User reviews

Billions is such a terrific show that takes place in the financial world but you don't need to know much about that world to enjoy the show! Even though it hasn't been as good the last few seasons it's still a pretty good show and gets a high rating from me because those early seasons were just that good. Damian Lewis and Paul Giamatti lead an amazing cast that are all at the top of their game here!

Season 1 - 4 were great. 5 however started to loose me. 6 was a total washout. Prince was a terrible protagonist, no match for Chuck, only was at times because the script said so.

Overall, this show is smart and well written, but not believable, people don't talk like this.

The first two seasons of this show are some of the best TV I've watched. The battle between Axe and Chuck (two awesome lead characters) is thrilling, engaging stuff and there are some interesting sub-plots too. At one point it was one of my favourite shows of all time.

I was immensely excited for where this show would go but unfortunately it has ended up being a major disappointment. The writers went away from the rivalry that drove S1 and S2 and pushed the unbearable Taylor Mason as the lead character. Once they did that, this show started to go downhill. Season 3 was okay but S4 was utter garbage and now I don't care about the story.

This show is a perfect example of greed and political correctness ruining what was once a brilliant show. Such a shame

This is a must see. The writing, the acting, the cast, are all perfect. It is so rare that you find a show with such a diverse cast coming together so seamlessly. Each character is perfectly cast. The writing allows you to live each chactors journey throughout each scene. You do not know who's side you are on; all you know is they are all "right" in their convictions in some way. The tension and life within this show makes you feel it as though you are there. Re- watch to find details you may have missed the first time. It is a thriller, drama, comedy, tragedy, and fairytale all in one. Watch the show to find out which character resonates with you ethics and morals. The lines may be harder to see than you think. The cast are living their roles and their conviction is riveting. Thank you for this show.

It's a good show, especially thanks to smart writers and great actors - Giamatti and Lewis in particular. Many interesting characters and supporting characters. Degiulio, Hall, Orrin, Ben Kim, Dollar Bill, Spyros, Sacker and Cantu.

I think the show increasingly turns into this female empowerment focus which in itself is a good thing but unfortunately also makes the show less captivating and entertaining. They shifted away from their winning formula.

Sacker is a great character although borderline Mary Sue who apparently masters everything with perfect integrity and produces one impressive pop cultural reference after the other. Eventually you can't help but think it seems a bit unrealistic and forced when a geeky book smart woman clearly born in the 80s references movies and music that would be only natural coming from a streetwise guy born in the 60s and 70s. Coming from a character like hers, you get the feeling she's googling references just to be able to say them, as opposed to Wags and Axe.

Wendy Rhoades was great the first season when things focused on her impressive mental coaching and being relatively objective, but then throughout the seasons slowly shifts into a petty, spiteful, snobby and selfish individual with too much unearned respect and authority. Her moral downfall is interesting but they never managed to pull her back into an enjoyable character again. So much for character development. Reminds me of how they ruined Donna in Suits - she had her perfect niche as the sassy, quick-witted assistant to becoming a needy, insecure and annoying COO.

And then we have this over-the-top badass Bonnie character who, as pretty much all the women on the show, always gets the final word and is portrayed as 10x tougher than the guys. It's too much, seems more like a utopian character for certain writers rather than realistic and engaging.

The casting of Dave was probably the biggest miss - they should have had more focus on finding someone likeable instead of ticking yet another box. She comes off as manipulative and 'superior', but not in a fun, intriguing way.

Prince of course is not Axe, but given the circumstances he did okay.

Taylor is actually a decently interesting character despite the obvious forced progressivism behind the introduction, and makes enough sense.

From being a typical aggressive tradefloor with classic macho a-holes, the men slowly deteriorate into goofy whimps in a hedge fund now full of female badasses. That's a clear shift in the writing, and although this shift can be interesting to explore it unfortunately makes the show go from entertaining and fun to increasingly lame and melodramatic.

That said, overall it's a great show worth watching. Lots of fun moments and manoeuvres.

Billions was a great show with great actors. Up to and including the first 5 seasons I really enjoyed it. But as it often goes, the makers can't get enough of their success and just keep going on. Until the momentum, the excitement and the spirit is gone. This is also largely due to Season 6 being without main actor Damian Lewis. So I watched one episode but it did not get me hooked and after reading some other reviews I thought it best to leave it at that and watch something else instead.

First 5 seasons were excellent - season 6 is a torture Axe was a sight for sore eyes. Brilliant, brutal, quick, a true killer. Loved to watch the "dance" between him and Chuck. But Prince? Thanks but no thanks. They try so hard to keep the story interesting but they fail. Big time.

Excellent until Damien Lewis chose to leave; he probably saw the demise coming. Series 1 - 4 were fantastic, 5 started the slow death and series 6; well I struggled to get episode 3 finished. No charisma anymore, sad. 😢

Seasons 1-5 the show had everything you want, good storylines, revenge, drama, personal vendettas. All the great actors and fireworks that go along with them. And honestly they had a really good thing going. I had no real complaints about the way they handled themselves, a few bumps here and there but overall a great show.

And then came season 6, this woke joke season is everything that's wrong with shows right now. First the direction they're going in is nothing short of boring and sad, second the way they went about it is just dumb, and of course let's not forget the main protagonist left. Honestly I have yet to meet a person who cares about anything they're doing now. But worst of all both the plot and the writing are complete and utter trash this season. I've never in my life heard so many references that no one knows or would ever recognize. They're starting to quote Latin phrases and philosophers and not even renown ones. And if that weren't bad enough, the plot is nonsensical. Chuck now comes off like a vengeful tyrant with no real bone to pick other than to snark and scowl at the rich, this isn't good or even decent, it's pathetic.

5/10, it was 10/10 for season 1-5 and now it's just bad so I figured I'll rate it in middle. Fair warning you give this show even 1 more season with this pathetic excuse for writing and I will outright drop the rating to 1.

It's a different show, but not for the better. Giamatti's new persona and plans make no sense, nor do Corey Stoll's. The main characters who have left the show have diminished it. The new characters have not improved it.

A series that started great, which intrigued us from the first moment with its palette of interesting characters.

The first two seasons are really great, tense, with smart and interesting dialogues and action that draws us into another, interesting world.

The cast is excellent, Damian Lewis and Paul Giamatti brilliantly portrayed their characters. Perfect casting. But the supporting characters are equally interesting and the actors who play them did a great job in their roles.

The plot is dynamic and fun, and the characters and their actions make sense and fit the story. The cinematography is excellent, the production is at a high level. The direction is good, there are no unnecessary camera movements, there is no shaky camera that mostly seems cheap and irritating. Basically, everything is excellent, high quality and interesting.

This is followed by a safe and slow sinking into mediocrity, to which we are unfortunately accustomed.

A show that could have been one of those that will be talked about for decades and watched over and over again. Unfortunately, the writers simply did not endure without embarking on the predictable path of mediocrity and clichés so typical of today's film production.

This may have been one of those few television masterpieces, but it simply became another of the mediocre television series that is neither particularly bad nor particularly good.

Great series similar in some ways to Wolf of Wall St and Succession. Loved those two as well. Billions is a clever collection of stories set in the high flying banking world, The cast are all fabulous - but let's be honest, the star of the show is / was Damien Lewis who played the lead - Bobby Axelrod (chief at the Axe Capital bank). Coming in at a very close second, in my opinion, is Paul Giamatti. Together, these actors provide outstanding onscreen performances as arch rival characters - with edge of seat excitment. But the class and intensity that Lewis brings to the show is second to none. He is utterly convincing in his role and pulls the cast around him to create compelling episodes in the first 5 seasons.

But all that changed when he left the show. I do not know the circumstances behind his departure, perhaps he felt it was done. Well, now it is and sadly season 6 tries, but will never reach the previous levels.

I love both leads in the show, Giamatti and Lewis are both amazing on their roles, both characters are I want to WIN ALL THE WAY but are broken inside with flaws they both depend on the same woman to try to repair. Imagine you get a TV show about The Wolf of Wall Street, with less profanity (I have nothing against, by the way) and mix it up with and equal opposite as the guy after him, both with money both with power but a big difference, the billionaire came from noting , rise up from a poor kid to the top. and the Public Officer (district attorney) is the one that grow up with money and power but have a hunger to be successful bringing down white collar guys.

The show is amazing, cant wait till next season. Please take a moment and enjoy it yourself.

How I long for the days of Damian Lewis/Bobby! Already season 4 and 5 became weaker, but Season 6 really gutted the spirit of the show. Now we have a vindictive AG that doiesn't care if he operates within law and a billionare you can't connect to. The TV channels should finally realise that more seasons of a show does not equal to better! All good things come to an end and it's better to plan for it than let it trickle out and die because of fans leaving.

Billions has it all! Class, Style, Beauty, and best of all Brains.

The battle of wits between Chuck (Paul Giamatti), and Bobby (Damian Lewis) is the heart of the show...and both men are riveting to watch.

The other gem of the show is the fantastic and beautiful Maggie Siff as Chuck's wife Wendy, who just happens to be one of Bobby's oldest friends..not to mention..practically a co founder of Bobby's company. The sparks between Bobby and Wendy fly..but she is married to his greatest enemy. Lewis and Siff have such chemistry on screen...and Damian Lewis has an uncanny ability to make you root for him, no matter what he is playing. Be it a Wrongly Imprisoned cop on the equally excellent short lived show called Life, or the potential villain on Homeland..the man just has incredible talent..and with Bobby "Axe" Axelrod...it is no different. You never want to see one man win..because the Clash Of these two Titans is just too much fun!!

The overdone, complicated lines of every dialogue of any of the lead characters have become so artificial. No one talks so densely in real life even if they were geniuses. Each time an actor opens their mouth they stare concentrating to remember the absurdly intricate ideas.

Completed watching two episodes of this show and I am all of praise for it. It contains features that excite me to go for a show like insider trading, corporate politics, courtroom scenes and complex characters. It is kind of on the same lines as Suits but an incremented version of it. The pilot starts with building of the two lead characters Chuck and Bobby while keeping up the tempo too. Between the two you cannot decide whom to root for as both have gray shades.

With the second episode it starts going deeper into past of their lives and what shaped them to being the way they are today. It is exciting to watch both of them go head to head to get better of each other. It is like a see-saw ride, you cannot predict what is in store for you.

If it goes the way it has started it can be one of the best shows of 2016. I would recommend to give a try to this show, you will not regret it.

As usual, a great series starting to nosedive.The third series was getting weak on plot and by 2/3rds thru the fourth season, one was starting to wish Taylor and a few other characters had been killed off at birth. Shame.

Based on the writing and characterizations alone, this show, right out of the box, would be a 9.

That is a serious statement and I think it will hold up. Not only do these scripts go into areas of finance that the public has not been privy to (credit Andrew Ross Sorkin of TOO BIG TO FAIL fame) but, I kid you not, in this show the men talk like men and the women talk like bigger men. And it works a treat.

They could have stopped there. But, no, they went for the casting coup of the century. Giamatti against Lewis. Giamatti, who could not give a weak performance if he tried, out-does all his prior film work. Which is also an amazing statement to make. It is as if he wants this show to replace his entire highlight reel.

And then Lewis. How talented is this guy?? He not only played an American traitor -- brilliantly -- and had to work with Claire Danes (not as easy as it looks) but effortlessly switches to billionaire tycoon without missing a beat.

The only thing missing from the IMDb profile page is a list of the awards this show won. Check back a year from now for that.

No words to explain this show and do it justice. So i will just say that its great and a must watch