Literal and Figurative Sendoffs
by Damianista | Fan Fun with Damian Lewis | April 14, 2019
As winter has arrived in Westeros tonight, the level of intrigue, negotiation and backstabbing in the world of finance and law in New York is on par, if not higher, than what happens in Westeros. Axe and Chuck, the real-life dragons in disguise as human beings, forge on and give proper sendoffs, literally and figuratively, to those who want to get them out of their lives, making this episode my favorite this season.
While Jack Foley gets into the oven for cremation, a delicious-looking pizza gets out of the oven at Una Pizza Napoletana. Axe, Rebecca, Chuck and Wendy are having a private double date with chef Anthony Mangieri personally serving the pizzaz.
Axe makes a toast to the new New York State AG. We find out this is Wendy’s first night out in a month. She thinks this opportunity of great pizza in total privacy was too good to skip. And when Chuck says if the only way he could eat this pizza naked on Times Square, he would, Wendy puts him in his place immediately.
Wendy’s rage is still very much alive after a month.
You know Axe and I rarely see things eye-to-eye but this is one of those moments: Chuck was in a tough position and did the only thing he could to defeat those who wanted to finish his career. While Axe’s words do not make a good impression on Wendy, Rebecca’s do:
Well, it was the powder room in Mad Men, but it is “a few drags†in Billions where the women disappear and the men talk shop.
Knowing his wife, Chuck is worried about his marriage. Axe, on the other hand, believes Wendy will come around. But yeah it took him a couple of millions, a piece of Axe Capital profits and giving up on the civil suit against Chuck to have Wendy back on his side again. And her anger lingered after her return to Axe Capital — Wendy refused to have sessions with Axe after she came back to the company. And while I still believe Chuck did the right thing when he revealed his sex life to the world, it is too hard for me not to get pissed off with these two guys when they talk about how they care about the consequences of their actions?!?! I have two words for you guys: Ice Juice. And if it had not been for Wendy, I doubt you two would have been able to dig yourselves out of your own graves. Get a grip!
It seems Axe does not want Chuck to worry about his marriage because he has a new project for him. Yeah Chuck has got rid of Andolov for him but it is still not bad enough. Axe wants Taylor in a fucking cell?!?! Axe’s frustration is all over his face. But does this mean Axe has run out of moves to beat Taylor in the Games of Market? Is he that desperate to get rid of them ?
And while he agrees to help Axe, Chuck has other things in mind: Jack Foley may be dead but his collaborators are still alive and well in Albany.
The new state AG runs into the new SDNY US Attorney on his way to his new office. Bryan, who is into all things Japanese, presents himself as a Shinobi (aka as Ninja) who can get into the Shogun’s palace and cut while he was sleeping, Chuck knows that Bryan cut his and he is still standing. The US attorney not expect to get good cases from him.
Not too fast, Chuck!
Chuck arrives in his new office only to get bad news. T’s request to file a records subpoena for Taylor Mason was rejected on the grounds that the office of the AG does not have the authority to do that. And Chuck knows it is not the governor’s “morning wood†but it is some “half-crow, half-cowboy, all son of a bitch.â€
He gets the details when he pays a visit to Governor Sweeney in Albany. Jeffcoat has promised to freeze, delay and yank federal funds to the state unless the governor curtails the powers of the state AG leaving no other option for Sweeney. Well, we all know Chuck did not give that historical speech in Episode 4 Overton Window for this!
Senior calls a meeting at Duane Reade at 51 West 51st Street where he is picking up his “little blue helper.†And while no child wants to know about his parents’ sex life, Chuck finds out his mom and dad have not coupled since Tony Orlando made his last appearance on the Billboard chart – Google says 1979!
Senior knows Jeffcoat has “spayed and neutered†his son and is ready to shed some light on the current situation.
This exact location, Senior points out, was Toots Shor’s, a place where Albany power brokers hung out with mobsters and Broadway stars. More importantly, this was the place Senior met Black Jack for the first time. Jack was working on changing the the mayor of Utica. And he was not only able to make an incompetent man to be the mayor but he was also able to make the current mayor a lawn man!
Chuck will not let anyone make him a lawn man! He asks his team to look into the New York State Assembly for misdeeds. And as soon as the list arrives he sits with state senator Scolari at Donohue’s as usual and succeeds in making Scolari not repeat himself for the first time! Black Jack is dead. Scolari’s name is on the misdeed list. So, yeah, times of tragedy may call for silence and sustenance… And adds Joe Scolari:
But this is Chuck and he does not leave anything to chance, does he? He seals the real deal with Sweeney at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament where the governor is backstage getting ready to read his eulogy at Foley’s memorial. Now that Chuck has a list of misdeeds committed by the State Assembly, he has the numbers there to have his powers restored. But he is ready to make the governor a legend now if he is willing to sign the executive order allowing Chuck to begin the cleaning in state politics. Sweeney will be in the newspapers and Sunday shows for weeks. Now that is a carrot big enough for Sweeney that he tells Jeffcoat to go fuck himself through his signature.
Read the rest of the original article at Fan Fun with Damian Lewis