Billions

Billions

show

TV-MA, 2016

WISE
58%

WISE Score

87

Avg. Tomatometer

High-stakes financial warfare where the only thing bigger than the bank accounts are the massive, colliding egos.

IMDb8.3
RT Critics87%
MC71
Common Sense Media
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Screenwise Verdict

Billions is an addictive, high-octane chess match that makes insider trading look like a professional sport. It’s smart, it’s fast, and it’s deeply cynical. For a parent, the main thing to know is that it doesn't hide its adult content—it leads with it.

If you have a 16-year-old who wants to work on Wall Street, this is actually a great show to watch together because it sparks massive debates about ethics, power, and how the world is built. Just be prepared for some awkward moments involving the main characters' private lives. It's not a family show, but it is a very good one.

Age Fit

This is strictly for the 16+ crowd. It’s a prestige drama for adults that happens to be a great tool for a teenager interested in economics or law, provided you're okay with them seeing the R-rated side of HBO-style television.

WISE Breakdown
Wholesome
30

The show is built on a foundation of greed, manipulation, and zero-sum thinking. There are almost no 'good' people here, just different shades of ruthless.

Imaginative
55

The tactical maneuvers and the hyper-literate, rapid-fire dialogue are clever, but the show stays firmly planted in the cynical reality of NYC power circles.

Safe
25

It's a Showtime production through and through. Expect frequent nudity, explicit sex scenes, a recurring BDSM subplot, and constant high-level profanity.

Enriching
75

For older teens, it's a masterclass in financial literacy, market mechanics, and the intersection of law and capital. It explains short selling better than a textbook.

Parent Info
✓

Why It Might Be Great

  • Financial literacy that actually feels cool. You'll learn how hedge funds and the DOJ really work while being entertained.
  • Damian Lewis and Paul Giamatti are acting powerhouses. Their chemistry as mutual enemies is the engine that makes the show work.
  • Sharp, punchy writing that doesn't talk down to the audience. It expects you to keep up with the jargon and the strategy.
  • High production value that captures the aspirational (and gross) excess of the 1% perfectly.
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What to Watch For

  • The BDSM subplot involving Chuck and Wendy is introduced in the very first scene and remains a core part of their marriage dynamic.
  • Nudity is frequent and often casual, appearing in both sexual and non-sexual contexts throughout the series.
  • The show's moral compass is intentionally broken. If you're looking for a hero to root for, you're in the wrong place.
  • The dialogue is incredibly dense. If your kid isn't interested in finance or law, they will be bored to tears within ten minutes.

Conversation Starters

  • "Is it possible to be that successful in business without breaking the law or being unethical?"
  • "Who is actually worse: the billionaire who cheats the system or the prosecutor who breaks the rules to catch him?"
  • "Why do you think Axe feels the need to constantly prove he's the smartest person in the room?"
  • "If you had that much money, what's the first thing you'd do that wasn't about buying stuff?"

Deep Dive

The Finance Bro's Favorite Soap Opera

Billions arrived in 2016 and immediately carved out a niche as the smart person's guilty pleasure. Co-created by Andrew Ross Sorkin (the guy who wrote Too Big to Fail), it has a level of technical accuracy that other financial dramas lack. It doesn't just say 'they're trading stocks'; it explains the 'short squeeze' and the 'sector play.'

The show is essentially a Western set in Manhattan. Bobby 'Axe' Axelrod is the self-made billionaire who represents the 'new money' hustle, while Chuck Rhoades is the blue-blooded U.S. Attorney representing the 'old power' of the state. They hate each other because they are exactly alike: two men who will burn everything down just to win a single argument.

Why the 17+ Rating Matters

Don't let the 'business' theme fool you into thinking this is dry or safe. The show is on Showtime, which means it uses its 'premium cable' license to the fullest. The language is salty, and the sexual content is explicit. Specifically, the show explores a BDSM dynamic between Chuck and his wife, Wendy, who also happens to be the performance coach for his arch-rival, Axe. It’s a tangled web of professional and sexual power play that is definitely not for younger viewers.

How to Use It with Teens

If your kid is into the 'hustle culture' side of YouTube or TikTok, Billions is a great reality check. It shows the extreme stress, the legal peril, and the personal isolation that comes with that level of obsession. It’s a great springboard for talking about whether the 'win at all costs' mentality is actually worth the cost. For a deeper dive into the ethics of the show, check out our guide on Talking to Teens About Wealth and Ethics.

What Parents Ask

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