Billions

[Dogdeacon]

I watched about 1/2 of season 1, but then something interfered or combo of that and not totally loving it and I dropped out. Worth re-upping and finishing season 1 with season 2 fast approaching?

I remember the Metallica concert episode, then I think two more where the hedge fund got out of the market briefly as a rouse and then was getting back in. Left off right when things were seemingly coming to a head which makes me think I chose not to watch.

Like Giammati & his wife, found Axelrod and his wife totally over the top and not believable. And I liked Damian Lewis' other quirky short-lived series plus I think his performance in Band of Brothers is my favorite mini-series this side of original Roots.

 

[intlzncster]

I watched about 1/2 of season 1, but then something interfered or combo of that and not totally loving it and I dropped out. Worth re-upping and finishing season 1 with season 2 fast approaching?

I remember the Metallica concert episode, then I think two more where the hedge fund got out of the market briefly as a rouse and then was getting back in. Left off right when things were seemingly coming to a head which makes me think I chose not to watch.

Like Giammati & his wife, found Axelrod and his wife totally over the top and not believable. And I liked Damian Lewis' other quirky short-lived series plus I think his performance in Band of Brothers is my favorite mini-series this side of original Roots.

Yeah, worth watching. Not a block buster, but definitely entertaining. There's definitely some good acting interspersed throughout. Everything Giammati does is fantastic.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Worth watching. My only complaint is that the show is at 11, needs to be turned down to 8. There is too much happening in it.

 

[lavuuk153]

Anybody watching season 2? So far I've liked it. Some scenes you just need to suspend disbelief but that's true for most shows.

 

[SAMCRO]

I watched the first episode of S2... we shall see. It almost lost me towards the end of last season, but stuck with it. If they axed Axelrod's wife the show would be better (her character is nails on chalk board for me).

 

[ZooCougar]

I'm into this season, I like the Taylor character, but I hope it doesn't devolve into some transgender subplot.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The show is killing it in season 2, especially in episode 3. Taylor is very interesting. I like the DA's office more than I did last season. The New Pope felt like homework. This show is smart and fun.

 

[gwhuskyfan]

The poker scene in the most recent episode was amazing.

 

[J187Money]

The show is killing it in season 2, especially in episode 3. Taylor is very interesting. I like the DA's office more than I did last season. The New Pope felt like homework. This show is smart and fun.

I didn't care for ep 1 of season 2, but much better. Finding its groove.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Very good season so far. I don't know why cable shows start with gimmicks like the S&M bit in season 1. The core show is so good they don't need the gimmicks.

The one character I struggle with a little is Axe's wife. I struggle with why a hitter like Axe would be with a harpy like her.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The storyline with the munibonds from upstate New York is why I watch this show. It is exactly the kind of thing that a cowboy hedge fund like the one in the show would get hung on.

Axe's wife is getting up there with Abby Donovan as the most annoying female character on television. Both make Sansa Stark look like a nuclear physicist.

 

[J187Money]

I don't like her either - that whole arc with her "business" was unnecessary - but maybe it was only there to help set up her rant at the end of this week's episode, which I really liked, and then Axe going off while driving away in his Ferrari was a perfect ending.

 

[intlzncster]

The storyline with the munibonds from upstate New York is why I watch this show. It is exactly the kind of thing that a cowboy hedge fund like the one in the show would get hung on.

Axe's wife is getting up there with Abby Donovan as the most annoying female character on television. Both make Sansa Stark look like a nuclear physicist.

As annoying as she is, she's nowhere near Abby Donovan yet. I spent every show hoping Ray's wife would get shot, or at the very least, £ucked over good.

 

[FASTEDDY]

I LOVE the show, its a must watch.

I also just finished watching the complete Ray Donovan series (all episodes to date) and that was really good. Abby is very annoying.

On Billions, I love Giamatti's Wife - so Hot and Smart.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

As annoying as she is, she's nowhere near Abby Donovan yet. I spent every show hoping Ray's wife would get shot, or at the very least, £ucked over good.

See, I was hoping Abby would just vanish, like Richie Cunningham's older brother in Happy Days, because that way they would never speak of her again.

 

[ZooCougar]

I LOVE the show, its a must watch.

I also just finished watching the complete Ray Donovan series (all episodes to date) and that was really good. Abby is very annoying.

On Billions, I love Giamatti's Wife - so Hot and Smart.

I liked her in Sons of Anarchy too. Maggie Siff, I wish she were in more movies.

I like Billions because there really are no good or bad guys. It's all shades a gray, everyone is caught up in Axe's stuff or Chuck's stuff. Chuck is being manipulated by his Dad a bit, Axe seems to fall prey to taking the advice from the last person who gives it to him. So they are both killers, but they are both deeply flawed.

The cast of this show is just fantastic. Damian Lewis and Paul Giamatti have always been dark horse scene/movie/show stealers for me. Even when they get cheesy like they did with Metallica plug last season it worked because I could see Axe being into Heavy Metal.

This is an off the wall prediction, but I bet the whole Municipal Bond thing is going to blow back in Chuck's face with his Dad's involvement-at the worst possible time, probably just before he announces his candidacy.

 

[FASTEDDY]

Good prediction and very possible, even likely.


QUOTE="ZooCougar, post: 2144640, member: 296"]I liked her in Sons of Anarchy too. Maggie Siff, I wish she were in more movies.

I like Billions because there really are no good or bad guys. It's all shades a gray, everyone is caught up in Axe's stuff or Chuck's stuff. Chuck is being manipulated by his Dad a bit, Axe seems to fall prey to taking the advice from the last person who gives it to him. So they are both killers, but they are both deeply flawed.

The cast of this show is just fantastic. Damian Lewis and Paul Giamatti have always been dark horse scene/movie/show stealers for me. Even when they get cheesy like they did with Metallica plug last season it worked because I could see Axe being into Heavy Metal.

This is an off the wall prediction, but I bet the whole Municipal Bond thing is going to blow back in Chuck's face with his Dad's involvement-at the worst possible time, probably just before he announces his candidacy.[/QUOTE]

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Only complaint I have is that there is not enough Taylor. Taylor is a complex character and I wanted to see more of Axe corrupting Taylor/taking Taylor to where Taylor was going to go anywhere.

Mafee isn't interesting, but there are a lot of Mafees hanging around hedge funds. Not smart enough to deserve the job, but smart enough to get in the door, barely smart enough to not get fired, and smart enough to know how far in over his head he is.

I didn't realize that Kate from Chuck's office was the daughter of Mrs. Cosby and Ahmad Rashad.

 

[ZooCougar]

Only complaint I have is that there is not enough Taylor. Taylor is a complex character and I wanted to see more of Axe corrupting Taylor/taking Taylor to where Taylor was going to go anywhere.

Mafee isn't interesting, but there are a lot of Mafees hanging around hedge funds. Not smart enough to deserve the job, but smart enough to get in the door, barely smart enough to not get fired, and smart enough to know how far in over his head he is.

I didn't realize that Kate from Chuck's office was the daughter of Mrs. Cosby and Ahmad Rashad.

Mafee is actually pretty good. He foresaw a bad deal and Axe didn't listen to him. He's also smart enough to know his own limitations.

 

[FASTEDDY]

Mafee is actually pretty good. He foresaw a bad deal and Axe didn't listen to him. He's also smart enough to know his own limitations.

The Mafees of this world are smart enough to get paid $1 million plus /yr.
That's not chump change.

 

[intlzncster]

The Mafees of this world are smart enough to get paid $1 million plus /yr.
That's not chump change.

That speaks to the surplus of money in the industry though. I know plenty of block heads on Wall Street. Now, I guess you could call them 'smart' to seek that opportunity out, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to follow the money.

In today's world, I'm not sure too many Mafee's exist in the hedge fund industry. It's more quant and computer guys at this point. Not all, but many.

I'd expect the non quant guys to be closer to 'Dollar Bill', guys with connects. Not necessarily as underhanded, though they could be.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

That speaks to the surplus of money in the industry though. I know plenty of block heads on Wall Street. Now, I guess you could call them 'smart' to seek that opportunity out, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to follow the money.

In today's world, I'm not sure too many Mafee's exist in the hedge fund industry. It's more quant and computer guys at this point. Not all, but many.

I'd expect the non quant guys to be closer to 'Dollar Bill', guys with connects. Not necessarily as underhanded, though they could be.

The Mafees of the world either become Dollar Bill's or they leave the industry. In the real world, Mafee will pick up $500k to $1 million a year for a few years, and most will get burned out or flame out through some bad picks. They leave the hedge fund industry, take some internal corporate finance job making $150k a year but working 40 hours a week and coaching their kids' baseball teams while not having to dip into their savings. He will have a huge bank account which he won't touch, and he will retire at 50. There are guys like this all over Fairfield County. You see a lot of ex-bankers follow a similar career path. I suspect the Fairfield County school systems lead the country in late 30's, early 40's student teachers that show up to work in BMW 5-series.

There are still a lot of non-quant hedge funds out there doing fundamental analysis and taking risk exposures in much the same way that Axe Capital does it.

 

[ZooCougar]

The Mafees of the world either become Dollar Bill's or they leave the industry. In the real world, Mafee will pick up $500k to $1 million a year for a few years, and most will get burned out or flame out through some bad picks. They leave the hedge fund industry, take some internal corporate finance job making $150k a year but working 40 hours a week and coaching their kids' baseball teams while not having to dip into their savings. He will have a huge bank account which he won't touch, and he will retire at 50. There are guys like this all over Fairfield County. You see a lot of ex-bankers follow a similar career path. I suspect the Fairfield County school systems lead the country in late 30's, early 40's student teachers that show up to work in BMW 5-series.

There are still a lot of non-quant hedge funds out there doing fundamental analysis and taking risk exposures in much the same way that Axe Capital does it.

Wet towels are more fun than you.

 

[whaler11]

I've traded a few emails with Brian Koppleman over the past few years.

I may have to point out to him that he ruined S2E7 by bringing Bob Diaco into it.

 

[ZooCougar]

I've traded a few emails with Brian Koppleman over the past few years.

I may have to point out to him that he ruined S2E7 by bringing Bob Diaco into it.

I must have missed the reference.

 

[whaler11]

I must have missed the reference.

Closed with 'For Those About To Rock'.

Which is a great song that now I can't disassociate with HCVV.

 

[J187Money]

LOVE Dollar Bill.

 

[ZooCougar]

Last season I liked Chuck and disliked Axe. This season I want to see Chuck suffer.

 

[polycom]

Watched the pilot of this show..how do you guys watch this? It's more insane than ray donovan not to mention everyone talks in weird monologues

 

[intlzncster]

Watched the pilot of this show..how do you guys watch this? It's more insane than ray donovan not to mention everyone talks in weird monologues

Difference is that Billions actually has great actors.

It's different than RD when you watch it. I mean, they both have the whole outlaw vs lawman thing going I guess. But it's a different and more interesting setup. The characters themselves are smarter and more nuanced.

Ray Donovan's characters had more interesting backstories. And those backstories informed the tenor and direction of the show pretty much exclusively. Character's backstories in Billions are marginally important.