Billions
Full disclosure: I’m a Paul Giamatti fan. Ever since I watched John Adams and Sideways, I try and watch any film or show he’s in. So no matter what, I was at least going to give Billions a chance. Thankfully, it’s pretty good.
Paul Giamatti plays Chuck Rhoades, an ambitious U.S. District Attorney and rising political star. Rhoades targets billionaire hedge fund manager, Bobby Axelrod, and attempts to prosecute him for insider trading. The show centers around these two powerful men; one trying to avoid prison and maintain his status as the number one trader on Wall Street, the other using every means of the law at his disposal to nail a criminal.
The acting is good. Giamatti is great as Rhoades, showing his outward confidence and bravado while slowly revealing Rhoades’s self-loathing and self destructive tendencies. Damien Lewis, of Homeland fame, is perfectly adequate as Bobby Axelrod. There’s such intensity and a need for winning no matter what the cost that Lewis portrays well. Maggie Siff, of Sons of Anarchy fame, is a pleasant surprise. Her character is stuck between these two men and Siff does a great job of trying to compartmentalize and keep the peace, until she’s forced to make a decision between the two.
If you’re looking for a semi-realistic look at corruption in the financial district and have an interest in finances, I recommend Billions. It’s not perfect, some of Rhoade’s sexual proclivities are more of a turn off than the creators intended, and the pacing can be slow, but Billions is one of those shows that is worth your time. The final conversation between the two about criminality, justice, and hard work, is philosophical and very relevant to our current society. Billions has had one season and been renewed for another. You can catch up on the Showtime app or with a Showtime subscription on Amazon Prime or Hulu.
