Page 4 - TVTimes.2.19.17

4 February 19 - 25, 2017
El Dorado News-Times
cover story
Clash of titans
Battle between high finance and power politics continues
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By Jacqueline Spendlove
TV Media
Iknow,Iknow—you’regettingut- terly bombarded with news about
the exploits of certain filthy-rich white men. Don’t let that turn you off “Bil- lions,” though. True, the Showtime drama is driven by, well, the exploits of filthy-rich white men, but it’s also smart, entertaining and, blessedly, fictional. Led by the much-lauded Paul Giamatti (“Sideways,” 2004) and Damian Lewis (“Homeland”), the second season of “Billions” debuts Sunday, Feb. 19, on Showtime.
Last year, 12 episodes of cat-and- mouse in the world of high finance and power politics ended in an explosive confrontation between brash U.S.At- torney Chuck Rhoades (Giamatti) and self-made hedge fund billionaire Bobby “A x e ” A x e l r o d ( L e w i s ) . C h u c k i s a m o n g the most powerful prosecutors in the country, and when he’s tipped to a case of insider trading connected to Axelrod in the series pilot, he launches into what could be a career-defining investigation.
Career-defining maybe, but it’s anything but simple. Ever aware of his blue-collar beginnings,Axe is generous, charismatic and a much-loved member ofthecommunity.A9/11survivor,he pays the first year of college tuition
for all of the children of his former col- leagues who were killed in the attacks.
He has two darling kids and a beautiful wife, Lara (Malin Akerman, “Watch- men,” 2009), who has a similarly humblebackground.Thoughwelearn that he’s definitely not above board, ontheoutside,Axeisthepictureofa model citizen.
Making the situation even more complicated is Chuck’s wife,Wendy (Maggie Siff, “Sons of Anarchy”), who has close ties to both men, and her own stakeinAxe’sfirm.Asharp-minded psychiatrist,Wendy has worked with Axe from the start, helping him build Axe Capital from the ground up. She now has a lucrative career as the firm’s in-house psychiatrist and performance coach, working closely with Axe, who recognizes her as a valuable asset and confidante. For Chuck, bringing down Axe Capital would be to bring down the company in which his own wife is heav- ily invested.
Much of the show’s freshman season focused on the war the two men waged ononeanother,asAxesoughttoex- pand his empire ever further and Chuck fought to expose Axe’s financial cor- ruption.Whiletheconflictbeganwith ChuckgoingafterAxe,thelatterisnow out for revenge — and, as we know, he has the resources to achieve it.
Season 2 sees a power shift as Chuck falls under investigation for his ques- tionable methods and conduct, and struggles to hold on to both his office
a n d h i s f a m i l y. A d d i t i o n a l l y, C h u c k a n d Axe alike fight to get Wendy back, after she walked away from both of them at the end of last season.
“One of the interesting things about this show is the constant shift-
ing of power dynamics,”
said Giamatti in a Showtime
promo. “Everyone’s in some kind of jeopardy.”
“What’s becoming clear is there’s one castle, and there’s going to be one king,” added Lewis in a related video.
Season 2 brings both new and familiar faces to “Billions.”Along with the core cast, David Costabile (“Breaking
Bad”) returns
as Mike Wagner,Axe’s apple-polishing right- hand man and the
COO of Axe Capital. Chuck’s own point- man is Bryan Connerty (Toby Leonard Moore, “John Wick,” 2014), a chief as- sistantU.S.attorneywhoisamatchfor Chuck in his fervor for putting bad guys behindbars.CondolaRashad(“Money Monster,” 2015) plays Kate Sacker, an ambitious young assistant district attor- ney with an Ivy League background.We saw some sparks fly between Kate and Bryan last year, and fans are looking for- wardtotheirrelationshipbeingfleshed out in season 2.
Also this season, Mary-Louise Parker of “Weeds” fame makes a one-off ap- pearance as brilliant strategist George Minchak, and actor-writer Danny Strong (“Gilmore Girls”) has a recurring role as “stylish and smooth hedge fund whale” Todd Krakow, who becomes yet another thorn in Axe’s side. “Zoo’s” James Wolk adds to the pile of fat cats as tech bil- lionaire Craig Heidecker.
Asia Kate Dillon (“Orange Is the New Black”) has a particularly noteworthy rolethisseason.Dillonjoinsthe“Bil- lions” cast as Taylor Mason, an excep- tional new intern at Axe Capital who, likeDillon,identifiesasgendernon- binary.It’sagroundbreakingrole;Taylor is the first gender non-binary character to be played by an actor of the same identification in a major TV series.
With the growing cry for more di- versity on television, the character is certainly a feather in “Billions’” cap, though, as co-creators and executive producers Brian Koppelman and David Levien told The Huffington Post, the cre- ation of Taylor was simply “an organic process,” and not a deliberate attempt
to make a statement.
“The character needed to be
exceptionally gifted in many ways. And then, having an awareness of
the world, both inside and outside
of finance, we decided to make gender identity a part of who Tay-
lor is,” they said. “Because of the story that flowed from this character, and because
Asia is portraying them, we are thrilled we did.”
There’s a lot set to unfold in “Billions” in season 2.Watch
the season premiere when it airs Sunday,
Feb. 19, on Showtime.
Damian Lewis stars in “Billions”
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