Billions has a great cast with actors who appeared before in great TV shows like Band Of Brothers, John Adams, Sons Of Anarchy etc. The first episode itself has engaging plots,twists and turns and the show definitely has a new genre of Wall Street-Insider Trading-Stock Market- Law Enforcement type of a thing . The pilot looks very promising and is different from all those crime solving shows which solve new cases every episode and the storyline of its main character moves very slowly in the background.This show is about one side against the other where who is protagonist and who is antagonist would be tough to determine thus making it difficult for the viewers to decide to root for which side. The performance of actors is awesome as the show has star studded star cast and so is the screenplay and the writing. All in all definitely an interesting and different option for viewers this winter and i think its a must watch show at least for this opening season
7 Reviews
[6.8] Chalk powder
cjonesas9 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Episode 1: Lots of flashy info, beautiful on the outside, semi-shallow to non-"existential" in the inside. The acting is average to good, the setting well done and filmed, the storyline not interesting, the buy/sell like chalk powder and the first vibe as a pilot a boring one.
Meh...
slak96u25 March 2022
I'm going to stick with it, but... Not a lot of nuance, a lack of subtlety in the dialog. A lot of exposition, getting hit over the head with backstory. Typical of a lot of pilots, so I get it, just doesn't make for premier television. Great acting, fantastic cast, good production values. Both Damian Lewis and Paul Giamatti are obviously fantastic, Maggie Siff as well. From my understanding the series gets considerably better as it moves along.
Begins with a Golden Shower - Ends with a Bang
lor_4 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I liked the first episode of 'Billions' for its clever script, top-notch acting and riveting storyline. I wasn't as thrilled with the sensationalism that seems endemic to Pay-Cable programming, firmly entrenched after decades of success with subscribers and critics.
Don't get me wrong - I understand that the uncensored approach of so many classic shows that could never have been broadcast on network TV is part & parcel of these hit series' appeal. It's just that I find it completely unnecessary to throw in so obviously extraneous exploitation material -probably cynically demanded by the powers that be (the opposite of Network censors traditionally blue-penciling such stuff).
So Paul Giamatti is doing a terrific job as the NOT-Eliot Spitzer central character professing to be New York's sheriff and chief moralist. Damian Lewis is rewarded for great "Homeland" work with an even more interesting character as his Wall Street antagonist Bobby Axelrod, though for me it is rather too predictable (though I could end up being wrong) that the writers will invert the roles and make him a good guy by the time the finale of the series comes around.
I remember being thrilled some 40-plus years ago watching Peter O'Toole's best career performance in the classic black comedy "The Ruling Class", in which a telling motif was introduced early as the film's chief judge would retire to chambers to be soundly whipped (and love it) in one of the screen's best use of BDSM content. The visual and other puns concerning "meting out justice" couldn't have been bolder and broader than in that brilliant movie. But introducing Giamatti's character as hog-tied and then listening to a hokey sound effect of him being urinated upon by his dominatrix was 100% shock treatment to amuse the jaded viewer. It sent a very bad message to me -not of a moral nature but of a ka-ching! cash register nature - what is a hit cable series ("Sopranos" & "Game of Thrones" on down) without gratuitous sex, ultra-violence, and constant Pacino "Scarface" f- bombs? Who are they trying to kid?
Also annoying in the script is the rather outrageous ploy of having Giamatti's wife not merely working for "the enemy" Axelrod but portrayed in some sense as the power behind his throne, though I'm certain that Axelrod's wife, in the form of the alluring Malin Akerman, will make her presence felt very strongly after being given short shrift in the pilot. So I'm sticking with this promising series, despite its obvious failings.
Don't get me wrong - I understand that the uncensored approach of so many classic shows that could never have been broadcast on network TV is part & parcel of these hit series' appeal. It's just that I find it completely unnecessary to throw in so obviously extraneous exploitation material -probably cynically demanded by the powers that be (the opposite of Network censors traditionally blue-penciling such stuff).
So Paul Giamatti is doing a terrific job as the NOT-Eliot Spitzer central character professing to be New York's sheriff and chief moralist. Damian Lewis is rewarded for great "Homeland" work with an even more interesting character as his Wall Street antagonist Bobby Axelrod, though for me it is rather too predictable (though I could end up being wrong) that the writers will invert the roles and make him a good guy by the time the finale of the series comes around.
I remember being thrilled some 40-plus years ago watching Peter O'Toole's best career performance in the classic black comedy "The Ruling Class", in which a telling motif was introduced early as the film's chief judge would retire to chambers to be soundly whipped (and love it) in one of the screen's best use of BDSM content. The visual and other puns concerning "meting out justice" couldn't have been bolder and broader than in that brilliant movie. But introducing Giamatti's character as hog-tied and then listening to a hokey sound effect of him being urinated upon by his dominatrix was 100% shock treatment to amuse the jaded viewer. It sent a very bad message to me -not of a moral nature but of a ka-ching! cash register nature - what is a hit cable series ("Sopranos" & "Game of Thrones" on down) without gratuitous sex, ultra-violence, and constant Pacino "Scarface" f- bombs? Who are they trying to kid?
Also annoying in the script is the rather outrageous ploy of having Giamatti's wife not merely working for "the enemy" Axelrod but portrayed in some sense as the power behind his throne, though I'm certain that Axelrod's wife, in the form of the alluring Malin Akerman, will make her presence felt very strongly after being given short shrift in the pilot. So I'm sticking with this promising series, despite its obvious failings.
Not your run of a mill sex and violence series
WillWesleyAdams16 August 2023
When you think of shows like the Sopranos, The Wire, Game of Thrones, etc., we tune in for the violence. The crazy thing about Billions is that it has every element of the above shows except it doesn't use violence and sex to drive the story. The show is about money and how a US district attorney wants to on the low prove to his wife that he is more powerful than a billionaire. So they go through this chess game try to beat one another every chance they can. The US district attorney's wife works for the billionaire. While there's nothing between them. The US district attorney is he'll bent on clipping the billionaires wings by using the government to shut his company down.
Couldn't finish an episode...
ericzr30 May 2023
While the actors' performances are undoubtedly committed, their portrayal of hard-ass characters feels forced and unconvincing. The constant display of relentless toughness creates a barrier between the audience and the characters, making it challenging to empathize or invest in their journeys. The lack of depth and vulnerability in their acting ultimately hampers the show's ability to create genuine connections with viewers, leaving it feeling superficial and detached.
Seeing as the ratings for Season 5 and 6 took a tumble, I cannot commit myself further than the 15 minutes I gave to this show.
Seeing as the ratings for Season 5 and 6 took a tumble, I cannot commit myself further than the 15 minutes I gave to this show.
What was the point of this beginning?
koohii18 June 2023
The opening scene of a woman peeing on a hog-tied man because he likes it... What was the point of that? Mindless titillation? Gratuitous and unnecessary, as it seems to have nothing whatsoever to do with the plot. People keep telling me this show has brilliant writing. WHEN? Can someone please tell me when this show gets "brilliant?" Because it shows absolutely no promise of any kind in the first 20 minutes. We aren't introduced to any interesting, much less 'likable' characters, the plot has absolutely failed to grab any attention, and I don't care about what happens next. So, the show looks like yet another pointless soap opera about people I don't care about. The real question isn't whether or not the character is guilty, but rather why would anyone want to watch this?
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