Since the season has finished airing there are no spoilers here. People who've been watching as the episodes unspool already know the ending. So far, I don't.
The movement to derail Mike Prince's presidential candidacy continues. The penultimate episodes opens with an obscure Springsteen song, 'It's Hard to be a Saint in the City', and Bobby Axelrod tooling around Manhattan in a convertible Bentley.
Bobby is met in his new office digs with the presence of Mike Prince, arrogantly taking up space in Bobby's conference room. No matter. We cut to alternating scenes of how each of them have taken steps to derail, or further Mike's quest for the nomination.
Mike has fired those he doesn't trust. His liquidated all the Mike Prince Cap holdings—for now. Axe has arranged, or thinks he's arranged, for the other candidate Nancy Dunlop, governor of Montana to not throw her support to Mike Prince. Mike thinks he's got Nancy in his pocket. Her endorsement, her staff, her campaign machinery will be his. Chuck has identified private holdings of Mike he's going to announce investigations on. His Assistant U.S. Attorney alerts Kate Sacker of the list in the bowels of an abandoned New York City subway station. (I think it's the old City Hall stop.)
Each side is firing volleys. Bobby Axelrod rents out all of Rao's for a tête-à-tête with Nancy Dunlop, who has a near orgasm over the meatballs. The ownership of Rao's, Frank Pellegrino Jr. et al. stand by in attendance. (Check the credits. They get to play themselves.
What is it about Italian meals as a backdrop for heavy dealings? Chuck and the police commissioner get Patsy's to themselves. Bobby gets Rao's, with a nod to the 'Godfather' when Nancy acknowledges she's just been served the "best veal in the city." At least no one gets shot.
Chuck invites Nancy, who by now should be exhausted from wearing the same clothes and in need of a shower, into his office to outline how his people can get her to the nomination.
Parry, thrust, parry. We are finally treated to the ultimate sit down. Most of Magnificent 7 file into a conference room taking up one side of the table, while Prince and his people take the other side. It's the Paris Peace talks.
Mike offers an olive branch to his antagonists. Silence. Nancy Dunlop strides in as only a woman who is comfortable in high heels can be, and with a bit of a preamble throws her support to Mike. She'll be his VP. Glumness sets in.
Up to now I've felt that the soundtrack should be something from Elmer Bernstein, or portions of Bolero, but this piece of news falls like a ton of bricks.
The cabal glumly watches TV as Mike raises Nancy's arm at a podium as he announces his running mate. Wunderkind political analyst gets a call that Mike is to be read into the security briefing at Camp David the next day because he is a candidate for president. Boom. Boom indeed.
What will the final episode reveal? It's got to be better than how 'The Black List' ended with master criminal Raymond Reddington getting fatally gored by a bull. Jesus, who wrote that?
I have no idea. I really doubt the producers want Mike to run for office, gain the presidency, and then spin off another version of West Wing.
Whatever speculation I've read is that there will be a sequel to 'Billions', but in what direction? Damian Lewis back from his needed attention to family across the pond. I don't know what actors have signed on for an extension of 'Billions', or what it might be called. Gazillions? National Debt?
'Billions' doesn't resort to gunfire, so I'm guessing Mike Prince doesn't get assassinated. Does a sexual scandal blow up in his face? Does someone else emerge to challenge for the nomination? So far, we've only got Nancy and Mike visibly going for the office.
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