Shrewd, savvy U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) and the brilliant, ambitious hedge fund king Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Damian Lewis) are on an explosive collision course in this cat-and-mouse-game with each using all of his considerable smarts, power and influence to out manoeuvre the other. The stakes are in the billions in this timely, provocative series that proves it doesn’t matter if you look foolish short-term so long as it means you’re winning long-term.
Billions is a 21st-century examination of profit and peril chasing in the American dream. Under its lurid surface are smartly paced and frank storylines about the disconcerting fantasies it provokes; we’re given a chance to see how the one per cent lives. The duelling leads Giamatti and Lewis show off their real acting creds, effortlessly becoming these power hungry, narcissistic alphas who are willing to stop at nothing to fuel their own ambitions, of particular relevance to the new era of American politics.