BILLIONS – EPISODE 2 – LET’S DISCUSS!!!

Still a fan of the show. I have been hearing some mixed reviews but I am continuing with my review…..

EPISODE 2 – NAMING RIGHTS

Episode 2 opens up just like episode 1 in UNDIES. This time Bobby is in his tight boxer briefs, trying on a custom fitted suit with his stylist. It must be nice to wear beautiful new clothes every single day (#inmydreams). Mike, his wing man, is fully stressed about the publicity centered around Bobby’s ridiculous new purchase – a lavish estate in the Hamptons. Mike warns Bobby that he needs to keep a low profile or his investors are going to pull out. Perfect timing for that comment as Bobby strides into his sleek, fancy helicopter with wifey Lara awaiting his arrival.

Cut to Rhoades and Bryan chatting over take-out (again). Helicopters to Chinese Food (notice the difference?) They are discussing a way to take down Axe by tracking all of his analysts and traders. The minute something goes awry, they got him.

IS THAT THE PAX?

Back with Lara & Bobby vaping. Ha, love it.  Who wants to deal with “those” people at “those” society gala’s anyway? Bobby makes a decision that he wants to change the name of the Elias Building to something more fitting. Oh, sure. Why not. Money seems to buy everything.  Notice the tattoo on Lara’s back. I think she may be the only “real” person on the whole show.

HELLO SHOWTIME

It wouldn’t be cable without a cocaine lesbian cunnilingus scene now would it? More importantly, it wouldn’t be Showtime without a sex partner secretly videotaping this act for blackmail. Tara, who works for the DA’s office, receives a phone call during this little session about Steven Birch and the Arcadian Railroad situation. The Financial Journal (no such paper) calls to ask her for a quote before they publish the news. Tara, clueless, calls Rhoades and Bryan who are the same – clueless! How could the Journal know about an insider-trading scandal before them?

THE IRISH GOODBYE

Bobby’s plan works (so it seems). The article about Birch is published during the million dollar charity dinner. A zillion iPhones are alerted. Birch & his trophy wife slyly sneak out. But not without a fist pump to Axe. What’s the deal with the fist pump? Sort of rubs me the wrong way.

POW-WOW

The following day we are at Axe Capital for a morning pow-wow where trading ideas are thrown around a big conference table.

Bobby sets up a fake SEC investigation that makes everyone wild. In the end it turns out these SEC peeps are really new employees at AXE who will running the new “compliance department”. Nobody is a fan of compliance especially Victor, an employee Axe fires on the spot when he complains he won’t be able to do his job now. I’m thinking its probably not the smartest move – firing someone in front of the entire company who has “insider information.” Wendy points this out to Bobby and he asks that she do what she does best and “fix the situation”.

Bobby meets with the guy who is in charge of the naming rights of the symphony hall. He places a $100 million bid. I guess this IS THE NUMBER because that is exactly what Stephen Schwarzman, chief executive at the Blackstone Group,  bid to get his name on the N.Y  Public Library. However, there is one condition….(we don’t find this out until the last scene).

SEX LIES AND VIDEOTAPES

Cut to Tara walking into her apartment to a surprise visitor – Hall (Bobby’s boiler room dude). No surprise he is blackmailing Tara with the coke and lesbian sex tape to get updates on Rhoades play by play. I was kind of curious to know what he meant by this line: “What gets me off would disturb you at such a deep level, honey, you’d be best-served never to think about it again.”

Back to Rhoades – he threatens the reporter, Mike, who leaked the Birch story but Mike isn’t taking the bait. Then we have Rhoades in the park with his two kids. He runs into someone he convicted for mail fraud who is with his two kids the day before he is leaving for prison. Rhoades tries to pay for his donuts but mail fraud man is not having it and tosses a donut at him. It’s not easy being the district attorney and Rhoades is clearly struggling with this. But as Wendy says in the best line of the show: Being 100% good at your job and 100% good, if you figure that one out, let’s both quit and write that book.” Ladies and Gentleman, I think we found the theme of this show!

THIS IS YOUR WARNING

Wendy swings by Victor’s clean up the mess Axe made by firing him. Wendy warms him that he may never work again if he bad mouths Axe because you know what happens to men who hurt Axe: they are defeated and end up with just a “blog”. That made me laugh. (just a point here – I like how the show is establishing Wendy as an equal to both Axe and Rhoades. She can be tough with Axe when she needs to be and sweet with Rhoades as his wife. I am excited to see how her character is going to play out with each of them).

RUB & TUG

Now we are at a good old rub & tug. I have a lot of questions here – men: chime in anytime…. I know they exist, I know many of you go.

1. Are they actually set up like that: beds next to each other separated by a sheer curtain?
2. Where are they? I know you aren’t going to answer but figured I would ask…lots of sketchy places in the city.
3. Do they finish?
4. Do you and your friends discuss your session? Like “Hey Josh, you should use Julie- she is AMAZING.”

One little call out during Wag’s “session” when he is talking to Garth about the fund. He says : “We’ve crushed the S&P seven years in a row.” FYI – There is no benchmark to measure hedge fund performances. No shot that would have been said.

BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID

Rhoades finally figures out that all eyes on the Birch case was just a ruse to deflect attention from taking down Axe. I loved the parallel Rhoades made about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. If you forgot, here it is:

They were smart. They sent one of their horses off in a different direction so the posse would have to split up… Get distracted. But this was no ordinary posse. This was a super posse… the super posse. Mixed group of superheroes… A sheriff, a marshal, an Indian. “Native American.”  And the Cherokee… Man, he could read the depth of the impression the horse’s hooves made on rock. And when he realized they were chasing a riderless horse… they got right back on Butch’s trail.

 

 

So Rhoades does something he would never dream about doing before – he offers Birch a settlement. This way they can get back on Axe’s trail. Tara, gets wind, and texts Hall about the plea. (Tara is really texting this info from her phone??)

Hall receives the text in a sauna where we find out what REALLY gets him off…Dwarfs!! Lots of very interesting sex lives in this show.

In the final scene, Bobby and Lara meet at Eads Hall about the naming rights. Bobby, in a vintage Metallica T-shirt (actually I bet its Junk Food), is in dark contrast to the Eads family blue blazers and Lily Pulitzer dresses. Remember when Bobby mentioned he would donate the money under one condition? Well it turns out Bobby caddied for the Eads family when he was a kid. One day, for no good reason, he was fired by the Ead’s patriarch. Although he only made $16 a round, he needed that money. Because Axe NEVER forgets, he takes $16 million off from the $25 million he first offered them.  $9 million take it or leave it. The Ead’s family is so strapped for cash, they have no choice but to take it. Next thing we know, Bobby and Lara are outside watching the construction crew remove the “Ellias Eads” name. No paperwork to sign? Just 1.2.3 – done? Someone alert the PRESS! This is the fastest transaction in the history of man. I love how the construction crew were ready, willing and able!

Until next week!

XX