News

[Editors Note: The following interview contains spoilers for the “Billions” finale, Season 7, Episode 12, “Admirals Fund.”]

“Billions” ends not with one man reigning supreme, but two titans shaking hands. Chuck (Paul Giamatti) and Axe (Damian Lewis) joined forces early in Season 7 and — despite a history filled with trickery and betrayal — remain loyal to the very end. Along with their devout team of stock traders and political savants, the duo takes down Mike Prince (Corey Stoll) and his bid for the presidency, before parting ways as friends. Chuck will continue working for the state of New York, while Axe is back behind the soon-to-be sleek desk of his hedge fund.

For a series that began with promises by both men to utterly destroy the other, some fans may be miffed that neither star is crowned as champion. But for showrunners Brian Koppelman and David Levien, the “Billions” series finale isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s an embodiment of what...

We’ve finally come to it, Billions fans: The point teased at the start of the season, when we had no real clue why Mike Prince would huck a printer through a glass wall just because he knew Wendy Rhoades was sitting on the other side.

The Showtime series’ finale laid out exactly how Bobby Axelrod & Co. teamed up to take down Prince’s company and his presidential campaign — and it gave longtime viewers some satisfying goodbyes, as well. In a moment, we’ll want to hear what you thought of the series-ender, as well as the season as a whole.

“That’s like a billion dollars in Indiana.” That quip from Bobby Axelrod is one of the memorable lines in the series finale of “Billions,” the Showtime drama series that wrapped its seven-season run Oct. 27 with the crowd-pleasing episode “Admirals Fund.”

Axelrod, played by Damian Lewis, delivers that line as he takes a victory lap after demolishing his latest foil, rival hedge fund manager Mike Prince (Corey Stoll). It’s a reference to that fact that Prince, after an elaborate sting pulled off by Axelrod and the core “Billions” ensemble, is left wiped out but for $100 million he invested with Black-owned banks a few years ago. Axe’s comment and Prince’s broad smile suggest that the latter is headed to the Midwest to nurse his wounds and rise anew.

The line about Indiana had been on a white board in the “Billions” writers room for more than two seasons,...

A lot can happen in a day.

A man can go from being a leading candidate in a presidential election to a nobody in politics, and (or!) he can lose his billionaire status -- in one day!

Many men can teeter on the verge of being penniless when, later in the day, their luck turns, making them the richest they've ever been.

We'll discuss everything that went down on Billions Season 7 Episode 12 -- and it was a lot, so this will be a long review -- and if you're yet to get caught up, beware of spoilers.

Billions' non-linear storytelling format has always worked for the episodes leading up to and including its season finales.

The format allows the writers to hit viewers with revelations and surprises, flashing back to hours, days, weeks, and even months before the events of the current episode.

And as sure as the sky is blue,...

[This story contains spoilers from the series finale of Billions, “Admirals Fund.”]

“Bobbie Sue took the money and run” is not exactly the same as saying “Bobby and Chuck took the money and run,” though “Sue” is not a bad nickname for the crusading lawyer played for seven seasons by Paul Giamatti. Still, the vibes are very much on point as Steve Miller Band’s “Take the Money and Run” played viewers out in the opening and closing moments of the series finale of Billions, which ended a seven-season run with one last signature heist and one last big score for basically every single character — everyone, except for late-game antagonist Mike Prince (Corey Stoll).

As often is the case with Billions, the final episode, “Admirals Fund,” pulls the curtain back on events from previous episodes, only to reveal that they did not play out exactly as the audience thought. It looked like the holy alliance of Chuck Rhodes (Giamatti...

Spoiler Alert! Do not read this unless you have watched the series finale of Billions on Showtime.

It’s the end of the road for Bobby Axelrod and his team: the drama created by Brian Koppelman and David Levien ended its seven-season run Oct. 27 with a tidy finale that keeps Axe (Damian Lewis) in the game of making money.

Here, Koppelman and Levien reflect on the finale, how the writers strike impacted production on the finale, and why they couldn’t say goodbye without including a few more pop culture analogies (like Phil Spector with River Deep!) in the episode.

Sadly, questions about Billions spinoffs were verboten.

Deadline: Most important question first: how much thought went into deciding what T-shirt Damian Lewis would wear in the series finale?

Brian Koppelman: So much thought! Early on in the show, we started thinking about how and where Axe grew up and...

Billions has finally concluded its seven-year-long story with a big bang and a lot of money and people down the tubes. The final episode titled “Admirals Fund” takes the viewers on a whirlwind with many twists and turns. So, let’s discuss what happened and who ended up at the top.

The final episode of the series begins with some big revelations, which show that Kate Sacker (Condola Rashad) and Philip Charyn (Toney Goins) have been colluding with the Axe (Damian Lewis) and Chuck (Paul Giamatti) team. The fall of Mike Prince (Corey Stoll) begins very early in the episode with his most loyal employees turning against him and dumping all of his money in conflicted companies that will surely go down because of the rumors that Chuck is spreading.

As Mike heads to Camp David to meet the President, he is alerted by Axe that all of his money...

It's almost lights out for Billions as the series ends this week.

The series finale is the opportunity to bring this story to an end, but there is more it must accomplish.

Spoilers for Billions Season 7 Episode 12 tease a thrilling episode full of surprises as Axe's actual plan comes to fruition, ending Prince once and for all.

Obliterating Mike Prince

Nothing is more important for many characters in the show than seeing Prince fall and never get up again.

This common goal has seen the unification of factions that have been mortal enemies throughout the series' run.

Chuck had been trying to get Mike for most of the seventh season, but Prince collected wins everywhere he went.

Against all odds, Mike secured himself a place in the halls of politics, something that made three people angry.

It is worth saying that the grounds for barring Mike Prince from running...

Everything with a beginning has an end, and it is here for Billions.

After eight years, seven seasons, and eighty-four episodes, it feels surreal that we won't be treated to the high-value drama the show offers the way it does.

As the Billions series finale approaches, it doesn't seem like the stakes are high enough to warrant investing in a series finale with an outcome of a particular nature.

Whatever way the creatives decide to wrap up the story will not be that significant.

So, where did the rain start beating this once red-hot show?

We must circle back to the series premiere to assess fairly.

When many shows premiere, one can almost tell after the pilot what the endgame will be. Even if they don't know what will happen, there is a rough idea about how events should play out.

Very few shows are not tied to this logic,...

The promo for Showtime’s Billions season seven episode 12 warns that “all will go down” and that fans should prepare for an epic final showdown. Who will emerge victorious? It’s got to be Axe, doesn’t it? All questions will be answered with episode 12, the season – and series – finale streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime on Friday, October 27, 2023.

Season seven episodes also air on Showtime on Sundays at 8pm Et/Pt.

“Admirals Fund” Plot: Trust is built and broken as fate hangs in the balance for all when Chuck, Axe and Prince have the ultimate showdown.

Season seven stars Paul Giamatti as Chuck Rhoades, Corey Stoll as Mike Prince, Maggie Siff as Wendy Rhoades, David Costabile as Mike “Wags” Wagner, Asia Kate Dillon as Taylor Mason, and Dola Rashad as Kate Sacker. Jeffrey DeMunn plays Chuck Rhoades Sr., Sakina Jaffrey is Daevisha “Dave” Mahar, Kelly AuCoin is “Dollar” Bill Stern,...

Showtime’s Billions season seven episode nine will, finally, find Mike Prince’s enemies making their big move(s). Episode eight felt weirdly out of place and like filler, so hopefully episode nine will more than make up for “The Owl.”

Episode nine, “Game Theory Optional,” will air on Paramount+ with Showtime on Friday, October 6, 2023. Season seven episodes also air on Showtime on Sundays at 8pm Et/Pt.

Season seven stars Paul Giamatti as Chuck Rhoades, Corey Stoll as Mike Prince, Maggie Siff as Wendy Rhoades, David Costabile as Mike “Wags” Wagner, Asia Kate Dillon as Taylor Mason, and Dola Rashad as Kate Sacker. Jeffrey DeMunn plays Chuck Rhoades Sr., Sakina Jaffrey is Daevisha “Dave” Mahar, Kelly AuCoin is “Dollar” Bill Stern, Daniel Breaker is Roger “Scooter” Dunbar, and Toney Goins plays Philip Charyn.

Damian Lewis reprises his role as Bobby Axelrod for the final season.

“Game Theory Optional” Plot:...

Ego keeps a lot of people afloat.

It informs their decisions and, to some extent, makes them predictable to anyone who cares to pay a little attention.

It must have come up in our Billions reviews that Mike Prince -- like any other billionaire -- suffers from the all-too-common condition among people of his stature. He suffers from inflated self-importance.

We will discuss everything that went down on Billions Season 7 Episode 6, so if you're yet to get caught up on it, beware of spoilers.

Mike prepared to confront the ruling sentiments from the electorate where he was concerned. It was a standard procedure in candidacy, but that gave the saboteurs in his midst the opportunity to try and trim him down and, if lucky, get him to quit.

To brave the tumultuous waters of politics is not an easy feat. It requires a person whose self-awareness and pride are above that of an average person.

The teaser for Showtime’s Billions season seven episode six confirms that Bobby Axelrod will be popping in and reveals John Malkovich is back Grigor Andolov. Episode six – “The Man in the Olive Drab T-Shirt” – will air on Paramount+ with Showtime on Friday, September 15, 2023.

Season seven episodes also air on Showtime on Sundays at 8pm Et/Pt.

Season seven stars Paul Giamatti as Chuck Rhoades, Corey Stoll as Mike Prince, Maggie Siff as Wendy Rhoades, David Costabile as Mike “Wags” Wagner, Asia Kate Dillon as Taylor Mason, and Dola Rashad as Kate Sacker. Jeffrey DeMunn plays Chuck Rhoades Sr., Sakina Jaffrey is Daevisha “Dave” Mahar, Kelly AuCoin is “Dollar” Bill Stern, Daniel Breaker is Roger “Scooter” Dunbar, and Toney Goins plays Philip Charyn.

Damian Lewis reprises his role as Bobby Axelrod for the final season.

“The Man in the Olive Drab T-Shirt” Plot: Axe turns to Chuck for a favor involving a common adversary.

Trust.

It is something we give people even without knowing. When you buy something at the nearest shop, you trust that the price is not hiked, the product is okay, and the seller will let you leave with it.

Most small decisions we make daily in a split second are based on trust, but those that appear bigger in implications require some thought.

There really is no way to know if we are trusting the right person, and despite our best efforts to gauge it, we might end up trusting the wrong person.

We will discuss everything that went down on Billions Season 7 Episode 5, so if you're yet to get caught up, beware of spoilers.

Events in the episode can be broadly categorized into two. There was a problem at Mpc, and on the other side of town, there was another one in main justice of a different nature.

Being...

Mike Prince has been able to finesse his way out of sticky situations so far in season seven of Showtime’s Billions, but the promo for episode five teases that Chuck Rhoades isn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet. Episode five – “The Gulag Archipelago” – will air on Paramount+ with Showtime on Friday, September 8, 2023.

Season seven episodes also air on Showtime on Sundays at 8pm Et/Pt.

Season seven stars Paul Giamatti as Chuck Rhoades, Corey Stoll as Mike Prince, Maggie Siff as Wendy Rhoades, David Costabile as Mike “Wags” Wagner, Asia Kate Dillon as Taylor Mason, and Dola Rashad as Kate Sacker. Jeffrey DeMunn plays Chuck Rhoades Sr., Sakina Jaffrey is Daevisha “Dave” Mahar, Kelly AuCoin is “Dollar” Bill Stern, Daniel Breaker is Roger “Scooter” Dunbar, and Toney Goins plays Philip Charyn.

Damian Lewis reprises his role as Bobby Axelrod for the final season.

“The Gulag Archipelago...

Showtime’s Billions season seven (the final season) episode three finds Wags, Wendy, and Taylor back at Prince Cap after their unsatisfying reunion with Bobby Axelrod in episode two. The teaser for episode three, “Winston Dick Energy,” also confirms Mike Prince is more than a little concerned now that Chuck Rhoades has his old job back.

Episode three streams on Paramount+ with Showtime on Friday, August 25, 2023. Season seven episodes air on Showtime on Sundays at 8pm Et/Pt.

Damian Lewis reprises his role as Bobby Axelrod for the final season. Season seven also stars Paul Giamatti as Chuck Rhoades, Corey Stoll as Mike Prince, Maggie Siff as Wendy Rhoades, David Costabile as Mike “Wags” Wagner, Asia Kate Dillon as Taylor Mason, and Dola Rashad as Kate Sacker.

Jeffrey DeMunn plays Chuck Rhoades Sr., Sakina Jaffrey is Daevisha “Dave” Mahar, Kelly AuCoin is “Dollar” Bill Stern, Daniel Breaker is Roger “Scooter” Dunbar,...

With Michael Prince potentially caught in the crosshairs, the nail-biting Showtime drama returned for its seventh— and final — season on August 11. Billions series co-creators Brian Koppelman, David Levien and Andrew Ross Sorkin have drawn inspiration from Steve A. Cohen, Elon Musk and other famous billionaires to create their powerful and morally bankrupt cast of characters. Since the series premiere in 2016, audiences have followed former US attorney Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) in his quest to bring these self-serving titans of industry to justice.

Most of the cast is back for season...

Up until the moment Axe escaped to Switzerland in the Billions Season 5 finale, fans were probably thinking the character would look into the camera and say “just kidding” and run back to Wendy’s loving arms in New York.

But that wasn’t meant to be. Damian Lewis, who had played the enigmatic billionaire for five hit seasons, didn’t renew his contract because he felt like there was nothing else to mine creatively. “We know who he is,” Lewis recently told the New York Times.

More from TVLineDamian Lewis Opens Up About Billions Exit, Opportunity to 'Maybe' ReturnBillions Shocker:...

Bobby Axelrod has left the chat. The Sunday, Oct. 3 season five finale marked actor Damian Lewis' exit from Showtime's Billions, as his character went into hiding abroad to escape a legal situation. And, when season six comes around in January 2022, it will be rival Mike Prince (Corey Stoll) who will be the leading billionaire. On his departure from the series, Lewis shared with The New York Times that his character's story had been told in its entirety, adding, "It's difficult to keep mining, creatively...We know who he is." Although Lewis' run on Billions has come to an end almost six months following wife Helen McCrory's death, he told the publication that...

[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for the “Billions” Season 5 finale, “No Direction Home,” including the ending.]

There are few things on TV more thrilling than a “Billions” episode that starts in media res. No matter how many hours the story jumps back, getting a glimpse of an opening that you know is going to be completely reframed is an invitation to go on a roller coaster that’ll end in fire or Ice Juice.

So in an hour that would ultimately mean the farewell of one of the headliner cast members that helped make “Billions” the “Billions” it became, it’s only fitting that the Season 5 finale teed up that ending with a trademark flourish. Kicking it off, there’s Chuck (Paul Giamatti) walking dazed through an empty-feeling Axe Cap atrium looking for one man in particular. After the previous week’s stunning close that left Axe (Damian Lewis) himself with a deer-in-the-headlights look, it’s easy...

Bobby Axelrod’s story had been told, and that, Damian Lewis says, is why he parted ways with Showtime’s Billions after five seasons.

In Sunday night’s Season 5 finale, Axe went on the lam in Switzerland to escape the legal reach of Paul Giamatti’s State Attorney General Chuck Rhoades. Said Axelrod to rival billionaire Mike Prince (played by Corey Stoll), who now owns all his companies: “So this is what it is to lose.”

More from TVLineBillions Shocker: Damian Lewis Exits in Finale -- Who Is Replacing Him for Season 6 Premiering in January?The TVLine-Up: What's Returning, New...

When Billions returns for Season 6, it will be without one of its original stars.

Damian Lewis exited the Showtime drama on its fifth season finale Sunday night.

The episode focused heavily on his Bobby Axelrod character as he escaped to Switzerland to escape State Attorney General Chuck Rhoades.

“What an incredible joy to spend five years working so closely with the great @lewis_damian!” co-creator/showrunner Brian Koppelman shared on Twitter of the exit.

“[Co-creator] @DavidLevien and I are beyond grateful to you, Damian, for the work, of course, and the fellowship, and for all you sacrificed to come do this with us.”

The actor's wife, Helen McCrory, died of cancer earlier this year.

Lewis was with the Showtime hit since the beginning and will be replaced on the upcoming sixth season by Corey Stoll's Mike Prince.

The aforementioned sixth season gets underway Sunday, January 23 at 9/8c. The reason for...

Bobby Axelrod has cashed out.

Emmy winner Damian Lewis ended his five-season Billions run in the Showtime drama’s season finale on Sunday night.

More from TVLineDamian Lewis Opens Up About Billions Exit, Opportunity to 'Maybe' ReturnThe TVLine-Up: What's Returning, New and Leaving the Week of Oct. 3Let the Right One In: Demián Bichir Vampire Drama From Penny Dreadful Vet Ordered to Series at Showtime

In the finale, Bobby went on the lam in Switzerland to escape the legal reach of Paul Giamatti’s State Attorney General Chuck Rhoades. Said Axelrod to rival billionaire Mike Prince (played by Corey Stoll...

Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you have not seen “No Direction Home,” the Season 5 finale of “Billions.”

“Billions” will get a big reset in its upcoming sixth season as the durable Showtime drama shift its prism on the world of billionaires, vulture capitalists and global high finance.

“Billions” co-creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien confirm that Damian Lewis has bowed out after five seasons as the show’s central figure, the meglomaniac hedge fund billionaire Bobby Axelrod. Lewis may come back in the future — you can never say never — but Season 6 will move forward with a new king of what was once Axe’s castle, Mike Prince as played by Corey Stoll. In the narrative of “Billions,” “Herr Axelrod,” as Lewis was greeted in his final scene, will cool his heels in Switzerland for a while. Season 6 will bow Jan. 23, Showtime confirmed Sunday.

For longtime fans, perhaps the most...

Spoiler Alert: This post contains details of the Billions Season 5 finale that debuted on streaming early this morning and on Showtime tonight

Damian Lewis has exited Showtime’s Billions.

With his very rich Bobby Axelrod on the run in Switzerland from the legal claws of Paul Giamatti’s Empire State Attorney General, Emmy winner Lewis ended his five season run on the Brian Koppelman, David Levien, and Andrew Ross Sorkin-created, high finance drama with a smile tonight. After years of staying just one step ahead of the law and a big loss, Axelrod also saw nearly all his considerable fortune gone as he settled down to a handcuffs-free life in Europe.

Or as Lewis’s Axelrod said to rival billionaire Mike Prince (Corey Stoll), who now owns all his companies: “So, this is what it is to lose.”

Executive producer Koppelman took to social media right after the Bob Dylan...

Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you have not watched “No Direction Home,” the Season 5 finale episode of Showtime drama “Billions.”

Damian Lewis has signed off of “Billions” after a five-season run as the alpha-male hedge fund billionaire Bobby Axelrod.

The Showtime drama series set in the world of billionaires and global high-finance has already been renewed for a sixth season. Production is under way with Corey Stoll’s Mike Prince character taking center stage alongside Paul Giamatti’s Chuck Rhoades and Maggie Siff’s Wendy Rhoades. Daniel Breaker has been upped to series regular for Season 6 in his role as Scooter, Prince’s ever-scheming chief of staff.

Lewis’ status on future “Billions” seasons had been unclear until Sunday night, when the long-delayed Season 5 finale, “No Direction Home,” finally aired. In the end, Lewis’ Axelrod, once again under the gun from law enforcement, escapes in cloak-and-dagger fashion with a hoard...