#the [is this wendy rhoades or] edits....

[fyeahmaggiesiff]

Photographed by Dennis Leupold

[unproduciblesmackdown]

(rhetorical) now why is this billions characters & billions itself seeing quant kid 2 through the glass / winston across the room forevermore

[nothingunrealistic]

As the Showtime financial thriller “Billions” prepares to air its final episode this weekend, it’s worth considering how far we’ve come. The show started as the story of the crusading U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) and the hard-charging hedge funder Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis). Exclusive restaurants, elaborate schemes and a host of cameos by real-world power players provided the backdrop for their battle. But when Lewis left the show following a family tragedy, a new antagonist was introduced by the showrunners and creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien (Andrew Ross Sorkin, a New York Times writer and CNBC anchor, is also a creator): Mike Prince (Corey Stoll), a billionaire do-gooder who ascends partly by besting both Axe and Chuck. Prince has grander aspirations than making money. His goal is to be elected president — a position from which, he announces this season, he would not hesitate to launch a nuclear first strike should he judge it necessary. And since he has firmly established himself as a man who rarely if ever questions his own judgment, Chuck and Axe — and Wendy (Maggie Siff), who is Chuck’s ex-wife and Axe’s closest adviser — feel driven to take him down. Nothing less than the future of life on Earth is at stake. Friends since childhood, Koppelman and Levien have no plans to end their writing partnership or the “Billions” franchise: A suite of spinoffs, including one set in Miami, are in various stages of development. In a video chat earlier this month they discussed the state of play and the fates of the major players in the series, without revealing who (if anyone) wins the final “Billions” battle. According to an otherwise cagey Koppelman, “The end of this show is really for ‘Billions’ fans.” These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

When “Billions” was the story of Chuck Rhoades and Bobby Axelrod duking it out, audience sympathies were fairly evenly divided. When Mike Prince says “Boom” to end the penultimate episode and there’s a little explosion sound effect underneath, it’s hard to imagine anyone in the audience thinking, “Gee, I hope this guy comes out on top.” BRIAN KOPPELMAN As far as a rooting interest, we start by just being curious and looking at the world. We had met a few billionaires along the way of making the show who were able to talk in the language of the progressive, and of the educated, smart but regular person. DAVID LEVIEN The show had been created with the prior billionaires [in mind] — these guys in their 40s who started hedge funds and made these fortunes and wrote their own rules. They didn’t have to wear suits to look rich because they just knew that they were rich. They wore T-shirts. They did what they wanted. But as Brian was saying, about two, three seasons in, we started becoming aware of the new billionaires, who were thoughtful, and taking responsibility. KOPPELMAN I mean, “thoughtful” in quotes when he’s saying it. The newfangled billionaires that we met believed their own [expletive]. They believed they were making the world a better place, and they could snow themselves. Those kinds of people are very effective in the world, because other people believe it. We wanted to put that kind of person in the show, let them use that rhetoric, and see what happens. Let the rooting interest fall where it lies. LEVIEN On a basic level, on a pheromone level, people have more respect for somebody who doesn’t lie to themselves. The person who deludes himself and enrobes himself in good … when people see behind it, it rubs them the wrong way.

The season begins with a flash forward in which an angry Prince smashes Wendy’s glass office wall and demands to know why she thinks he shouldn’t be president. We haven’t yet reached this moment, but it’s telling that of all the characters he could ask, he’s asking Wendy. KOPPELMAN Dave and I are not big on screenwriting books, but maybe the show is Wendy’s hero’s journey — the Joseph Campbell school. If you think about it, she resists the call. LEVIEN At first she tries to steer him, but when she sees that he’s not steerable—— KOPPELMAN Finally, her conscience gets to the point that she has to take massive action. It might cause her ruination and the ruination of those around her in order to save the world. I won’t say who wins, but it’s Wendy who sets all this in motion, who decides “Even if I get destroyed in the process, it’s worth continuing.”

Mike Prince is a morally clarifying figure for the other characters because the stakes — the potential use of a nuclear first strike — are so huge. LEVIEN To us, [threatening a first strike] seems one of the threshold things that a world leader could say, and we went back and forth about the volume of the language that he’d say it at. One would think you wouldn’t have to say it very loudly for it to be horrifying, but in today’s world, you kind of have to.

A friend of mine compared it to a superhero story — a team of rivals coming together to stop an existential threat to them all. KOPPELMAN When you look at what’s going on even in the House of Representatives, when you look at the kinds of people who are gaining power now … Although the construct might look like a superhero show, I would argue that it’s grounded in real, primal, existential [expletive] that’s happening right now all around us, if we’d just open our eyes and look at it. In a vacuum, Mike Prince is way more likable than the real-life analogues trying to steal the country, and the world, for themselves.

Without revealing the victors, how much internal debate was there about which side will win? LEVIEN I don’t think it was a debate. There were endless discussions about how we were going to navigate and execute the endgame, but there weren’t people taking polar opposite sides of this thing. KOPPELMAN As you know, Damian needed to leave the show for a year. So in a way, the Season 5 ending was probably the [original] ending we were driving toward between Chuck and Axe, whenever we got there. For this [ending], I have to shout out Beth Schacter, who for the last two years worked really closely with us. She was an executive producer, in the writing room with us every day — the three of us walking down the street, kicking around ideas for the end.

Since “Billions” first aired, shows taking on the very wealthy have become both common and popular. But shows like “Succession,” “The White Lotus,” even a horror story like “The Fall of the House of Usher,” are often satirical. “Billions” is frequently funny, but the intent feels different. LEVIEN This was not a satire. It’s a drama with comedic moments, but that’s different than a satire. These characters are perhaps exaggerated in some ways, but we’re not sending up the rich. That wasn’t our goal here. It was more to let people into a world we felt we’d identified — yes, with our spin and our point of view, but not so that we could all huddle together and laugh and feel better than them. KOPPELMAN There’s an absurdism to “Billions,” for sure, but that’s because the world right now is capital-A Absurdist. The show has to capture that spirit.

I couldn’t wrap up without asking you about the show’s use of all those pop-culture and sports references. There’s a reader who writes to me solely about the show’s use of “The Godfather.” Did you have any personal favorites? KOPPELMAN I would say getting a couple Dusty Rhodes references in there. LEVIEN We didn’t go light on the wrestling. I think of the ones Brian came up with as my favorites. Part of the fun of writing the show is going back and forth, trying to entertain the other person. KOPPELMAN The Tarantino references in Episode 10? We each came up with one independently. LEVIEN We were writing different scenes. KOPPELMAN The references are very organic to our relationship, our childhood together, our entire professional life. They show up for us organically, no matter how they read on the other side. And “The Godfather” has been an ur-text for our whole lives. It just applies all the time in the universe. I mean, you could argue about all the references in the show and that question of, “Do people talk like that?” But “The Godfather”? LEVIEN They do talk like that.

[drogons]

[twcbelts]

                           𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐊𝐘  𝐋𝐘𝐍𝐂𝐇   &  𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐘  𝐑𝐇𝐎𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐒  . 

[neverheardnothing]

guide to troubled billions 2/2

[heavymetalhall]

[Part 29 of 30] — Randy Rhoads Induction Speech by Randy's brother and sister, Kelle Rhoads and Kathy Rhoads. 2017 Hall of Heavy Metal History Host Eddie Trunk closing induction ceremony speech. Red carpet interviews, awards ceremony acceptance speeches, & more from our archives will be rolling out regularly! SUBSCRIBE & hit the bell to receive notifications for new HoHMH videos! Follow the Hall of Heavy Metal History: https://ift.tt/2IGnrZz https://ift.tt/2Kxs3Gw https://twitter.com/HeavyMetalHall https://ift.tt/2IGnswB https://ift.tt/2KjQ3xi https://ift.tt/2mDh5RM Share your experiences with #HallofHeavyMetalHistory #HOHMH on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and more. 2017 Hall of Heavy Metal History Host & Inductees: EDDIE TRUNK (host) RONNIE JAMES DIO (Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio) (accepted by Wendy Dio) SABIAN CYMBALS (accepted by Andy Zildjian) BRIAN SLAGEL (Metal Blade Records) (introduction by Kerry King of Slayer) RAINBOW BAR AND GRILL, Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, California (accepted by Todd Singerman) LEMMY KILMISTER (Motörhead) (accepted by Mikkey Dee of Scorpions) RUDY SARZO (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osboure, Whitesnake) VINNY APPICE (Dio, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell) FRANKIE BANALI (Quiet Riot, W.A.S.P.) ROSS "THE BOSS" FRIEDMAN (Manowar, Ross The Boss, The Dictators) QUIET RIOT (accepted by Rudy Sarzo & Frankie Banali) DON AIREY (Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Ozzy Osbourne, Deep Purple) RANDY RHOADS (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osboure) (accepted by Kelly & Kathy Rhoads) Filmed by Tod Hilman Edited by M. Mindnich by HALL OF HEAVY METAL HISTORY

[fyeahmaggiesiff]

[nothingunrealistic]

MIKE: I wanna switch gears a little bit, because one of my favorite things to do is to compare Cats to other source material, so TV shows, other musicals. And I thought Billions, and your work on Billions as Winston. I thought there was a lot here to work with, so. And I’m a fan of the show. So I was excited when I saw you pop up in [WILL: Oh yeah.] I think it was Season 3? I was like, “Oh, there’s Will.” I was like, “That was really, really cool,” ‘cause I’d just seen you, I think, in, um, [WILL: Yeah.] on Broadway, and loved the show. So let’s compare some of the main characters to Cats, and who we think they would be. And I’ve thought about this a little bit, but I’m putting you on the spot.

WILL: Alright.

MIKE: So let’s start with Chuck Rhoades.

WILL: Alright, so let’s see. If I — Chuck Rhoades… I think Chuck Rhoades is either, he’s either Old Deuteronomy or — or he’s, or he’s Bustopher Jones.

MIKE: Okay. Give me a little bit of reasoning. I had him as Munkustrap, but I can give my rationale why.

WILL: Oh yeah, Munkustrap. Okay, I understand that. Is it because of his, like, his sort of loquaciousness? His, like, his narratorial… proclivities?

MIKE: A little bit of — a little bit of narrative, but I also see Munkustrap being second in line, kind of giving me a little bit of the submissive of like, “I’m just waiting my turn, I’m kind of following orders.” And he, you know, he’s got his whole BDSM fetish that goes through the whole show. [WILL: Right.] So it just kind of fit. That's where I kinda was taking my — my, like, thought for it.

WILL: Yeah. I mean, that’s a good — I also think Skimbleshanks is a sub, so. [MIKE: Really.] Chuck could also be Skimbleshanks by that logic. Oh, my God, a hundred percent.

MIKE: Alright, tell me more, before we keep going.

WILL: Not at work. At work, he’s so — at work, Skimbleshanks is so Type A. He’s the most fastidious, like, “The trains are late!” Um, but at, you know, at home, Skimbleshanks is absolutely, uh, getting tied up.

MIKE: I don’t think I’ve ever thought about that. So I’m now trying to, like, think back —

WILL: Oh, you haven’t thought about Skimbleshanks’ sex life at home?

MIKE: No, no. [WILL: Well…] He’s, you know. There’s a lot of sex life thought in the show, so that’s why I’m like, I have, you know, you’ve thought a lot about who’s with who and who might be, you know, doing what with, with which cat. But Skimbleshanks is one that just hasn’t come up. He seems like the, you know, the uncle, fun uncle. Although someone got mad at me for calling him the creepy uncle. So maybe that does fit.

WILL: No, he’s not, he’s not the creepy uncle. He is the fun uncle. He’s also — I mean… yeah, I don’t know. Skimbleshanks is — I mean, I love Skimbleshanks. If I, if I could dance like that, I’d play Skimbleshanks for the rest of my life. He’s my favorite cat.

MIKE: I love it. Um, okay, Bobby Axelrod.

WILL: Uh, Bobby Axelrod… I mean, like, he gives me, like, lowkey Macavity vibes, ‘cause he’s, like, a criminal. Um, but he also gives you, like, Rum Tum Tugger charisma. So I don’t know.

MIKE: Spot on. I had him as Macavity. I just thought, like, you know, there’s a little bit of crime, crime boss.

WILL: Yeah, Macavity sun sign with Rum Tum Tugger rising. [MIKE: Yeah.] You gotta do these, like, uh, yeah, you gotta do ‘em like horoscopes.

MIKE: Exactly. Um, I do have Cats astrology signs. It’s on the Wikipedia fan page. Each one has been deemed an astrology sign, which is… strange that [WILL: Excellent.] somebody spent time to put each one of them on a Wikipedia page. Um, what about Wendy?

WILL: Well, you know, if I’ve learned anything about Wikipedia, it’s that people really, uh, take a lot of time to do stuff like that.

MIKE: Uh, exactly. Wendy Rhoades.

WILL: Wendy. Wendy. I mean, Wendy’s Grizabella. Wendy’s our leading lady. She’s our, you know. [MIKE: I —] She's not old, but she’s — but she is our, I mean, like, Wendy Rhoades and… I think the thing for me is, I associate it too much with the power of the actor. So Grizabella, to me, is a Betty Buckley or a Mamie Parris, and to me, uh, you know, that, that is, uh, like that’s — I, it, it is about the, the actor’s presence, you know?

MIKE: Yeah, I definitely see that. I actually, I had her as Jenny, for the same way of, like, [WILL: Oh!] you know, a motherly but also whipping-the-mice-into-shape type of thing. Like, I did see, I saw [WILL: That’s fair.] some of that power dynamics. [WILL: I just think —] But I do see Grizabella from that.

WILL: I think, I think Maggie Siff is singing our eleven o’clock number on Billions. Like, [MIKE: Yeah.] so, she’s that — that’s the problem with me, is I always, I always view these things too much through an actor lens, and I’m always like, “Oh, who plays that person?” And that’s how I’m, like, doing, like, you know — like Giamatti plays your Old Deuteronomy. Oh, Giamatti would be a great Gus stunt cast! [MIKE: Yeah, very true.] Oh my God! Paul Giamatti as Asparagus? Sign me up!

MIKE: I love it. I love it. Um, what about Wags?

WILL: Wags. Uh, Wags is Mr. Mistoffelees. He’s got that mischievous trickster energy. [MIKE: Ooh. I —] I mean, there’s a lot of trickster energy in the show, I guess. [MIKE: That’s —] He could also be both Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer.

MIKE: I think we’re thinking the same way. I went with Bustopher Jones, ‘cause I just saw him being a little bit of, like, [WILL: Oh, great mustache.] in the crime family, and similar kind of, like, just, demeanor and body type. But the Mistoffelees makes a ton of sense.

WILL: Yeah. I mean, he’s a, he’s a, he’s a, he’s a mercurial trickster character. Um, which I suppose Bustopher Jones is as well.

[…]

MIKE: Okay, let’s do two more. Uh, Taylor Mason.

WILL: Oh, Taylor Mason. Uh, Taylor Mason is… oh, man. I’m gonna say Taylor Mason is… Taylor Mason’s got — I, I don’t know. You see, this is — again, this is the problem. Working with Asia, they have real Rum Tum Tugger energy. But, like, Taylor does not. [MIKE: Yeah.] So, like, this is all — I immediately am like, “Rum Tum Tugger! They’re so much fun!” And, like, not, like — Taylor Mason the character is not nearly as fun as the Rum Tum Tugger. Um… Skimbleshanks. Taylor Mason is tightly wound.

MIKE: That, that’s a good answer. I went with Mistoffelees. A very, like, smart, magical — although the, part of it’s also a little, I thought there could be some, like, Mungojerrie-Rumpleteazer.

WILL: Mm-hmm. Yeah. I mean, there’s also something very sinister about Mistoffelees. Why does he know how to do all this stuff?

MIKE: Yeah, Uh, yeah. That’s a whole different story. What about Winston? How would you, how would you cast yourself?

WILL: Oh, Winston. I mean, I think Winston is, like, half of the Mungojerrie-Rumpleteazer. I think there’s, like, a couple of duos on the show, um, so there’s like, Winston and Rian, and there’s Tuk and Ben Kim, and I think they’re both Mungojerrie-Rumpleteazer. Like, “We just work for the boss!”, kind of, [MIKE: Yeah.] uh, energy.

MIKE: Exactly where I had it, so, love it, love it.

WILL: Love a duo.

[drogons]

[nothingunrealistic]

review roundup: billions 5x10 “liberty”

we had a terrible time this episode! let’s see if the critics agree!

New York Times: ‘Billions’ Recap, Season 5, Episode 10: You Can’t Make an Omelet …

Zooming into the office from his home, where he has been quarantined because of an infected private jet pilot, Axe announces that Axe Cap is no more. Everyone has been let go … and some, but not all, of them will be rehired by night’s end for his new venture, Axe Bank. In the case of Lauren, Mase Carbon’s investor relations guru, she’ll have to choose between joining the bank or staying put. (When she tries to do both, Taylor fires Lauren, and Lauren dumps Taylor.)

(so we’re not lingering on that plotline any longer than two sentences? no? okay then.)

Essentially, Chuck gives his estranged wife, Wendy, a choice: Cough up a lump-sum divorce settlement, or allow him to snoop around Mase Carb/Axe Cap’s books. When he ignores her FaceTime call, she contacts Ira instead. Ira gives her a view of the room and affords her a few snippets of the conversation everyone is having about bank regulation and liberty or something.

(“or something” is right.)

Axe figures that the fight between Prince and Chuck was a ruse, that cannabis is soon to get the federal green light, and that the time has come to corner the market before Prince can do so himself. What he doesn’t know (I think?) is that Taylor, who had earlier told him there was a yellow light for the weed biz, is part of Chuck and Prince’s conspiracy.

According to Taylor’s employee Rian, the light, in fact, is bright red. So has Axe fallen for a ruse, one he was meant to be ensnared by from the moment Chuck set his bait for Wendy’s call? Or has he seen through it? On this show, how can you even tell until the ax (no pun intended) inevitably falls on whoever screwed up?

(this is my understanding as well. prince and chuck have psyched axe into investing, when we know from taylor that it’s a bad idea. and the 5x11 plot point of “Axe plots to secure his deposits by poaching from Prince, a move that proves more complicated than it seems,” after axe refers to cannabis money as potential “deposits for [axe’s] bank,” supports that.)

With Lauren now out of the picture, I wonder if the professional and personal tension between Taylor and Rian — who once again nearly bounces from Mase Carb when she realizes that Taylor is misleading Bobby — will begin to blossom into something more.

(take a shot!)

During an argument over the phone, Wendy roasts Chuck: “I care not a whit, as you might say.” Direct hit, she sank his battleship, et cetera.

(lmao.)

Entertainment Weekly: Billions recap: Business takes a back seat this week as Axe and Wendy get personal

Meanwhile, Taylor is worried about Ax's potential influence over Taylor Mason Carbon after the restructure. They want to keep things completely separate, but they're obviously concerned that this new order of business could complicate things.

(considering taylor says with complete confidence that they won’t be working for a bank, i don’t think “worried” is the right word.)

There are quite a few other business-related dealings in this episode, but what's most interesting is the way so many relationships have now changed, and maybe for good. Chuck and Prince are working well together, while Taylor ends up firing Lauren for not being loyal enough, a bold move that might hurt Taylor Mason Carbon in the long run.

(i think it just might hurt taylor mason carbon in the short term, too.)

Vulture: Billions Recap: Eggs at Dawn

The Billions universe now exists in a post-COVID world, and through no fault of its own, the show is stumbling a bit. Because it’s had to adapt its pre-pandemic scripts, we’re dealing with a few square-peg-in-round-hole situations. Namely, the timeline has become a little murky: We can assume that some months have passed between “Implosion” and “Liberty” because (a) COVID has hit, (b) the Axe Cap offices closed down, and (c) Senior has recovered from his kidney transplant. However, the distribution of vaccines and a full-on return to the office (featuring masks and strategically placed hand sanitizer) would suggest a full year has gone by between last week’s episode and this one — but if that’s the case, then, what? Did the plotlines somehow enter stasis during Billions’ unspecified lockdown period?

My theory is that Axe is the kind of guy who would force everyone back into the office well before most companies did the same. He’s also the kind of guy who has the resources to vaccinate his employees behind closed doors before the trials are even complete.

(i wondered about this, too. obviously it’s been a delay of some months, but axe *would* force everyone back and get them vaccinated early; the only clear timeline cue is adam degiulio describing SCOTUS as “a conservative court,” which i imagine means amy coney barrett has been inaugurated by now.)

The triple alliance of Chuck Rhoades, Mike Prince, and Taylor Mason, established in last week’s episode, appears intact. However, Taylor’s role remains subdued, albeit critical: They put the idea of cornering the cannabis market into Axe’s head.

(they sure did! and honestly it’s kind of weird that axe doesn’t seem to suspect them when he’s been so distrustful of them this season!)

Axe mandates that Taylor’s girlfriend and investment-relations guru Lauren choose between working for Axe Bank or Mase Carb, while Chuck places Wendy’s role with Mase Carb in jeopardy in his quest to get a look at the company’s books — a.k.a. a gateway to Axe Bank’s balance sheets.

The Taylor subplot in this episode is another instance where I can’t decide if they’re getting played or if, because they’re working with Chuck and Prince, they’ve sacrificed their personal and professional relationship with Lauren for a greater good.

At the top of “Liberty,” Chuck has his attorney/BFF Ira Schirmer (Ben Shenkman) send a demand to Wendy under the guise of divorce proceedings: Pay Chuck his alimony in a lump sum of $25 million in 48 hours (as opposed to the agreed-upon payment plan), or else he’s conducting an audit of Mase Carb. This is what spurs a furious Wendy to FaceTime Ira during the Jeffersonian Dinner, where she catches wind of the whole legalizing-cannabis convo that she then passes along to Axe. Axe then conscripts Senior to attend the festivities and report back to him.

(also something i wondered about! does chuck not anticipate his probe into mase carb causing this kind of trouble for taylor, even though he anticipates it motivating wendy to call ira and pick up just enough information about the dinner for axe to listen in? i do believe taylor was genuinely betrayed by wendy here, but i have to wonder how much of this they did or didn’t see coming.)

Much to Taylor’s dismay, Lauren is considering Axe’s offer, because she has a personal history of financial instability. It’s understandable that she doesn’t want to be dependent on anyone, not even Taylor. But things deteriorate quickly when Wendy, refusing to let Chuck get his grubby hands on her company’s books, sells her shares in Mase Carb to Axe for $25 million in cash. This betrayal (or is it? Notice that Taylor wouldn’t give Wendy a loan, and they’re working with Chuck and Prince, so what gives?) pushes Taylor to insist upon an immediate decision from Lauren, which results in an acrimonious breakup and Lauren moving over to Axe Bank.

(uh, that last sentence is not correct. taylor didn’t demand a decision from lauren, they made the decision by firing lauren and telling her they’ll prevent her from working for axe.)

The slow-burn of all slow-burns that is the Wendy/Axe relationship finally culminates in the most Billions way possible: Axe admits to Wendy that he sabotaged her relationship with Tanner because he wants her, and she reciprocates those feelings. Aww, nothing says romance like stalking and destroying another man’s livelihood.

(i’ll say it again: SO TRUE VULTURE.)

Fan Fun with Damian Lewis: Billions on Showtime, Season 5 Episode 10: Liberty

When Taylor mentions cannabis money in their zoom meeting with Axe, Rian looks totally surprised because she told Taylor earlier that cannabis money was a “red light.” And when she later asks Taylor why they recommended cannabis money to Axe, she receives Taylor’s “trust me” piece.

So… is this THE plan Chuck, Prince and Taylor agreed to as they plotted to take Axe down? I have now flagged the word cannabis and follow it closely in this episode. And, yes, we hear it again later from Taylor’s new partners-in-crime: Chuck and Prince!

(again, i have to wonder how axe figured out that chuck & prince were playing him on this but hasn’t connected it to taylor yet!)

Now tell me. If you are Chuck, and you are holding this Jeffersonian dinner with the likes of the NY governor, a NY senator, the Manhattan DA, the Solicitor General and Mike Prince of all people. Would you actually like your soon-to-be-ex-wife interrupt your dinner with a Face time call?

No.

Given that Chuck certainly knows Wendy will get pissed and give him a call as soon as she receives the papers, why doesn’t he make Ira send them to Wendy tomorrow morning and have his dinner party in peace?

BECAUSE, I CLAIM, HE WANTS WENDY TO CALL. I AM CALLING IT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CHUCK WANTS WENDY TO CALL, SEE THE MEETING AND LET AXE KNOW ALL ABOUT IT. THIS IS THE TRAP HE AND PRINCE HAVE SET UP FOR AXE.

(lmaooo you got it! and yes, that bolding is in the original article.)

Wendy selling her shares to Axe is a huge blow to Taylor. Taylor has seen Wendy as their ally and now she is saying they can trust Axe?!?!

“He would not do anything that would hurt. I’m the only person in the world that’s true of.”

While Taylor may be right that whoever they trust have chosen to fuck them over, I do not think Lauren is one of them. Firing Lauren, not only from her position at TMC but also from their life together, may be Taylor’s first irrational decision. I think Lauren was just being honest with Taylor and she certainly did not deserve “IR girls are growing on trees these days” insult from Taylor. I register this as Taylor’s first slip. And I cannot help wonder if Axe knew about Lauren’s background and he put her on the spot deliberately to destroy Taylor’s alliance with her.

(AGREED. about this being an irrational move by taylor, i mean. i don’t think it’s their first such move, and i don’t see any reason to believe that axe was plotting anything by making lauren choose one job.)

You know – some fans have been waiting to hear these words for the last five years 🙂

Not me. I have always been, and still am, in the tiny minority that does not want Axe and Wendy to get into a romantic relationship.

(the WHIPLASH between these two paragraphs. wow. and we’re right there with you!!)

This is not a show for “and they lived happily every after” kind of story. So me thinks this relationship may be doomed from the get-go, courtesy of Chuck! I believe Wendy, unknowingly, may have dragged Axe into the cannabis money which may not end well for him. And now that Taylor knows about Wendy’s new relationship with Axe, their new partner-in-crime Chuck may have more room to manipulate – unless he does not drop dead because of a heart attack as he gets the news!

(agreed!!!)

Fan Fun with Damian Lewis: The Unbeatable, Unstoppable, Unparalleled MVPs from Billions Season 5 Episode 10 Liberty

Perfect Pompous Portmanteau-er – Bobby Axelrod. Even Axe can turn a pandemic into something of self-importance. He’s just referred to the CoVid-19 vaccination shot as himself from his own ship-name generator: “So those of you with your masks off, we’ve v-AXE-d (vaxxed) ya.”

(…what?? what makes you think he isn’t just saying “vaxxed” normally??)

Stellar OMG Moment, Take 2 – Axe has a thing for Wendy, and tells her so over the phone. The Writer’s Room needs to stop fucking with my head, AGAIN. The co-creators DESPISED any time the internet trolls shipped Wendy and Axe in the early days. What the hell? This goes against everything Brian Koppelman ever said about these two characters. My guess is, it won’t happen for one reason or another, like, yanno, Wendy inadvertently taking Axe and his bank down with Chuck’s lump sum ruse in combination with Axe’s ego by trying to corner the cannabis market before Prince does. But the writer’s sure are dick-teasing us with this romance before everything comes to an end. No pun intended.

(RIGHT? they’ve said on more than one occasion that the wendy-axe relationship isn’t romantic! including a podcast episode they did about an earlier episode of season 5! what gives!)

Pettiest Move – Taylor

(🙁.)

The ‘Axe is Right About One Thing’ Award – Wendy did fuck up in her handling of Tanner. She was supposed to make him productive for Axe. Instead she started an affair with him, which is ENTIRELY unprofessional. You know for someone who started in season one so pure and so above the fray, she has been just as bad in some ways as Bobby and Chuck. In some ways worse. She took an oath as part of her job, as did Chuck. Those two have definitely desecrated those oaths over the years. Bobby took no such oath of course, except to make as much money as possible. Point being, she is far from being the white knight of this group -I don’t know who is. Sacker?

(insert my post about reporting wendy to the medical board again, this time for dating one of her clients. not sure i agree that she was ever really Pure and Above The Fray, though. and sacker, great as she is, hardly qualifies as a white knight. remember that time she fabricated evidence?)

[drogons]

Maggie Siff & Frank Grillo | Billions 5x06 “The Nordic Model” 

[fyeahmaggiesiff]

Wendy Rhoades vs. Becky Lynch | Billions 5.01 “The New Decas”

[drogons]

[fyeahmaggiesiff]

Maggie Siff & Frank Grillo | Billions 5x05 “Contract”

That’s the way it goes in the end. Buildings. Relationships. Empires. We’re always trying to hold onto what we think matters. We almost always get it wrong. And that’s your subject, isn’t it? What we grab onto while everything comes down around us. Or I just like watching destruction. Oh. You’ll be here when it falls. We’ll, I’m hoping that we’d be here together. And this way, when the world is crumbling around us, I know I’m holding onto something good. 

[fyeahmaggiesiff]

Maggie Siff | Billions 5x07 “The Limitless Shit”