If you’re anything like me, the very title of Stan-exclusive series Billions would have you scratching your head, purely for the reason that it is clearly a money-centric show and, unfortunately for my bank account, my finance know-how is very limited.
But after bingeing the entire series I have learned that I couldn’t be more wrong here. Sure, the series is very much focused on high finance, but it’s so much more than that. It speaks a language that we are all fluent in: dramaaa.
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
Where big, big bucks are involved, big, big scandal follows and we’re guided on a delightfully dirty path led by Charles “Chuck” Rhoades, Jr. (Paul Giamatti), a U.S. Attorney, and Robert “Bobby” Axelrod (Damian Lewis), a billionaire manager of a hedge fund called Axe Capital, two of the richest men in New York who are locked in an intense battle for power.
You know how shows like the Real Housewives are hella popular ‘coz people believe that catfights are the greatest form of entertainment? Well just wait ’til you see these two blokes go at, not by flinging vino at each other, but by manipulative power plays that are even more brutal and cause an even greater fallout because, well, every tiff results in the loss of dollarydoos, not to mention pride and prestige.
Damian Lewis as Robert “Bobby” Axelrod
The series, which has been nominated for several awards since its inception in 2016, also taps into the topic of true crime, a trending topic in the current film and television landscape.
While the characters aren’t directly named after real life people, actual events are baked into the DNA of the series and certain storylines appear to be ripped straight from the headlines.
Billions is loosely based on the activities of Preet Bharara, the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and tells stories that almost mirror his legal battles with hedge fund manager Steve Cohen of S.A.C. Capital Advisors.
There are other recognisable events that are referenced throughout the series such as 9/11. Bobby was one of the survivors of the attack and pays the college tuition of the children of his colleagues who lost their lives in the World Trade Center.
Paul Giamatti as Charles “Chuck” Rhoades, Jr.
Former The New York Times reporter Andrew Ross Sorkin is a co-creator of the series who once described the importance of spinning real life stories into the episodes.
“I definitely care about the authenticity,” he told Vanity Fair. “I want people who live in this world to see certain scenes and go, ‘Oh, yeah, that feels real.’ And you want the language to be real. For instance, we intentionally chose not to duck away from or dumb down the language in which these people speak.”
There’s an added level of intrigue in watching the series with the knowledge that an actual journo was inspired by legit scandals in his story-writing.
BFFS?
In the highly anticipated fourth season of the series, arch-nemeses Chuck and Bobby do the unthinkable and join forces in order to take down an even greater enemy who threatens them both, with guest stars John Malkovich and Clancy Brown.
And look, if you’re still worried about whether or not you’ll understand the legal and financial mumbo jumbo, as stated earlier, I really wouldn’t worry if you’re not a total money wiz. Before watching the show, concepts like hedge funds and insider trading were completely foreign to me but now I have a knowledge of these shady dealings that would almost rival the Wolf of Wall Street himself, I’m sure of it.
Catch the season 4 trailer below and head on over to watch the spicy series only on Stan.
