Billions' Archetypes and Wanting a Gay Ray Donovan

• 31:53Tim describes the opening scene of Billions: Chuck getting a cigarette put out on his balls.
• 32:03Bobby's character archetype: an upstart who brags about owning the best pizza place and explains why he likes sports.
• 32:32Maggie Siff plays Chuck's wife as a psychologist constantly asking Bobby why he needs to win.
• 32:53Damien Lewis does a bizarre Long Island accent despite being British, completing the character caricature.
• 33:31Tim argues these Billions characters have absolutely no depth—they're just archetypes boiled down to crude traits.
• 34:06Bloodline's opening voiceover—'we're not bad people, but we did a bad thing'—is the kind of lazy writing Tim can't get past.
• 34:38The whole season of Bloodline could've been compressed; the first and last three episodes contain the actual story.
• 35:08Billions introduces a gender non-specific meth genius character described with "they" pronouns, but the role doesn't require that specificity.
• 36:13Bobby explains the character's edge: being different means you see things others don't—a clichéd speech about outsider perspective.
• 36:47Tim argues if you're doing a tough character, do it like Ray Donovan: a straightforward antihero without gimmicks.
• 37:17Tim was writing a script with a gay character involved in some kind of action plot but abandoned it before finishing.

BillionsBloodlineBreaking BadDamien LewisMaggie SiffRay Donovan