Tamal Kundu
The Showtime drama series ‘Billions’ offers us glimpses into the world of the super-rich, whose vast wealth gives them access to unprecedented power and privilege. Toward the end of season 6, it is revealed that Mike Prince (Corey Stoll) hopes to run in the Presidential election. Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) is arrested in the season finale after failing to prove that Prince has committed financial fraud, and it is discovered that he used a dummy warrant and gained evidence through false pretenses. Dave visits Chuck and makes a deal with him to bring Prince down. In the season 7 premiere, ‘Tower of London,’ Chuck becomes increasingly agitated about his circumstances and initiates a plan that might lead to him losing his only ally against Prince. Rebellion starts to brew in the Mike Prince Capital as Prince’s subordinates decide he is unfit for the presidency and reach out to the only man who can bring him down: Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis). Here is what you might want to know about the ending of ‘Billions’ season 7 episode 1. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Billions Season 7 Episode 1 Recap
The episode begins several months into the future as Prince breaks into Wendy’s office and demands to know why she doesn’t think he is fit to be the president of the United States. The narrative shifts then and returns to the present. Wendy comes to work at Mike Prince Capital and finds the office empty save for Prince, who asks her to help him with becoming the man he needs to be to win the presidential election and serve as an effective leader of the free world. The more he talks, the more Wendy realizes that Prince has tyrannical tendencies, and they are bound to manifest the moment he takes office. She thinks that no one can truly challenge Prince except maybe Bobby and begins her search to find a way to connect to him.
Meanwhile, life hasn’t been particularly kind to Chuck in the last few months. He was arrested and sent into police custody. Since then, Chuck’s desperation has only increased. While he has made a deal with Dave where they promised each other that they would work together to bring down Prince, Chuck increasingly feels it isn’t good enough. Throughout his career, Chuck has enjoyed being at the center of attention while he went after billionaires such as Bobby and Prince. But now, he feels like a side character in Dave’s elaborate schemes, and it predictably insults his massive ego.
Meanwhile, Dave tries to make Prince believe that she wants Chuck to be in prison and asks for access to people who have previously worked with Chuck. The idea is to speak to them and find something incriminating about Prince, who tells her he will open the door to his company for her, but it’s up to her and his employees to decide what they want to do afterward.
In the previous season finale, when Taylor and Phillip figured out that Prince wanted to run for the presidential office, they also realized that he was grooming them as his successors at Mike Prince Capital. In this episode, the two of them initially reject the responsibility but eventually acquiesce. As part of their condition, Taylor brings Dollar Bill back to the company.
Billions Season 7 Episode 1 Ending: Where Has Bobby Been All This Time? What Was He Up To?
After Bobby accepted his defeat and left for Europe at the end of season 5, many fans of the show thought this was the last time they were seeing him on screen, though others held on to hope. Real-life circumstances made Lewis leave ‘Billions,’ but he makes his return in season 7. It turns out that even though Bobby is a wanted man in the US, he has garnered considerable goodwill in the UK and Europe by supplying weapons to Ukraine, which has accumulated him much more freedom in these countries than what people in his position generally get. This is why when Wendy finally tracks Bobby down, he is in London.
People who have previously worked with Bobby also become concerned about Prince, especially after the latter quotes Hitler while speaking about the people of America. They realize that Prince is motivated by an ideology that may not be downright fascist, but he definitely seems to be flirting with those beliefs. If he wins and effectively becomes the most powerful man in the world, Wendy and the others fear that Prince’s mind will always seek the most effective way to find solutions. That might be a good trait for a CEO, but it’s potentially disastrous in a global leader.
How Does Chuck Turn Public Opinion in His Favor?
Chuck stays on board with Dave’s plans until he goes to meet with his children and realizes that they are ashamed of him and how he is being perceived by the world, even though he tried to hold a billionaire accountable. This prompts Chuck to set up a plan in which his image undergoes a complete makeover. He invites Lucian Porter, a reporter who doesn’t particularly like him, to his meeting with Dave, without letting either of them know that he manipulated this encounter.
Impressed by Chuck, Porter publishes an article, painting him as a modern-day Robin Hood. It has a desirous effect, and Chuck suddenly becomes an extremely popular figure in America, with various political leaders demanding for Chuck’s immediate release. This turns Dave and Chuck into enemies, and their alliance against Prince falls apart.
Read More: Billions Season 6 Finale Recap and Ending, Explained
