From a first time reviewer, i must say...... Holly Mackerel!!! "Golden Frog Time" was probably THEE best to date..its been a very long time since I was hoodwinked by a TV show. The ULTIMATE BAD vs the ULTIMATE GOOD showdown! This show is simply amazing, the actors are the delicious icing on a glorious cake!
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tybells2 May 2017
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Dear Kusama, Koppelman, Levein and Sorkin. Take a bow. This episode was by all metrics incredible television. To have arrived at the episode's conclusion in such a way was masterful writing and direction. With such a multi-faceted episode across numerous time scales and from multiple perspectives without giving anything away is a huge feat for anybody crafting a story so what was achieved by Kusama and the excellent writing trio was nothing short of impressive.
Of course it goes without saying that the performances from this wonderful ensemble were once again stellar but at this point such an observation is expected from the show. Giammati in particular steals the show and the final scene in particular is one to really savour. Asia Dillon as Taylor further cements herself (or himself) as one of the most interesting characters in the show.
The episode feels more like a one-off special and even though it's largely episodic in nature, it has an absolutely huge effect on everything. Billions have stepped it up a few gears this season and has quickly become my favourite current series. This episode in particular reinforces that. -
ahmadweaver-3264012 August 2019This episode was outstanding. Writing was absolutely superb. I won't spoil it, but hats tipped to the actors and writers. Well done!
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akshatdave14 June 2017It was superb through not a single mistake.Structured like a mini- Scorsese movie, the episode tracks the Ice Juice IPO and the effect its ups and downs have on the major players, scrolling back and forth in time to show us exactly how it all unfolds. For most of the hour, it appears that the tables have finally turned: Everything is going Axe's way, while Chuck is the unwitting victim of his plot to destroy Ice Juice's prospects before it even gets off the ground. And yet, it all looks too easy from Axe's perspective. A seed was planted a couple of weeks ago, a small hint indicating that this was a setup on Chuck's part all along. Admittedly, for most of tonight's episode, I questioned whether I had misread that when it happened, but the final montage makes it all plain: Chuck is still on a roll, and Axe is merely enjoying a momentary respite before it all comes crashing down. It's ingenious, really. One of my major qualms about this second season is the way it's heavily favored Chuck all the way. Nothing has gone wrong for him, so when it looks like everything is crashing down tonight, it feels like a delayed but nonetheless inevitable comeuppance has finally arrived. Axe's plan is a little goofy, but workable: rope in a handful of civilians who owe him favors (or who owe favors to associates like Lara's scuzzy bar friends) to down some bottles of Ice Juice dosed with a poison that won't do any long-term harm to them, but will torpedo the stock on its first day on the market. It works beautifully: The stock soars to the point where Chuck Sr. invests all of Chuck's blind trust into it. Wendy gets wind of it at work and tries to warn Chuck, whose overconfidence at this moment turns out to be part of his play. (It's a pretty safe bet that he'll come to regret not trusting her with his master plan at this point, but come on, something has to go wrong for him eventually.) It's not until the final five minutes or so, after the stock has tanked and all seems lost, that the clock rewinds again and we find out exactly what Chuck has been up to. He's cut a deal with Boyd to spring him from his sentence in exchange for passing on the information about Senior's involvement in Ice Juice to Axe. Pushing the limits of plausibility, albeit in entertaining fashion, he arranges for Dake to get promoted to U.S. attorney on the Eastern District on the condition that he put manpower on every Ice Juice location as well as all of Axe's known associates in order to gather the evidence necessary to prove Axe sabotaged the IPO. Yes, this is all ridiculous, but in Billions terms, it's satisfying nonetheless.
Even with all of this going on, the heart of the episode is the struggle for Taylor's soul. I have to assume this is Asia Kate Dillon's Emmy submission, as their performance elevates what would otherwise be a rather schematic piece of character development. Taylor represents the Moneyball voice within Axe Capital, reliant on analytics to make decisions. Axe and Wags advise that they look beyond the stats when faced with cutting someone from the ranks. That Taylor is eventually won over by a "Rudy" figure with more heart than talent would feel a little too corny if Dillon weren't able to sell it, but they pull it off without betraying the enigmatic, ambiguous quality that makes Taylor so fascinating. Bryan would agree, as he still has hopes that Taylor can be reached. Whether that plays out in the finale remains to be seen, but Billions has its work cut out for it if it's going to top "Golden Frog Time." -
hiltonsmithjr26 April 2020Excuse my Ignorance, just got Into this show, and my Exuberance!! THIS Episode would make John Ross Ewing Jr, aka JR, Yell "YEE-HAW"!!!! FANTASTIC Episode!!!
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stuff-1654 July 2018I simply didn't buy the final twist presented in the episode. Axe's plan seemed plausible, but Rhodes' setup and being able to track all movements was not. Disappointed in the direction this episode ended up going.
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cjonesas14 April 2022Episode 11: Well done wittyfully and in an artful manner; it's just that as much as they want me to believe that ending, it is as hard to digest as a truckload of stones.