Previously on Billions…
June is having a YumTime with her Publisher; Brian is having a YumTime with inter-agency co-operation; and Ben and Bobby are not having a YumTime with YumTime products because they suck. They are, however, apparently bonding a little as Axe learns a bit more about the newest Analyst at Axe Capital.
There is no awkward morning after chat between Bryan and Terri as they’re too busy talking about how Eastern District have nipped in and stole a march on the case against Axe.
Team Chuck or not Team Chuck, I imagine this scene gave a lot of satisfaction to anyone who has ever stepped in the shit people leave behind their dog’s ass, as Chuck gives an inconsiderate dog walker a piece of his mind whilst also giving us another glimpse of the no compromising guy from the Pilot.
Chuck also receives a call from Bryan advising that Eastern is trying to take over the case on Axe. He’s not impressed.
Hutch Bailey III arrives to a cheery tune for the daily grind, but his staff don’t seem overly pleased to see him, their false smiles disappearing as soon as he is past them. He seems reasonably happy even if no one else is…that is until he gets a phone call telling him Axe is up to a 4.9% stake in YumTime. Oh, now that smile is wiped off his face and he reacts like a petulant, spoilt child and manages to spill his coffee all over the place which apparently he cannot manage to clean up himself. I feel sorry for Cheryl.
By contrast everyone at Axe Capital is of cheery disposition. Goodness knows why when YumTime products are on the menu by the truckload.
Wags is very concerned about making sure Wendy knows what he is talking about when he says ATM, feeling the need to clarify. Wendy assures him she is on the same page. I think Wendy may be several chapters ahead with a few acronyms Wags might need explained to him. We get a bit of insight into Wags here. Maria Saldana has clearly gotten under his skin and he can yap on about loyalty to Axe capital and leverage all he likes, but I just think he doesn’t know how to ask her out and maybe Wags is a little scared of a strong woman hence the need to be exerting power.
It is Lara’s turn to step up to the plate as she discovers June is about to publish her book on 9/11. Girls chat. Note when girls use words like ‘super-duper’ in an overly cheery tone the chances are they mean the exact opposite. If you listen carefully you can hear Lara’s claws coming out. Lara sets about fixing this issue by using some Axe Capital muscle to get a copy of the manuscript for the book.
From now on, Donny is Brian Doyle and he’s going to need new people including a new Analyst to help with that triple stack…more new people. Aww this means Ben is no longer the newbie. The more interesting issue here is that Donny seems far less capable than Maria. Bobby does not strike me as someone playing favourites based on gender. His value and reliance of Wendy and his relationship with Lara convinces me Bobby is perfectly at home with strong woman. It would appear Wags is heavily involved in this decision and Bobby may need to be double checking his rapacious scumbag’s motivations more often. Enquiring minds want to know who or what are/is Rubinex?
Amelia knows what a horse trade is! Chuck tries to bullshit Amelia of the Eastern District into giving him back the Axe case. She’s not having it and is insulted at the case he suggests giving to her in exchange.
It is hard to tell whether Bryan is silently amused that Amelia kicks their ass or irritated.
It is not so difficult with Kate who clearly isn’t amused to be stuck in the middle of Terri and Bryan’s attempts to conversebparticularly not as she realises something is going on between them. Once Terri has left the room, Kate side tracks Bryan with talk about Eastern District and then gets a decent pot shot in at him about grinding. Somebody likes Bryan.
Bobby sees suspense as a waste of time and bluntly lets the ‘more reasonable members’ of the YumTime Board ‘informally gathered’ know that his acquiring 4.9% stake in YumTime is not a vote of confidence.
Wags sets out Axe/Capital’s position and intentions yet again getting himself worked up while doing so. Bobby and Axe clearly have their double act down to a T. Profits have declined 8 years running whilst executive compensation has risen 300%. The ‘reasonable members’ of the Board decline to give Axe what he wants, but he gets what he wants anyway. He and Wags were on a fishing expedition for information and they got it. They need to speak to Jerome Purkheiser and get him to see their point of view. They also got what they wanted in a reaction from Evelyn.
Evelyn is not happy that her board seat or her £200,000 income may be under threat. Chuck Senior to whom she is whining reads the activist letter that had been prepared by Axe. As he does so, he realises that this is not about YumTime, but him and Evelyn…or rather he is so sure of his own self-importance that he is sure that is what this is about. In any event, he is impressed by Axe’s handiwork, but advises Evelyn to ensure a block of Axe’s plans by lobbying Purkheiser.
We learn that Lara’s sister is a chef and that Axe has an honorary degree from Stanford. I second Damianista, we want the pictures! More importantly we learn that chapter 10 of June’s proposed book ‘9-12 the day after’ is a problem.
Chuck convinces Lonnie to take a hit for the team and let Chuck give Lonnie’s case, the Statue of Liberty attempted bombing to the Eastern District.
Wendy and her friend (an ER doctor) are having a chat and Wendy’s dissatisfaction rears its head again. She likes her job, but is also at odds with it. Specifically the fact Wags intends to make Maria Saldanas’s life miserable for the next two years. Her friend suggest she speaks to Chase (aptly named), the Head Hunter.
Someone has to talk to Purkheiser, but it won’t be Wags as he is Axe’s rapacious scumbag. Ah, love <3.
Chuck gets his horse trade and the Axe case is back on his desk…but it comes with an additional price in the form of Ari Spyros of the SEC (aka the face of a confused dog) who Chuck calls a “useless douchebag”.
Pete Decker is dropping his kids off at school and unbeknownst to him Bryan and Terri are waiting for him. Bryan doesn’t want to arrest him in front of his kids which Terri thinks is decent of him and ‘hot’. I agree on both counts!
Lara is talking options with Orrin about what to do with June and her manuscript. She says of Bobby “he made some shrewd trades around 9/11. You know my husband, he did what he had to do”. Very interesting. As we know that Lara’s family suffered as a direct result of 9/11 and Dean is named after his uncle who died on 9/11, it is very hard to believe that Lara would stay with someone who had any involvement, however indirect. So, one wonders what these “shrewd trades” are.
Orrin mentions Bobby’s “work situation beforehand (9/11) and what he did after. Incendiary” and even Lara has the good grace to look ashamed and uncomfortable for a second. It isn’t great whatever he did.
In the end she goes for none of Orrin’s options and opts for her own which is to follow through on that threat from the Pilot. She starts to make life difficult for June. Not getting into the Gym is just the start.
It amuses me that Ari Spyros is able to irritate Chuck so much without appearing to try. He wears more cologne than he should, speaks when he shouldn’t and tries too hard to show how smart he is. If you wanted to corrupt anyone perhaps Bobby should send his rapacious scumbag to have a word or two with Spyros because Chuck does nothing but verbally kick this confused dog.
Pete Decker listens to what Chuck has to say and then leaves. He is not for caving.
Neither Bryan nor Chuck think Decker will cave. Spyros thinks he will. Chuck has yet another rant about Spyros’ cologne.
We are back at Bruno’s. Bobby is eating Pizza again and he’s treating Purkheiser to some. Purkheiser agrees it is good Pizza but this is not the normal wining and dining he is used to when someone wants to waltz with him, but Bobby points out that ‘I am different from the other children’.
There is a discussion around YumTime products, the company itself and Bobby gives a great line: “Hutch I starts it, Hutch II grows it and Hutch III blows it. Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations”.
June now cannot get on the golf course because apparently her account is in arrears…
Hutch III does not look happy. Mr Robert Axelrod, on the other hand, looks perfectly at ease. He is invited to speak and I laughed when I heard his plans. If you have any insight into business at all then you just knew his plan was about to be scoffed at as though he had no idea what he was getting into. Unfortunately, for the YumTime Board Members he does know. He is perfectly willing to sacrifice executive compensation to improve the quality of product on offer to the consumer and doesn’t feel shareholders require explanation at all.
Hutch III is not taking kindly to what is being suggested especially not getting rid of the corporate jet. The knives start to come out for Hutch III from other members of the Board and Purkheiser moves to have Hutch III removed from position as CEO. The motion carries. Hutch III makes a pathetically childish sounding threat that does not seem to carry any weight when you are looking at dealing with Robert Axelrod, but perhaps we shouldn’t discount him just quite yet. Meantime, he’s off Axe’s Christmas card list.
Purkheiser isn’t finished yet though as he moves to have Evelyn removed from the Board as well and delegate her seat to ‘Robert Axelrod’.
Lifson seconds this motion very quickly indicating a personal issue with Evelyn. Evelyn calls Purkheiser “old cocksucker” after he counters her threats easily. His reply is pure genius “the same might be said of you my dear”. Meow!
Wendy and Maria are having a chat about her future and whether she should stay at Axe Capital or move to Zenobia Capital. Wendy uses every manipulative technique she possesses to push Maria to leave Axe Capital. Wendy wishes to spare her having to work with Wags and his ways for the next two years. She also wishes to see her friend in an environment she is more comfortable with, has a better chance of growth personally and professionally and perhaps will be more appreciated. I think Wendy is living through Maria here to an extent. Wendy’s degree of dissatisfaction does not look likely to disappear anytime soon and she seems aware she should be considering leaving yet she stays. Something/someone is keeping her there. The question is it/they worth the emotional strain she is putting on herself? Better version of yourself, Wendy?
June is in the middle of a Lara induced meltdown and she appears to have realised it by now as her son’s place at Stanford is taken away.
Chuck Senior now tries to convince his son to move on Axe, but Chuck isn’t up for being manipulated by his father or his ‘mail carrier’. He’ll do the job right and on his timetable, not his father’s.
Maria is leaving Axe Capital and, in stark contrast to Victor, she is not being pushed out of the door. Wags actually seems a bit sorry she is going. I think the song may be appropriate to be honest “You’ve got me girl on the run around”.
Kate makes an impression when she comes into the room. Did anyone else notice Bryan’s reaction?
She has his attention. She sets about getting Chuck’s with her information on Decker’s parents and she duly does. Chuck takes her off her Internet fraud case and onto the Axe case.
Lara has a visit from June who wishes to show her the revised version of her book and signs anon-disclosure on the bits she took out. Lara seems to think her son will get his place at Stanford after all.
Chuck is too busy thinking about Axe to have sex with his wife. What a compliment for Axe.
Axe meanwhile has just finished reading some Harry Potter to his sons and he doesn’t seem to like Umbridge much. Yeah, join Dumbledore’s Army, Axe. Lara informs Bobby about June’s plans which she has put a halt to. Bobby is very grateful to his wife.
Wendy and Maria come to a reverse doctor/patient agreement and Wendy invests $250,000 with Maria.
Lara and Bobby are having no such problems like Wendy and Chuck.
Chuck’s time out didn’t work out for Wendy. Sex is off the menu and Ice Cream is on it.
Maybe Pete Decker will cave after all as Chuck’s threatens to arrest his parents in public. He applies his pressure and gets what he wants. Decker is coming in on Monday.
Chuck walks past the other dog owner form the start of the episode who seems to have learned his lesson and has a bag with him.