Among the plethora of strong shows that I’ve sadly had to throw to the wayside in the era of “prestige TV,“Billionsmay be the one that I’m most upset to have missed. The first season was engaging and genuinely daring in stretches, though that admittedly had much more to do with the fact thatPaul GiamattiandDamian Lewislead the cast than anything else. There’s simply no denying how hypnotic the series can be when its cast, which also includesBreaking BadalumDavid Costabile,Sons of AnarchymainstayMaggie Siff, andToby Leonard MooreofDaredevil, dig into the material and explore the more unseemly parts of their characters. Still, I’ve yet to watch a single episode of the second season, due to the deluge of new and returning series that each year brings nowadays.
It might be time for me to take a weekend and get reacquainted, however, as Showtime is preparing for the premiere of the show’s third season, which begins on March 25th. From the looks of the first full trailer for the new season, which you’re able to take a look at right below, the central dynamic between corrupt and rich hedge-fund guru Axelrod (Lewis) and high-powered U.S. attorney Rhoades (Giamatti) seems to be essentially the same, even as the stakes of their rivalry have been elevated since I last caught up withBillions. Things between Rhoades' wife, Wendy (Siff), and Axelrod seem to have developed quickly in particular.
Showtime has slowly been evolving out of its early stages of repetitive trash like Dexter to become a real contender with 2017 highlights including the undervaluedSMILFand the amiable American remake ofShameless. To be fair, the real reason they have been elevated in my approximation is their support and distribution ofDavid Lynch’s magnificentTwin Peaks, but shows likeSMILFstill speak to ambitions that go beyond simply maintaining a strong audience between seasons.Billionsis part of that push, as is the deeply problematic yet still exhilaratingHomeland, and hopefully, I’ll be able to make time for whatever they have coming up next.
Here’s the new trailer forBillionsSeason 3:
