Showtime’s finance series Billions is likely to resume filming of the backend episodes of season 5 in March 2021, along with season 6, which was renewed back in October 2020. In May 2020, Billions had to abruptly postpone the production due to Covid19 production shut down.
In an interview, David Costabile told TV Fanatic that the show will resume shooting in March and that his team has been working on a script for season 6. They want to film the episodes back to back so that they can aim for a fluid release.
“We will go back and finish the end of the last few episodes of season five, and then we will continue working straight through and shoot season six. So next year, it will be an onslaught of Billions because we will just work from when we start until when we finish season six.”
David Costabile
“We’re probably not starting until around March shooting again, and the protocols, my guess, will still be in effect then.”
David Costabile
The creators had decided to wait for the pandemic to ease up to continue the story appropriately. (Unlike some who had gone ahead with some daredevilry of using animation to complete seasons. Remember NBC’s The Blacklist?)
That means there is a long wait ahead for fans of Billions. Maybe summer of 2021 or even later? Who knows when corona will finally exit our lives!
1. Taking a COVID break
It’s break time for Billions creators as well as fans. After a mid-season finale in episode 7, the show officially went on an indefinite break.
The day the mid-season finale premiered, showrunner Brian Koppelman Tweeted,
Dig? It would not be an exaggeration if we said fans had burrowed into the seven episodes of season five. In fact, going by the rave reviews of the season from fans, they can’t wait to find out what happens to Mike and Axe’s legendary rivalry in Season 5, Episode 8.
If you don’t believe me yet, you’ll believe in math at least. Season 5 averaged 609,000 LIVE viewers per episode and a 0.11 rating score for the 18-49 years old demographics. The mid-season finale, episode 7, brought in 660,000 LIVE viewers and a 0.12 rating score.
Episode 7 has definitely left us all on a high note. We sincerely hope the makers return before we’re dry and exhausted with this lockdown.
2. When Will Episode 8 Come Out?
At least five episodes are remaining in Billions Season 5. The filming is supposed to start in March of this year or later. Episode 8 can be expected by summer-2021 unless the delays are further increased.
3. Episode 7 Synopsis
So what was all the fuss about? In the mid-season finale, there is Axe and Chuck’s crazy rivalry, a mind-bending drug that opens up “limitless shi*” giving the episode its title, ethics of illegal organ purchase from the needy and desperate, and even mentions of the coronavirus.
Here is a brief synopsis of the last Billions episode that aired on June 14.
Axe is battling many battles at once. Apart from planning to wage major wars against his adversaries, he’s also ensuring Wendy’s loyalty toward him. For starters, he wants her to know that nobody is free from compromised morals, even the seemingly moralistic artists she seems to have taken to.
Axe’s close aides have been taken down by his enemy Chuck, and he’s now desperate. So he turns to a crazy mind-enhancing drug that is supposed to open up “limitless shi*” so that he can be focused on bringing down his enemies.
But the drug is obviously illegal and not FDA approved. Shi* actually hits the fan instead, and Axe is on the verge of losing billions of dollars, except he has some loyal friends to rescue him.
In exchange, Axe also has some favors to return to these friends, including Taylor, who is facing an urgent crisis with her tin business.
On the other hand, Chuck is battling his conscience. He is faced with an ill father who is in urgent need of a healthy kidney, except the five-year wait for receiving one legally is going to be a death sentence for the old man.
There is no way to move his dad up the donor list, so Chuck’s options are fast limiting themselves to illegally harvesting the kidney of a child from El Salvador who is currently in federal custody for a price of $38,000.
Will Axe take Prince down? Will he and Wendy finally get together? And, will Senior survive? Many unanswered questions!
4. Where to Watch Billions?
As you wait for the other half of season 5, we would recommend a quick run-through of the past seasons, given the show’s eternally complicated nature. (Special kudos to its writers Brian Koppelman, David Levien, and Andrew Ross Sorkin.)
The show is currently streaming on the Showtime app and Disney+ Hotstar.
5. About Billions
Billions is an American drama created by Brian Koppelman, David Levien, and Andrew Ross Sorkin. The series is set in financial centres based in America.
The series follows hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis), as he accumulates wealth and power in the world of high finance. The series premiered on Showtime on January 17, 2016.
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