Thread by @jlakely

Such a shame that @SHO_Billions, once great, is now just a typical and predictable garbage TV show in Season 3. There used to be real tension and drama and surprise on Billions. It's clear there was never a plan for what to do after Season 2. @HollywoodInToto 1/

@SHO_Billions @HollywoodInToto Season 1 of Billions was great (except for the character of Bobby’s wife, who should have been written out of the show by at least mid-way through Season 2). Despite that, Season 2 was very good, as it continued the great conflict between Bobby and Chuck. 2/

@SHO_Billions @HollywoodInToto Season 3 has Bobby and Chuck working together. While that concept had a bit of promise - *What happens when these two brilliant minds are in synch and not in conflict?!* - it just sucked all the all the drama and tension out of the show. 3/

Bobby Axelrod was set up as a classic anti-hero. He's ruthless and often breaks the law, but you were supposed to root for him - and feel guilty about it. (Conflict for the viewer.) But powerful U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhodes was often even worse (more conflict for the viewer). 4/

So Axe, the clear hero of the show, and his vanquished enemy, Chuck, are going to work together now. But to what end? So far on Billions Season 3, they have phoned each other to ask for favors and carry out piddly tasks that have no real high stakes. And that's the problem. 5/

There are no real stakes anymore in Billions bc there is no compelling villain. There is now only a "main rivalry" between Axe and Taylor, his former protege. So we have a hero (Axe) against someone else we've been told to REALLY root for (Taylor). 2 heroes. No drama in that. 6/

There would be drama if they'd turn Taylor into a super villain, and she should be. She's constitutionally a Vulcan. She's entirely logical and analytical - and WAY smarter than Axe. So it would be awesome to see Taylor flower into an even more ruthless version of her mentor. 7/

But the show can't do that. They will never make Taylor the villain she should be. @SHO_Billions has gotten too much good #SJW juice for introducing a non-binary main character to have "they" turn bad. No way, sadly. Good drama; bad politics. The show would get hammered. 8/

So we're left with two "heroes" (Axe & Taylor). And the writers trying to make us care about conflict of Chuck and the redneck Jock heading up DOJ (yawn). Or worry abt fed wiretaps on Chuck & his dad. Or whether Wendy & Chuck will rekindle the fire of their strange marriage. 9/

Again: No real stakes or excitement like in the first two seasons of Billions. It seems the writers didn't know what to do after playing out the great battle of wits and influence between Axe and Chuck. 10/

I love Paul Giamatti. It's why I gave Billions a try. But his great talent is being wasted now on this show. His intense burn of the eyes. His look of contempt. His way of suddenly warming up. His unique take on "give me an outburst of absurd anger." All wasted. #Sad 11/

Show also underuses/misuses Wags. After that #fracking and boxing episode last Sunday, I'm close to hate-watching @SHO_Billions now. And ENOUGH ALREADY with quoting song lyrics to punctuate dialogue. After three years, the analogies are getting pretty strained. #tryingtoohard 12/

And it's definitely now a tired & worn-out trope. It's "meta" now, with Taylor bringing that up with her dad. At this point, I expect Axe to pay Billy Joel $1 million to play "Italian Restaurant" at his pizza joint and then hear "Piano Man" to play on the closing credits. 13/fin

You will find this thread of arguments about Billions familiar, @lmstroud89