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Merlin1958
04-07-2019, 07:39 PM
Early in my career I worked in the operations division of several major banks and brokers. I graduated to a Financial Consultant, which is similar to our own Gunslinger for the financial brokers operations areas. Even later, I started my own consulting agency sending Financial Gunslingers all over Wall Street and country in all sorts of disciplines including our beloved government.

All of which is to say that I am very familiar with "The Street" as it was once known and many of its products and instruments. So it should be no surprise that I thoroughly enjoy shows concerning Wall Street and the way it operates. I was around for the "Wolf". loved the Oliver Stone entry and enjoyed "Too Big to Fail amongst others. However, I think my very favorite show of this type is HBO's series "Billions"!!!!

Tonight's episode was especially good IMHO which prompted this thread. Billions is now in it's 3rd season and follows the fortunes of Wall St. Wiz, Bobby Axelrod and his firm, Axe Capital and the career of U.S. Attorney, Chuck Rhoades who is generally trying to prosecute him. I don't want to spoil anything, but the show manages to constantly shift alliances, objectives, characters and various plots to keep it fresh and interesting and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone who has HBO or access to it.

I don't want to speak further for chance to spoil anything. I will say that while some of the plot points can be easily seen coming, the funky and fresh dialogue and acting makes it a very small point. Additionally, the show focus's primarily on New York State (of which I am a 45 year former resident) and not only includes financial plots, but delves into all the state has to offer. Cuisine, decadent services, architecture and life style to name a few. Give it a try. Each season typically deals with one major issue throughout its 10 episodes, but incorporates multiple gambits, characters, alliances and betrayals. There's a very good chance that if you give it 3-4 episodes you'll be hooked and looking for compatriots at the water cooler to discuss it with.

Please feel free to share your thoughts, criticisms and speculations here.

Shannon
04-07-2019, 11:36 PM
Dammit Bill, I have so much to watch already! Fuckin' jerk! :)

Merlin1958
04-08-2019, 12:45 AM
Dammit Bill, I have so much to watch already! Fuckin' jerk! :)

LOL Well, I apologize for filling up your dance card, Sparky but trust me working this show into your top three is worth the exercise. Especially for you, by what I know about your viewing tastes. Quick, smart & snappy dialogue together with intricate and multiple plot lines all centered in the greatest city in the world, New York. You're going to LOVE it, my friend so get your ass to the binging, Boob-ba-la!!! Fuhgeddiboutit!!!!!

Have a bagel with your favorite flavored cream cheese, some lox and an Espresso, Shan-Man!!!! lol lol

Merlin1958
04-14-2019, 03:53 PM
Time for another episode of this show is almost upon us!!! Tune in and I doubt you will regret it, boys and girls!!!!

Brian861
04-22-2019, 09:49 AM
Plus, Chuck likes to be spanked :evil:

Merlin1958
04-22-2019, 04:53 PM
Plus, Chuck likes to be spanked :evil:

Hah!!! I was starting to think I was the only one here watching it!!! lol lol This last episode set the table for some great plot lines for the rest of this season. That's another thing that is cool about this show. A single season is not defined by a set scenario lain out in episode 1. The plot lines are developing and resolving all the time and not like is typically done in most shows. A plot can initiate in the third episode and not necessarily fully resolve itself by the season finale. And there are multiple storylines playing out that are all very well served each season.

LOVE THIS SHOW!!!!!!! LOL

mae
04-23-2019, 11:24 PM
Isn't it on Showtime, not HBO? I'll update the thread title.

Brian861
04-24-2019, 09:17 AM
Isn't it on Showtime, not HBO? I'll update the thread title.

Correct.

Merlin1958
04-24-2019, 09:18 AM
Isn't it on Showtime, not HBO? I'll update the thread title.

Oops, yes of course you are correct. I suppose when in doubt I default to, HBO.

Regardless, its a great show!!! You watching it, Mae?

mae
04-24-2019, 09:50 AM
I keep hearing great things but I no longer have Showtime unfortunately.

Brian861
04-24-2019, 10:27 AM
I keep hearing great things but I no longer have Showtime unfortunately.

It may be on Netflix as well but I'm not sure.

Merlin1958
03-26-2020, 08:44 AM
May 4th!!!!!!!!!

St. Troy
03-26-2020, 08:46 AM
I love Billions and have watched it since the beginning, can't wait for the new season. Great writing, great acting, you name it. Just top notch.

Merlin1958
03-26-2020, 08:47 AM
I love Billions and have watched it since the beginning, can't wait for the new season. Great writing, great acting, you name it. Just top notch.



AGREED!!!!!

St. Troy
03-26-2020, 08:49 AM
I loved the bit about the signed Churchills (season 2, I believe). As a lover of books and an admirer of Churchill's (I have his Second World War set, but not signed (alas)), Axe's actions gave me heartburn, but it was quite the inspired detail.

Merlin1958
08-04-2021, 09:54 PM
:excited::excited::excited: New season begins on 9/5/21!!!! My birthday as fate would have it!!!!! The long wait is finally going to be over. It will be nice to have the show back after the Covid interrupted last season that kinda left us hanging on the whole, Prince, Axe & Chuck plot line/competition!!! :excited::excited::excited:

St. Troy
08-08-2021, 12:43 PM
Can't wait.

Merlin1958
09-12-2021, 06:18 PM
S5 Ep. 9 - Best line of the show: "Nobody likes watching skull fuckery, wait, that's a lie"!!! LOL So glad this show is back again!!!!


:dance::dance::dance:

St. Troy
09-20-2021, 09:07 AM
It's great having Billions back.

St. Troy
09-21-2021, 06:34 AM
I was a bit surprised this week to see...

Axe making a move for Wendy.

I suppose it's been hinted at before, but I always took it more as a more general possessiveness thing.

Moves like this often prove to be the undoing of good TV shows, but I don't think it will here, because I can only see it resulting in chaos, and Billions does chaos quite well (more generally, they have kickass writers who I'm sure will come up with something unusual).

I do think they need to lighten up on the whole...

"it's high time I/we took Chuck/Axe down for good" thing

...or at least, being so overt about putting it just that way. The battle lines have been drawn for some time, and the animosities are what they are, but when it's stated so starkly, that's when the show feels like it's in danger of repeating itself. Many shows run that risk after more than a few seasons, but Billions has managed that well, with shifts in characters' lives affecting their situations (professional and personal), motivations, appetites for conflict, etc.

Side note: I love Wags.

Merlin1958
09-21-2021, 08:48 AM
I was a bit surprised this week to see...

Axe making a move for Wendy.

I suppose it's been hinted at before, but I always took it more as a more general possessiveness thing.

Moves like this often prove to be the undoing of good TV shows, but I don't think it will here, because I can only see it resulting in chaos, and Billions does chaos quite well (more generally, they have kickass writers who I'm sure will come up with something unusual).

I do think they need to lighten up on the whole...

"it's high time I/we took Chuck/Axe down for good" thing

...or at least, being so overt about putting it just that way. The battle lines have been drawn for some time, and the animosities are what they are, but when it's stated so starkly, that's when the show feels like it's in danger of repeating itself. Many shows run that risk after more than a few seasons, but Billions has managed that well, with shifts in characters' lives affecting their situations (professional and personal), motivations, appetites for conflict, etc.

Side note: I love Wags.


Side note: I love Wags.[/QUOTE]

So do I and "Hard Bob" as well. Cool, that, Hard Bob is now working for him but I'm gonna miss, Spiro if he's gone for good. Very curious to see how the, Chuck Sr. plot plays out.

St. Troy
09-21-2021, 11:47 AM
...and "Hard Bob" as well.

Me too (check out my signature - and I put that there before I knew he'd returned.)

Merlin1958
09-21-2021, 03:18 PM
...and "Hard Bob" as well.

Me too (check out my signature - and I put that there before I knew he'd returned.)

Oh, I saw it before I posted. Matter of fact, I just may re-watch the last season up to present for, Sunday.

I'm very curious to see how the "Senior" plot plays out. Can't be something obvious as him being a double agent, could it?

St. Troy
09-25-2021, 11:38 AM
Oh, I saw it before I posted. Matter of fact, I just may re-watch the last season up to present for, Sunday.

I'm very curious to see how the "Senior" plot plays out. Can't be something obvious as him being a double agent, could it?

In response to your spoiler:

I think it could, which be disappointingly predictable and simple; one thing Billions seems to do wrong is have twists or curveballs that the other side sees almost immediately, causing plot points to resolve in like 20 or 30 minutes rather than over a few episodes. Still, I shouldn't complain; it's a great show.

Merlin1958
09-25-2021, 05:44 PM
Oh, I saw it before I posted. Matter of fact, I just may re-watch the last season up to present for, Sunday.

I'm very curious to see how the "Senior" plot plays out. Can't be something obvious as him being a double agent, could it?

In response to your spoiler:

I think it could, which be disappointingly predictable and simple; one thing Billions seems to do wrong is have twists or curveballs that the other side sees almost immediately, causing plot points to resolve in like 20 or 30 minutes rather than over a few episodes. Still, I shouldn't complain; it's a great show.

Well, while he has traditionally shown a loyalty to his blood, Sr. has always been a bit of a "wild card' IMHO. I wouldn't put it past him to teach, Jr/ a warped lesson of some kind. Sr. was a, Baron of sorts in his day and loves the taste of green. Then there is the new family. The guy kinda warms my heart and reminds me of my days in the concrete jungle!!! (Pardon me waxing poetic here. lol lol)

Why does the board do that sometimes? I posted below the "Quote" in the text box!! LOL

St. Troy
10-06-2021, 06:45 PM
I'm just going to go ahead and put this entire thing in a spoiler tag (you should see all episodes thus far - which includes the recent season finale - to be caught up):

I was very surprised to learn that Damian Lewis was leaving the show and that he isn't likely to be seen next season (although could return in the future).

It would've been cool to see a full Axe storyline next year, doing whatever he could do, at arm's length but outside the reach of American law, from Switzerland.

It was cool that he vanished rather than turn himself in, and that Wags found a way (or perhaps Axe found it for him) of getting out of his responsibility as CEO.

I don't know shit about the law, but I do wonder how Axe can go down for money laundering 5 minutes after accepting the weed cash, but I guess I won't worry about it.

I hope they find a way for Dollar Bill to pop up in the future (nice side character - remember when he was ready to kill all those chickens and Axe had to stop him? Awesome.).

Mike Prince is a pretty different character from Axe, but he should make for good (and different) storylines going forward (and I like Corey Stoll).

Merlin1958
10-06-2021, 11:42 PM
I'm just going to go ahead and put this entire thing in a spoiler tag (you should see all episodes thus far - which includes the recent season finale - to be caught up):

I was very surprised to learn that Damian Lewis was leaving the show and that he isn't likely to be seen next season (although could return in the future).

It would've been cool to see a full Axe storyline next year, doing whatever he could do, at arm's length but outside the reach of American law, from Switzerland.

It was cool that he vanished rather than turn himself in, and that Wags found a way (or perhaps Axe found it for him) of getting out of his responsibility as CEO.

I don't know shit about the law, but I do wonder how Axe can go down for money laundering 5 minutes after accepting the weed cash, but I guess I won't worry about it.

I hope they find a way for Dollar Bill to pop up in the future (nice side character - remember when he was ready to kill all those chickens and Axe had to stop him? Awesome.).

Mike Prince is a pretty different character from Axe, but he should make for good (and different) storylines going forward (and I like Corey Stoll).



I kinda hate, Prince as the character he has been so far. With, Axe (Lewis) leaving I'd have to take a hard look at the next season first few episodes. Prince would have to change a lot. It's been a great show so far so, maybe they can pull it off without, Axe.

St. Troy
10-07-2021, 05:11 AM
I'm going to trust the writers; after all, they managed to

put Axe and Wendy together

...without it ruining the show (even if it didn't last long).

As for

Prince, I look forward to what they'll do with him (he's got plenty of shark under the "nice guy"), especially since (apparently) Wags has to work for him (at least for a little while), and his henchman Scooter is also an interesting character. It will also be interesting to see if any lingering loyalty to Axe remains under the people now under Prince, especially Taylor.

Speaking of Taylor, she (that's right, I said "she" - sound the TDT alarms and alert the crayon crowd; I've committed a hate crime!) really needs to do something about those tree stumps on her face; they're a major distraction.

St. Troy
03-11-2022, 10:27 AM
I'm enjoying, yet struggling with, the new season of Billions.

I like Prince's m.o. of

beginning with an altruistic goal, then turning shark to pursue it

...but even that's becoming predictable, in that it's happening again and again and again.

I think Chuck's

crusade against the wealthy is wildly unrealistic; while he had good reasons to hunt Ax (who regularly danced on the line of illegality and employed Wendy), his new belief (and the evangelistic vigor with which he espouses and wields it) that all NY-based wealthy individuals require his personal take-down is ridiculous - although Chuck is no billionaire, he is wealthy (his life resembles theirs more than those of the people on whose behalf he supposedly is working), and his cases (if successful) will prevent big things like the Olympics from happening, so who wins if Chuck wins? No one (corrupt or no, if people like Prince and Ax don't do things, these things don't get done). Also, while it would be one thing for a new character to behave like this, it's less logical for Chuck to suddenly morph into "D.A. Don Quixote" as soon as Ax split town.

While I believe Wags had no choice but to

remain with Prince (given that his huge income depended on it), it feels odd, especially since there have been no traces of remaining loyalty to Ax, some communication with him (start with "hey, boss!" and go from there).

A problem that Billions has had over the past season or two (at least) that is continuing now:

In head to head battles (whether employers competing over a hire (Kate, Wendy, others), bidders competing over an acquisition (2028 Olympics, corporate property), or powerful parties competing over influence over a key third party (a governor, a union)), the cycle of "one side takes opening action - opponent reacts - both sides gather intel on each other, place obstacles, take further action, and recover from setbacks - resolution" is not only very fast moving (it's unrealistic for effective counters to be developed and implemented almost instantly) but happens again and again and again.

I still enjoy it, but it has become quite formulaic, whereas the first 3 seasons (at least) unfolded organically and unpredictably.

Merlin1958
03-11-2022, 01:03 PM
I'm enjoying, yet struggling with, the new season of Billions.

I like Prince's m.o. of

beginning with an altruistic goal, then turning shark to pursue it

...but even that's becoming predictable, in that it's happening again and again and again.

I think Chuck's

crusade against the wealthy is wildly unrealistic; while he had good reasons to hunt Ax (who regularly danced on the line of illegality and employed Wendy), his new belief (and the evangelistic vigor with which he espouses and wields it) that all NY-based wealthy individuals require his personal take-down is ridiculous - although Chuck is no billionaire, he is wealthy (his life resembles theirs more than those of the people on whose behalf he supposedly is working), and his cases (if successful) will prevent big things like the Olympics from happening, so who wins if Chuck wins? No one (corrupt or no, if people like Prince and Ax don't do things, these things don't get done). Also, while it would be one thing for a new character to behave like this, it's less logical for Chuck to suddenly morph into "D.A. Don Quixote" as soon as Ax split town.

While I believe Wags had no choice but to

remain with Prince (given that his huge income depended on it), it feels odd, especially since there have been no traces of remaining loyalty to Ax, some communication with him (start with "hey, boss!" and go from there).

A problem that Billions has had over the past season or two (at least) that is continuing now:

In head to head battles (whether employers competing over a hire (Kate, Wendy, others), bidders competing over an acquisition (2028 Olympics, corporate property), or powerful parties competing over influence over a key third party (a governor, a union)), the cycle of "one side takes opening action - opponent reacts - both sides gather intel on each other, place obstacles, take further action, and recover from setbacks - resolution" is not only very fast moving (it's unrealistic for effective counters to be developed and implemented almost instantly) but happens again and again and again.

I still enjoy it, but it has become quite formulaic, whereas the first 3 seasons (at least) unfolded organically and unpredictably.

Yeah, I'm rapidly losing interest in the "Prince" regime and/or premise. Used to be one of my favorites but now it has no heart anymore.