Billions (season 1)

There are some shows that, despite their “mature” themes and setting, are nowhere near as smart or edgy as they think they are. Billions is one of those shows.

The premise is tantalising enough. Set in the world of high finance, the series revolves around a crusading US Attorney’s (Paul Giamatti) attempts to take down a crooked billionaire hedge-fund manager (Damian Lewis). Both men are mercilessly efficient at what they do, and certainly not averse to using every resource at their disposal to gain the upper hand on the other.

The main issue with Billions is that its creators are under the impression that “smart” and “edgy” means having their characters talk in impenetrable finance jargon (don’t know your “shorting” from your “short squeeze”? Better have Wikipedia on standby) and throwing in some titillating S&M every couple of episodes. Which is fine, by all means, but don’t expect much depth or insight to go with all the hedging and shagging. Also, the series’ recurring attempts to use 9/11 as a major plot-propelling device – see? Edgy! – feel ham-fisted to say the least.

It’s whenever Lewis and Giamatti are on screen that Billions gives bang for your buck, which is fortunate, as the attention rarely diverts from their larger than life characters. Damian Lewis, mixing the right dosage of 1% charm and smarm while sporting once again that flawless American accent, adds yet another engaging performance to his enviable CV (the guy’s been in Homeland, Wolf Hall AND Band of Brothers), but even he’s no match for Paul Giamatti on bulldog mode. He doesn’t so much recite his lines as snarl them with vitriol running down his mouth, to the point where he might just literally chew up the scenery. Understated? Hardly, but it’s a hoot to watch. The scene in which he coerces a walker to pick up his dog’s shit with his bare hands may just be the most hilarious 5 minutes of television you'll see this year.

Expect 12 episodes of showmanship and testosterone-fuelled rants. But if you were hoping for a more profound take on the dark side of Wall Street, you’re a few bucks short, pal.

3/5

Stranger Things (Season 1)

There’s something immensely likeable about Stranger Things, the latest Netflix original series brought to us by The Duffer Brothers (nope, never heard of them either). It might have to do with its young lead characters, an amiable, goofy-grinning bunch who are a joy to spend 46 minutes with, or it could be possibly down to its distinctly retro vibe that evokes fond memories of the films we used to consume on VHS (or Super 8, if you were born after 1995).

The show is so strongly rooted in the 1980s pop culture that at times it feels like we’re watching a beautiful amalgamation of the decade’s best movies. The afore-mentioned children, armed with nothing more than their BMXs and a derring-do spirit as they search the woods for their mysteriously disappeared friend, appear to be starring in a sci-fi coming-of-age drama that exists somewhere in between ET and Stand By Me. Their older siblings, who one moment might be engaging in awkward adolescent sex and the next fending off a supernatural killer stalking their suburban homes, seem to be channelling the slasher films of Wes Craven and John Carpenter.  Meanwhile, a bunch of government agents operate in the shadows, as they handle an organic-looking portal that may just spit out a penis-shaped xenomorph at any moment.

Yet while Stranger Things is the TV equivalent of revisiting fond memories with an old chum, it needs to be said it’s not a 5 star series – after all, friends don’t lie. For a show that at times feels so Spielbergian in spirit, it’s an unfortunate misstep that the first couple of episodes give away big reveals far too early and gratuitously, violating one of the key principles the bearded director has always stood by: tell, don’t show. By revealing too much, all sense of mystery and suspense is swiftly undone. Also, in a cast of relatively unknowns giving it their best shot, it’s baffling to see former 80s child Winona Ryder dial her performance up to OTT levels. And finally, with the plot is neatly tied up by the end of this 8 episode run, you do wonder whether a second season is even needed, as hinted by a last minute tease.

But then again, these are minor gripes and observations that derive from the frustration of wanting a very good show to be perfect. If it were, it would be the best show of 2016. As it stands, it’s currently one of the Top 10. Just sit back and take in the nostalgia.

4/5