This week’s episode of Billions started a bit differently. Wendy took a job with an Elon Musk type character, Craig Heidecker , played by James Wolk. He has built a spaceship that he is sending to Mars for a manned mission, and Wendy is there to determine if the astronaut being considered should get the job. After spending the day with the woman, Wendy determines that she has not faced enough adversity, enough life, and tells Heidecker to reject her, and if she comes back, reject her again. If she comes back again, test her again. When the job is done, Wendy realizes that she does not get a high from judging people. Rather, she craves the instant gratification that comes with a successful session with a patient. By the end of the episode, she finds herself back in her office meeting with clients and to her surprise, Wags, who has been struggling quite a bit with substance abuse, comes to see her. She agrees to help him.
While Wendy steps into new professional territory, so does Lara. Her new concierge nurse business is faced competition attempting to undercut her company's fee. Bobby offers to make a call to make the problem go away, but Lara wants to do it on her own. As seen last season, Lara is not afraid to play dirty. She gets help from a couple guys in the old neighborhood, and gets the competition shut down.
This episode not only showed the two main women dealing with separate business obstacles, but also making it on their own. Last season, both Lara and Wendy were strong, yet so defined by the men in their lives. It is refreshing to see the two of them stand firmly on their own two feet and make it on their own terms. It is far more empowering to see two women battle for their own careers than two women stuck in the crossfire between the battle of two men.
While the women were fighting their own battles, Axe and Rhoades were playing chess. Still being overlooked by the NFL, Axe meets with Mark Cuban to talk to him about the problems he’s having with the SEC. While I am a fan of Mark Cuban, I was not a fan of him being on the show. It took me out of the episode and felt unnecessary. After this meeting, however, Axe decides that he needs to change the public’s perception of him. So, he meets with Sanford Besinger, a wealthy philanthropist who started the Giving Oath. The Giving Oath is taken from the real-life Giving Pledge, and is essentially a group of some of the wealthiest individuals in the world giving money to certain causes. While listening to Besinger give a moving speech about why he gives, it seems as though Axe was affect by it, and he agrees to give the oath. However, it is revealed to be a publicity stunt, and once Besinger finds out, he blocks Axe’s NFL bid.
I liked the idea of Axe going from a billionaire who buys a ridiculous house in the Hamptons, to one who has a desire to give his money to those in need. I hope that the writers decide to circle around to this as Axe continues to progress.
Rhoades offers an olive branch to Alexander Boyd. Boyd accepts, something that Axe says is not is his nature. Right after accepting Rhoades’ deal, and believing that the investigation is over, Boyd goes right back to his illegal behavior. Rhoades is back on the case.
In the continuation of a tired storyline, Rhoades and Axe come face-to-face again, for a deposition. Neither one of them backs down, and lets just say, the wheels on this storyline bus keep going round and round. I for one, and more than ready to get off it.
Apart from Axe and Rhoades coming together yet again, I really did enjoy with episode. The women are more well-rounded this season, and the Billions world is feeling bigger each episode.
