Will Jewish Actor Corey Stoll Fill a Presidential Role?

Showtime’s “Billions” is a show about tactics, trickery and one-upmanship. “Billions” tells the story of the battle between hedge fund manager  Bobby Axelrod (Daimen Lewis), and U.S. Attorney (later New York State Attorney General) Chuck Rhoades. They have feuded like starving dogs for most of the show’s existence, with each trying to frame the other. Starting last season, Jewish actor Corey Stoll joined the cast as the uber-rich Michael Prince, who tried but failed to secure New York City as a site for the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Axe is the slickest and the smartest, Prince has the most money, but Chuck knows how government works. Each of them has strengths and weaknesses and it’s impossible to say who will come out on top. All that’s clear is that the three men will take major risks.

But in the new season, Prince has some bigger fish to fry. He tells Wendy Rhoades (Maggie Siff), a psychiatrist turned performance coach for mega rich people, that he is running for president in 2024.

When she asks why he’s the best candidate, he tells her he is ruthless, that he can do the dirty work.

“Think of it this way,” he says. “If you’re out on a climb and you fall and you break your femur in half, you don’t need someone who knows how to talk a good game. You need someone that knows how to fix it, someone who’s willing to do what needs to be done even when there’s no anesthesia out on the trail. Someone who will ignore your screams of pain until the bone is set and ready to heal.”

The first episode of Season 7 shows us Prince throwing a tantrum in Wendy’s office. Something’s gone wrong and we have no idea if it’s just a blip or a major problem.

Can money buy loyalty? That’s a question that often comes up. Axe is back this season. He has suspicions about Wendy, yet still seems to trust her.

At the same time, Chuck has been ousted as Attorney General of New York and his kids are embarrassed to be seen with him in public. But as usual, he is a few steps ahead of everyone and, if his plan works, he will surprise people who have taken him for granted.

As Mike “Wags” Wagner, David Costabile Axe’s right-hand man, often speaks before he thinks. Kate (Condola Rashad) is an Assistant District Attorney, though it’s never entirely clear what angle she is working. Ben Kim, a portfolio manager at Axe Capital, is played with some passive aggressiveness by Daniel K. Isaac.

Wendy is the show’s fulcrum: She was married to Chuck, is a key advisor to Axe and is sought after by Michael Prince. Where her loyalties lie is an open question. All we seem to be sure of is that one or more of the three main characters will end up in prison.

Stoll’s performance is calm, cunning and occasionally fierce. The show would be better off to show a bit more of his darker side, but perhaps that’s to come. Will he big a victor or a tragic character who fails?

In the final season, it will be interesting to see how the men plot against each other. There’s corruption, bribery, jealousy and all of the things we expect to see in a battle among the rich. It will be interesting to see if any of the political gamesmanship mirrors things we’ve seen in real life.