"Billions," a new ambitious and highly anticipated Wall Street drama, is set to premiere on Showtime today, Jan. 17. While such theme usually ends up on the big screen, the network is making a big, go-getting leap by bringing Wall Street to television.
The series follows Paul Giamatti as unyielding U.S. attorney Chuck Rhoades, who is out to dig up the dirt on Damian Lewis's billionaire character Bobby Axelrod, aka the founder of the too-good-to-be-true hedge fund company known as Axe Investments.
In "Billions," Rhoades will be seen acting upon his belief that what Axelrod has is nothing but ill-gotten riches and he is determined to show that to the world and to put Axelrod where he truly belongs – behind bars.
While Rhoades is known to be the best in putting businessmen and other white collar folks in prison, Axelrod does not look like he is one to be put down by someone like him and attempts to thwart his new nemesis's plans.
In the midst of the investigation, the Axe founder even purchased a $63 million mansion in the Hamptons, possibly to show that he is confident that Rhoades's effort to tarnish his reputation will be in vain. "Billions" will show the rivals' duke it out until one of them fails.
Rhoades believes that Axelrod's rise to the top of the pecking order is a little too quick, even for a hard worker or the magic of mere fluke. Nonetheless, it's not like he keeps his loot to himself, anyway.
While he likes everything posh and lives a life of luxury, Axelrod does not forget to give away some of his money to families of his former fellow employees at the World Trade Center affected in the 9/11 attacks.
But this fishy situation barely scratches the surface in "Billions." As it turns out, Axelrod has a staff psychiatrist and confidant named Wendy (played by Maggie Siff), who also happens to be the wife of none other than Rhoades.
But there's more to "Billions" than that big twist. Rhoades also happens to have a secret as well, which involves some strange sexual fetish. Axelrod, on the other hand, is married to the ever-overprotective Lara (played by Malin Akerman).
"Billions" premieres today at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime. Carter Matt believes that the show is worth checking out, especially because it comes from a network that brought other phenomenal series like "The Affair," "Masters of Sex" and "Penny Dreadful."
