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Billions (Showtime) Season Four Thread *spoilers*

10K views 146 replies 20 participants last post by  Hank 
#1 ·
The 4th season of Showtime's Billions starts today. Let the fun begin!

The premiere is titled "Chucky Rhoades's Greatest Game"
 
#110 ·
That was a very satisfying season finale.

Even though you knew it was going to happen, it was fun watching how Chuck got Connery.

Axe clearly values loyalty and revenge above all else.

One thing I didn’t quite get was the $35M donation Axe had made and what the backstory was on that and how it set Wendy off. I suppose Axe’s donation somehow got Wendy her license intact?
 
#112 · (Edited)
That was a very satisfying season finale.

Even though you knew it was going to happen, it was fun watching how Chuck got Connery.

Axe clearly values loyalty and revenge above all else.

One thing I didn't quite get was the $35M donation Axe had made and what the backstory was on that and how it set Wendy off. I suppose Axe's donation somehow got Wendy her license intact?
It was $25 million & Bingo. What set her off what that Chuck made it seem like he had something to do with her not losing her license.
 
#117 · (Edited)
The $25 mil was basically a bribe in the form of a donation. Chuck's revenge on Connerty was brilliant. They way they kept things on the sly until the season finale was beautifully crafted. Kudos to the writers on that one. The sexual tension between Wendy and Axe has been building since season 1, but I think they'll have to let it simmer for at least another season or else it could spoil the show. The rift between Chuck and Wendy widens with ever episode so it's just a matter of time before she realizes that Axe is the true love of her life and vice versa. You could see the awkwardness between Axe and Wendy when she crashed at his place.

I'm sorry to see Rebecca go. I thought that she and Axe made a great power couple. In the end Axe showed how much he really cared about her even though he knew it would probably cost him his relationship with her. Trying to keep Saler's store chain afloat was a no-win situation even though Rebecca thought she could save it.
 
#118 · (Edited)
In the end Axe showed how much he really cared about her even though he knew it would probably cost him his relationship with her. Trying to keep Saler's store chain afloat was a no-win situation even though Rebecca thought she could save it.
I saw it a little differently. Axe cared for her, and he was willing to support her with Saler even though he knew it was probably not good business. But then she went behind his back to make a deal with Taylor. That was disloyal. Not so much making the deal, but doing it without discussing it with Axe first. Normally, such disloyalty would provoke a big response from Axe -- some terrible revenge. But because Axe did care about her, he measured his response, and mirrored what she did to him. He made a good business decision without discussing it with her first, knowing that it would go against her wishes and seem disloyal to her.
 
#119 ·
A little late to the discussion, but just now catching up on a week of missed TV. Agree with all of the above, just an outstanding finish to this season. The way we were kept in the dark about "The Sting" was masterfully done. Also loved Taylor's measured response to the Axe/Chuck feud. Just last long enough to let them destroy each other (might be the way the series ends?). Last Man non-binary Standing concept.

Yeah, that awkward scene at the end between Axe & Wendy... great acting (and writing).
 
#121 ·
One thing I didn't quite get was the $25M donation Axe had made and what the backstory was on that and how it set Wendy off. I suppose Axe's donation somehow got Wendy her license intact?
The thing everyone seems to be missing is that it was Chuck who set out his associate to go find out what Zheng needed, so Chuck could find a way to convince him to go easy on Wendy. It's possible (but not in the show) that Chuck found out the backstory on the Pancrase research fund, and fed that info to Axe, who made the donation to make it all work. But Chuck never said anything about it. So it could have been a team effort, but Wendy never realized it and assumed it was all Axe.
 
#122 ·
I saw it a little differently. Axe cared for her, and he was willing to support her with Saler even though he knew it was probably not good business. But then she went behind his back to make a deal with Taylor. That was disloyal. Not so much making the deal, but doing it without discussing it with Axe first. Normally, such disloyalty would provoke a big response from Axe -- some terrible revenge. But because Axe did care about her, he measured his response, and mirrored what she did to him. He made a good business decision without discussing it with her first, knowing that it would go against her wishes and seem disloyal to her.
In the end both Rebecca and Axe did what they thought was the best business decision for both of them, even though it was against the wishes of their partner. Rebecca had a dream to revitalize the department store chain that she loved as a young girl, even though it was doomed to fail. Axe saw that but decided to support her decision out of love and respect for Rebecca even though he knew it was a losing proposition. Rebecca made the deal with Taylor because she saw it as an opportunity to end the feud between Taylor and Axe and solve the appliance supply chain situation. Problem was, Axe just let it fester and wouldn't let it go so he decided the best course of action for everyone involved was to liquidate Saler's. It was the right decision business-wise, but it killed his relationship with Rebecca. She was just too wrapped up in the dream on a personal level and was blind to the reality of the situation. Axe gave her a wake-up call and it shattered her dream.

I'm starting to see a pattern in the plot here. Create an alliance with a business partner, whether it be friend or foe, until that relationship goes sour and then plot revenge against the former partner. I thought it was an interesting twist to have Chuck and Axe on the same side this season, but it's pretty clear that they are destined to be mortal enemies. The fact that Wendy is caught in the middle between two men that she is loyal to makes things a bit more interesting. At some point I suspect she's going to have to choose a side and my money is on Axe.
 
#123 ·
So what is the consensus on Wendy's sexual tendency?

Did she just do the "Dom" thing out of love for her husband or was it just a phase that she outgrew? or did she stop liking it because she stopped liking Chuck?

I get what the other Dom told her, that some people experiment and change while Chuck never will. But was the conversation also about Wendy (that she changed) instead of about Chuck?
 
#126 ·
So I just binged this entire season over the weekend.

Still some of the best writing/acting on TV.

One thing that really stood out (as it has in the previous seasons) is the dialog used for each of the main characters. Chuck speaks like the well educated, upper class guy that he is, while Axe speaks like the scrappy, street-smart guy that he is. The are both clearly brilliant, but their backgrounds and approaches are so different. The characters are so fleshed out and realistic. All of the characters on this show are. No one is "good" or "bad" - everyone is shades of grey and interesting and real. I am looking forward to next season based on the setup they left us with - I love watching Chuck and Axe go toe-to-toe, and having Taylor in the mix will just add to fun!
 
#128 ·
Maybe this was already mentioned, but Bobby's real reason for liquidating Sailors was to put the debt on Kleins BS, forcing them into Chapter 11, and wiping out Taylor's position, forcing him to resort to an illegal way to prop up his qrtly returns, with Chuck ready to nail him. What this did to Rebrcca didn't matter.
 
#133 ·
Turns out they weren't able to finish filming S5 before the CV shutdown. We get 7 episodes now, and the remaining 5... later.

I'm not a fan of this. I know they want to air something, anything, but part of why we wait a year between cable series is the way we immerse ourselves in the story, with the expectation of start-to-finish entertainment. Almost like a twelve hour movie. And then we wait another year, lather, rinse, repeat. It's the rhythm of a cable drama.

To start that cycle anew, only to be pulled away mid-stride, then reinserted... later, I'm not sure it's even worth starting. I love me some Billions, but I'd rather they just wait and air it when it's ready.


PS: This is unrelated to cable series that pull that "half a season now, half a season later" crap. That's intentional, and the writing reflects it.
 
#136 ·
This is not a show you can watch in pieces. Even with a good recap, too many details are forgotten when the whole tapestry is revealed at the end. So I will do as Tony_T says and wait until I have all 12 episodes before I binge it.

I'm addicted to binging now and I can't go back to the days of waiting a week for the next ep...the show would have to be GoT-like for me to suffer that way!
 
#137 ·
I'm okay with the week to week. I think sometimes that actually gives you a chance to savor each episode, read a few reviews & threads, and digest it all. And oddly, I find I remember a series better (long term) when I watch weekly.

But I agree on the gap, no way I can handle a start/stop season. As you say, a steady watch leads to "the whole tapestry reveal" (love that description).
 
#142 ·
ETA: That said, you guys can't ***** and moan over spoiler threads when the episodes do air.
Yep, there's always a fly in the ointment.

Usually we just have a season thread, and I suppose we could track when each episode airs and only read to that point when we finally do watch. Yeah, that's the plan! o_O

Or we could just give in and watch as they air.
 
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