We hope you all are having a fabulous summer and are ready to get fall rolling with Chuck, Prince, Wendy, Taylor, Wags and, yes, AXE!
We did not write any episode recaps for Season 6 since this blog is not about Billions but about Damian Lewis’ work. And now that he is back, we are thrilled to resume our weekly Billions recaps and analysis! Some of us are also watching Season 6 one more time (I admit I watched it closely but not with the obsession I typically did when Damian Lewis was on the show!) to remember where we left our characters. I highly recommend everyone to catch up with Season 6 since, without question, some new characters introduced in Season 6 as well as several storylines will re-appear in the final season. Moreover, while Bobby Axelrod was not physically there in Season 6 he has a constant presence in the season. And now that he is back, WE ARE BACK, TOO!
As we all eagerly anticipate the final season of our favorite show, we here at Fan Fun want to share some of our expectations, wishes and fantasies on the upcoming season with you and get us all in the mood!
Lady Trader
One Expectation: The one thing to always expect with Billions is twists and turns, double crosses (and sometimes triple crosses), and strategic moves you never see coming. Why would the last season not have all of that but on steroids!
One Fantasy: My fantasy is for Bobby Axelrod to end the show in a happy place. I don’t know if that is with Wendy, back at Axe Cap, or just being able to breath. For 6 seasons Axe has been running with the devil and I think the man needs some peace!
One Wish: It’s a 99% certainty that Axe will be wearing a metal band t-shirt. Since I got my wish in season 3 of a Black Sabbath shirt, my wish is for Gingersnap to finally see Axe in the Iron Maiden shirt we have been longing for! “Number of the Beast” would be the perfect shirt as the lyrics are quite fitting:
“I’m coming back, I will return”
Looking Forward To: I’m looking forward to Axe returning. I have not made it a secret that I bailed on the show when Axe exited stage left. I believe he was the heart and soul of the show. Seeing the images of Damian filming a scene at the Tower of London was very exciting and fitting. The Tower was were the kings of England stayed the night before their coronation. Axe is certainly back to reclaim his crown. (I’ve compared Axe to a king before in S2.)
Not Looking Forward To: This is not going to be popular, but here goes: I’m not looking forward to all the pop culture references. In the beginning, it was peppered in here and there, and for the most part, the heavy lifting of those references was done by Wags. But, as the seasons went on, everyone was on the bandwagon, and for me it just became too much. Also, with every character spouting these obscure references, they all started to sound the same. I want to hear each individual characters distinct voice. Plus, poor Damianista had too much research to do every week!
Gingersnap
One Expectation: I expect Rian sleeping with the boss Mike Prince is going to blow-back on his presidential candidacy and the wifey-poo. The campaign run shows the couple as the picture perfect family (their children drive me insane), but the wheels are about to fall off that civil servant bus before it makes it to the White House. Doesn’t matter that Mike and Andy were on a “break” when Rian and Prince played hide the bologna (baloney) pony. “My bologna has a first name…it’s P-R-I-N-C-E.”
One Fantasy: My fantasy is for days of old characters to make brief appearances so we can close the chapter on their journey. I want to know if Carly, Channing and Hlasa still have the Ionosphere Fund under Mike Prince (formally Axe) Capital and if so, is the revenue share agreement still in place? Afterall, Axe’s terms were not to be broken on a buyout. I want a snapshot of Lara and the boys – Dean and Gordie. We know from season five that Gordie was in prep school, but what has Lara been up to these days? Is Chef Ryan working for Salt Bae now? Is Dr. Gus still trying to get into others’ kitchens? Dr. Gus vibes were just as great as Dr. Swerdlow’s creepiness. Then there’s jailbird Bryan Connerty. SHOW ME THE BRYAN! And where the fuck is Lonnie Watley? THIS IS LONNIE’S HOUSE! I want to see Taylor’s estranged dad Douglas (played by Kevin Pollak) reconnect again. Speaking of Taylor and reconnecting again, what about Oscar Langstraat? Sure, the scene in the restaurant seemed final, but how has good boy Oscar been keeping busy? I also need an update on the emotionless Hall, aka Iceland. Is Deb working for Axe again, but in Switzerland/London now? Those of you who are scratching your head right now asking who Deb is…she was before Peaches. Show us Lawrence Boyd retired on his yacht. Remember Hap Halloran played by Saul Rubinek? Love me some Saul! What about Axe’s mom played by the fantastic Patti D’Arbanville? Let’s see her one last time. I fantasize the camera will pan in on Rebecca Cantu’s office and working there are familiar faces Sara and Lauren. Girl power! A quick update on Oliver Dake, Dan Margolis and The Pouch wouldn’t hurt either. And last but not least, RUDY! RUDY! RUDY! Oh and RIP Black Jack Foley, who had the best character name ever.
But the pinnacle fantasy? For some of these characters to transition to the spinoffs Millions or Trillions. That’s right. That global franchise has spurred a cinematic universe with a number of spinoffs in development that are set in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Among the announced series are Billions: Miami, set in the world of private aviation, and Billions: London, which will depict the world of U.K. finance. Additionally, Millions will follow a group of thirtysomething financial moguls while Trillions will be centered around the titans of industry who rank among the richest people in the world.
One Wish: If tradition has anything to say about it, Axe will be sporting another metal band t-shirt. Since the end of season one I have wished for Axe to wear an Iron Maiden concert tee. Let’s recap: season one = Metallica; season two = Megadeth; season three = Black Sabbath; season four = Motörhead; season five = Rainbow. Besides Iron Maiden, there are two other great predictions…more about The Man and His Music by Lady Trader here.
Looking Forward To: Bobby is back, baby! I am so looking forward to seeing Bobby’s return.
You know it will be triumphant! Have to admit, I really expected Bobby wouldn’t appear until the latter six episodes. But good on those showrunners for whetting our appetite and dangling that ginger carrot in our faces in episode one! Well done sirs, well done. I missed Axe’s prowling gait, cock-eyed smirk, shrewd business savvy and downright ruthlessness. Like he said in the season 7 official trailer: “This is it. It’s what you’ve been waiting for.” Damn skippy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm4tSDlBqyU
Honorable Mention: I’m also looking forward to the season 7 soundtrack. This show always has great music.
Not Looking Forward To: I’m not looking forward to the whole sexual tension between Bobby and Wendy. They need to stay friends only, no benefits. In this recent interview with TV Insider, both Damian and Paul Giamatti discuss Bobby + Wendy or Chuck + Wendy for the upcoming season 7.
Damianista
One Expectation: My expectation is for the king to get back into the game and claim his throne from the prince. And I expect him to take back his CEO seat with a little help from Chuck 🙂
Let us go back to the beginning of Season 1.
Chuck Rhoades is the U.S. attorney of the Southern District, arguably the most powerful U.S. attorney in the nation. Bobby Axelrod is a billionaire hedge fund manager. They sniff each other one day and do not like the smell…
…AND the rest is history! 7 seasons later…
Chuck has been fired from his job as the Attorney General of the New York State. More importantly he lost his Northern Star: Wendy.
Axe is not at a great place, either. He had to go in exile thanks to being ambushed by Chuck, Prince and Taylor in the Fine Young Cannabis deal. And he had to sell Axe Capital to Mike Prince under the market value, too.
Now, come to think of it, both men are not friendly with Prince at the moment. Mike Prince helped Chuck to get rid of Axe but his main goal was not to put a white collar criminal in prison, but to negotiate with the criminal to buy his hedge fund under the market value! Chuck took this personal but he really saw what Mike Prince was capable of when the latter had him fired from his Attorney General position. So I can only imagine how much Chuck wants to destroy Mike Prince. And Axe is likely to be in the same boat with Chuck. He should be dying to take revenge, take back Axe Capital and his CEO seat.
I believe the only condition under which this is possible is if/when Bobby and Chuck join forces. We have already seen in Seasons 3 and 4 that these two can move mountains if they work together. So my expectation in the final season is an Axe – Chuck collaboration to take down Mike Prince the CEO as well as Mike Prince the Presidential Candidate. I expect Hall to get the ball rolling…
…and given that it is a fact that American politics has seen many political careers messed up because of sex, e.g. John Edwards, Eliot Spitzer and what have you…and that casual one night stand Prince and Rian may come back to haunt Prince.
Oh and I would also not be surprised if Kate, being the smartest person in the room, jumped ship and started working with Chuck behind the scenes to serve him Prince’s head on a silver platter!
One Fantasy: My fantasy is related to my expectation.
Once they get rid of Mike Prince, don’t you think it is time for Wendy’s “lost boys” to call it a day so life goes back to normal?
And so, in my fantasy, the show ends with business as usual both at Axe Capital and the U.S. Attorney’s office…with the very last scenes seeing Axe having a pizza at former Bruno’s or at Uno Pizza with his boys while Wendy is burning a cigarette on Chuck’s chest and peeing on him…so Billions ends exactly as it began eight years ago!
One Wish: It is easy to get my wish from my fantasy, isn’t it?
I so hope Chuck does something to deserve and get the girl! 🙂 Oh yes, I am still holding out hope that these two will get back together! Come on, Chuck, you can do it!
Looking Forward To: Having BOBBY AXELROD back in Billions. Period.
While I am one of the biggest (if not the biggest) Damian Lewis fans, I have not stopped watching Billions when he left the show at the end of Season 5. And since I think of Bobby Axelrod as a white collar monster, I never thought I would miss the character this much. But I DID…thanks to Mike Prince.
While Bobby Axelrod may be a true monster, he does not hesitate to reveal it. Mike Prince, on the other hand, pretends he is there to do good but he is as big a monster as Axe is. I mean – the kind of things Prince did…from getting Chuck fired from his job to attempting to buy the White House with his billions in crypto?!?! What the actual fuck?!?! Oh, and he had a one night stand with Rian, an employee, too!
Long story short, Mike Prince’s ways have made Bobby Axelrod look like a saint and made me miss him so much!
Not Looking Forward To: Bobby Axelrod and Wendy Rhoades have one of the most intriguing and complex relationships we have ever seen on TV. It is sincere and it is strategic. It is friendly and it is flirty. It is personal and it is professional. It is delicate. It is difficult. It is delicious. That said – I am certainly in the tiny little minority that is not a big fan of their “will they kiss already?” storyline.
I sincerely believe and have already written about it here that even Wendy thinks that it is Chuck’s insanity that impelled her and Bobby together. On top of that, both Bobby and Wendy were lonely and vulnerable at the time. They both had stormy break ups (Wendy had hers courtesy of Bobby!) and they were looking for trust and loyalty which they have always had for one another. And bingo! But, after a year and a half, I do not think they will pick up where they left. Still, they will always have (the dream of) Fiji.
Holliedazzle:
One Expectation: I expect the twists and turns of this continuing cat-and-mouse game! I love those moment when the writing shocks you, and this show never has any shortage of them. I also want some of those iconic showdowns and speeches. Let’s GO!
One Fantasy: Oh goodness, this one is hard. This show seems so far above my intellect, and so ahead of me in cleverness (the previously mentioned shocking moments that I live for) and this makes projecting my own fantasies onto it seem impossible. How about I wish for an ending that we never see coming?
One Wish:
I don’t know how everyone else feels about Wendy and Axe being a thing…but my wish is that they aren’t. I don’t like it. It feels forced, and I don’t feel the chemistry between Axe and Wendy. My wish is that they get rid of that plot point quickly.
Looking Forward To:
Well, I am pretty sure that once I read this post (I am not reading it as I am adding my part-I don’t want to be influenced by my co-authors) I will see that all of us are looking forward to the return of the “tall one” himself. Having Axe back on the show and getting to read the fantastic recaps and pieces by my friends here at Fan Fun write is what I am looking forward to the most. Not having the recaps to help me comprehend all the levels and details of this show really impacted how much I took away each week. I still watched, but I probably missed a lot.
Not Looking Forward To: Well, all good things must come to an end, and we know that we will see that end this season. I am both ready for it and not ready for it. Ok, ok, I am dreading it. These characters are so real, so vivid, and the world they live in is so parallel to our own that it’s hard to think of never seeing them all again. It’s bittersweet. I know it’s going to be an awesome season. But saying goodbye is always hard. This show has been such a backbone of the content and growth here at Fan Fun, as well, so I have a lot of sentimental feelings about it. I know it’s far from the end for us, but it is the end of an era.
TheTailThatWagsTheDog:
One Expectation: Wags will jump ship once Bobby is back and try to derail Prince, but Taylor will mess it up. Taylor is a key in all of this. They were a critical player for both – so is Wendy, but Taylor is on the business end of things. Taylor will be in the middle of both of them and somehow Taylor will come out ahead in the end.
One Wish: A return to focusing on the all-star traders actually making all star trades – they got away from this more or less last year. The first few seasons we saw people like Dollar Bill, Mafee, Victor and Bonnie make killer deals that netted lots of money for the company – we haven’t seen any of that recently. Dollar Bill in particular went from being a trading assassin to holding a pea shooter.
One Fantasy: One more run with Connerty – I hate that he left and I didn’t like his very brief cameo – I would like to see him come back for a two or three episode arch with something more substantial. It won’t happen, but i can wish.
Looking Forward To: Seeing what Sacker does. In the end she should really be the one who comes out on top – or will they burn everyone down? I also want to see more of the Scooter/Wags bromance – not as good as Bill/Spyros, but it works.
Not Looking Forward To: The overabundance of cultural references they throw into every episode. At first it was fun, especially when the cast members were online live-tweeting with the fans about the references. But that has stopped and the number of analogies seems to have grown exponentially. People just don’t talk like that in every utterance, and not over such diverse topics. That bit has jumped the shark. IMHO.
Hahaha I can’t believe how much we converge on our expectations, wishes, and fantasies about the last season! We all look forward to having Bobby back! Some of us are sick and tired of the Bobby – Wendy romance though which we know is not a popular opinion among Billions fans. And the others are not looking forward to the cultural references – I agree that it is sometimes too many Easter Eggs in a single episode! 🙂 Oh and the detectives among us have the exact same opinion about how Prince’s presidential campaign may come to an end! Regardless our expectations, wishes and fantasies hold or not, we all know though that the show will end with a huge bang! I am expecting the most Billions-y Billions ever. Bobby is BACK!!!!!!
Damianista – Yes, we are pretty much spot on across the board! I line up with you on Wendy-Bobby relationship, Prince and Rian tryst hurting campaign, and Bobby being back. Lady Trader and I line up with Iron Maiden wish and Bobby being back. And many more lining up. Can’t wait for the new season. I love all the Easter eggs 🙂
I think Prince had more than one night with Rian. I agree Chuck and Wendy being reunited. Damianista’s idea of Wendy peeing on his wound be a perfect ending.
You could certainly be right, Kristin. We saw it as a casual one night stand but who knows? And if anyone can dig deeper into that, it is Hall – I missed him! Hahaha Wendy peeing on Chuck would just be the perfect ending for me 🙂 Thank you for supporting! Much love.
I kind of had limitations to my expectations just because I missed S6, but I think we are all on the same page with a bunch of things. I am really hoping Gingersnap gets her Iron Maiden wish. as she has been waiting for years now! I think we are all just excited to have the King back where he belongs!
Lady Trader – Awww, thank you for wishing for me! LOL I do think you’re spot on with AC/DC or Judas Priest. Especially AC/DC lyrics you pointed out: Back in black, I hit the sack
I’ve been too long, I’m glad to be back
Yes, I’m let loose from the noose
That’s kept me hanging about
I’m just looking at the sky ’cause it’s getting me high
Forget the hearse, ’cause I’ll never die
I got nine lives, cat’s eyes
Abusing every one of them and running wild