BILLIONS (SEASON 4) – SHOWTIME TV REVIEW
Created by: Brian Koppelman, David Levien, Andrew Ross Sorkin
Writers: Brian Koppelman, David Levien, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Lenore Zion, Michael Russell Gunn, Adam R. Perlman, Alice O’Neill etc.
Directors: Colin Bucksey, Adam Bernstein, Neil Burger, Matthew McLoota, Jessica Yu, Laurie Collyer, Naomi Geraghty
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Damian Lewis, Maggie Siff, Malin Åkerman, Toby Leonard Moore, David Costabile, Condola Rashād, Asia Kate Dillon, Jeffrey DeMunn, John Malkovich, Kelly Aucoin, Stephen Kunken, Nina Arianda, Kevin Pollak, Clancy Brown etc.
Distributor: Showtime Network
**CONTAIN SPOILERS of BILLIONS – SEASONS 1 – 3**
One of the great sober pleasures in life and culture is finding a great television show and digging into it from the start. Don’t get me wrong, I love doing catch-up binges of programmes I missed first time. Indeed, I recently just finished imbibing seven mercurial seasons of the amazing Mad Men. Yet, having watched it from the outset, Billions, has now become a high priority watch for me every year.
Season 4 once again delivers all that I want from my Billions fixation. If you haven’t seen it then it is essentially about spoilt, rich narcissists at the higher echelons of American justice and business trying to destroy each other. The first three seasons found Paul Giamatti’s legal demon battling Damian Lewis’ financial titan. It’s good old fashioned revenge drama, with a reliance on proper plotting, sharp dialogue and an amazing ensemble cast.
The latest season begins with amazingly, Chuck and Bobby, enjoying a kind of peace, assisting each other against various foes. All the same themes are in place with greed and power destroying love and trust, except, if I’m not mistaken, the narrative beats are even faster-paced and brutal. Amidst the back-stabbing dramatics though the writers do find some time for wicked humour; especially in the very funny episodes, Chickentown and American Champion.
But the main reason for watching is to experience these corporate and legal vipers bite each others faces off. Indeed, the devious plots that are set in motion are quite breath-taking. The writing is as twisted as a corkscrew plunged into the forehead. Moreover, the cast just relish playing these characters with Lewis, Giamatti, Maggie Siff and David “Wags” Constabile regularly stealing scenes from each other.
As Bobby’s 4 nemesis, Taylor Mason, Asia Kate Dillon was also brilliant. The sub-plot involving her fathers’ (Kevin Pollak) start-up technology firm was especially strong, proving that mixing family and business relationships are doomed in this world. I’d also say Chuck’s battle with Attorney General Jock Jeffcoate (Clancy Brown), was arguably a major highlight of a very strong season. Perhaps John Malkovich’s Russian Oligarch could have been given more to do, but overall, the Machiavellian machinations of Billions had me gripped from start to finish. It was, literally, the absolute business!
The Cinema Fix presents: 