Categories Billions

The Best of Billions Season 4 – June 24, 2019

The Best of the Best and All the Rest

by Damianista | Fan Fun with Damian Lewis | June 24, 2019

We are thrilled that Billions has been renewed for Season 5! To keep with that Billions state of mind, how about a fun visit to the best of Billions season four? Feel free to play along in the comments section. And for those just joining us, you can catch up on the rest by reading Best of Billions 1 , Best of Billions 2 and Best of Billions 3.

Best Episode

Damianista: Those Billions folks know how to create and deliver a season finale! With its fast pace, brilliant twists and turns, and all moving parts finally falling into place Extreme Sandbox  is the craziest Billions ride ever! And it goes into history as the TV episode during which I yell the most at my TV 😀 😀 😀

Gingersnap: Episode 1 ‘Chucky Rhoades’s Greatest Game.’ From Chuck dancing a jig to Al Green to working the wheeling and dealing landscape of New York – he traded favors and moved like a honey bee from one meeting place to another, robbing Peter to pay Paul (plus all The Beatles) trying to secure his nectar, all the while to the backdrop of Fun Lovin’ Criminal’s King of New York and determined as hell to unload that Park-Anywhere permit. And smitten he was to finally find a recipient! Runner-Up: Episode 3 ‘Chickentown’ where Dollar Bill is about to wipe out the poultry community in Arkansas. I tend to gravitate towards the comedy of Billions. #ChickenBill

Lady Trader: It seemed like every week I would say that was my favorite episode, but being a true trader, I’m going to have to go with Overton Window. Axe and Wags had to get on the phones and trade old-school style and put on a clinic for the children!

The Tail that Wags the Dog: Infinite Game – any time I can be surprised by the game theory going on with the four leads I am impressed – add to that the emotional gravitas that Wendy and Taylor go through, add a dose of seldom-seen humanity from Bobby (in this case toward Bruno), and it becomes a classic. Especially when you add in the significance of Krakow’s meeting with Chuck and how that played out at the end of the season.

Best Scene

Damianista: Chuck’s Speech in Episode 4 Overton Window is the single most remarkable scene in the history of Billions in my opinion.

I know many see it as a betrayal to Wendy, but I see it as brave, honest, and necessary. You cannot hold a threat hanging over your head forever especially when what those people hold against you is some consensual, if unusual, sex life. And I seriously hope this scene helps shift the Overton Window in real life.

Paul Giamatti storms the scene giving a compelling performance and the characters’ immediate reactions to Chuck’s revelations are to die for! Long live Billions! And I love the reactions to his revelations as much as I love the speech itself!

Gingersnap: Axe and Wendy making the bed together in episode 12 ‘Extreme Sandbox.’ The tension in the air, the muddled meaning for the audience, screaming at my television….all pure Xanadu.

Lady Trader: It was cold and brutal, but Axe explaining to Rebecca why he backstabber her in Extreme Sandbox was riveting. He laid it all out there, and acknowledged who and what he is – The Terminator.

The Tail that Wags the Dog: Chuck’s public confession in Overton Window. First off, it got the whole S&M thing out in the open so it could be faced head on. Paul Giamatti’s acting throughout this monologue is amazing -he makes it look so easy and yet it isn’t. But maybe the best part is the scan of the faces afterwards – each actor, in their own silence, speak volumes about their own character and how they see Chuck as well – I could watch that over and over and spend hours analyzing what each character is thinking.

Best Line

Damianista: Rebecca explaining to Axe in Episode 8 Fight Night why she is buying Saler’s, a company that looks like, in Axe’s words “a wheezing elephant ready to stumble to its knees.

“Show young girls that they don’t have to just dream about shopping at some department store. They can buy the whole company.”

Gingersnap: Orrin Bach in episode 6 ‘Maximum Recreational Depth’ when describing how Taylor fucked (that being the operative word) Axe Capital regarding Victor’s satellite firm:

Spacey-style. Sneaky and from behind.”

Lady Trader: Rebecca Cantu – The Oracle of Truth:

You snake motherfucker!”

The Tail that Wags the Dog: How can there be any argument here – Wags in Maximum Recreational Depth:

“My vengeance will come like I do. Slow, thunderous, and in your eye.”

Best Song

Damianista: “King of New York” by Fun Lovin’ Criminals perfectly complements the brilliant sequence in which Chuck goes from one power joint to another and trades favors to secure a gun permit for Mr. Brogan in Episode 1 Chucky Rhoades’ Greatest Game 😀 Besides the song makes me dance like there is no tomorrow.

Gingersnap: U2’s New Year’s Day from episode 10, aptly named the same, ‘New Year’s Day.’

Lady Trader: If Billions uses 100 songs in a season, there’s a good chance at least one is a metal song. I’m a metal chick. So yeah, I’m going with Ace of Spades by Motörhead. Not only did I get the song right in my “Bobby Axelrod – a Man and his Music” post, but damn the lyrics just fit:

You know I’m born to lose, and gambling’s for fools,
But that’s the way I like it baby,
I don’t wanna live forever

The Tail that Wags the Dog: There are always so many to choose from – but I have to go with the opening song to Extreme Sandbox -“Behind Blue Eyes” – first off the song alone is one of the greatest Who songs, and one of the greatest rock and roll songs period – but it fits so perfectly with Bobby right there, with his struggle, both internal and external, and, of course, those perfect blue eyes of his.

Best Minion

Damianista: Chicken Bill! 😀 We all know how loyal Bill has always been to Axe. From “fake fight” to a public apology to Spyros of all people, Bill has always done what he had to do for Axe. But his final solution to the chicken problem in Episode 3 Chickentown?!?! Craziness of the highest order in the name of loyalty.

Bill risking his own health by getting into a quarantine area with thousands of sick chickens, stealing one with bird flu with the goal of making other chickens sick and potentially causing not only a serious food supply problem but also a public health crisis… This is taking loyalty to another level. And it is good to know Axe draws the line there!

Gingersnap: Minion can be a loyal buddy or a mischievous underling. For this category I’m going with the definition of an underling and that would be Todd Krakow. This little twerp is the best underling snark of them all. You just KNOW he’s up to something every second!

Read the rest of the original article at Fan Fun with Damian Lewis