The TV show that is worth watching and discussing is Billions. This is the show produced and directed by Brian Koppelman, David Levien, and Neil Burger, starring famous actors and actresses such as Damian Lewis, Paul Giamatti, Maggie Stiff, Asia Kate Dillon, and others. The show’s plot revolves around animosity between the justice system in the face of Attorney General Chuck Rhoades and hedge fund Axe Capital in the face of Robert Axelrod, a billionaire fund manager (Koppelman et al., 2016). On the one hand, the attorney is desperate to reveal the secrets and wrongdoings of Axe Capital, which would help the legal system battle all evil. On the other hand, the audience sees how, in his efforts to catch Mr.Axelrod and his employees, Rhoades does not feel guilty for not playing by the rules.
The TV show skillfully uses two rhetorical methods, among which is compare and contrast mode. When it comes to comparing, the directors strive to show the audience how both employees in legal systems are ready to commit fraud since they can be corrupt individuals who are willing to resort to nepotism and bribes, such as Charles Rhoades Sr. This is all similar to the finance world, where employees use the same techniques since to them, the end justified the means. However, when it comes to contrast, the directors and writers illustrate that these two realms differ in some ways. For example, while the employee of Chuck Rhoades refuses to betray his superior and the law department, employees in Axe Capital are not as loyal, such as Taylor. Furthermore, the TV show implements the mode of cause and effect. For instance, Chuck’s actions, when he used the private corporate computer of his wife, had a direct effect on his marriage and jeopardized his wife’s position at work. This allows for further extending the storyline and seeing the correlation between episodes.
Overall, I enjoyed watching the TV show since it is exciting to see what strikes will be next. What I appreciated the most in this TV show is that it does not divide people into good or evil. It shows that every person is impacted; just because some people work for the government does not mean they only do good deeds. Similarly, the show illustrates that because people work in finance, it does not mean they are flawed individuals waiting to frame someone and are devoid of ethical behavior.
Reference
Koppelman, B., Levien, D. & Neil Burger (Executive Producers). (2016). Billions [TV series]. SHOWTIME.