For those of you who have seen Showtime's new show, "Billions," I'm wondering what you think of it? It "borrows" a lot from the SAC Capital story and includes some corny moments, but overall I thought it was entertaining. Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis are both good actors, if nothing else.
If you haven't seen it, the first episode is free on youtube (albeit edited) and the first two are available on Showtime.
I watched the first two episodes and I thought it was really good. I didn't turn it off and watched straight so that is a good sign. It may have potential and as long as they keep using real terms and not just make it a drama it could be quite the show.
The main thing that took me out of it were the ham fisted metaphors. Something about a matador not killing a fresh bull and all that. People don't talk like that in real life. I think when you have maybe one character who talks like that in a show it can work because that person is an eccentric, like say True Detective season 1, but when everyone talks like that it's just the writers trying a bit too hard. I hope as it goes on it becomes more a Showtime/HBO/AMC type of show and doesn't fall into the "Suits" trappings.
Off to a decent start and glad we have something new to watch… but I definitely see it going to the same path as suits (repetitive story line, predictable, etc.).
Agreed. Suits was entertaining at first but now it's like clickbait in video form... haha
A previous discussion: http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/billions-s01-the-new-series
I have not seen it yet because I don't have showtime but eventually I should get it on my Amazon fire stick.
A censored version of Episode 1 is available for free online as part of a marketing push. I think it's on Showtime's YouTube account.
I'll check it out. I don't have a cable subscription anymore so I rely on my local channels and jailbroken firestick that has been able to get me some good channels. I recently canceled my sling tv subscription for this reason.
There has only been 1 episode right? It just aired last Sunday?
On Showtime's website, at least, Episode 2 is out.
Link? I don't see it on their site. There is just previews
Gave me a heavy Suits vibe (I couldn't get past season 1 of that show). However it has quite a few redeeming qualities. Paul Giamatti shows seriously good acting range here (he was in Straight Outta Compton!!), and his US Attorney is a good character save for when he launches into metaphorical tirades - who the fuck talks that way? I'm glad to see Maggie Siff play an important character. Damian Lewis, the guy playing Axelrod, is the only character I dislike here. I can never believe his acting and he's actually one of the reasons I couldn't watch Homeland.
I agree with CRE in that if the show picks up the more nuanced approach characteristic of HBO / AMC shows, it could be really successful. It is quite ham-fisted in its approach to certain storytelling elements (i.e., the conversation with Stanford-Wharton, and the entire meeting with the traders talking shit) but I'm going to forgive that since the show has to establish a strong premise for viewers who probably have trouble splitting a bar tab.
I look forward to catching the show, and I just hope it doesn't turn into an ironic "fuck rich people" comedy hour. We've got George Clooney for that.
I couldn't disagree more with regards to Damien Lewis' acting. He is one of the best actors I have ever seen and he made Homeland one of the best series ever.
Glad there is a thread for this show..so far it's good. A bit romanticized parts, but the bit about compliance in episode 2 really hit the spot.
i love it, i download it for free with torrents
I thought the show was good, but my co-workers probably hyped it up too much so my expectations were probably a little too high.
At times corny, and they do a good job in making boring finance-y subjects somewhat interesting. I do think Damien Lewis plays off the role so well.
Maggie Siff actually annoys the hell out of me. Maybe it's because I've seen her in so many supporting roles where her character was annoying.
Thought she was fantastic in Mad Men
She was actually pretty good in Mad Men. I disliked her character in Sons of Anarchy, I guess that's what turned me off.
Comes off at times corny in Billions. Nothing to do with her acting though, more so the cheesy script.
I was looking forward to it since it was announced in 2015. I completely forgot about it.
Good to realize it has started already.
Reminded me of House of Cards relating to the hedge fund world. Seems spot on for some of these BSD's.
Well... I'm happy to say episode two got better than the first one. Still not a great show. Borderline worth watching if it stays on par with episode 2.
Episode 2 was on point tonight.
episode 4 doe
I think the show's getting better. It's still unnecessarily corny at times but then really hits home at others.
It's corny to us, but it isn't corny to the overwhelming majority of average people who watch the show.
That's fair. I think if it was a show on FX of CBS or something it would be a home run, I just expect near perfection from Showtime/HBO/etc. It's definitely better than 99% of the shows out there, in my opinion, but it's not Mad Men or Game of Thrones or Sherlock in level of quality. It's more...Black Sails or The Tudors. Fun and entertaining, but no real depth.
I was instantly drawn to Billions because of the nuanced character development and outstanding acting, but I think I'm going to bale out. I love Paul Giamatti's performances, but the character he plays is an unbelievably sanctimonious ass. Or I should say that the scriptwriter is a sanctimonious ass, and that succeeds in torpedoing all the nuance he has so carefully constructed. Even the attempts to make Giamatti's character complex by showing him to be a bit obsessed and manipulative fall flat, because they are transparent attempts to make his preachy, sermonizing more credible. Even when I agree with him (like the little pompous sermon he gives the guy in the park about scooping dog poop) the script writer still pisses me off. This could have been a marvelous work of cynical realism in the style of House of Cards, and in fact, one suspects that scriptwriter is a bit envious of House of Cards and is trying hamfistedly to imitate it, but he just can't resist salting every goddam episode with Giamatti's little sermons, inviting us to congratulate ourselves for being right-thinking sort of people who agree with him. But Giamatti's character is a fascist thug, and I don't agree with him. I had decided to keep watching just for the character development and the marvelous performances while rooting energetically for the hedge fund guy, who is clearly supposed to be the villain. But the sermon Giamatti delivers in episode 7 where he claims to be defending all the little hardworking guys of the world against the evil hedge fund villain just went too far. I can enjoy a zoo in spite of the stink of the s*** but not if the stink is so strong that it makes me want to vomit, which is pretty much the effect that the values of this script writer have on me. May you crash and burn you sanctimonious jackass. YOU and the goosestepping government thugs you worship are the reason simple and average people can't have nice things, sir, not the Wall Street types you hate. Go get counseling for your issues with your father or whatever and keep your toxic opinions out of the next piece of "entertainment" you decide to create.
I think that's the point. The writers are trying to challenge us viewers and how we understand our own pop-culture-imbued understanding of good versus evil (with shady private enterprise versus shady government as a proxy - notwithstanding the fact that this is fictional - I have yet to see anyone prove that this is more than loosely inspired by Preet v. Steve-in-the-fleece). Most people would agree with you that Giamatti's character is scummy. Most people I talk to love Axe's character despite the fact that he's technically breaking the law.
That said, I think the writers make it a little too easy to indict Giamatti by layering on his connections to Wall Street (his prep school background, his money manager dad, his money-manager-paid wife). The "why do I like the 'obvious' bad guy and hate the 'obvious' good guy" uncomfortable viewer reality might have been made even more poignant if the writers had left Wall Street cush out of Giamatti's equation. But I shouldn't complain as this kind of show-induced-introspection is already far beyond what's found in average televsion programming.
"Billions" - a new series about hedge funds is coming to Showtime in 2016 (Originally Posted: 03/25/2015)
I just saw this article posted on Business Insider. Showtime will be airing a series written by Brian Koppelman, David Levien, and Andrew Ross Sorkin. The cast seems strong based on the mention of Giamatti, who likely won't be drinking any f%cking merlot, and Damian Lewis, the guy from Homeland that played Brody.
My favorite part of the short teaser article is where it mentions Lewis was studying up for the role when spotted with a copy of "Fooling Some of the People All of the Time." Nice choice but he might want to visit WSO for a few more reading recs as there are quite a few lists in the forums here.
What do you all think? Another show to hate the financial industry or is there a legitimate chance this will actually shed some light on an industry so few know much of anything about? I'm definitely bookmarking the pilot date once it's announced. Here's the link, but not much info beyond the few facts I pulled to mention above: http://www.businessinsider.com/showtime-networks-orders-billions-tv-sho…
Nice, looking forward to this.
oooh nice. thanks for letting us know!
The real question is, will it be on netflix?
They will likely push the 1% lifestyle of the rich (sans famous). People will forget the regulatory drama on CNN and instead gawk at the lavish dinners, fast cars, and pretty women. The undercurrent of cut throat competition and personal drama/character flaws will make the characters appear more down-to-earth and likable.
Wall Street (1987) movie turned TV show?
Sounds like a recipe for good ratings and a Suits/Mad Men-like glamorization of the industry
Chances we get an "I CAN'T I CAN'T I CAN'T" breakdown from Brody's character?
Ironic how they thought he'd play a good hedge fund manager after seeing him as a psychopathic, murderous terrorist and horrible father in his prior role.
Sounds like Entourage. More Ari, less Turtle.
Sounds like an industry in a bubble.
Billions S01 - The new Series (Originally Posted: 01/02/2016)
I've stumbled upon a new show while looking through torrents, Its name is Billions, it is featuring a public fight between a popular and successful hedge fund manager and the US attorney with only a win record, with just watching the first episode you can feel that the fight is getting personal, i wanted to share with you guys, maybe you will like it
I saw episode 1. I was really optimistic about it because I like and The Big Short gave me hope that Wall Street movies/shows could gain Main Street acceptance. I'm not sure how the public will view Billions, but IMHO that show was fucking awful. It's so bad that I recommended it to my Mom and I'm 99% positive she will love it.
A few highlights:
A portfolio manager tells the office shrink about his recent trading struggles. She starts dropping f bombs and tells him how to run his portfolio. He listens and makes windfall profits the next day.
The office shrink's husband is the district attorney in charge of investigating hedge fund kingpin, Bobby Axelrod. Bobby knows this fact and keeps her on board because he "trusts her."
Angry/aggressive/bitchy female characters scattered throughout the plot for seemingly no other reason than to promote some sort of feminist agenda.
A bunch of propaganda about how Wall Street/big business is evil. Way worse than The Big Short on this front. I actually thought The Big Short did a great job of being as non-biased as possible, while still appealing to the masses.
It's foolish to assess the show from the perspective of someone knowledgeable about high finance. If this show was made exclusively for those with knowledge of high finance, then it would completely flunk. The show is the way it is because it needs to appeal to those who do not have any knowledge of high finance, whilst still maintaining the the stereotypes of high finance.
Without judging the show's inaccuracies, I though it was very good. Damien Lewis is an outstanding actor and once again, he does not disappoint.
Also, I partially disagree with your last point. In fact, I got the impression that they're going to try and paint Bobby as a 'good guy', who is simply playing the same game everyone else is. Think about it - The generous philanthropy, the loving family, the underdog kid from a non-target who surpasses all the target kids to get to the top. They've set it up perfectly.
In addition, I got the impression that they may be trying to paint the government as children of the same system. The US attorney, SEC and the DoJ are portrayed as shady actors. All of these people who are supposed to be 'serving the public good' in the show have their own agendas and participate in internal sabotage, ect.
All-in-all, It seems the writers are well-aware of viewers' preconceived notions of Wall Street and have done an excellent job at writing a script that directly addresses that. They are attempting to create internal conflict in the viewers of the show and encouraging them to question their preconceived notions. This will all lead to the viewers' attachment to certain characters, making them 'hooked' on the show. In the end, everyone will be rooting for the hedge fund guy (Bobby) to win, whilst wanting the government (US attorney) to lose.
Very well-written show for the average audience.
the first episode made a good impression, we don't wether the whole show will suck or will be a hit but saying this:
"- Angry/aggressive/bitchy female characters scattered throughout the plot for seemingly no other reason than to promote some sort of feminist agenda."
hahah come on ...
I just saw the pilot and found it was good enough to showcase the relations in a political industry, the dynamics of the market and the characters are believable in how they are representing their individual roles/companies (someone who doesn't work in finance could actually see it happen like on the show).
For us finance managers almost any production of our subject matter will appear more or less unreal - a good portion of our work is just way too boring to make it in TV or movie format.
At some points I thought "family ties/networks/politics" was coming through in "Billions" - not to the extent and quality of "House Of Cards" but at least rudimentary and potentially stronger going forward.
Billions should not be mentioned in the same sentence as House of Cards. Am I the only here who thought soap opera/mom drama/bs show? I'm upset because this show had so much potential. Too bad Terence Winter/Tim Van Patten couldn't bring it to HBO. It would have been darker, funnier, and more realistic.
Anyone complaining needs to realize that there will never be a finance-themed piece of entertainment written to the level of a finance geek that can appeal to a large enough audience to be viable. Based on my ongoing sample, Margin Call is probably the most well written movie as reviewed by finance geeks, yet how many people outside of finance have even watched, let alone enjoyed it?
That being said, I thought this show has some pretty solid potential. The overarching structure for the plot is intriguing, definitely topical to today's Wall Street. There were relatively few cringeworthy finance-based discussions. Maybe the shrink scene with the one PM got to be a bit much, but overall I wasn't offended by the writing.
Also, I never really saw where they painted Wall Street to be evil. I feel like they're going to make the show more of an expose on greed. I.e. those with money do whatever it takes to make more money, while those without money do whatever it takes to bring down those with money. I think they will give justice to both sides of the coin.
I certainly enjoy the show, just like the movies arbitrage, Margin Call, Wall street etc. Axelrod, is certain a man who never really sleeps and his strategies are off the charts.
I am a big fan of the show.
It gives me feelings that I haven't gotten anywhere else. Massively motivating and invigorating. Similar, but more pronounced emotions/feelings that I felt during the first two seasons of House of Cards.
Bravo, Showtime (lol that reads funny).
Does Anyone Watch Billions? (Originally Posted: 08/31/2017)
Hey monkeys,
Has anyone watched the show "Billions"? Its about a hedge fund that the US Attorney is trying to take down. I watched the first 3 episodes and it seems pretty good.
Has anyone else watched it? If so, what do you think? Does it portray the hedge fund life accurately?
Nah.
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