Chuck and Axe of course are the center of the machinations. Chuck works his system to secure an endorsement for the vacated New York Attorney General seat from the NYC Police Commissioner, who makes the announcement at the San Gennaro Street Festival. This is definitely not where endorsements are made. And not by NYC police commissioners. Never mind.
The episode ping-pongs its way from Taylor Mason's troubles raising capital in light of outside pressure by Axe, Wendy's source of sexual satisfaction, and of course Chuck and Axe exerting outside influence that defies gravity. But hey, but this is New York and it's only a show.
Most interesting is Bobby Axelrod's interest in what becomes his latest post-Lara separation, a venture capitalist named Rebecca, who quite honestly doesn't have the full visual appeal of Lara, but again, these business titans are not all models. She is however a female billionaire not named Oprah.
Bobby quickly becomes the one getting laid, not Wags, when he gets Rebecca between himself and the sheets at his penthouse. It seems Bobby has bought some of Rebecca shares in a private cleaning company, torpedoes Rebecca's cleaning company's competition with a Wall Street Journal exposé on mistreatment of immigrant labor, making the shares he maneuvered from Rebecca worth a nice multiple of what he paid her. Despite her realizing that Axe has made money for himself (what else?) that she could have totally made for herself, she likes doing business with the guy. Like Hyman Roth (Meyer Lansky) in the Godfather, Bobby Axelrod always makes money for his partners. It all shows there can be pleasure in doing business with each other.
Look for more of Rebecca, because it seems Lara has been sidelined since the separation (divorce?). The actress, Malin Akerman, is starting an appearance on a new NBC show, but is expected to keep a recurring role in Billions.
Why President Trump doesn't take Bobby Axelrod on his trips to North Korea and use him in dealing with the Chinese over trade tariffs is mystery. Kim Jong-Un would gladly give up nuclear weapons if he could be promised a courtside seat next to Spike Lee at Knick games. Just tell him that Dennis Rodman sat there. Everyone has their price.
Chuck wiggles his way into getting the police commissioner's endorsement for Attorney General. This is done merely by talking to key players, but not in restaurants this time. Chuck's office, a park bench, and a meet by a pier are all Chuck needs to get the needed backing. As he explains to Richie Sansone, the police commissioner, he knows how things get done "in this town."
Meanwhile, Taylor Mason is having plenty of trouble getting investors. He has his own version of a Wendy, his attractive compliance officer, Sara Hammod, played by Samantha Mathis. Sara is almost a ringer for Lara, so blondes really do have more fun.
Taylor of course is not intimately involved with Sara because he/she is what, an unidentified gender? Taylor though is a superb strategist and we learn of his prowess at Zugswang, a maneuver in chess that makes the opponent make a move they don't want to.
This tactic comes in handy when Taylor is put between a rock and a hard place and is going to be forced to accept money from Grigor's gangster buddies, a pair of slovenly brothers, the Kozlovs, a less than wholesome thought that would put Taylor completely subservient to Grigor's wishes. Not a pleasant prospect.
Ever since John Malkovich played Teddy KGB in Rounders, it is always a pure delight to have him play another Russian, in this case Grigor Andolov, an oligarch who likes to get his way. Who doesn't?
Now it's Taylor's turn to torpedo the Kozlovs and make them strapped for investment cash, so strapped they can't move a millimeter with an investment in Taylor's fund, an investment Taylor is all too happy see go away.
The post-chess-match meeting between Grigor and Taylor, in which Taylor is worried he'll get whacked by Grigor for blowing up his buddies, looks like it takes place in the Russian Tea Room, adjacent to Carnegie Hall. (Where else would a Russian oligarch spend his his time?) It is always Christmas in the Tea Room, and the decorations dazzle while Taylor explains to Grigor he can now get the Kozlov holdings for pennies on he dollar, and that he probably didn't really like them anyway. (He doesn't.)
What makes Billions so attractive a show? Sex, money, and views of New York as the center of all powerful people. And the skyline. No one is ever in threadbare surroundings.
Wendy is frustrated that Chuck needs all the toys in the box to enjoy himself with Wendy, when Wendy would really like a night off from the role playing and just go at it like newlyweds in a motel room. Chuck can't seem to dial it back, and insists on all the weaponry. THANK GOD we don't have to look at that, only to the extent of what the box once held that is now spread out on the floor and the bed, as Chuck, now fully satisfied, is sleeping like a baby. Jesus, it looks like more than they used in the Tower of London.
Anyway, Wendy is glum. Her man is a "sexual panhandler" who won't revert to be a female friendly lover. She goes for a long run along the West Side to get the urges out of her. Her way of taking a cold shower.
Obviously, look for more Chuck, Wendy, Taylor, Wags, Richie Sansone, Bobby Axelrod, and Rebecca machinations leading up to...what? I don't really care. So long as we get Grigor either once again singing the lyrics to Mighty Mouse in his thick Russian accent and dancing goatee, or getting him to repeat the introduction to Superman..."able to leap tall buildings in a single bound..."
I can't wait.
http://www.onofframp.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment