S02.E06: Indian Four

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

Axe negotiates with a timid seller. Chuck's deal with a defendant fails.

[Muffyn]

This show is really becoming tense.  I wasn't sold on the first season.  This one has me. 

Chuck's dad screwed Axe out of some serious money.  Such a pretty motorcycle to now despise looking at. 

[dwmarch]

I take it that although that motorcycle is vintage and classic, it is not worth anywhere near $5 million?

The show could be a little clearer about Axe's personal fortune though. Does that financial hit actually hurt him or just piss him off? I guess he has been burning through a lot of cash lately, buying up all those first edition Winston Churchill books.

[Muffyn]

With the kind of money they talk about, it is hard to get a handle on how much money Axe now has at his disposal.  They all seem to live extravagantly, however, there isn't a good sense of how much they can lose.   I was surprised how quickly we went from Chuck having major money to selling his books and talking about selling the house.  I know his lawyer is obscenely expensive, and Chuck makes a government salary.  It still seemed like a fast slide. 

[dmc]

I agree with whoever said this season is infinitely better than last one. 

It's so hard for me to like Chuck.  I can't route for him at work or with Wendy.  I couldn't figure out why until the investigator character spoke to him at the end and then it clicked for me why I don't like him.  You have a level expectation with hedge fund people like Axe  that they skirt the law.  But people like Chuck take a oath and Chuck basically puts himself and his agenda before his office or that oath.

As for Wendy and Chuck...I am glad Wendy was honest about why she went back to work at Axe Capital...what I am surprised we didn't see was...Wendy left partly because she said the place was unethical...has she changed her mind about that...it never came up...

So how long before Lara...finds out that Wendy didn't agree to see Axe and that he hasn't set any boundary.

[Carolina Girl]

It's going to be interesting to see what the TOWN that got screwed out of a casino is going to do.  Putting aside the fact that Axe was doing land deals, the TOWN stood to gain from tourism, jobs, etc.  Chuck's dad probably didn't take that into consideration because all he cared about was screwing Axe.   And his buddy "Blackjack" may find himself with some explaining to do.   Daddy doesn't have a lot of footing in reality - him believing that Axe dropped the lawsuits because he was "scared" of Chuck - uh no, Pops.  

There's a part of me that thinks the DOJ investigator is going to find a way to get the information has on Chuck out to the press.  He's certainly coming across as a "true believer" in ethics. 

Judging from the previiews, it appears Axe is going to call in the debt that he bought up.  To what end, I wonder?  To force the town to take action to fight to get the casino back? 

But I agree - this season is infinitely better than last season was.  

[Jocelyn45]

Totally agree with Carolina Girl. A

And how about this question....  If Bobby really wanted to know where Wags was, wouldn't he have just asked his wife, who knew where the I.Vs were going? The nurse SAW Wendy and Wags in his room!

ps - Loved hearing mrs Axelrod quote The Wire recently during the scene she's setting up her new business. That was fun.

[dmc]

Oh forgot has anyone noticed that Axe is actively lying to Lara now? 

[Joimiaroxeu]

Quote

Oh forgot has anyone noticed that Axe is actively lying to Lara now? 

Yep and I hope it leads to one of them cheating, most likely Axe. Their marriage seems too perfect to be believable to me.

[mochamajesty]

41 minutes ago, dmc said:

Oh forgot has anyone noticed that Axe is actively lying to Lara now? 

Yes, I have.

I am wondering about Axe's infatuation (?) with Wendy.    I don't think he has sexual feelings towards her, as sex doesn't seem to be what makes Axe tick.  She is good at her job, which is something that Axe respects - but so are a lot of other people.

What is it about Wendy that would make Axe lie to his wife? 

[CleoCaesar]

At this point the Axe/Wendy friendship (?) mutual admiration society (?) soulmate kinship (?) is the only thing keeping me watching. Really great chemistry between DL and MS. I don't want it to get romantic or sexual - not because Axe's devotion to his wife (the horrendously miscast Malin Ackermann, god whose bright idea was that??) is a redeeming side of him, but because it would cheapen Axe and Wendy's weird connection.

I think the first season was so much better than this one. 6 episodes in and it still feels unfocused, like it's spinning its wheels.

[mochamajesty]

17 minutes ago, CleoCaesar said:

At this point the Axe/Wendy friendship (?) mutual admiration society (?) soulmate kinship (?) is the only thing keeping me watching. Really great chemistry between DL and MS. I don't want it to get romantic or sexual - not because Axe's devotion to his wife (the horrendously miscast Malin Ackermann, god whose bright idea was that??) is a redeeming side of him, but because it would cheapen Axe and Wendy's weird connection.

I think the first season was so much better than this one. 6 episodes in and it still feels unfocused, like it's spinning its wheels.

He filed a civil suit against Rhodes so that she would come back.  He lies to his wife. I wouldn't call that a friendship.  I am not saying that they will get sexual; (as stated above, I don't see it), but I don't get what it is about Wendy that has Axe jumping through all of these hoops.

[dmc]

54 minutes ago, mochamajesty said:

Yes, I have.

I am wondering about Axe's infatuation (?) with Wendy.    I don't think he has sexual feelings towards her, as sex doesn't seem to be what makes Axe tick.  She is good at her job, which is something that Axe respects - but so are a lot of other people.

What is it about Wendy that would make Axe lie to his wife? 

I mean when he got a message from wendy on his phone (the one that turned out to be her letting him know she was helping the guy in that competition) and he took it outside...I knew something was up.  Also...Wendy is going back to Axe capital because she loves her job...a job she can do at any hedge fund...Ok Wendy...

[clb1016]

25 minutes ago, mochamajesty said:

He filed a civil suit against Rhodes so that she would come back.  He lies to his wife. I wouldn't call that a friendship.  I am not saying that they will get sexual; (as stated above, I don't see it), but I don't get what it is about Wendy that has Axe jumping through all of these hoops.

I don't get what's so great about Wendy either.  And if she's really such a terrific psychiatrist and has such fabulous insights into what makes people click (even with very limited exposure to them, e.g., the female astronaut), how come she didn't realize that her own husband feels insecure about his looks as compared to hers?

[dmc]

1 minute ago, clb1016 said:

I don't get what's so great about Wendy either.  And if she's really such a terrific psychiatrist and has such fabulous insights into what makes people click (even with very limited exposure to them, e.g., the female astronaut), how come she didn't realize that her own husband feels insecure about his looks as compared to hers?

I think because she is like all of us, hard to see when it when its your own life. 

[missyb]

Chuck will be in for another rude awakening when he finds out Daddy put a bigger nail into Bobby Axelrod then he has.

As for Wendy, Bobby wants her so none else can have her. I also think he loves the intellectual and psychological banter he has with her. A reason he is attracted and wants to keep Taylor too.

Edited March 27, 2017 by missyb

[roughing it]

Wendy is Axe's "work wife" and although it's not a sexual (yet) relationship, they certainly have a very strong emotional bond (of which Lara has every right to be suspicious).  I believe that Axe's connection with Wendy is almost as strong as his connection to Lara.  Lara is #1, but Wendy is a very close #2.  I wonder when Axe will have to choose between them, and whom will he choose?

[scrb]

I can see Daddy Rhodes wanting to stick it to Axe but why?  He mostly cares about getting Chuck into the Mayor's or Governor's mansion and then beyond.  He knows Chuck wants to take down Axe, which would also enhance his political prospects, though Boyd is a big fish too.

But obviously it's personal to Chuck.

In fact, if Wendy going back to Axe Capital means he has to really recuse himself from any future prosecutions of Axe, that seems to be a bigger deal to him than possibly reuniting with his wife.

As for how much money Axe can throw around, obviously a lot because he can take his wife to dinner in a helicopter -- only to have her strand him when she takes it back home without him.  He's also paying for expensive dry-aged beef but he doesn't care what kind of beef he gets.

[Lemons]

4 hours ago, dmc said:

I agree with whoever said this season is infinitely better than last one. 

It's so hard for me to like Chuck.  I can't route for him at work or with Wendy.  I couldn't figure out why until the investigator character spoke to him at the end and then it clicked for me why I don't like him.  You have a level expectation with hedge fund people like Axe  that they skirt the law.  

Who has a level expectation that people skirt the law?  They don't just "skirt" the law, they break the laws. These people are out of control and will stop at nothing to amass more and more billions of dollars.   They think that laws don't apply to them and they are scum. Axel is scum. Axel has a pathological need to accumulate more and more and more. There is something wrong with him. And he gives nothing back. 

I root for chuck and his colleagues. They aren't perfect but they are portrayed as good people. 

[Lemons]

14 minutes ago, scrb said:

 

In fact, if Wendy going back to Axe Capital means he has to really recuse himself from any future prosecutions of Axe, that seems to be a bigger deal to him than possibly reuniting with his wife.

 

Plus I imagine it would be hard for chuck to have any respect for Wendy, who goes running back to a man that that chuck sees as a vile thug who will stop at nothing to gain more and more billions, no matter who he destroys in the process. 

[dmc]

49 minutes ago, Lemons said:

Who has a level expectation that people skirt the law?  They don't just "skirt" the law, they break the laws. These people are out of control and will stop at nothing to amass more and more billions of dollars.   They think that laws don't apply to them and they are scum. Axel is scum. Axel has a pathological need to accumulate more and more and more. There is something wrong with him. And he gives nothing back. 

I root for chuck and his colleagues. They aren't perfect but they are portrayed as good people. 

I have a level of an expectation that hedge fund people skirt the law.  That opinion is based on....IDK the tons of cases that are constantly brought against these people. 

Chuck is a lawyer someone who has actually taken an oath to fight for justice and breaks the law.  That is the definition of scum.  Axe hasn't taken any oaths and was probably always shady.  I don't think Chuck is a good person, I think he started out as good person and constantly being bested by people like Axe has changed him into someone that is corrupt.  Corrupt enough to steal confidential files from his wife's computer that is not legal to use. 

Corrupt enough to claim to be recused from a case that he is actually working.

I don't know what drives him, maybe recognition, maybe the fact that it bothers him that these people are breaking the law and aren't getting caught and only getting richer.  Either way it doesn't matter, when you have to turn into the crooks you are catching to win...you have lost.

Bryan is a decent person but I think he is supposed to be representational of an early Chuck so we will see how long that lasts.  Bryan has the same early resentment you see in Chuck but it's in the early stages and you see Axe's lawyer constantly asking what side will you end up on?

[jvr]

13 hours ago, dwmarch said:

I take it that although that motorcycle is vintage and classic, it is not worth anywhere near $5 million?

The show could be a little clearer about Axe's personal fortune though. Does that financial hit actually hurt him or just piss him off? I guess he has been burning through a lot of cash lately, buying up all those first edition Winston Churchill books.

I'm sure Axe is worth a lot of money but it's probably not all cash. It's tied up into his assets (property, his investments, his corporation etc.) and only some of that is liquid cash. Anyway, 5 million isn't much to him but it still hurts to burn that type of money in a bad deal. Plus, it's not the 5 million for the property (and the motorcycle) that is going to hurt him, it's the towns debt he bought that once they declare bankruptcy he will owe a shit ton more than 5 mill I bet.

2 hours ago, Lemons said:

Who has a level expectation that people skirt the law?  They don't just "skirt" the law, they break the laws. These people are out of control and will stop at nothing to amass more and more billions of dollars.   They think that laws don't apply to them and they are scum. Axel is scum. Axel has a pathological need to accumulate more and more and more. There is something wrong with him. And he gives nothing back. 

I so agree @Lemons, no one is perfect, but I can tell who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. Axe (and his people) are despicable, that lawyer he keeps loaning out to people, is pretty much a hit man. Axe himself has said you have to be a bastard and step outside the bounds of conventional mortality and not give a damn about anyone.

Saying all that, I like Axe, I'm entertained by him, he carries this show, and I can say all that while also not justifying anything he does or declaring he is expected to act this way so it's ok. Or disliking Chuck because he is supposed to be some upstanding citizen that never ever skirts the law to catch bastards like Axe. We have not seen Chuck go after anyone that wasn't a legit criminal, he hasn't tried to pin evidence on anyone who hadn't done exactly what they were suspected of doing. He may have had a conflict of interest with taking down Axe but Axe had done everything he had accused him of doing. 

I can say I dislike that Chuck violated his wife's privacy, or hate him for stepping out on the (weird) sexual boundaries of their relationship...but when looking at the whole character of Chuck vs. the character of Axe, it's not hard to determine who I'm rooting for. 

11 hours ago, Muffyn said:

I was surprised how quickly we went from Chuck having major money to selling his books and talking about selling the house.  I know his lawyer is obscenely expensive, and Chuck makes a government salary.  It still seemed like a fast slide. 

Chuck still has lots of money but it's tied up in a blind trust that his father is a trustee of, he isn't supposed to touch this money as long as he is working as a public servant to avoid conflicts of interest. I think not being poor would free up a lot of conflict imo. I believe his father was pushing him to use this money earlier in the season during the beginning of the separation and he refused, then his father bought that huge diamond rock (with his trust money I believe) to find a back way for Chuck to get the money (by selling the jewelry) but Chuck refused again and sold those valuable books. Wendy has lots of money though but it appears its hers and not his or theirs and they respect that.

THE REST

This episode was good. Damn yo, Daddy Rhoades has just fucked Axe up and Axe didn't even see it coming! He made money (which he seems fond of), helped his son (and what's most important, his career) and fucked Chucks biggest adversary without (I hope) leaving anything pointing to Chuck.

Axe and his lies to Laura, I can't say that I'm shedding any tears lol. That dinner to ask her if he could hire Wendy after he'd already agreed upon it, I wonder what he would do if she just straight up said no? Then placating her by saying he wouldn't have sessions with Wendy, what a huge sacrifice! Made easier by the fact Wendy already refuses to counsel you. I feel this arrangement won't last long, they will be having their intense little foreplay debates in no time.

And Wendy, just admit it girl, you miss Axe. There is nothing at Axe Capital that you couldn't get at any other hedge fund, everything except Axe. And, bonus, you could also keep your husband. lol

Edited March 27, 2017 by jvr

[PBSLover]

6 hours ago, Carolina Girl said:

There's a part of me that thinks the DOJ investigator is going to find a way to get the information has on Chuck out to the press.  He's certainly coming across as a "true believer" in ethics. 

Yes but all Lonnie got out before Mr. Investigator got the phone call was “Yes” in answer to the question if he had knowledge that Chuck hadn’t recused himself of the Axe Capital investigation.  No details so if he leaks it, he has no details/data to support what he knows.  In addition, if anything was leaked, wouldn’t it clearly be traced back to him?  Why risk his job.

Also, can we also say how telling it was when Investigator Dake (I don’t know what he referred to himself as) was talking to Chuck telling him he was leaving, he took off his glasses...which we knew he was wearing as a look or it has a recorder in or whatever.  He wasn’t wearing them out of need.

Lastly, Dan Soder, who plays Mafee, is a stand up comedian.  Crazy casting but it works!

[PBSLover]

41 minutes ago, jvr said:

And Wendy, just admit it girl, you miss Axe. There is nothing at Axe Capital that you couldn't get at any other hedge fund, everything except Axe.

So was Wendy lying to Chuck and took the job to get Chuck off the hook from Axe?  I was kind of shocked she went back so easily.  Was it counseling Wags that made her miss the office?  She had 15 years with these people. Head scratcher.

[jvr]

@PBSLover No, I don't think she was lying. I think she was being partially truthful...more truthful than I expected. I thought she would spin it as her making this 'sacrifice' for Chuck. Going back to Axe to help get Chuck off and not revealing that she wanted to be there, missed being there. But... she is leaving out that there is a thrill she gets, some type of satisfaction from interacting with Axe. He might be the ultimate patient to her, the ultimate sociopath maybe lol, someone that truly baffles her. That's not to say I think it's all medical fascination from Wendy regarding Axe but I think it's a part of it, and some attraction and some intellectual stimulation. She went back there for the reasons she stated, she missed it there AND could use it to help Chuck, there was just more to it she wasn't revealing.

 

Regarding Mr. Investigation guy, he won't leak anything for two reason. Like you stated he doesn't have much hard evidence but also, leaking would be beneath him and make it harder for him to stand on that moral high ground he loves so much.

Edited March 27, 2017 by jvr

[dmc]

1 hour ago, jvr said:

I'm sure Axe is worth a lot of money but it's probably not all cash. It's tied up into his assets (property, his investments, his corporation etc.) and only some of that is liquid cash. Anyway, 5 million isn't much to him but it still hurts to burn that type of money in a bad deal. Plus, it's not the 5 million for the property (and the motorcycle) that is going to hurt him, it's the towns debt he bought that once they declare bankruptcy he will owe a shit ton more than 5 mill I bet.

I so agree @Lemons, no one is perfect, but I can tell who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. Axe (and his people) are despicable, that lawyer he keeps loaning out to people, is pretty much a hit man. Axe himself has said you have to be a bastard and step outside the bounds of conventional mortality and not give a damn about anyone.

Saying all that, I like Axe, I'm entertained by him, he carries this show, and I can say all that while also not justifying anything he does or declaring he is expected to act this way so it's ok. Or disliking Chuck because he is supposed to be some upstanding citizen that never ever skirts the law to catch bastards like Axe. We have not seen Chuck go after anyone that wasn't a legit criminal, he hasn't tried to pin evidence on anyone who hadn't done exactly what they were suspected of doing. He may have had a conflict of interest with taking down Axe but Axe had done everything he had accused him of doing. 

I can say I dislike that Chuck violated his wife's privacy, or hate him for stepping out on the (weird) sexual boundaries of their relationship...but when looking at the whole character of Chuck vs. the character of Axe, it's not hard to determine who I'm rooting for. 

Chuck still has lots of money but it's tied up in a blind trust that his father is a trustee of, he isn't supposed to touch this money as long as he is working as a public servant to avoid conflicts of interest. I think not being poor would free up a lot of conflict imo. I believe his father was pushing him to use this money earlier in the season during the beginning of the separation and he refused, then his father bought that huge diamond rock (with his trust money I believe) to find a back way for Chuck to get the money (by selling the jewelry) but Chuck refused again and sold those valuable books. Wendy has lots of money though but it appears its hers and not his or theirs and they respect that.

THE REST

This episode was good. Damn yo, Daddy Rhoades has just fucked Axe up and Axe didn't even see it coming! He made money (which he seems fond of), helped his son (and what's most important, his career) and fucked Chucks biggest adversary without (I hope) leaving anything pointing to Chuck.

Axe and his lies to Laura, I can't say that I'm shedding any tears lol. That dinner to ask her if he could hire Wendy after he'd already agreed upon it, I wonder what he would do if she just straight up said no? Then placating her by saying he wouldn't have sessions with Wendy, what a huge sacrifice! Made easier by the fact Wendy already refuses to counsel you. I feel this arrangement won't last long, they will be having their intense little foreplay debates in no time.

And Wendy, just admit it girl, you miss Axe. There is nothing at Axe Capital that you couldn't get at any other hedge fund, everything except Axe. And, bonus, you could also keep your husband. lol

Yeah I am not saying what Axe does is okay, he's a criminal it's just not that surprising to me.  

 

And Chuck went after Axe before he had any proof that even was a criminal in fact the quote he used was if a cop follows someone long enough eventually they will do something illegal-first episode.  

 

There aren't even any good people on this show.  

 

You have a choice between two bad people to root for.  

[Lemons]

 I don't find them the least bit comparable. Axe and his people are like those Russian oligarchs who steal everything in site without a second thought to how it destroys people. They are the capitalist version.  They have more than they will ever be able to use but they keep cheating and stealing.  Destroy a country in Africa?   consider destroying a small town in New York because its of no use to you?  

Chucks looking at his wife's computer is not comparable. Neither is his staying involved when he wasn't supposed to. The only horrible thing they accused chuck of is taking a five million dollar bribe and that never happened.  I don't see chuck as "bad" at all. He's obsessed a little too much, but who wouldn't be in a case like that. 

[CleoCaesar]

It's pretty boring to me to look at situations and divide them into "good people" and "bad people" and pick a side to root for like it's a baseball game or something. TV shows are so much more interesting when everything is in shades of gray. Axe can have shady business practices but be a devoted family man and loyal to his employees. Chuck can technically be on the side of the law but still be a self-important, myopic douchebag. Comparing Axe and Chuck to decide who's better (or who fits some specific moral framework) is just a waste of time, IMO.

[auntiemel]

1 hour ago, CleoCaesar said:

It's pretty boring to me to look at situations and divide them into "good people" and "bad people" and pick a side to root for like it's a baseball game or something. TV shows are so much more interesting when everything is in shades of gray. Axe can have shady business practices but be a devoted family man and loyal to his employees. Chuck can technically be on the side of the law but still be a self-important, myopic douchebag. Comparing Axe and Chuck to decide who's better (or who fits some specific moral framework) is just a waste of time, IMO.

Yes, absolutely, 100% this.

I think Axe has shady societal morals but strong loyalties within his circle. Chuck is the opposite--he has grand ideas about societal rights and wrongs, and will stab those close to him in the back to achieve them. They're like weird mirror images of each other. Chuck will betray his wife (family) for the greater good, Axe will screw over millions of strangers (and screw the greater good) to protect his own people.

Which one a person relates to more and which one they are more disgusted by probably says more about which worldview resonates more with them.

As for me, I can see both sides. I don't really care who's "right" or "wrong." I just find it interesting to watch them interact.

[Lemons]

12 minutes ago, auntiemel said:

Which one a person relates to more and which one they are more disgusted by probably says more about which worldview resonates more with them.
 

True.  Axe's "the old neighborhood"  values annoy me.  His whole pathological need to have more and more because he was so deprived as a kid. Him sitting in his room with all his bikes like a little kid.  He's unlikable to me.  

I can't imagine watching and not rooting for one of them to win. Going after the "bad" guys, knowing that no one is completely bad or good.  

[PBSLover]

27 minutes ago, Lemons said:

True.  Axe's "the old neighborhood"  values annoy me.  His whole pathological need to have more and more because he was so deprived as a kid. Him sitting in his room with all his bikes like a little kid.  He's unlikable to me.

I can't imagine watching and not rooting for one of them to win. Going after the "bad" guys, knowing that no one is completely bad or good.  

Both win and lose on the show. That’s what is so riveting to me.  All this season things for Chuck especially looked dim and he rallied.  It’s fascinating.

[Bubbles1967]

Wendy sealed the coffin on the marriage by getting Axe to drop the lawsuits. 

I could see Chucks position. It made him look weak to the last person he wants to.. Axe.

The wife cleaned up his mess and he has a very bruised ego.

[dwmarch]

There was a great moment in this episode that I forgot to mention earlier: Chuck telling Bryan off. Chuck has been passive-aggressive and shitty to Bryan all season long but in this episode he actually lays out what is wrong and how Bryan can turn it around. And we actually see it when Bryan is doing the jury selection. He's found his fire again and it's pointed in the right direction! I just hope he stays with the team because I can picture a scene where he goes over to Axe Capital, becomes Axe's right hand man, corners and tries to recruit Sacker... and she pulls a gun out of her purse and shoots him several times.

[scrb]

BTW, that guy who was cuckolded got bought off that easily?  He was humiliated and all Boyd had to do was to make payments of $2.5 million each quarter to the cheating wife?

Axe's henchman also made an implied threat to their children too.

But a few payments of $2.5 million don't seem like a lot to these bankers.  And the firm only has to pay $60 million when they have the CEO of a major Wall Street bank, which has political connections to Washington, on tape ordering his underlings to commit a crime?

[DarkRaichu]

Lol the CEO of Lily Ives (or whatever the name) crumbled so easily.  A few unsympathetic jury and he folded ?? I could not see how any of the investor bankers in Axe's african currency deal was supposed to listen to and be influenced by this CEO.  He was way too weak.

I do not see good vs evil in the series only 1 corrupt entity vs another corrupt entity, only 1 side lauded their corruptions and the other mask his behind the so called law. And yes Chuck is 1 entitled SOB who wants his cake and eats it too.

That got to hurt Chuck's ego big time that his wife had to come and rescued him while he was trying to prove that he could handled all problems.  He was not going to like his daddy either when he found out daddy put a bigger smack on Axe than he ever could :D

So, 6 episodes in and we only got 1 quick boob flash? This series is on Showtime, right ? Just checking :P

Also, was there a break between shooting episode 5 and 6?  I could swear Paul Giamatti looks much thinner this episode than last week.  Also Maggie Siff looks different somehow

[dwmarch]

3 hours ago, DarkRaichu said:

I could swear Paul Giamatti looks much thinner this episode than last week.  Also Maggie Siff looks different somehow

If Chuck is regularly attending BJJ classes and Danaher is his coach, he'll lose weight with the quickness.

Wendy rocks casual clothes. She always looks good but her t-shirt and jeans look was fantastic.

[seasquared]

10 hours ago, DarkRaichu said:

 

Also, was there a break between shooting episode 5 and 6?  I could swear Paul Giamatti looks much thinner this episode than last week.  Also Maggie Siff looks different somehow

I noticed that exact thing!! In the earlier episodes he definitely looked fatter. But I thought it was a season to season difference. In one scene in the second season where he was in the steam room with the guy he played squash (handball, racquetball???) with I noticed that the camera was careful to always frame Paul so that the steam was obscuring his belly area. While the guy sitting next to him with the in shape body was clearly visible. I always thought the reason they had him in the vests was an effort to mask the belly.  

Also speaking of contrasting images... last night I picked up on the irony between the two couples. At least in my mind, it seems like the Axe's sex life is always portrayed as romantic and tender. While Rhodes and his wife (when it was existent) were into S&M role playing. One would have thought that it would be the opposite given that Axe is the money/power hunger sociopath and Rhodes is the do-gooder, justice seeking, white hat wearing hero (supposedly.)

[Pop Tart]

Quote

I'm sure Axe is worth a lot of money but it's probably not all cash. It's tied up into his assets (property, his investments, his corporation etc.) and only some of that is liquid cash. Anyway, 5 million isn't much to him but it still hurts to burn that type of money in a bad deal. Plus, it's not the 5 million for the property (and the motorcycle) that is going to hurt him, it's the towns debt he bought that once they declare bankruptcy he will owe a shit ton more than 5 mill I bet.

I think Axe has ready capital to the tune of about 2-3 billion, so 5 million is not a big deal. In the last episode when he was going to do the currency deal and he called on all his former enemies he told them they'd need 5 billion and that he only had about 2 or 3 billion available as ready cash himself - which is why he needed them to buy in. If the deal succeeded, and I think it did because I think he did end his quarter in the black, then he should have had his 2-3 billion back plus whatever profit they reaped. Now his total worth? No idea. That would include his business and all properties, etc. So 50 billion? 100 billion? 

In regards to Rhodes vs. Bobby as to who's the villain? I think the show is more about how far someone will go to accomplish their goals. Just what rules will they break, boundaries will they cross to achieve their ends. Clearly Bobby more visibly crosses boundaries and breaks rules, but I think Rhodes does all of that too. Someone mentioned how he, in the first episode, decided he was going to go after Bobby until he found something prosecutable. That's not how it's supposed to work if you're the prosecutor. Added factor - though it's been a while - I'm pretty sure he decided to go after Bobby because even then there was tension about the fact that Wendy worked for him. So he decided to pursue someone who hadn't yet, that he had any evidence of, broken any laws, and he did so largely because he didn't like that his wife was consorting with this hedge fund guy.

I consider Rhodes and Bobby to both be extremely grey characters, but not ones without their own ethical outlooks. Rhodes ethics (for the most part) drive him to pursue these wall street moguls by any means necessary and Bobby's ethics drive him to make as much money as possible, but also to protect the people he considers to be his. 

Edited March 28, 2017 by Pop Tart

[scrb]

Chuck broke out a special bottle of rosé that Wendy knew he'd been saving for a long time.

At least he didn't drink any fucking Merlot!

[Sheenieb]

Quote

And Wendy, just admit it girl, you miss Axe. There is nothing at Axe Capital that you couldn't get at any other hedge fund, everything except Axe. And, bonus, you could also keep your husband. lol

Pretty much. That also brings me to the all-woman hedge fund from last season. Didn't Wendy accept the job there when she left Axe Capital? What happened to that place? I don't recall it being mentioned so far. 

 

On 3/27/2017 at 10:40 AM, Jocelyn45 said:

ps - Loved hearing mrs Axelrod quote The Wire recently during the scene she's setting up her new business. That was fun.

What line did she say? I missed it! 

[PBSLover]

19 hours ago, DarkRaichu said:

Also, was there a break between shooting episode 5 and 6?  I could swear Paul Giamatti looks much thinner this episode than last week.  Also Maggie Siff looks different somehow

Yeah, Paul lost weight this season.  And you can see that his clothes are little big on him.  Knowing Paul, he did it because it make sense for his character, in addition, he needed to drop a few. 

Maggie has bangs this season.

[mledawn]

So  many good points made already, I will just add that I loved seeing Shawn Doyle in this episode (motorcycle/landowner guy in Sandicot).

[ribboninthesky1]

On 3/28/2017 at 1:20 PM, Sheenieb said:

Pretty much. That also brings me to the all-woman hedge fund from last season. Didn't Wendy accept the job there when she left Axe Capital? What happened to that place? I don't recall it being mentioned so far. 

No, she didn't accept the job, and I wish she had. I thought that had potential.  

On 3/28/2017 at 1:20 PM, Sheenieb said:

What line did she say? I missed it! 

In episode 4, she was talking to her cousin about fighting for their "business," and said something like, "This is our corner, Stringer!" Personally, I thought the delivery was awful and didn't land at all, but mileage varies. 

I don't think the showrunners have the "two morally grey characters wavering on the opposite sides of right/wrong" show that they think they do.  But then, I've always thought Sorkin was overrated.

From what I've seen up to this episode, I'm still hoping for the Southern district to eventually prevail against Axe Capital.  To me, Axe is only as loyal as is beneficial for him.  Donnie from season 1 is a primary example of what happens when his loyalty clashes with his self-interest. And now, we're seeing it with Lara.  I've never liked her, but she was spot on when she read him the riot act.  Unfortunately, she doesn't know he's playing her, and I'm hoping she finds out. Still, the schadenfreude was sweet as I thought about the "marriage is hard" passive-aggressive potshots from her to Wendy during the episode.  She's getting a sense of it.

I always believed that Wendy never had any issue with Axe's character, criminal or otherwise.  He's a blind spot. I'm glad Chuck finally saw it, and hopefully has shut the door on reconciliation.  How they lasted this long is something I'll never understand.

Axe and Wendy's...dynamic is a great example of how damaging emotional infidelity is.  From what I've seen, Wendy understands Axe in a way that Lara never has.  Axe needs her in a way he should need his wife, but doesn't.  Very dangerous.