Showtime's Billions is best described as "Prestige Trash" TV

San Francisco Chronicle

"Prestige TV is the defining art form of America right now, as the streaming wars offer up an endless array of shows that probe the intricacies of gender, sexuality, race, class and identity," says Allie Pape. "But for all it’s gained in thoughtful new voices and delicately drawn artistic masterworks, TV has lost one of its best categories, which I can only describe as 'Prestige Trash.'" Pape adds: "Given that, I’m a bit befuddled as to why Showtime’s Billions, the rare drama that’s equal parts prestige and popcorn, isn’t a megahit. Perhaps it’s because in an age of clearly drawn comic-book heroes and evildoers, it’s the rare show with the audacity to make nearly every one of its characters a villain. A Dynasty for the decade-long bull market, it’s lurid and pulpy, covering serious topics but disinclined to take itself too seriously — a combination that’s accidentally made it one of the more relevant depictions of our greed-fueled society."

ALSO:

• Billions goes for broke in Season 4: "There’s been a palpably goofy, go-for-broke mentality lurking inside Billions for the last three seasons, and season four is not shy about turning that dial up to 11"
• Co-creator Brian Koppelman says its "wild to us" how life imitates art, but "we don’t find the world’s bizarreness difficult to keep up with"
• Maggie Siff on Billions' post-#MeToo evolution: "I feel like our show has a really interesting conversation happening around gender because the subject matter is a certain kind of toxic masculinity in some sense. And then you have these female characters who are very comfortable swimming with the sharks"