‘Billions’ Recap, Season 5, Episode 12: No Direction Home
Posted on 10/03/2021
Showtime’s drama series “Billions” ended Season 5 with major surprises and shifting alliances. Please do not read if you do not want spoilers. The show is great at setting up intricate plots, before breaking them down.
The episode titled “No Direction Home” is a fit title for the finale as brilliant hedge fund titan Bobby Axelrod (Axe), played by Damian Lewis, faces decades in prison when Axe Bank decided to take in cannabis cash that was not yet legal. At the end of episode 11, putting down the celebratory cigars, Axe was looking at serious jail time, some 20-25 years in prison for potential money laundering charges. Former music producer Dawn Winslow, played by Janeane Garofalo, was jailed in that episode at the end. Episode 12 is full of flashbacks, detailing what you think might happen.
Image Credit: Showtime “Billions”.
The episode starts out as Axe taunting State Attorney General Chuck Rhoades in front of the AG office with TV cameras. However, Axe’s lawyers agree to his surrender at a specified time and date. Rhoades reluctantly agrees to the terms, robbing him of the dream of perp-walking Axe. Chuck Rhoades also pressures Mike Wagner (Wags) to turn on Axe. Wags made it clear earlier he did not want to spend a day in jail to Axe. Wags and his lawyer Neal Katyal (playing himself) are about to confess to an eager Rhoades and Wags decides not to. Axe surprises Rhoades when he walks in the room to debate Rhoades in his face.
Fast forward, the time has come when Axe is to surrender to Chuck Rhoades and the other authorities. Axe’s black helicopter lands in New York and Axe is nowhere to be found. Chuck Rhoades is furious. Instead, Axe decided to escape to Switzerland through hiding on a medical transport plane. Why Switzerland? Apparently there are some laws against extraditing people for financial crimes. In another scene, before Axe decides on his escape plan, Axe nemesis Mike Prince (played by Corey Stoll) offers to buy Axe Bank and all of Axe’s holdings for a low price. Axe concedes that he lost and agrees to the deal (which included Taylor Mason Capital and Wendy). Mike Prince never wanted Axe to go to jail like Rhoades, he just wanted to win (by owning him).
At the end of the finale, Mike Prince and his right-hand-man strolls into Axe Capital and proclaims he is the new owner. Mike Prince informs Axe Capital staff that he comes from the private equity and venture world, but sees opportunities in equities. Chuck Rhoades goes to the Axe Capital office and swears off Mike Prince for betraying him.
Alliances definitely shift in this episode. Axe is free in Switzerland (Is Damian Lewis leaving the show?). Chuck Rhoades now sees Mike Prince as his enemy for the betrayal and his actions. Wendy and Axe agree to not pursue a relationship, given he skipped out of the country.
Season 6 of “Billions” premieres January 23, 2022.
UPDATE: Damian Lewis has confirmed he is leaving Showtime’s Billions after season five. On Sunday, Damian Lewis wrote on Twitter: “Thank you Billions thank you. A pleasure and a privilege to play Axe for 5 seasons with some of the smartest, funniest most talented cast and crew I’ve worked with…”
“I’ll miss the Billions family. Yep, some jobs are more than just a job…. Love.”
