Tag: Paul Giamatti

Billions on Showtime, Season 2, Episode 5: Currency

source: Showtime

How to save a quarter? How to bag a wolf? We learn from the very best in this week’s Billions episode 😀

Wags arrives at Axe Capital in his vintage Mercedes in the opening scene of Currency. He looks GOOD for a change. And he has something important to tell Axe but the other does not let him speak because it is not his turn to speak. While Wags was MIA for the last couple of days “learning the Yaqui way, or how to run like the Tarahumara” Axe has been fighting the “Battle of Thermopylae” frequently cited as an example of a patriotic defense where the small Greek army was able to defend its land against the huge Persian army in a three-day battle.  Continue reading “Billions on Showtime, Season 2, Episode 5: Currency”

Previously on Billions Season 2, Episode 4 “The Oath”

Wendy is being shown around a space station. She is to do a psychological evaluation of an astronaut, Elena.

Axe is meeting with Mark Cuban who gives Axe some advice drop the vendetta against the US Attorney and focus on winning hearts and minds today because Axe is otherwise too loud for the NFL.

source: Showtime

The AG’s new assistant is in NY to check on progress of the Spartan Ives case and let Chuck know how precarious his situation is.

Axe calls Sanford Besinger who interestingly calls Axe, Robert. Wendy might say it just means that he knows his given name, but I say it means a very comfortable familiarity.

Continue reading “Previously on Billions Season 2, Episode 4 “The Oath””

Billions on Showtime, Season 2, Episode 4: The Oath

Just three episodes in and we have received terrific news that Showtime has renewed Billions for a third season! The news is not surprising given that Billions is the SMARTEST show on TV but still THIS WAS FAST! Congratulations to the entire cast and crew, we are over the moon for you and yeah, for us, too!

And who knew “Paulie Pennino” of Billions would come back to direct Axe in Season 2 Episode 4? It is a true delight Noah Emmerich is directing this episode! I love him as Agent Beeman in The Americans! And, hey, he is also directing Richard Thomas, who brings to life Beeman’s boss Agent Gaad in The Americans and whom I loved as John-Boy in The Waltons as a little girl, in this episode!

source: @SHO_Billions

Axe is finally in the final three in his bid for the NFL team. Over lunch at Vaucluse, Mark Cuban tells Axe NFL does not like guys like them because they did come from nothing, earned their money calling bullshit openly and publicly and so they come across as people that can break the etiquette. According to Cuban, Axe needs to hang up the gloves and focus on changing the “hearts and minds” that will give him what he wants. Continue reading “Billions on Showtime, Season 2, Episode 4: The Oath”

Previously on Billions: Season 2, Episode 3: “Optimal Play”

Bobby wants to buy a football team and is wondering where his seat will be.

Chuck and Wendy are at marriage counselling and the discussion is around the effect on the children. Kevin asked his dad to make vows with him, specifically not to leave Kevin and Eva and to get back together with mom. Chuck promised they would always love Kevin and Eva and put them first, but could not promise the latter, only that they would try. Wendy is clearly moved by the fact that Chuck is not making promises he can’t keep and will not us his children to get what he wants. The counsellor says “that is intimacy” and you can feel it in the scene.  Jania Jania was right in her ep review for Dead Cat Bounce…their marriage is stronger than they think. However, Chuck still has to get his own place and he is struggling with that because it makes the separation more permanent.

Source: Showtime

Wags is clean shaven, but Bobby seems to doubt he is clean elsewhere and tells him to take another shower. I don’t think we want to know! Just before that order, the two of them are talking about the upcoming poker game and the fact that Todd has been mouthing off on twitter about it. Wags says Todd is better than Bobby at poker and Bobby concedes the point.  Continue reading “Previously on Billions: Season 2, Episode 3: “Optimal Play””

Billions on Showtime, Season 2, Episode 3: Optimal Play

source: Showtime

I could not be happier that a game theory term makes it to the title of this week’s episode: Optimal Play. Optimal Play, also known as Best Response, is the strategy that produces the most favorable outcome for a player, taking the strategies of other players in the game as given.

Given that the entire hedge-fund industry is under siege and that he needs to adapt, Axe’s optimal play is to venture out of the city walls and straight into the NFL. We learn from his chat with NY Giants chairman Steve Tisch that Axe grew up with football on a “24-inch Trinitron knock-off” and his first ever football game in a stadium was in Tisch’s box. As Tisch shares with him that he needs to jump through quite a few hoops to impress the NFL, Axe is pretty confident about his bid and already trying to figure out where his seat will be at the stadium. Not here at MetLife Stadium, of course. NY Giants is not for sale 😀 Continue reading “Billions on Showtime, Season 2, Episode 3: Optimal Play”