prince. While he cannot wait to surprise Axe with an arrest warrant, Prince looks tired and he admits to Chuck that he was not able to sleep last night because of his excitement about Axe’s arrest.
Chuck has Axe’s two planes being watched. Axe’s assets will be frozen in parallel with his arrest, and Chuck, while he has plenty of options, wants to do it in his office – in front of his employees, and of course Wendy! What a little, insecure man! And look at Prince’s face when Chuck talks about putting the cuffs on Axe at his office, in front of his people. I think Prince sees through Chuck and his sick obsession with Axe right now. This was Clue #1 for me that something was cooking.
And it turns out, Bobby Axelrod is outside ready to fight this publicly! Bach, who gets into Chuck’s office to tell him that they know he is planning to arrest Axe in 24 hours, also puts a lap top on Chuck’s desk: Axe is front of Chuck’s building talking to the reporters as he calls Chuck to come down and charge him. And every word he says to the reporters is spot on – especially this part:
“…and so you know, as I do, the whatever kind of supposed crime I committed is really just the crime of living and breathing in Chuck Rhoades’ general vicinity.”
And Axe proving to Chuck, who comes down to confront him, and the reporters why this campaign against him by Chuck’s own words from Season 1 Finale The Conversation and Season 2 Finale Ball in Hand is a delicious walk in the Billions memory lane:
Chuck: “The only enemy more dangerous than a man with unlimited resources is one with nothing to lose.”
Axe: “I might go down behind all of this, but one thing is for sure, you are gonna be right there next to me.”
Chuck: “Wow. Like I said before, Bob… Worth it.”
Axe now admits publicly that he will technically surrender the next day but he will keep fighting Chuck until his dying breath. Oh, and he also notices Prince leaving the building… Interesting eye contact there, huh? This was my Clue #2 that something was certainly cooking.
Chuck is now in the office with Kate and Allerd. He is keen on punishing the traitor, whoever that is, who leaked the arrest information to Axe. But at this very minute, they have to make sure this case does not go to trial. They have to make Axe admit what he did and take a plea. While it may not work, they have to try and grill Mike Wagner. They have to make sure there is no popularity contest (which Axe can win against Chuck!) or a chance for Axe to manipulate the jury (which he can!) Chuck also wants surveillance on Axe, too, so everything falls into its place on Chuck’s chessboard.
Oh, and, yes, Chuck, I also saw the Kubrick film Paths of Glory – a brilliant anti-war movie. And while I never thought I could approve firing squads, I think I could if Chuck is the one standing against the wall at this very moment. And the Axe Cap employees who are watching Axe and Chuck live on TV may be with me!
It falls on the head of HR at Axe Holding Company to calm the employees down. They need to stay calm and united. Yes there will be negative press in the near future, but they will ultimately win as they always have. I wonder if Wendy believes these words she says to them…
…but I know she believes the words she says to Taylor and Rian. Because the advise Taylor now gives Rian about turning hate into fuel is exactly what Axe told them in Season 2 Episode 3 Optimal Play to motivate them in their poker game against Krakow.
“Hate is nature’s most perfect energy source. It’s endlessly renewable.”
Whoa. The circle of life. Taylor has now become Bobby Axelrod. And even Axe is ready to admit that – Taylor’s Boyd move in particular proves they have learnt enough from their mentor whom they have just killed.
Axe is probably taking pleasure in telling Taylor what is in store for them. They will feel less and less sad about people they crash over time. But in case they do not, they are welcome to bring cookies to Wallkill Correctional for Axe. But he does not think it is going to go that way and that Taylor knows it – which makes Taylor go and tell Rian what Agatha the Precog told Anderton in Minority Report :”Run.” And I really think, deep down, Axe is proud of Taylor. Look at his face as Taylor takes their leave.
I receive my Clue #3 in the meeting Chuck and Kate have with Wags and his new lawyer Neal Katyal playing himself ( Mr. Katyal is a good friend of show creator and runner Brian Koppelman). Chuck’s plan is to sweat Wags to a point that he will tell them Axe knew about the FYC’s money laundering and forced his CEO to cooperate.
I mean – I admit they have got me there for a nanosecond when Wags says life is too short and he will do it. But when he starts with his Idaho bullshit and leaves the stage to his boss a minute later, I know that something is most definitely cooking! Wags has been open and honest with Axe that he will do anything to avoid a jail cell. And if he mocks with the State AG like that now he knows more than we do!
So we finally have Axe and Chuck in a room together and these are the most delightful scenes with two powerhouses storming it. And in this particular scene, Chuck gives us a moment from Billions memory lane as he makes his case to Axe about why he has been chasing him with words Axe used when they agreed to work together in Season 4 Episode 3 Chickentown.
Axe: “Last time you were a lawman, it wasn’t so good for me.”
Chuck: “This time it’ll be different.”
Axe: “You sure about that? I’ve seen a lot of Westerns. A man changes when he puts on that star.”
Chuck: “No sir. Not on the inside. I wear the badge, I’ll be able to do for you. Favors reap favors.”
Now – I do not believe a word Chuck is saying about being a lawman and the star he has put on. As Axe has correctly pointed out in front of the reporters, this is not judicial, this is personal. And while Chuck admits it is partially about Wendy, it is completely about her. It has always been about her. I mean he wants to arrest Axe at Axe Capital only because he wants Wendy to see him like that. What a little, insecure man!
And this little, insecure man now thinks he is Muhammad Ali? Bullshit. I admit I am very pumped up about this because I just watched Ken Burns’ brilliant new documentary “Muhammad Ali.” And yeah Axe and Chuck remind me of Ali and Frazier, respectively – especially with their verbal exchanges being as intense as the press conferences the two boxers had before their fights 🙂
As soon as Dawn Winslow spills the beans about how she did what she did, Chuck has the authority to make the arrest. It turns out they agreed to have Bobby at the heliport. And it is amazing that Chuck stops to share the news with his dad. What a little, insecure man, still looking for parental approval! Your parental approval, Chuck, is your 80 year old father telling his baby daughter about his great older brother. Congratulations!
As Team Axe (Wags, Wendy, Bach, Taylor – why is Taylor there?) and Team Chuck (Chuck, DA Gramm, Kate, Karl) arrive at the heliport for the precious delivery. I believe that the anticipation of having Axe cuffed in front of Wendy is the ultimate wet dream for Chuck!
Literally LMAO that it turns out the only delivery they have today is a bag for Wags in which there is a document asking Wags to be the CEO of Axe Bank which has never been signed…
Oh, and the chopper…
Who is Muhammad Ali now, Mr. State AG?
So everything was a show – from Bach’s visit to Chuck to agree on the terms of the surrender to Axe calling out Chuck to come and arrest him publicly in front of the reporters, to Axe crashing Chuck’s meeting with Wags and Katyal to tell him that the jury will find him innocent.
As Chuck figures out that the “traitor” is the only missing Team Chuck member at the heliport, we go back to 40 hours ago – a few hours after Axe has got information about his worst-case scenario from Bach. And, hey, if Prince is “the traitor” what does this make Chuck? I suggest “the idiot.” This scene is up there with Chuck cry-laughing at the end of Season 2 Episode 11 Golden Frog Time. And I wonder what Chucky will tell his daddy now 🙂
40 hours ago
A late night alley meeting between Wags and Scooter is followed by Prince paying a visit to Axe’s country house in the wee hours. Yes that is why Prince looks like he was sleep deprived the next morning in Chuck’s office!
Prince presents the facts. Once he is indicted, Axe’s assets of $8B will be frozen. Axe probably has a few hundreds of millions here and a few more there. If Axe goes to trial, he is looking at 25 years of jail time. Given that billionaires are not very popular these days, his best bet is to and take a plea. Minimum 6 years with good behavior and all that.
Prince is happy to see Axe go away, but he does not think he needs to go away in cuffs. And I am happy to see that Prince has figured out Chuck’s sick obsession with Axe.
“While that may be part of Chuck’s Cheryl Tiegs fishnet fantasy, it’s not part of mine.”
Prince’s offer is straightforward. $2B for Axe Holding Company – including Taylor Mason Carbon. And they have to sign now because once Axe is indicted, the business transaction will be illegal.
Wow. Everything has its first time and Axe now knows what it is to lose. Prince is making Axe a take-it-or-leave-it offer and honestly Axe has no leverage whatsoever. He can take the offer and run or leave the offer and go to jail. Two very clear choices.
15 hours earlier
Next we see Axe standing in a hangar with Hall appreciating one purchase he used to think as waste of money but that comes handy in a rainy day.
His THIRD plane that nobody knows about. The plane is outfitted as a cargo jet. And there is a special container in which Axe can sit on a regular seat. Perfect.
1 hour earlier
Axe gets on his chopper so that his tail is satisfied to see him go. Then he gets off from the other side and gets into a waiting car to be taken to his third plane for his flight to his new home and new passport!
Back to present time: As Kate is keen on getting the FAA to recheck the no-flight lists and air traffic, Chuck speaks the truth for the first time in this episode.
“When someone leaves a burning sack of excrement on your doorstep and rings your door bell, it’s best not to stomp it out lest get you covered in shit.”
Listen to Chuck, Kate. He’s experienced and covered in shit!
Chuck cannot wait for another second to get nasty with Wendy about Axe leaving her behind. I do not know how many times I called him a little, insecure man in this post, but he really is. But Taylor does not miss what Chuck misses. While she pretends to be shocked at the heliport, Wendy knew that Axe was going away.
Bobby and Wendy meet at the country house at sunrise. As Wendy is ready to set their base there and fight the case, Bobby finally spills the beans. It seems Prince has convinced the King about his odds. Bobby knows that, even if he fights, he will lose. So he will flee the country and asks Wendy to go with him… Hmmm I wonder if he thinks Wendy would go with him at all. Even though she leaves everything behind, there is no way a mom can leave her kids behind. Besides, Prince has said he wanted and needed Wendy at the company. So I think while Bobby is sincere that he would like to have any version of her with him, he knows that Wendy will stay behind.
And as, in my imagination, many fans shout at their screens “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”Bobby and Wendy do not start a thing that they cannot finish. Exactly as they should. Well, they will always have Fiji 🙂 And maybe they can ski on Swiss Alps during the holidays…
“Willkomme to Switzerland, Herr Axelrod. Everything is in order.”
How does it feel?
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
A complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?-Bob Dylan
And finally we find out that the “he” Chuck asks about when he arrives at Axe Capital at the beginning of the episode is not Axe. It is Prince – the new owner of Axe’s Company.
As the new boss arrives and welcomes everyone back to the workplace, it seems everybody is staying except for Dollar Bill and Mafee who are planning to partner up. We may see them as a rival company in the next season and, who knows, may be taking instructions from Axe. Remember that Axe told Dollar Bill in their last meeting that he will always be a good operator in the money business and his place is Axe Capital.
Taylor, when they met with Axe in his country house, tells him that his problem is that he sees Taylor’s work, company and them as his. And now that Axe sold Prince the shares he bought from Wendy, Taylor has a new boss who loves to say “it’s all mine” 🙂 Hey Taylor, how is it going for you?
Well, only a few minutes in his new office, and Mike Prince welcomes his former BFF and new foe. As Chuck declares Prince as his new problem and reminds him that he knows he got rid of the last guy who sat in that chair, Prince corrects him:
“No. I got rid of the guy in the chair. Know how we know this to be true? Cause I’m the one sitting in it.”
And he is. I have to add that it breaks my heart to see Wags pulling the chair for the new king (yep – Prince upgraded to King now!) along with Scooter.
While we have got answers for most of our unanswered questions in the Season Finale, a billion dollar question remains: Is Damian Lewis leaving the show? My hunch is that he is. As most of you know, Damian’s wife, the great Helen McCrory, passed away back in April. And it is more than understandable that Damian wants to be home with his children. That said: I wonder if Axe will still show up in Season 6 in a brief storyline, a flashback, or in spirit – such as Wendy talking about a phone call with him, traveling to Switzerland for a ski trip, or Dollar Bill taking instructions from Axe for a particular trade so that we get updates about what Axe has been up to. Yes I know he is a fictional character but I already miss him!
Now, if this is the case, then it also marks the end of an era for me. I came to Billions for Damian Lewis six years ago but I stayed for Billions. The brilliant people behind and in front of the camera have collectively given us the smartest show on TV. And I am proud of the fact that I have written a review for every single episode of Billions – I actually pulled all-nighters in the first three seasons because they did not make the episodes available the night before! It goes without saying that I am deeply invested in the storylines as well as the characters. And I have been extremely lucky over the years to catch Damian on set, witnessed some of the lovely, fun and thrilling scenes in the show being filmed, as my favorite actor in the world made me feel like his guest. Damian, you are one in a billion, thank you for everything. And while I will miss catching up with you on set, I will keep watching.
My God am I going to miss billions until January!!!there was no way on gods green earth that anyone could have predicted this ending……let me just say …….Axe has brass ones …..it was beautiful between Axe and Wendy…..love Wendy!!!!!
That Wendy and Axe parting scene was right out of Homeland’s play book. In both cases, it was obvious the two would part, Brody hiking off through the woods, Axe slipping away by air. I also don’t expect Axe back in season 6. Prince plopping down in the King’s chair was a bit more than I could stand, but at least our guy didn’t get hung at the end. I’ve watched season 5 only for Damian, so I won’t be tuning in next year unless he shows up in some capacity. Hopefully, he will find some projects he can do close to home, near family, that will get to our shores sooner or later, hopefully sooner. Congrats to the Ginger Prince for a job well done. When the 5th. season DVD comes out I will add it to my collection. (Already ordered.) Thanks to all for all the great posts over the years!
Omg the only reason I watch Billions is because of Damian Lewis. If he returns at all I will revisit.
Thank you for reading. I feel you. You never know Axe may appear in a scene or two. This blog has had a very organic relationship with Billions since the blog was launched and the pilot was filmed at the same time. So I will really miss it. It’s the end of an era.
Hi Connie – where have you been? I hope you’re doing well. Yes, Axe and Wendy scene was very similar to Brody and Carrie at the end of Season 2. One exception is that while I rooted for Brody and Carrie, I never did for Axe and Wendy so the feelings I had during those two scenes were quite different. Haha I agree that Prince taking Axe’s seat was a heartbreaking, and I didn’t think I’d feel that way but I did – it should be my maternal protective side!!!! – but yeah Axe didn’t get hung – instead he had $2B and an instant Swiss citizenship. And he had a smug on his face. He marks this as a win, and it is – under the circumstances. Thank you for your very kind words about our posts. This blog has had a very organic relationship with Billions since the blog was launched and the pilot was filmed at the same time. So I will really miss it. It’s the end of an era. But we’re pumped up and ready for Damian’s next project! Bring it on.
Hello Damianista, I’m fine, even in these trying (read that pandemic) times, as I hope you have been. I haven’t been posting mostly because I have been less than thrilled with season 5 and was in the minority on that. All those references drove me nuts; considered them a distraction from the dialog. Also, I much preferred both Axe and Chuck as family men, which neither character obviously is, and would have liked to see more of the human side of both of them. I saw no point to being negative, so just enjoyed Billions for Damian’s presence. Have been his fan for 20 years now, since Sept. 2001 and since I had my 80th. birthday a few months ago, probably don’t have 20 more to give him. (Or if I do, at that point likely wouldn’t know my own name, let alone his.). So, I will be happy to see him move on to other things and look forward to whatever he produces. I will check in on this blog of course as I depend on you folks to keep up with his activities and while I have often disagreed, I have enjoyed these years of reading and your hard work. Many, many thanks.
Connie – we all agree Damian is a phenomenal actor. That is our common denominator. The rest is the detail – what character, what show, what movie we love better, etc. Happy 80th Birthday and Happy 20th Anniversary of being a Damian Lewis fan! Thank you so much for your kind words and your support. Love you!
Thank you very much for your interesting analysis and all your efforts to keep us tune! I always impatiently wait for your Blogs’ recaps, guys. Please keep doing this brilliant job!
The second part of the Season 5 was superb, but the last two episodes were breath-taking. Literally! I needed whiskey and cigarettes to watch them properly – so much excitement I have felt. And I usually don’t smoke at home.
But still – so sadly to see, how Axe was outfoxed and caught unguarded. OK, he was busy with his revenge and love affair to be, Wags was busy with his revenge and the marriage to be. It was fully idiotic, but it happens. Even with such people like Axe. But why the hell Hall didn’t vet the all things in a proper way?! Why the Sr., Hard Bob, Dollar Bill and Victor “were not uncertain”? Especially Hall!
Wendy “doesn’t do the numbers”, but the others either do, or have the hidden channels to clarify the things. It looks like an ideal storm – all bad circumstances and all possible and impossible mistakes have been done. To the bitter end.
I refuse to think that Axe will leave the show. Despite of this personal tragedy in Damian’s family. But may be you are right. We will see.
Thank you for reading and your kind words. This blog was born in parallel to Billions – I launched the blog on January 5, 2015 and they started filming Billions pilot at the same time. So, we’ve invested more than anyone in the storyline and the characters. I feel a bit emotional today since it’s the end of an era. The second part of Season 5 was mind-blowing. Billions has the best and smartest writers – they have given us the smartest show on TV with amazing cast bringing larger than life characters to life. In terms of vetting? I think it was Wendy that had to keep Axe grounded when he decided to get into the risky business of cannabis money but she was distracted. If they were talking about cannabis money on the phone instead of Fiji I think the two of them would be vacationing on Fiji now 🙂 And as you say Wags, Axe, everyone was distracted and yes it happens. Bobby tasked Hall with investigating Prince not to investigate the cannabis company. They were supposed to do it during due diligence but Axe skipped that part, trusting the due diligence Prince had, to take the cannabis money right away. Fatal mistake!
It’s been announced that Damian has left the show as a regular. Maybe he may come back for a brief scene or two but Bobby Axelrod will not be the lead character from now on. I think Damian decided to leave after 5 seasons any way but the family tragedy also makes it very understandable that he wants to be at home in London with his children.
Thank you very much for your detailed answer! And yes, you were right – Damian leaves the show to be in England with his kids. So sad! But life is life. Although Billions without Axe -hard to imagine. Below is the link to the interview by Damian to NY Times (October 3, 2021). Just in case, you haven’t seen it yet.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/03/arts/television/damian-lewis-billions-finale.html
Thank you so much! Since we’re also managing Damian’s fan site damian-lewis.com we need to be on top of what’s published in the media about him. We shared this article last night on the fan site. It’s very sad. As someone who lost her dad at age 8 I know how hard it is to go through such an experience. My heart is breaking for Damian and the kids. Only time will heal.
My pleasure! And thank you for the info about your other website http://www.damian-lewis.com !
So many interesting materials. Marvellous!
Dear Damianista, It’s has been so good to read your recaps the last five Monday mornings, and that of the other contributers during the week. Do you think you’ll continue for Season 6 without Damian in the show? Like Homeland, I vowed never to watch another episode after Season three but I did and I’m glad I did. At first as I realized what was happening last night, I felt the same about Billions. But as I read all of the articles and tweets over the last 24 hours, I see that Damian left by his choice and not because the showrunners thought they were making a story only about a CIA agent and no longer needed their Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor. I guess I still harbor some anger at Alex Gansa!
The Billions writers did an unbelievable job of wrapping up Axe’s story. If he had avoided jail one more time for one more crime that he really did commit, the show might have become more of the same story. The fact that Axe had to feel what it was like to lose – his company, Wendy (I’m so glad they never kissed!!!), all of his loyal team but remained free and seemingly happy??? was very satisfying. I’m just in awe of the talent of the writers even if I don’t get most of the references – I know you’ll fill me in in your recap.
Like many of your readers, I began this journey on the Fan Fun site when you first posted on the blog in early 2015. What a journey – I hope it’s one that will continue.
My Dear Nancy – Thank you so much for reading us and for your very kind words and support. It means a lot to us. Thank you! Since the blog is dedicated to Damian’s work, I don’t think recapping Billions episodes would be appropriate now. But I’ll keep watching since I came to Billions for Damian and stayed for the show, and actually became sort of friends with several cast members over the years – Kelly, Chris, Stephen are complete sweethearts!
I’ve actually known about Damian’s departure from the show for over a year (Showtime told my publisher, and they told me) and I obviously kept it to myself, and watched the show with the same excitement as ever because I knew deep down they would give him a brilliant send off and they did. Damian told Brian and David about leaving as they were filming Season 4. Helen was probably sick by then and they knew he had to spend much more time at home at some point. If there had been no pandemic, Damian would have been done filming the show in May 2020. But Covid had other plans. I’m also in awe with the writers’ ability to give something fresh, clever and very entertaining! Bobby’s exit is way different than that of Brody for sure!!!
So – it was a thrill ride as long as it lasted and hey let’s get ready for our guy’s next project. It seems he will start filming A Spy Among Friends this fall. I think I’ll need to get BritBox subscription and I’m holding my hope for one more round of Henry VIII in Wolf Hall’s third book (The Mirror and the Light) BBC adaptation. Oh yes as long as Damian is around, I am, we are, keen on continuing this journey <3. Love.
Great post! Awesome analysis. Why would Wendy stay with Mike? She could set her own practice up again in New York like she did in Season 2.
Thank you for reading and your kind words. Wendy has to stay. Because she’s a partner in TMC and the majority of shares belongs to Mike Prince. Wendy sold her shares of TMC to Axe to get them back when she can. She needed the cash to pay Chuck $25M so he wouldn’t be able to look into TMC books. But, in the transaction between Axe and Prince, while Axe asked Prince to drop TMC, Prince made it a deal breaker, he said he wanted both Wendy and Taylor, he needed both of them. So Axe also sold the shares he had in TMC to Prince and made Wendy and Taylor his!
Wendy got the $25 million from Axe. So wouldn’t she have enough millions for herself and leave Mike?
She got $25M from Axe and gave it to Chuck (remember the check she gave him in the kitchen?) for their divorce settlement. She should still have millions but it’s her home, the workplace she loves, besides she may be an insider and be eyes and ears for Axe inside…
True. Same for Wags. I also agree wat you wrote about Taylor. Despite helping to defeat Axe, is Taylor really in a better position now with Mike in charge?
I think Prince will not be very different from Axe even though he will claim that he is 🙂
True. Same for Wags. I also agree with what you wrote about Taylor. Despite helping to defeat Axe, is Taylor really in a better position now with Mike in charge?
I think you’re being a little harsh on Chuck.
Thank you for reading. There were a number of times I was very sympathetic to Chuck over the years and I still think he is very smart. That said I just could not stand him in the season finale. First, Chuck claiming that he is chasing Axe in the name of justice is bullshit. It is completely personal. Second, it cannot be more wrong for a state AG to use his power and resources, tax payer’s money, to trap someone into committing a crime. Totally unacceptable. Third, he was way out of line with Wendy at the heliport. He was simply nasty. And him visiting his dad on his way to arrest Axe was the icing on the cake 🙂
Eh, I’m in the minority but I don’t see Axe as some lovable antihero. I don’t even like him anymore. I know antiheroes have been the thing since Tony Soprano but I’ve never seen Axe in that way. Chuck is an insecure, little man big Axe is a greedy, insecure criminal. I’ve also hated the Wendy and Bobby love story. Glad the sexual psychodrama between her, Chuck and Bobby is over with.
Thank you for reading! Yes that is why I didn’t think I loved him. But it seems that I did. But I’d put him the iconic antihero category along with Tony Soprano, Walter White and Don Draper. He’s probably better than all since he’s not a murderer, or a meth-maker or an adulterer. Just another white collar criminal 🙂 Hate is such a heavy word. I never thought Axe and Wendy would come together, I thought the writers were bringing together just to separate them and that is exactly what they’ve done. Axe – Wendy is like Don Draper – Peggy Olson or Tony Soprano – Dr. Melfi.
If I had any sympathy for Chuck before ( and I didn’t have much), the way he spoke to Wendy when he realized Axe had slipped away was unforgiveable. Oh, and did anyone else notice that birth date on Axe’s new passport was actually Damian’s birthday?
So true about Chuck. He was simply nasty with her. And yeah about Damian’s birthday! My fellow Aquarian! Gingersnap wrote about it in our new “MVPs of the week” post.
A few more thoughts from me. I was looking at some of the episodes from Season 1 and it was obvious how Axe has aged over the years. Perhaps the show runners wanted him to look more battle weary, or maybe the years of going back and forth home to his family and caring for Helen were showing. I don’t mean that in an insulting way. I’ve always felt Damian is one of those actors who looks more appealing with age. (Think Cary Grant here.) He looks more real and less “Hollywood”. How many of you folks here have seen “Hearts & Bones”, or “Warriors”? He has grown in depth, talent and the ability to reach out and touch the humanity in his audiences. Oh dear, does my bias show??
A little (your bias) 😀 I completely agree with you, Connie. Damian in ‘Warriors’ is, if I may, a child. He’s definitely aged over 5 years and he’s now 50! I so agree he looks more real than Hollywood and I hope he stays that way. But he’s always been real in terms of his marriage and his family life. They’ve never become Hollywood types. I am so grateful for that!
Hi Connie! I’ve seen both Hearts & Bones and Warriors. I agree with you, he looks better and better with age. Ruggedly handsome when he has just a slight scruffy beard starting, semi-close shaven is my preference 😉
Hello Gingersnap! Yep, he looks better with age, although I must disagree with you on the beard. With a full beard he looks distinguished, but I hate the slight growth look, and I include everyone in that. Maybe that’s why I dislike Mike Prince. It always seemed to me that men should either grow the full one or shave, because the grubby look is just that…like the guy didn’t care enough to bother cleaning himself up. But of course, we all have our personal tastes and mine may very well be a generational thing. But on a similar subject, I can imagine Mike Prince in the role he has just acquired, but he lacks the sex appeal that Bobby Axelrod has always exuded. Okay, so Billions is a drama that never really needed a romantic lead, but for me Axe was just that anyway.
Connie – I LOVED Corey Stoll in House of Cards. But I’ve never been able to connect with his “Mike Prince.” Probably because in my mind a hedge fund billionaire should be sleek, stealth, hungry and downright ruthless – something Damian brought to the character with ease. Although a titan in his own right, Prince will never be a shark. Does it seem boring that Prince is from the world of private equity and venture capitalism instead of from the streets? That was Axe’s appeal (for me).
Well, you know I am not a defense lawyer for the show 🙂 If you look deep enough, you can definitely find loopholes. And I can tell you Hall may have made the SEC/IRC copy disappear – he already has a mole in there, which is also possible. And about Winslow, it is probably best not to have your circle bigger than it already is. Cooperating with a criminal may not be something Sacker could feel comfortable with IMHO. But I guess these questions are ultimately for the show creators/writers.
Hey, thank you for this, Damian really made Billions everything it ever was for me, but I’m trusting the show creators will try and keep his name around.
Sucks that Bobby didn’t once lament about his little boys after his disappearance, Wendy was right, she was the only love for him in the world.
Thank you for reading! I trust the show creators as well about keeping the show interesting and fun. I will miss Damian as Bobby Axelrod and hope to have him make a cameo at some point. But I will keep watching the show without him.