The Unbeatable, Unstoppable, Unparalleled MVPs from Billions Season 5 Episode 5 – June 3, 2020

Billions MVP Awards for Season 5, Episode 5, “Contract”

by Gingersnap | Fan Fun with Damian Lewis | June 3, 2020

We continue to award our Most Valuable Players for Billions season five in a compilation post called the ‘Billions MVP Fanbook,’ which commemorates all those in honor of achievement for the utmost brazen, uber shameless, ultra scheming, unmatched bad asses to date – from sports references, music and tasty food to pop culture remarks, shocking twists and ultimate paybacks. In case you missed it, here are the MVPs for episode one, episode two, episode three, and episode four.

Let us continue with that tradition as we award our Most Valuable Players (MVPs) this week. Here are the Billions MVP awards for Season 5, Episode 5, “Contract.”

Gingersnap

Wow, okay…where to start? I think this was my favorite episode thus far this season, mainly because it took a deep dive into Axe’s upbringing and family life. There’s a lot to unpack and therefore a lot to award.

Most Shocking Twist – Axe’s father is alive!!! I knew his father had “left” the family long ago and that there was strife, but without any more details to go on and because Axe admitted to both Wendy and Lara that he cries sometimes watching videos of service men returning home from duty, I assumed his father was not coming back, ever. Because Axe crying at ‘returning fathers’ was maybe an indication his father would never be able to return, possibly due to death. Not the case at all! His father is a grifter with a gambling addiction (he has a notion for card rooms) and seems to be an alcoholic (the way his car would pull into the driveway at night, or the way his keys would jangle searching for the lock). His father is very much alive because Axe’s mother admitted she recently gave dear old dad the Lexus that Axe himself bought for his mother. Axe threatens to cut his mother off. Axe is angry.

Significant Storyline – Bobby’s childhood was fraught with domestic violence. No wonder he would spend his free time away from home or outside shooting hoops on the side driveway. While sitting on his childhood bedroom floor, Bobby spoke to Wendy of acting as a buffer between his mother and abusive father, trying to divert his father’s attention away from her and onto him. He became the protector. There is sometimes role reversal between a child and parent in a dysfunctional home where the child is forced to mature faster than the average child. The parentified child takes on household and financial responsibilities beyond the normal means expected for a child at his/her age. Bobby did just that – he became “the man of the house” – working summers at the Country Club, barely scraping by, and eating for free thanks to Bruno. Remember in a previous season when Axe stormed the Yale Club and yelled at Chuck that he knew nothing of having to grow up fast, having to earn without a silver spoon in his mouth, and nothing but empty space where balls should be clanking around down there.

Best Payback – Axe. He found that Lexus car his mother gave to his father and had it flattened in a car crusher at the scrap yard, then had the compacted block of metal delivered back to his father’s house like a pepperoni pizza just ordered from Dominos, only the pepperonis were Lexus emblems.

The Billions writers were purposeful in not giving Axe’s dad a name or a face. But how cool would it be if Axe’s father was played by Bruce Dern!

As Axe and Wendy watch the mangled car delivery from afar, we as the audience witness probably the best emotive acting by Damian Lewis since that Brody scene in Homeland (season two, episode five) – Axe’s face contorts into a snarl with upper lip quivering and nostrils flared. You can almost hear the panther’s growl.

The Punch Gets Usurped – So Bryan Connerty is back this episode, only this time in a jumpsuit and shackles and he spoke no words at all! Instead he punched Chuck in the eye before being dragged back to his cell.

The punch award (the trophy Axe threw in the trashcan that Mafee/Dollar Bill gave him in season one) is officially usurped from Axe and given to Bryan. Remember when Axe punched Bruce in season one, episode seven? WORTH IT!

Cutest Couple – Ben Kim and Tuk make the cutest couple; too bad it’s fake. I need more Tuk cuddle noises and at least Ben wouldn’t ghost Tuk.

Wondrous Pop Culture Reference – This award goes to Capitalist Douche Winston for nicknaming newly hired Rian as ‘Gal Gadot’s quirky sister.’ #WonderWoman

Food for thought: Is Gal’s Taco Algo the next Ice Juice play?

Supreme Spyros – Spyros looks like he just got back from the haberdasher with this top hat attire he’s donning. Axe compares him to a butler but I kept waiting for him to pull a rabbit from under that topper. Add a teacup and he’s the Mad Hatter. Or in this case, a cappuccino cup.

Twice Throwback Award – Wendy when she told Winston “Dave Mustaine thought he would return to Metallica.” This is a throwback to season one when Axe went to a Metallica concert and also season two when he wore a Megadeth concert tee. Mustaine started out in the band Metallica but left and co-founded heavy metal band Megadeth.

Fraternal Twins Award – Wags and Leah Calder. While Wags was preening in his deep navy pinstriped suit with a bold yellow paisley tie, they both wore the same shirt to the same meeting – a blue and white striped button down with contrasting chalk white collar. Albeit Leah’s collar was popped and Wags’ collar was tacked down with a collar pin/tie bar. They would have gotten the Identical Twins Award if their stripes were the same exact inches apart. And if we’re picky, Leah’s shirt is blue with white stripes and Wags’ is white with blue stripes.