Billions of Reasons To Watch Season 4

I have mentioned in my previous reviews of Showtime’s masterwork Billions how daring it has been of show runner Andrew Ross Sorkin to take two of the greatest actors working today – Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis – put there characters in perpetual conflict, and yet have them rarely in the same scene together. So it is yet another daring master stroke in last season’s finale to put Lewis’ billionaire Bobby Axelrod and Giamatti’s cutthroat attorney Chuck Rhoades into forming an alliance.

Admittedly, circumstances for both of them have changed dramatically in that finale. Chuck’s attempts to bring down ruthless Attorney General Jock Jeffcoat led to his being fired as US Attorney for Wall Street when his former student Bryan Connerty (Toby Leonard Moore) and current student Kate Sacker (Condola Rashad) combined to betray him. An even deeper betrayal occurred at Axe Capital when Taylor (breakout star Asia Kate Dillon) jumped ship to form their own company, with the backing of Russian oligarch Grigor Andalov (John Malkovich, using his remarkable talent and charisma to get past the fact that he is woefully miscast).

It is a matter as to just how much the world of Billions has changed that in last night’s episode, Chuck walked into Bobby’s penthouse, got in asking for ‘Bob’, and told Axe straight out: “I don’t want you in my crosshairs anymore.”  It’s a bit much to say that they have gotten to the point that they are actually friendly, but we are reminded of an earlier statement by Wendy as to how much the two got along before Chuck started his rise to power. These two are clearly more alike then they are willing to admit, and this episode shows it. It also has given Giamatti more freedom as he has spent the last two episode operating as a lawyer who is trying to negotiate rather then search in destroy, and its actually wonderful to watch him.

Of course, Chuck has his eyes on his power. He “wants vengeance and it will be had” as he tells his father, and his plan is go after the state attorney general office.  When Connerty confronts him over this, he says: “I’m running and I will run over you like its Tiannemen Square.”

Axe’s problems are more complicated. Taylor is the most worthy adversary that Bobby has ever faced, and no doubt he feels the betrayal more harshly because they served as a willing pupil for the first time. And in the season premiere, his attempt to earn key investment from the Middle East ended up with Wags being held prisoner and him learning that he had been outmaneuvered by Gregor. Bobby found himself confessing: “I’m overmatched for the first time since I can remember.” And Taylor seems able to manipulate Gregor in ways that Bobby can’t. After Bobby closed all the banks to him, they managed to outmaneuver an attempt for the Russian to get more power and Bobby by using him to do it. Gregor actually seems to admire them in a way that he never did Axe, and its clear that Taylor despite not wanting to play dirty has learned from the feet of the master.

 If there is a flaw in this season so far, its that the female cast has been weaker than usual. Malin Ackerman is no longer a regular and Condola Rashad, whose political ambitions were a far crueler blow than Jason’s vengeance, has had practically nothing to do so far this year. There are, however, still some promising additions, led by Nina Arianda as a woman billionaire who may just be Bobby’s soulmate financially and sexually. And as always, Maggie Siff continues to be the strongest force as Wendy, who finds that the war against Taylor is starting to drain her in ways she’s never felt before.

Billions remains one of the best series on television in its ambition, power dynamics and dark humor. The fact that it has not even been nominated for any Emmys up to this point in its run is nearly as appalling as the fact that The Good Fight has been similarly deprived. There are going to be a lot of vacancies in the Best Drama category this year with so many HBO and Netflix contenders out of play. This is one of the series that deserves recognition, as it reminds you just how good television can be.

My score: 4.75 stars.