Billions – Currency

By: Jay Smith

“You were wrong. I’m not human. I am a machine. I’m a f****** Terminator.” – Bobby (Damian Lewis) to Stephanie (Shaunette Renée Wilson)

Wags (David Costabile) arrives to the building in a nice car. He tells security he won’t be there long and as he’s walking down the hall he ignores Mafee (Dan Soder) and then enters Bobby’s office. Bobby (Damian Lewis) checks Wags out and congratulates his sobriety. Before Wags can explain himself for the absence, Bobby grills him and we get a flashback to forty-eight hours before. An employee gets rewarded for the work on a phone screen and when they arrive home they jump from their building. Mafee gets the news and rushes to Bobby’s office, but he’s not there. Bobby is with Gordie (Jack Gore) at Pawlowski’s (Mike Starr) stable. Bobby dismisses Gordie with his phone so he and Pawlowski can talk business. Bobby needs Pawlowski to inform him on the casino news and he explains that Donald Thayer would know. Gordie returns the phone and Bobby finally sees the messages involving the company he was working with. Larry (Eric Bogosian) calls to inform him of this set back as well as give Bobby the jump on Sam Brandt talking about how bad his quarter is on her show.

At therapy, Wendy (Maggie Siff) is upset Chuck (Paul Giamatti) wore a suit to a dinner. She feels he does it to exude power, but Chuck opens up that he wears suits to show people why she’s with him and not question it. Bobby gathers everyone around and asks for ideas to finish this quarter off strong. He sees Taylor (Asia Kate Dillon) and grills them for leaving their work on the casino for this meeting. They leave and we see Deb (Ilfenesh Haderaand) and Mafee make eye contact before Mafee inches his way out the meeting as well. Bobby yells at the group some more and tells them no one is leaving until he gets a stellar idea. Bill (Kelly AuCoin) isn’t too jazzed at this predicament and tells Bobby he has the idea, but can’t give it to him. Stephanie (Shaunette Renée Wilson) gives Bobby a pep-talk on him losing being okay and before he dismisses her he asks for Wags. Lonnie (Malachi Weir) is getting ready for a meeting when Dake (Christopher Denham) approaches him. Lonnie gives an excuse and Dake threatens him to make room in his schedule for a meeting. Bobby and Deb are talking when she tells him Mafee has an idea, but he’s hiding from him. Bobby finds Mafee in the bathroom and he opens up about a friend having the idea. Mafee was scared to tell him because he feels Bobby would fire him in exchange for the friend. Kate (Condola Rashad) is in Chuck’s office and she wants to discuss the next move in the case. After giving a story, and before Chuck tells her the ending, Bryan (Toby Leonard Moore) interrupts and tell them Tom just called.

Lara (Malin Akerman) and Bobby are in the kitchen getting ready for his meal with Mafee’s friend. Lara tells Bobby she wants to take her business to the next level and, of course, Bobby asks if she’s ready. She says she is and he tells her he’ll help get in contact with Spartan Ives people to set up a meeting for her. Everett (Keith Eric Chappelle) is impressed by Bobby’s efforts and makes a comment that the meeting could get him fired. Bobby tells him if the meeting goes well he won’t have to worry about that. Everett tells Bobby that he’ll need help from the other firms to pull off his information. The Nigerian currency is devaluing and with the right pressure the devaluing could happen soon. Larry is getting a suit made when Bobby tells him the plan. Larry declines to be involved, but he offers to get the other firms involved regardless of their pasts. Bobby calls Wags and gets upset he gets the voicemail. Tom (Ross Partridge) is telling the team his terrible attempt at getting close with another employee for inside information. He apologizes and gives Chuck the recorder pen back. Tom dismisses himself and Chuck tells them Tom will be back to redeem himself.

Bobby arrives in Gus’ (Marc Kudisch) office seeking any information on Wags. Gus take the time to tell Bobby everything is about him and that he wants to take Wags place if Bobby will let him. Bobby isn’t okay with this and gives Gus some hard truths about himself and what others think since he had replaced Wendy. Lara and Mo (Erinn Ruth) are in their meeting with a Spartan Ives rep. Lara gives the details and once the meeting is over the representative tells them she’ll set up meetings and this meeting was no problem cause of the Bobby connection. We can see Lara isn’t pleased about that tidbit. Chuck arrives in the office and sees Bryan with his club. Chuck tells him that Tom is back in and Bryan needs to coordinate with FBI for the stake out at their dinner.

Krakow (Danny Strong), Malverne (Dennis Boutsikaris) and Birch (Jerry O’Connell) walk into a diner to meet Bobby. Bobby tells them the plan that Nigeria will devalue their currency with their help. Krakow makes the comment that this deal is only happening soon to save Bobby’s quarter. He admits it and that he needs all of them involved for it to work. He poses the question is him losing worth more to them than their own self interest, which makes them all agree to join him. Bobby gets up to reveal Everett with the notes and leave the gentleman to discuss. Chuck is with Eva (Alexa Swinton) and Kevin (Zachary Unger) and Eva asks about Wendy. He reiterates the agreement they have and Kevin says Wendy doesn’t want to come home. Chuck has a serious talk with the kids about the separation. Bobby is in a pitch meeting when he answers his phone. It’s Larry and he informs him that someone leaked the plan and Nigeria is fighting back. Bobby calls Birch and he admits to being the leak as payback from last year with Chuck. Bobby is defeated and he calls in Deb for a Wags update. He isn’t pleased by the lack of updates. Everett comes in and gives the advice that if Bobby wants to continue he’ll need someone in his corner to vouch for him. Bobby mentions Larry because of his connections and Everett agrees. Chuck is sparring with a female opponent today and after the match he flirts with her a little. Krakow and Malverne are upset about the deal being leaked, but Bobby doesn’t care and is moving forward with or without them. Hearing his determination, the two still agree to be apart of the deal.

Dake is giving his information to his superior, Karl, in a church. Dake tells him Lonnie aside from Chuck is the last interview and he more than likely has what he needs. Karl offers to speed the process up and informs Dake that AG wants this finished soon. Taylor comes into Bobby’s office and they tell them that if Sandicot doesn’t get the casino deal, business with the city would be pointless. Bobby is out with Donald Thayer (Richie Coster) being served by David Chang. He’s happy to do this favor as long as Bobby tells him when a company goes public. Thayer asks why Bobby asked him out and Bobby levels with them that he needs to know if the casino is going to Sandicot. After wheeling and dealing, Thayer informs Bobby that it’s almost certainly official that Sandicot will get it. Bobby gets on the phone and informs whoever is on the other line that Sandicot is a go. Chuck marvels at Clarence’s (David Neal Levin) food and declines to have a bite or order his own in fear of consuming too much. After Bryan enters, a nervous Tom is behind him. Chuck gives him a pep talk with the recorder pen and sends him out. A drunken Tom is making a fool of himself, but before he completely loses composure and after spilling wine on Shayleen (Angela Marie Roy) making her and Linda (Suzanne Johnson) leave the room, Larry opens up about what’s happening and what’s to come with the illegal activity back at the company. Chuck and Bryan are excited to hear this information.

We’re back to present time and Wags finally gets to explain himself. He tells Bobby he was with Wendy and Bobby is all ears. Wendy enters his messed up hotel room where we see his Yosemite Sam butt tattoo and an on-call nurse. Disgusted, but not surprised, Wendy forces Wags to get ready for their session and dismisses the nurse with pay for the day. Wendy offers Wags intense therapy sessions for a few weeks or him telling her right then and there what’s going on with him. He asks how and Wendy asks for the first thing that caused him to look for his current distractions. After recounting a drug induced outing with someone he doesn’t like and admitting the people who aren’t messed up or annoying stick in his memory, Wags realizes what moment made him hit bottom. Seeing his old mentor, Phil (Edward M. Kelahan), with early on-set Alzheimer’s with no one to take care of him hit him hard. Wendy comments on that moment and questions his morality and made him show empathy to someone he looked up to. Wendy asks what made the vulnerable feeling of fading away happen and Wags mentions the hiring of Stephanie did. Wendy thinks Wags feels Bobby doesn’t need him anymore, which then makes him think no one does. Wendy tells Wags this setback is the change he needed to move forward in a better direction for his life.

With the new changes Wags wants Bobby to let him go, but Bobby declines the requests because he does need Wags and he let Stephanie go because of her doubtful speech. Bobby catches Wags up to speed and needs help with the final piece to save their quarter. Kate asks Chuck the ending to the hunting story he was telling her in regards to the Larry case and the answer was time. Meaning he succeed then and now by just waiting for the catches. Bobby is getting ready for his day when Lara awakes. Lara wants Bobby to relay a message to Larry, saying the rep wasted her time. Bobby asks questions about the meeting and once Lara says she felt the meeting wasn’t genuine and the rep didn’t think she was ready, he agrees and then lays into her. In a harsh tone he lists everything that makes her business not ready and leaves.

Bobby and Larry are in the dressing room getting ready for the interview. Bobby gets a call from Bach (Glenn Fleshler) and gets the drop that Larry will be arrested in about an hour. Bobby doesn’t tell him and leaves to do the interview. Sam (Julee Cerda) and Bobby start the interview and he gives his best impression of a concerned human being while giving the people knowledge on what’s happening in Nigeria. Chuck, Bryan and FBI agents enter the building. After Larry does his bit, Bobby finally tells him what’s happening. Larry isn’t mad because he understands why Bobby did what he did. Larry asks Bobby to hold his watch, contact his lawyer and tell Linda so she can tell the kids before the news does. FBI arrests Larry and he threatens Chuck on his way out. Chuck jabs at Bobby, who doesn’t skip a beat to jab back. Chuck finally indulges his urge to have a massive meaty meal at the end of the day.