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Billions aired one of its most breathtaking episodes of the sixth season with "The Big Ugly." After weeks of debate around the Olympic committee and Mike Prince's (Corey Stoll) attempts to get it to New York City, it appears to have concluded the previous week with a big win for the ruthless billionaire.
However, it seems that Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) still has his old guile and managed to pull off a great victory at the very end, nearly destroying Mike Prince in every way possible. The clever episode was lifted by a brilliant performance from the cast and a very well-paced script.
Read on for a detailed review of Billions season 6, episode 8, which aired on March 13, 2022.
Billions review: A final check-mate?
In many ways, this episode of the Showtime drama felt conclusive. For one, it finally gave space to Chuck and his master plan. Week after week, the show has seen Chuck struggle against the power of Mike Prince, who seems to be doing just everything right. In fact, lately, he even drew comparisons from the famous Bobby "Axe" Axelrod (Damian Lewis).
In an episode filled with twists, betrayals, plans, impulses, and a (very) special guest appearance, Chuck stood tall and had the final laugh. The build-up to this moment was remarkable. The plan was flawless, and it was unpredictable. Perhaps that is what made it such a compelling hour of television.
The beginning pointed in a very different direction with Mike's plans for the Olympics starting to progress, while Chuck tried to find a footing in his quest to destroy the billionaire's dream. It all took a turn when Chuck's plan started to fall in place. It worked on intimidation and some theatrics. The script was very well-curated at this point and the scene was very engaging.
The big and ugly pieces of the puzzle fell in place in the final quarter of the hour, and it was worth the wait. Simultaneous things happened all around the episode, starting with the failing Olympic dream to Mike's own people jumping ship. By the end, you could see weeks of build-up reduced to dust and a triumphant Chuck Rhoades.
The final scene of Billions' latest episode saw Prince looking out of his balcony, nearly losing everything in a turntable is a brilliant scene, with brilliant acting from Corey Stoll.
The technical aspects of The Big Ugly
There was some great acting from the cast of Billions, almost all of them, but this episode belonged to the writers. Andrew Ross Sorkin, Brian Koppelman, and David Levien have done their best writing job this season. From dialogues to plot to pace, it hit every right note, and despite not having the charm of Axelrod's days, this was the closest it could come.
The side plots were also intriguing, especially the one with Taylor (Asia Kate Dillon). Dillon was also incredible in her role, portraying every subtlety accurately. The same thing is relevant for Wagner (David Costabile).
The camera and soundwork were also stunning, with the music score driving the narrative well. Very interesting camera angles also worked aptly in the situations created in today's episode.
All in all, there was a lot to take away and little to complain about in this episode of Billions. At this rate, you can expect this season to conclude well, even without the presence of Axelrod. Stay tuned for more updates.
