Billions (TV series)
A drama of wealth, power, and federal prosecution.
Billions is an American drama television series created by Brian Koppelman, David Levien, and Andrew Ross Sorkin. It premiered on Showtime on January 17, 2016, and concluded with its seventh and final season on August 13, 2023. The series is set primarily in New York and Connecticut and follows hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod as he accumulates wealth and power, often drawing the attention of U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Drama
- Creator
- Brian Koppelman
- David Levien
- Andrew Ross Sorkin
- Composer
- Eskmo
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 7
- Episodes
- 84
- Executive producers
- Brian Koppelman
- David Levien
- Christian Soriano
- Andrew Ross Sorkin
- Neil Burger
Facts from the source article.
Plot
U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades receives a tip that hedge fund magnate Bobby Axelrod has traded on insider information. Axelrod's inner circle includes Rhoades' wife, performance coach Wendy, and Michael "Wags" Wagner. Chuck investigates the firm and arrests Axelrod's confidante Dollar Bill. Wendy tries to negotiate a settlement between Chuck and Axelrod; both agree, but Chuck sabotages the deal. Chuck recuses himself and gives the case to Bryan Connerty, who flips trader Donnie Caan. It is later revealed Donnie had a terminal illness and Axelrod used him to feed the FBI information he would not live to testify for. The Attorney General ends the investigation. Wendy leaves Chuck after he breaches her session notes, and she also leaves Axe Capital.
Cast and characters
Paul Giamatti plays Charles "Chuck" Rhoades, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York who later runs for governor and is elected Attorney General of New York. He is ruthless, struggles with being overshadowed by his wife and father, and engages in BDSM role play as a "slave." The character is loosely based on Preet Bharara and Eliot Spitzer. Damian Lewis portrays Robert "Bobby" Axelrod (seasons 1–5, 7), an ambitious billionaire hedge fund manager and Hofstra graduate from humble beginnings. He survived the September 11 attacks, reformed his firm as Axe Capital, and pays college tuition for colleagues' children who died. He uses insider trading and bribery, and his character is loosely based on Steven A. Cohen. Maggie Siff plays Wendy Rhoades, a psychiatrist and in-house performance coach at Axe Capital, wife and later ex-wife of Chuck. She is self-possessed, went to Yale, and dominates Chuck in BDSM activities. Malin Åkerman stars as Lara Axelrod (seasons 1–3; guest season 4), wife and later ex-wife of Bobby, a former nurse whose brother died in the 9/11 attacks.
Production
Showtime ordered the series in March 2015, and the first season premiered January 17, 2016. It was renewed for a second season on January 26, 2016, which premiered February 19, 2017. In April 2017, Asia Kate Dillon, who is non-binary, became a series regular for the third season, making Billions the first American TV series to have a non-binary character. Preet Bharara, the inspiration for Chuck Rhoades, jokingly referred to Paul Giamatti as "noted Indian American actor Paul Giamatti." The series was renewed for a fifth season on May 8, 2019, premiering May 3, 2020; for a sixth season on October 1, 2020, with Corey Stoll promoted to series regular; and for a seventh and final season on February 15, 2022. In February 2023, spinoffs in London, Miami, and a series titled "Millions" were announced as in development. By November 2024, the Miami spinoff script had been delivered but not greenlit, and other spinoff plans were dropped. The first episode was available via video on demand on January 1, 2016, and on CraveTV in Canada. The show hired BDSM lifestyle expert Olivia Troy as a consultant.
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an overall approval rating of 86%, with season 1 at 78%, season 2 at 89%, season 3 at 93%, season 4 at 97%, season 5 at 91%, season 6 at 100%, and season 7 at 60%. The critical consensus for season 1 notes a lack of likable characters but praises repeat viewing potential. Season 2 is described as thoroughly entertaining with new characters and narrative twists. Season 3 is called a convincing fable of greed and power. Season 4 is noted for sharp dialogue and bigger stakes. On Metacritic, the show has an overall score of 71, with season 1 scoring 69 and season 2 scoring 67, both indicating generally favorable reviews. Season 3 scored 77, and season 4 scored 87, indicating universal acclaim. The series received positive comments for its representation of non-binary gender and was nominated multiple times for the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Drama Series.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes of Billions (TV series) are there?
Billions has 84 episodes across 7 seasons.
When did Billions (TV series) end?
Billions last aired on 29 October 2023.
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