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REVIEW: ‘Billions’ Returns With Incredibly Strong Season Four Premiere

(Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Showtime)

David Hookstead Sports And Entertainment Editor
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“Billions” returned Sunday night on Showtime, and it was outstanding.

WARNING: THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME VERY MINOR SPOILERS BELOW. DON’T KEEP READING IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET.

Season four kicked off with “Chucky Rhoades’s Greatest Game.” There were two main storylines. First, Chuck is obviously no longer working in the government, but still is trying to prove that he has some muscle.

How does he do this? It’s simple. He’s acting as a middle man for powerful people to deliver on promises. Initially, he’s asked to deliver on a concealed carry permit, but can’t do so. Is old Chuck down and out? Not so fast, my friends. (RELATED: Watch The Electric First Preview For Season Four Of The Hit Show ‘Billions‘)

After some haggling, lubing up four or five deals, our favorite former villain was able to pull through on the carry permit. Sure, he might have had to involve a foreign ambassador over a baseball tournament to get it done, but he got it done. That’s all that matters. It was a lighthearted arc that reminded everybody Chuck is still in the game, and he’s not to be underestimated.

Secondly, Axe — who is now flanked by a massive security detail at all times thanks to the looming threat of Grigor — and Wags are all in on wooing a powerful sheik in order to run his money. There’s just one major problem. (RELATED: The Latest Season Of ‘Billions‘ Was An Electric Journey)

Taylor Mason is in play and she’s apparently incredibly convincing at pulling off a female look. That was just the beginning of the craziness. The Arabs abduct Wags and use him as a bargaining chip.

 

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By the end of the episode a couple things are clear. Axe is still as hellbent on domination as ever, Mason and Grigor are the most unlikely alliance and Chuck hasn’t lost his edge.

Was it the greatest episode of the show ever? No, but it did a nice job of tying everything together from season three into the start of season.

All the power players are where they need to be, and all of them are angling for success. If that’s not what “Billions” is all about, then I have no idea what we’re doing here.

 

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Tune in this upcoming Sunday to see the newest one. Axe and company should be entertaining as always.

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