Through its first five seasons, Showtime’s Billions has been all about money, intelligence, plotting, and deviant behaviour. Some changes occur in season six, but not the series’ tone. It is still human versus human with everyone trying to be the top dog in their area. The primary setting in Billions is the financial world. But you also get the legal world, politics and family life. All combine for a watch in which you cannot decide who is the most treacherous though that matters little as it is always highly watchable.
With Axe/Damian Lewis gone there is a need for a foe for Chuck/Paul Giamatti, so in walks Mike Prince/Cory Stoll and he demonstrates himself to be more than up to the challenge. Prince is the new Axe in that he is now at the top of the food chain at Axe Capital. Things will change there though the pursuit of money stays the same.
New strategies for everyone as things have changed. This means that all – Wags (played by David Costabile), Wendy (played by Maggie Siff), Taylor (played by Asia Kate Dillon), Senior (played by Jeffrey DeMunn), and even Sacker (played by Condola Rashad) will now go about forging new alliances. All feel the ground beneath them is shifting and they have to watch their backs at all times. Survival in this dog eat dog world is difficult to say the least as you can be on top one moment and in peril the next.
Some changes occur in tone and delivery. It is interesting that they have made the head of Axe Capital a good guy. Though I spent much of the season wondering if he truly is good. I mean, how could a person doing the right thing all the time have made it so far up in this treacherous world of finance? Does not seem possible. Pay close attention as very little in this series is what it seems.
One aspect of season six that I am sure will turn off some viewers is the definite left or woke slant to the storylines and dialogue. There is definitely a liberal tone to it all. They are so heavy-handed about it that I am sure some have stopped watching.
All the scheming along with behaviour that is less than exemplary makes for a fun time watching the twelve episodes of the season. These people don’t look, talk, dress or act like us so it is almost like a social experiment watching them. At times, like the characters themselves, the series seems not sure what direction it is going in, but the ship is soon righted.
Keep eyes peeled for cameos (and there are plenty this season!) by known entities such as Campbell Scott, Michael McKean, Piper Perabo, Ben Shenkman, John Calipari, Wendie Malick, Jerry O’Connell, Matthew Lillard, Rick Hoffman, Harry Lennix, and Matt Servitto.
Special Features:
-The Spark: Paul Giamatti
-Becoming Wags
-Blue Chip Cameos
