1x12 | Billions

The episode does an excellent job of cleaning the slate for Season 2. By having Axe tear his own office apart looking for bugs—literally dismantling his own empire out of paranoia—the show visually represents how this obsession is destroying both men from the inside out.

If there is a flaw, it is that some of the legal maneuvering required to get both men in that room feels slightly contrived. However, the sheer payoff of their dialogue makes any minor plot contrivances easy to forgive. The Verdict Billions 1x12

The episode excels because it stops playing defense. For most of the season, Chuck and Axe have circled each other like heavyweight boxers, using their subordinates and spouses to do the dirty work. Here, the walls crumble. The episode does an excellent job of cleaning