Anyone else in? Looking forward to seeing where they go

Yep, I'm watching. Pretty good read:
https://theringer.com/billions-showtime-black-edge-c19ec9165cf3#.vsbhk3a03

>Yep, I'm watching. Pretty good read:
>https://theringer.com/billions-showtime-black-edge-c19ec9165cf3#.vsbhk3a03

Chuck took it pretty calm for a guy who's wife casually forgot to mention she got $ 5 million
and the investigator dude is typecast, like cookie cutter status, not feeling his character

is the show's constant need to remind us how Lara comes from this scrappy working class family. i do like that as part of her character, and i like her on the whole, but they don't need to remind us every time we see her. we get it.

i can't *quite* put my finger on why. Powerful, morally questionable, immature as fuck people, the psychological element, storylines that are all over the place. Stylistically they feel really similar.

But I enjoy watching Rhodes and his crew just as much as Axe and them.

I'm loving it.

Kool Herc, Die Hard, The Wire, John Wayne in Liberty Valance, Anton Chigur, Wilco... slow down lol

Lara's "This is our fucking corner, Stringer" was the worst. Akerman is already terrible as Lara and hearing her line reading was just...

I...I...have no words lol.

Wags is killing me.

I have a hard time putting it all on Akerman (maybe it's the eyes lol). They're struggling to find a lane for her. I like her little showdowns with Wendy. I wish they'd just settle on making her a rich blonde asshole instead of constantly trying to shoehorn this everywoman susie sixpack shit into every episode.

>Wags is killing me.

"I was a fan" lol

that's about the most accurate description of any character, anywhere
props
but yeah this last "I'm a businesswoman" plot line was like yea we get it, just go and dial the hedge fund wife to 11

she drinks beer out of the bottle at bars. she boxes and watches the wire. i halfway think they should have gone the other direction with her. Like she comes from this working class background but she's ashamed of it. but Axe wouldn't pick that person, so it wouldn't work. Her backstory fits, i guess. they're just failing at execution.

>
>Wags is killing me.

Wags:
I look forward to finding out what's behind this slow burn of his.

Kate:
Kate Sacker, played by Condola Rashad, is impressive. This angle she's taking with her father is interesting. Very interesting! I wonder why she felt the need to mention Daddy's bread to Chuck. Wanna see where this goes.

I know they have history and all, but still. She probably didn't appreciate it, and seemed put off that he was so eager to run over there to drop dirt on her daddy.

It could be she respects Chuck in a father figure way, and that he'd have more wisdom behind something like this. Which he does. Plus she probably knows Chuck's dad likes to color outside the lines a bit, and he could relate.

Damn she looked good tho

RE: Brian dropping in unannounced like that was just... weird

I do believe that he will be the one, in the end, to take a few upside his head. Ever since Axe came at him with the offer, he's seemed confused and off-kilter. He'll end up being the fall guy for something or another. And Chuck is gonna make sure of it because he can't and doesn't trust him any longer.

He tried to play tough guy with the investigator, but if dude's half as good as he swears he is, he'll call Brian's bluff quick

I think he'll ultimately end up jumping ship to the private sector

"They treated me like i was just the wife" um..
Axe went in lol

Also Axe and Chuck
Chuck "This must be like looking at your future"
Axe - "You mean watching you arrest other people while I walk right out the door? Yup!"

The reins have come off a bit this season for the better. Each episode is exhilarating.

Your assertion is accurate. Each episode is a beast.

Oddly, I have no clue who I have more of a love/hate feeling for between Chuck and Axelrod. The acting is top notch by both of them.

They way he carried his wife for not being prepped was epic. bet she won't try that again. And I wonder if it may cause an issue between Axe and his wife. They are usually on one accord and have very little conflict amongst them. This could cause a slight tear in their relationship. By season's end, Chuck will have Wendy back while Axe and Lara are on the therapist's couch.

Ax shat upon Lawrence Boyd. Dude is a selfish prick. And Chuck shat upon Lawrence Boyd as well in a selfish act to save his gig.

Great episode!

"Um, no, I'm black"

what if i told you I'll have no sessions with her personally?

*Kay from the Godfather relief smile*

Lara giving reasons why she puts up with alienating her fam. Forgot to mention the part about giving Chef Ryan the night off to take the chopper to dinner.

This show is firing on all cylinders though. Good thing Chuck didn't find out about his dad helping him out with Axe at the same time Wendy did. Dude might have lost it.

Debs from Axe's office... cotdamn.. Ira's girl too.

I think I dig Chuck more for the way he played the

>RE: lol Axe is grimey
Ain't he though.

>what if i told you I'll have no sessions with her
>personally?
She knows her husband well.

>*Kay from the Godfather relief smile*
>
>Lara giving reasons why she puts up with alienating her fam.
>Forgot to mention the part about giving Chef Ryan the night
>off to take the chopper to dinner.
Dude is about to blow it. This season could turn out to the one where he takes the L (if not many L's) by season's end. Ass got handed to him at the end. Can't wait to see how this continues playing itself. out.

>This show is firing on all cylinders though. Good thing Chuck
>didn't find out about his dad helping him out with Axe at the
>same time Wendy did. Dude might have lost it.
I was a bugged out by how Cuck treated Wendy at the end. Then again though, he's met someone else that's shown some interest. Wendy went to bat for the boy though in a major way. She sold herself out to keep him outta the shitstorm that was he was caught up in.

>Debs from Axe's office... cotdamn.. Ira's girl too.
WORD!

NY Times Recaps are pretty cool:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/26/arts/television/billions-season-indian-four-recap.html?_r=0

are where all he and Wendy's S&M shit spawn from. The series opener we saw Wendy put a smoke out on his chest and urinate on him. He got real into that sweedish girl right after she pinned up down in his martial arts class. I wonder if their therapist even knows about any of that stuff.

He pulled off some amazing shit in this episode. I see why that Wendy revelation soiled it for him, even if her intentions are good. On top of that, Chuck sees it as a W for Axe.

>NY Times Recaps are pretty cool:
>https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/26/arts/television/billions-season-indian-four-recap.html?_r=0

nice, thanks. I read this week's. gonna check out some of the others.

>He got real into that sweedish girl right after she pinned up down in his martial arts class.

He seems to enjoy getting physically smashed by women.

Last season it never sat well with me that this guy could run a hedge fund, wheel and deal 24/7, take meetings at all hours from basically anywhere and still keep a happy marriage. Their dynamic didn't make sense at all.

Now that they're fighting and he's lying to her it makes way more sense.

Unlike Frank and Claire in HoC they don't come across as equals to me at all. So him lying to her and keeping things from her to keep her happy makes way more sense then what they tried to sell us last season

not just as the mother of his kids. I think he likes that she at least tries to be independent on some level, and not just kiss his ass, and spend his money. She knows he colors outside the lines, she's not completely in the dark because he seeks her counsel, and she can be grimey when she wants to be. Like the way she did that other wife lady last to get her to remove the chapter in her book about Axe and 9/11

And don't forget last season Lara had a bunch of hobbies. She had that restaurant, and the garden thing. This season she's trying to find her lane.

Plus we've never seen, and I'm pretty sure we're meant to assume Axe never cheats on her.

I mean he can get some one night love here and there especially traveling
but an actual affair, he wouldn't sleep
last season some chick was throwing it at him, I think around the metallica concert trip
he smooth deflected and stayed focused on the paper

between the two of them. now that they've had the fight and he's running some level of game on her it seems more believable to me.

fuck Lara too for that matter and her fake bootstraps bullshit. You are where you are because you married Axe

even Taylor broke bad.. damn

Go Chef Ryan lol

Here here!

I watched it this morning before coming to work. Axe was mad that Wendy wouldn't listen to his shit. So, he actually took this one to Lara. Him going full retard is gonna cause him to lose more this season. Seems like it's his year to take Ls since Chuck took them last year.

The way Chuck played Brian was masterful. The "mutton" analogy was keen as hell. I may need to use that one on someone at some point. LOL

And Wendy called it. Axe's mind was already made up. He just needed someone to make him feel ok with it.

Watching him and Lara discuss this in their giant closet while she tried on expensive dresses that still had tags on them was on the nose as fuck but still great. Reminiscent of Romney's 47% tape.. discussing all the freeloading takers at a 50k a plate dinner.

>The way Chuck played Brian was masterful. The "mutton" analogy
>was keen as hell. I may need to use that one on someone at
>some point. LOL

that was amazing. And i think you're right. Axe will (and should) catch an L by season's end. Even Boyd is warning him from the visitation room. If they wanna do you, they'll do you.

I hate Chuck's dad the most. Sounds like he's about to cry every 20 seconds.

and he has that whole old school secret handshike network of dudes just like him

>I hate Chuck's dad the most. Sounds like he's about to cry
>every 20 seconds.

but I will say Sandicot is the first thing that I couldn't find justification for in my head.

The 9/11 thing was opportunistic, cold, cynical, but he didn't actually hurt anyone.

Not telling his boy about the cancer treatment was pretty fucked up, because he wanted to make it to christmas with his family... BUT he could have put Axe behind bars, plus we weren't talking about a cure, we're talking a couple months extension before certain death. definitely still fucked up, but didn't turn me.

Sandicot though... to knowingly do something that he knows will destroylives, and hide it behind some bootstraps hosrseshit his wife's on about, especially since the alternative would only affect him on paper, and be a blow to his ego... that was just a whole new level of shitbaggery.

I might say the same for the Nigerian currency thing, if I actually understood what was going on there

but his assholeness was always there.

Chuck an asshole too, but if one of them gotta win I would rather it be Chuck, because at least his win would benefit people other than himself.

He's definitely in a better place than Axe right now, who's too lost in his emotions. That said, one one hand, he seemed to exercise some impulse control when he found out how his dad used his old white devil network to bone Axe, but on the other hand, he only did because he smells blood in the water for Axe, which will likely throw him off his governor game.

Didn't take look for him to go from all that "Foley will zip his pants up and look ME in the eye" to "please will you make me governor, mr Foley". That was cringy as fuck.

Wendy knows how fragile he really is. That's why she held back on her confession, speaking off, i keep wondering if Chuck's fetishes will haunt him in the race. We don't know if there's a record of any of it but we did find out last season he attends clubs and shit like that.

That flier LOL

Another quality episode all around.

>Wendy knows how fragile he really is. That's why she held back on her confession..

on the spot. My man Chuck ain't built for that kinda confession especially since he felt so guilty and remorseful about the little peck he got from the jujitsu chick.

I laughed loudly and said, "Women ain't shit!" My soon to be wife told me to cut the generalizing out. I did so but still feel like they'll hold that secret much longer than we because it ain't just Chuck who's not built to accept that sort of confession. It's probably the majority of us who wouldn't be able to. And they know it! Wendy played it right.

Blackjack Foley handled Axe like a little second class, new money kinda dude. That definitely had to have eaten Axe's mind up even more. Dude was calm and uttered not one curse word at Axe. Told him really politely that they ain't cool and could never be because of his loyalty. Then, Axe eventually walking into the club in the manner he did had me rollin. He done seriously lost it.

Wags is the GOAT. Dude is funny as hell in every scene he's in. And I dig how he made sure to give Mafee some credit for the play made against Spartan & Ives. He more than likely recognizes the tenuous position he's in now that Taylor is the star in Axe's eyes.

Another awesome episode...

MaFee thought so too. then again, he always looks worried.

It's cool that we got to see his skills at work though

Lol @ MeFee saying he's exclusive, but Deb isn't

lol @ Sacker's reaction when Brian brought up the Bushido virtues, Dr. Gus correcting Brian on how many of the virtues Axe violates, Wendy looking at Chuck's tux, almost anything Wags ("I have a mustache?").

but nice touching quoting There Will Be Blood.

I feel like up to this point I've understood or been ok with all of Axe's moves. They never painted him as an outright bad guy...just someone who wants to win. This time around there's no real ambiguity...at least for us average folks.

I think Chuck and Axe with both lose in the end though...either that or they both win. They all have dirt on them.

Axe is just a hustler and grinder with a Mt. Everest sizec Ego.

I'm Team Axe.


.
.

Wake up, Pray! Go to work, Pray! Go home, Pray! Love, Pray! Eat, Pray! Live, Pray!

Gonna bait Axe into trying to sabatoge that deal he's helping Ira out with. But does Chuck fuck/sacrifice Ira in the process?

It's so cirngy watching him constantly kiss Foley's ring

I thought Wendy was gonna catch on in her conversation with Lara and cover Axe's ass. The way she made it a point to clarify, I think she actually DID catch on, and knowingly threw Axe under the bus.

...Lara also seemed pissed she planned all that party, and Axe wants simplicity and nostalgia.

and she relished throwing that in Lara's face.

Lara knows he's frontin, but plays along on some "I got dirt on you doggie" (c) after the talk with Wendy
the white devil network got something for his ass

is so goddamn sexy

the older she gets, the hotter she gets

I can't believe he erased the messages like that. He's not even concerned about the possibility that she could have listened to each of them and then changed the status to indicate they'd not been opened. Now that they are all gone, he could have seriously damaged his case to keep his family going. It was funny to watch him go off though.

Chuck is winning. Can't believe he got the laptop outta the Dom's hands. We now know whey he likes for Wendy to treat him like a prostitute (Slick Rick,'88). His dad was killing it when he walked back into the room as if Chuck had called for him. LOL

Only a couple more episodes to go. And this is definitely the season where Axe blows it. Can't wait to see how they wrap it up with Ice Juice, Taylor, and everything else that's happening.

"look let me explain"
"you can't just... please, at least lets talk"
"fine you want to be like that, but wendy is good for US"
"I'll give you space. come home when you're ready"
"I NEVER CHEATED ON YOU, YOU KNOW THE OPTIONS I HAVE?!
"baby, remember that time.."
"TAKE MY KIDS? I WILL DESTROY YOU BITCH!"

That's a pretty big gamble he took. Maybe he's banking on them never lying to each other, but she never technically says she didn't listen. She just said "my phone was off"

>Chuck is winning. Can't believe he got the laptop outta the
>Dom's hands. We now know whey he likes for Wendy to treat him
>like a prostitute (Slick Rick,'88). His dad was killing it
>when he walked back into the room as if Chuck had called for
>him. LOL

his dad kills me with that permanent shit eating grin. Chuck damn near busting on himself when Mary Louise Parker took her shoes off. He can't contain himself with a powerful woman telling him exactly what to do.

>Only a couple more episodes to go. And this is definitely the
>season where Axe blows it. Can't wait to see how they wrap it
>up with Ice Juice, Taylor, and everything else that's
>happening.

Yeah, Axe's face on the Ice Juice thing when he walked away seemed to imply he might be weary of a Trap, but then again, he's so off his game. Taylor see's it. Taylor playing with Brian like he was a ball of yarn. He saw Taylor is involved in liberal causes and figured this would be an easy flip. But she..they are starting to finally enjoy the power that comes with being the smartest one in the room at all times.

Never trusted Boyd. Hell of a move by Chuck. Axe is boxed in. Chuck burned his whole house to catch one fly.

>Chuck burned his whole house to catch one fly.

work today so that I can tune the hell in.

of how much Chuck sacrificed to pull this off. because I'm a little confused what's what on his end.
Pops spent his whole Trust, his boy quit his job, and Wendy poured all her money into this. If this whole thing gets exposed as fraudulent, are all transactions off?

was this a pure W for Chuck or some kamikaze shit? Will all Chuck's actions hold up in court?

It would seem that Axe is royally fucked tho.

Wendy, who Chuck has no idea of, bet against him. That prolly offsets Chuck's loss. I think the transactions need are legal since they have no clue of the behind the scenes action. Chuck's dad and boy could prolly sue if Axe is found guilty. Wendy could get pulled into that though since she's an Axe employee. Gonna be interesting!

She just poured money into this thing and she's got an inside ear with Axe, and Chuck.

And homie who Chuck just got appointed as US attorney of the Eastern was all over Wendy about the check she got from Axe right before she left AxeCap and Chuck happened to drop the case.

if she gets to keep the money but has to go through hell, how does she feel about Chuck at that point? They're barely sort of back together.

>And homie who Chuck just got appointed as US attorney of the Eastern was all over Wendy about the check she got from Axe right before she left AxeCap and Chuck happened to drop the case

I thought this as well. But it just dawned on me that Chuck and Oliver will work together until they can't which is when Axe will have leaked, to the press, that Wendy benefitted in some way.

.
.

"The unexamined life is not worth living." - Plato

Axe is fucked...they have him dead to rights

However Chuck just lost his whole trust and with Wendy pouring her money in the short it will look like he was playing both sides. Axe now has photos of Wendy and chuck hooking up the night before all this happened. They will bring him down with them.

The guy taking over for Chuck will lock them all up cause he's all about the moral high ground.

It's all coming crumbling down. Somehow I still think Axe will be ok in the end. He'll take a hit but I don't see him losing everything. He'll probably cut a deal and try to pin it all on Chuck.

Chuck can kiss his political aspirations goodbye. Shoulda stayed focused on that.

That's my problem.

.
.

"The unexamined life is not worth living." - Plato

Ben Kim's single tear
Rudy
That awkward Dollar bill knock thing

Love watching Taylor look through people.

>Ben Kim's single tear

That little scene is an all-timer for me. Up there with Sopranos' Paulie's Three's Company, Deadwood's Swearengen's "Who!?", etc.

I fuckin' hate Chuck's dad but the computer screen reflection of him smiling watching the stock was fuckin' gold.

Lovin' Billions but I kinda get fatigued with lots of scheming (Sons of Anarchy, Walking Dead). I hope that's not the case with me and this series.

>Lovin' Billions but I kinda get fatigued with lots of scheming
>(Sons of Anarchy, Walking Dead). I hope that's not the case
>with me and this series.

AXE strikes up an elaborate scheme with SAMCRO

INT DAY: ALLEY BEHIND AXE CAP

LARA "Thanks guys"

AXE - "Yeah, thanks guys for coming all this way and helping us out".

BobbyElvis- (alive for some reason) Thanks for paying off the mortgage on the clubhouse, but we'd have done it for free. We'll do anything for Lara. She's one down, scrappy girl, true to her working class roots"

JAX - (alive for some reason) "Yeah, mate... I mean, bro. So who's the target?"

WAGS - "These two lovely motherfuckers right here"

Axe looks at Wags and shakes his head disapprovingly to let him know he's trying to hard. Wags shrugs

JAX - examines photo. "Wait, is this the mark's wife?? But, she looks..."

****************MONTAGE*******************

.

Hahaha. Flashback of young Axe played by Abel Teller actor?

Ay, yo, you watch Animal Kingdom (TNT)? Some entertaining outlaw shit. Not top tier tv as a whole, but I recommend it because I think Barkin's crime matriarch is one of the best characters on tv. Barkin is fantastic. There's some silly crime shit, but some aspects of the storyworld is really good.

>Hahaha. Flashback of young Axe played by Abel Teller actor?

LOL how could i forget Abel. Good god lol

>Ay, yo, you watch Animal Kingdom (TNT)? Some entertaining
>outlaw shit. Not top tier tv as a whole, but I recommend it
>because I think Barkin's crime matriarch is one of the best
>characters on tv. Barkin is fantastic. There's some silly
>crime shit, but some aspects of the storyworld is really
>good.

Yeah i watched first season. I Probably won't continue. Barkin was great. The show is ok. i just can't see spending another 10 hours on it with all the other shows i still haven't seen. We'll see tho.

I was gonna say that I can see myself tapping out if it doesn't get better but then I remembered I finished Lost, Dexter, etc. Haha.

both times i ended up being satisfied with how it ended but also being pissed that i have to wait x months for the new season...damn this season really ended on a high note. it kept building up in quality and story and now i can't wait for season 3

That's the only reason why they can't live without each other.

Lara knows it. Axe blew it. She's gonna get that bread now.

Chuck realized he doesn't wanna be alone like his father said he was. That's why he opted to be cool with Wendy when they got home. I'd have been too emotional to deal with her in that context after seeing her and Axe staring into each other's eyes.

Axe's boy got ghost on his ass quickly. I rolled when he called "Iceland" and there was no answer. LOL

Edit: And yes! Great season finale after a ridiculous season. They've hit it outta the park for two seasons straight. Damned shame we gotta wait X amount of months to get back to the story.

Chuck and Lara are just reacting to it how anyone would cause it's not normal...but I think that's as far as it goes. It'll continue to cause people to think they are together even though they're not. It would be a shame if the show went the romance route. I feel like they are holding on to that trump card but won't pull it.

"I feel like they are holding on to that trump card but won't pull it."

The element sort of adds to the suspense and intrigue of their characters and relationship.

7 seasons of Chuck and Axe going at each other? YES!
Just think, Chuck becomes Governor
Axe pays a huge fine, so huge he has to liquidate and start all over from scratch
ready...fight!

But I hope it doesn't go down the path of other showtime shows. They've ruined so many good series