A lot happened in Billions this week. Many storylines that were introduced at the beginning of the season were tied up. After several episodes of trying to figure out her next move, Wendy agreed to go back to Axe Capital, Bobby dropped his civil suits against Chuck, Chuck took down Boyd and Lara began to understand that maybe she is not the equal in her relationship that she thought she was.
Episode 6 felt different from the Billions I have gotten used to. The entire episode, I was trying to figure out if I was enjoying it. Once the screen faded to black, and the credits rolled, I realized that I did. In fact, I loved this episode. Let’s break down why.
In the beginning of this episode, Wendy came to her house on Chuck’s night, to thank him for taking responsibility for their separation with their children. He invited her to stay for dinner, and she agrees. This season has done a wonderful job of turning the tables on the two main marriages. Rather than just seeing the animosity between Wendy and Chuck, we are seeing the pair as a couple that cares deeply for one another and we are seeing them with their children. Last season, I often forgot they were parents, and did not understand how the two of them had gotten married in the first place. This was entirely needed this season, has helped make Chuck a more appealing character. I found myself rooting for him this episode, and feeling sympathetic towards him, two things I cannot say I have ever done before.
After dinner, the two almost share a kiss. After leaving the house, Wendy goes to see Ira to understand how much trouble Chuck is really in. She learns just how much pressure he is under, and decides to relieve some of it.
Wendy meets with Bobby and negotiates her return to the company. One of her conditions, along with higher pay is that he drops the lawsuits against Chuck. Bobby agrees, and Wendy realizes that it was his plan all along to use the suits as a way to lure her back. Wendy realizes this quickly, and adds another demand in order to take her job back. Bobby can no longer come to her for sessions.
Bobby goes to dinner with Lara, in an apparent attempt to apologize for the way he treated her last episode. However, when he informs her that he has hired Wendy back, things go south. He comes to her again at the end of the episode, heart in hand, apologizing for Wendy and for the way he has treated her. Lara tells him that this is not the marriage that she signed up for, and that he consistently makes decisions without telling her. Bobby asks her if she would be alright with Wendy coming back to Axe Capital if he no longer had sessions with her, making it seem as though it was his idea, not Wendy’s. Lara reluctantly agrees.
Watching Wendy’s return to Axe Capital unfold, was interesting. In season one, Bobby came close to cheating on his wife, but stayed strong. In that episode, we learned that he has never been unfaithful. It’s a somewhat admirable thing for someone in his position. However, watching this episode, it was more obvious than ever, Lara’s obvious jealousy of Wendy has merit. Bobby needs Wendy in his life. Not her sessions, not what she brings to the company, her. He has never been physically unfaithful to his wife, but it is because Wendy has always been there, providing something that is not entirely clear, but that he needs.
For Wendy, she is addicted to the high that she gets from working at Axe Capital. She has not been able to find it anywhere else. She does not need Bobby necessarily, she needs what his business provides for her.
The end of this episode was somewhat heartbreaking. Each character got a win, but it was closely followed by a loss. Chuck got Boyd and got the lawsuits against him dropped, however his marriage seems farther away, as he cannot accept Wendy going back to work at Axe Capital. Axe got Wendy back in a way, and got Lara to forgive him, but the casino is no longer going into the town that he has invested so much money into. Boyd thought he was getting a deal, or that he would be in the clear when he bribed his employee not to testify, but Chuck decided to bring the case to trial, and Boyd is clearly not going to win.
For one of the first times in Billions, the characters felt human. There was an emotional progression and vulnerability that I can’t recall ever seeing before, and it gave me a new investment into the show.
