After watching the last episode of Poker Face, I started watching [B]Billions[/] and am now several episodes into the fourth season – it's a great show and one that like other densely plotted and cleverly written shows such as The Wire, The Sopranos, and Succession, will stand up to repeated viewings
The show concentrates on New York-based billionaire hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis), as he and his firm, Axe Capital, accumulates massive amounts of wealth and, with it, power. Determined to bring him down because of his aggressive tactics, including insider trading, bribery, and other criminal methods is US attorney for the Southern District of New York, Chuck Rhoades, Jr. (Paul Giamatti) whose wife, Wendy (Maggie Siff, Tara from Sons of Anarchy) is a psychiatrist and performance coach.
If Axe's philanthropy didn't make Chuck Rhoades's task difficult enough, the fact Wendy is employed by Axe Capital makes this even tougher.
Chuck also has a complicated personal life, getting his kicks from being a 'slave' in BDSM role-play sessions Wendy and other women as dominatrixes in the BDSM role-play he enjoys, and tries to step out from under the shadow of his wealthy and well-connected father.
I often find the world of stock trading, 'shorting', and hedge funds difficult to understand, and this doesn't make it easy for viewers, treating the audience as intelligent adults. That said, the more I watch, the more I understand what exactly is going on with Axe Capital and how Bobby became fantastically wealthy.
Like the other shows I mentioned earlier, it is one that rewards close attention and the quality of the writing, acting, and direction shines through so, even though it's almost impossible to like any of the characters, the show is compelling viewing because of the rivalries, cat-and-mouse interplay between Chuck and Bobby. Also, from the second season, the show benefits from introducing a fascinating and fully-rounded non-binary character, Taylor Mason, who is first employed by Axe Capital as a financial analyst but who grows in power and stature within the organisation and the world of high finance.
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