Show Cover

Principle usually doesn’t always go away all at once; it’s a creeping erosion.

# Review

This show came highly recommended from many friends (all working in finance, of course) and I finally got around to watching the first season. The story revolves around the conflict between Bobby Axelrod (played by Damian Lewis), a billionaire hedge fund manager of Axe Capital and Chuck Rhoades (played by Paul Giamatti), the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. The entire season is a chess match between Axelrod and Rhoades, with increasingly shadier tactics and strategies. This show portrays the corrupting influences of money and power, driven by ego and greed.

The acting and casting are both spectacular; it felt as if the characters were specifically created for each actors/actress. The characters are also incredibly written, from the two protagonists down to supporting characters such as the subservient COO of Axe Capital, Mike Wagner (played by David Costabile) and the calculating in-house psychiatrist at Axe Capital, Wendy Rhoades (played by Maggie Siff). The dialogue is also amazing; while it's corny at times, it's always dramatic and entertaining.

While based on my (very limited) experience working in finance, many aspects of the show are greatly exaggerated, I liked how feasible the story felt, which is probably because many of the incidents and characters are based off of real-life people and events. Rhoades, for instance, is loosely based off of Preet Bharara and Eliot Spitzer while Axelrod is loosely based off of Steve Cohen. The show is also co-created by Andrew Ross Sorkin whose journalistic expertise no doubt contributed to the quality and accuracy of the show's storylines.

# Conclusion

A intriguing premise for a drama thriller.

# Overall rating: 8.1

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