The Punch

**The Punch** is the name of the seventh episode of the Season 1 of *Billions*. The episode was written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien and directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal.

## Plot Summary

The pressure from the US Attorney starts to affect Axe, who gets into a physical altercation with an acquaintance over an incident involving his kids. Chuck continues to conceal his involvement with the case while using the past to get the upper hand. Wendy meets with an attractive headhunter to consider a career change - and more than just job opportunities arise. And the case against Axe Capital gains a powerful weapon when Connerty turns a member of Axe's inner circle into an informant.

## Plot

Bobby is doing laps in the swimming pool at the house when Lara greets her kids as they return home from an outing with friends. Bruce Layner, who was chaperoning, speeds off before Lara gets a chance to get close and properly thank him. Shortly afterwards, Lilly calls and asks if the "kids got home okay". When Lara asks why she was concerned, Lilly shares that she observed Bruce throwing back a lot of alcohol before taking the kids home. Lilly admits she failed to intercept Bruce in time when he left with the kids from the carnival as her own kids had suddenly distracted her. Lara thanks Lilly for calling, and after hanging up, asks Dean and Gordie if anything happened during the drive they want to talk about. The kids mention Bruce had made a lot of negative comments about their family's wealth. When Lara presses them about the drinking, the kids say he had been earlier, and most likely was still drinking a beer while he drove them. Lara is upset the boys decided to go with Bruce, but they mention that "he's the adult" so they have to follow him. Bobby's had enough of the conversation though. He hops out of the pool and into his jeep to go see Bruce in person immediately.

Bruce is hosting his own get together by his pool with family and friends. While he is assembling himself a margarita, Axe races toward him on foot accusing him of driving his kids home drunk. Bruce confesses to having two or three drinks, but that Bobby should relax as he got his "precious fucking babies home". Axe takes a swing at Bruce and promptly knocks the man on the ground. Axe demands he get up for more, but Bruce, while wiping away a bloody nose, tells Axe that the punch he just threw is gonna cost him. Bobby says its worth it before walking away as the other party goers go to help Bruce and call the police.

Spyros demands a "cortado" to enjoy during his meeting with Chuck. The secretary mentions she is the only other person there, but Chuck remembers Spyros has him by the balls, and so tells her to go get it and that he is treating Spyros. After she leaves, Spyros is upset that Chuck tanked the deal with Axe and has chosen to recuse himself. He demands to know where he stands now and says he is aware that Chuck's recusal is just for show. Chuck lets Spyros know that he will work hand in hand with Bryan on this, but Spyros says he will be running point, or else he will reveal what he has on Chuck Sr. and Chuck. Spyros leaves and tells Chuck to enjoy his "cortado". Chuck decides to call Dean, who was conducting a private investigation on behalf of Chuck into Martina Slovis, and asks him for her contact info.

Donnie Caan enters a restaurant for a backroom meeting with Bryan and the rest of the team. Donnie's in trouble and has made a deal to be a criminal informant. He is tasked with getting Axe to confirm a source on insider trade information, all while wearing a wire. Donnie says it'll be difficult, but Bryan tells him that's exactly why he's getting a sweetheart deal out of it.

Donnie goes to Axe's house and apologizes for the late night visit, but says he needs to talk to him about the Kemlot deal. Bobby admits its been a quite the weekend for him and tells Donnie its alright. Donnie asks for confirmation to make the trade when the stock market opens tomorrow, but Bobby tells him to wait. This is contrary to what Axe told him earlier, but when Donnie tries to backtrack, Axe says he is not certain and begins to close the door on Donnie's face. Donnie presses Axe to tell him what's wrong, and Axe invites him in for a drink.

The two laugh and talk about Axe's fight and Pavlov's dog experiment, and Axe is surprised by how insightful Donne is on the subject. Donnie admits he was a double major in psychology and philosophy at Yale, and that he only has a minor degree in economic theory. Axe applauds Donnie, but Donnie is upset it hasn't made him stand out and be a success like his peers who rack up "cartel-sized bonuses". Axe says he is worried his kids will grow up thinking that what he did is acceptable behavior, and be embarrassed, or worse, proud. Donnie tells Axe he is a good role model and that he wishes that he could be that for his own kids. Axe corrects him and says he is exactly that for his kids and will be much more in the coming days. Donnie, touched by the conversation, shows signs of regret on his face.

Chuck enters the office and has to fight the urge to eavesdrop on Bryan as he holds a meeting regarding the case against Axelrod. He still hears mention of a criminal informant in the case, and as he walks into his office, tells his secretary he wants to meet with Bryan and others later in the day to discuss a different case. Meanwhile, Orrin informs Axe he has placed himself, and the firm, in a very bad position if he is charged with even misdemeanor assault. Lara defends Axe and says that its important they get their version of events out first before someone else decides to drop the story of the fight Axe and Bruce had. Lara is tasked with getting Lilly to say, on the record, that Bruce was drinking before he went out with the kids. Axe is skeptical that Lilly will talk, but Lara says she is certain she will do the right thing. Orrin introduces Chief Mueller, former Police Chief of Southampton Police Department, whose jurisdiction this all occurred in. Mueller states that he's been informed the police have come into possession of a video recording of the incident that someone had taken using their cell phone. Axe believes this is good news and will exonerate him, but Mueller says that he's been told the video is "damning evidence" and that the authorities plan to arrest Axe soon. Mueller stresses the importance of getting Lilly to confirm what happened and says he will arrange a backdoor entrance for himself, Axe, and Orrin so as to avoid the eyes of the press.

Wendy initiates a meeting with Chase, a headhunter, following her conversation with Chuck regarding the plea deal with Axelrod. Wendy shares that she knows its Chase's job to get inside her head, but that her profession has helped her recognize such things and that Chase should stop trying to do so. Chase is very charming though, and asks Wendy point-blank what she is looking for, and Wendy replies that wherever she is placed, she does not want it to have anything to do with finance, so as to not appear like she is betraying Axe Capital. Chase asks what is more important to Wendy, the compensation or the work itself. Wendy says she doesn't want to choose between the two, and is happy with what she currently makes, but Chase says her options are limited to corporate HR jobs where she won't get to be hands on, or charity work where she won't be properly compensated. Chase informs Wendy that she won't be able to achieve both if she wants out of the world of finance and will have to compromise.

During a team meeting at Axe Capital, Wags and Donnie make rousing speeches declaring the firm will rise up bigger and better then before. Drawing similarities to their eventual comeback with a boxing match, Mafee informs Axe that everyone has heard of his fight during the weekend and decided to get him a gift. Mafee places a modest amateur boxing trophy in front of Axe and receives applause, but Axe, Wags, and Donnie are not amused. Axe picks up the trophy and, after looking at it quietly, tosses it in the trash as he leaves the meeting and everyone else just watches.

Bobby catches Wendy as she is on her way to her office, but Wendy is displeased with Axe, not only regarding the fight but also the failed plea deal with her husband. She mentions to Axe that there is a psychological profile for people who engage in "self-sabotage" and Axe is starting to fit the mold. Axe tells her that two events are different. He says the fight was his fault, but the plea deal aftermath came about due to self-defense. Wendy says that's not what she heard, but Axe interrupts her saying that he understands the position she is in, but she should know that he went into that room ready to make a deal as he completely understood the reality of everything he had to lose. He leaves Wendy in silence to resume his own work.

Lara talks with her sister about how she is upset with her children more then anything. She says they lack "street-smarts" but her sister laughs and asks Lara how she expects them to have that when the kids have the polar opposite upbringing that they had. Meanwhile, in Chucks office, a team that includes Bryan goes over details regarding a case against a NJ contractor. Chuck thanks them, but at the end of the meeting, tells Bryan to stick around while everyone else leaves. Chuck questions Bryan about the informant, and Bryan reminds Chuck of his recusal and pleads with him to honor it. When Chuck refuses to budge, Bryan confirms with Chuck that they have a criminal informant by the name of Donnie Caan. He says they flagged him after he loaded up on Rubinex, a biochemical company, to an enormous degree, far outside the traders usual comfort zone. After doing so, Rubinex receives FDA approval for one of their products and the stock skyrockets. Caan makes a massive profit from the trade, but fails to create a false paper trail for the trade that would disprove the notion that he only acquired such information via insider training. Bryan says they also pull data from Donnie's electronics proving his guilt. The two laugh as Bryan states that he believes Donnie will be the downfall of Axe.

Lara sits down with Lilly, who shares guilt that she had a role in starting this fight between Axe and Bruce. Lara is sympathetic, but startled when Lilly asks Lara to understand why she cannot comment on the fight, stating that her husband Keith's business could be affected by the negative press. Lara doesn't even say goodbye to Lilly when she walks away. Back at Axe Capital, Bobby watches the video recording of the fight in his office that the police and press are in possession of. The part about the alcohol accusation has been conveniently cut out, and Bobby pushes to figure out the source so they can get the full unedited footage. He is informed that Mike Dimonda provided them with the video and has asked for comment, Axe says that is his way in, but is told that Dimonda won't reveal his source. Axe goes into a state of deep concentration and tries to recall the day at the pool. He confirms there were 11 other people at the pool party, and says the video was clearly taken from his left side, where he remembers 6 people standing. The mental gymnastics pay off as Axe realizes that there are only two possibilities of people who recorded the video, it was either the girlfriend of Bruce's son, or the friend that said girlfriend had brought. Wags and company are impressed, but Bobby states what he needs isn't applause, but to find the original video. Bobby gets a text message from Lara confirming Lilly is not on their side, and leaves the office for the police station visit.

Orrin, Mueller, and Bobby meet with the police and discuss matters. The police officers confirm they've seen the video and can get Bobby's version of events written down for the record, but that they cannot sweep things under the rug as the footage will soon start circulating and will reflect poorly on the department if they go easy on the billionaire for knocking out the multi-millionaire without consequence. Back at home, Wendy and Chuck regroup and discuss their days. Wendy, now having doubts after her earlier meeting with Axe, questions Chuck about how specifically the plea deal brokedown. Chuck chooses to be vague stating only, at the end of the meeting, Axe tore up the check and threw it in Chuck's own face as he previously stated. Wendy now knows there is more to the story, but doesn't push it. She tells Chuck they have a dinner tomorrow with the Gilbert's. Chuck wants to reschedule, but Wendy informs they have rescheduled numerous times already. Chuck says he is "creeped" out by how close the couple is, but Wendy says that is how couples are suppose to behave.

Back at the Axe residence, the kids show disgust over eating omelettes again. Lara is surprised and tells the kids to apologize to Chef Ryan, but as they continue to appear rude, Lara decides to teach them a lesson. She takes them to the beach at high tide to look for clams. The kids complain about how cold it is, but Lara says they will only get to eat what they catch today so they can learn about the work that gets put in for a meal. Lara says in the past she had to do the same with her siblings growing up or they wouldn't eat and when the kids ask how long they'll be out there, Lara says high tide will end in 4 hours.

Axe and Wags meet with Raul Gomez who shares that he stayed with the team through the "Dollar Bill" Stearn investigation, but he is uncertain he can stay with the fund now that Bobby is on record throwing punches at people. Raul doesn't wanna pull his money from the fund, but says he will if Bobby ends up with even a misdemeanor. He tells Axe to make it go away, pay whatever it takes, and to make sure a non-disclosure is signed. As the meeting ends, Dimonda responds back to Axe's team that he will run the story, with or without Axe's comment soon. Axe says he is going to see Mike Dimonda personally.

Chuck greets Spyros loudly and motions the man to a meeting happening in a closed windowed cubicle. Spyros freezes up at the sight of seeing Martina Slovis behind the windows having a discussion with Kate Sacker. Chuck tells Spyros he gave him fair warning and recounts, back at his office, if Spyros ever wondered why they weren't friendly anymore when they were in the same study groups and recreational teams back at law school. Spyros says he believed it was because the two went in different directions professionally, but Chuck brings up the Willigut Farley mixer at Moran's in 2005. Chuck says he saw Martina Slovis then at the bar, who at the time was just a summer associate for some corporation. He remembers introducing himself and pointing out Spyros to her saying they were both classmates that arrived together to the party, but that Martina immediately went white upon seeing Spyros's face. He said Martina, in that moment, said very clearly that "Ari Spyros raped me". Spyros tells Chuck they were friends for six years at the time of the incident and asks how he could believes such an accusation. Chuck says he hadn't initially, but when he caught up with Spyros at the bar, he mentioned he had ran into her and reminds Spyros that in his drunken state he told him "I fucked that little piece. What'd she say?". Spyros reminds Chuck that its he said/she said and that the statutes of limitations no longer make it a valid case. Chuck tells Spyros he will either fall back in line and Chuck will resume his dominant role in their teamwork or else he will blow up his life using Martina.

Chuck leaves the office and meets with Kate for information on how the meeting went. Kate, oblivious to what is actually going on, says that Martina isn't a strong candidate for hire as she only recently went back to school to finish her law degree, has no practical work experience, and seems more focused on her children. Chuck says he will go over Martina's notes later but, perhaps out of guilt, tells Kate to keep her in mind for any openings in the Philadelphia offices, which are closer to where Martina currently lives.

Over dinner, Bobby wines and dines Mike Dimonda once again. Dimonda says he plans on going through with the story, regardless of how good the food is, but Axe says he is only requesting a short hold. Dimonda is told to sit on the story for one day, and in doing so he will get the opportunity to speak to someone in network television about getting his own show. Dimonda is skeptical, but Bobby says the trip will not be connected to Axe at all and that if he delays for just a day, Dimonda will still be ahead to reveal the story compared to his peers. Dimonda agrees to Bobby's terms and the two enjoy their food.

Chuck and Wendy dine with the Gillbert's and make small talk, but Chuck makes it difficult to keep things friendly. Chuck questions how the couple can stay in contact 24 hours a day, as the two work together as well, but the couple takes it in stride. They mention they initially lived separate lives but made a conscious decision to be more involved with one another later on. After the dinner, Chuck declares that he was correct in his declaration of how weirdly close the couple is, but Wendy believes the Gilbert's behave more like a normal couple and they could benefit from emulating some of the things they do. Chuck says its an act and after 17 years there is no way they can be so passionate. Wendy then decides to smack Chuck hard. Chuck is immediately turned on and the two have a crazy night of domination sex.

Lara shares with Bobby her concerns about the kids and how they need to toughen them up. Bobby tells Lara she is being too rough on them, that Bobby had to learn how to "soften up" cause clawing for everything wasn't an easy way to grow up at all. In the morning, Wendy cleans up and hides the sex toys and whips that were used the night before. She finds a note from Chuck telling her he shut off the alarm to let her sleep in and he gives his password to Wendy, something that the Gilbert's do for one another. Wendy opens her phone to find a message from Chase saying he has an opportunity for her worth discussing.

Chuck walks into Bryan's office and tells him that he is happy with how he is handling the Axelrod case. Chuck is concerned that the criminal informant hasn't yielded anything of value yet though, but Bryan says he still has confidence in Donnie. Chuck suggests a good meeting place where Bryan and Donnie can discreetly meet without being followed and Bryan agrees. Meanwhile, Donnie and Wendy sit down to discuss how things are going. Wendy shares she is happy to see Donnie's recent success, but is surprised to see how withdrawn he is with her when he previously was one of the most open people in the office. Donnie waves off her concerns though.

Wendy goes to meet Chase at a bar and he continues to charm her, though Wendy says flattery won't get him anywhere. He shares with her that he found the job that might be her "Shangri-La". Chase explains its a blue-chip consulting firm that frequently deals with innovators, thought leaders, and the type of people that go on to create fortune 500 type companies. He tells her the job will be well compensated and a welcome challenge for her as it will require her to be on her A-game always. Realizing Chase is giving her everything she wanted, she questions him about what he will get out of it as he has waived his headhunter fee. Chase says they will worry about that later and he just wants to do something nice for Wendy.

Bryan and Donnie meet privately. Donnie gives Bryan more data regarding Axe, but Donnie admits, he still doesn't have what Bryan wants yet. Bryan says he is worried that Donnie is trying to "bojangle" them; when a person who is caught decides to string everyone along until all parties hopefully lose interest. Donnie says he understands Bryan's concerns but his position is not easy given everything going on. He challenges Bryan to either let him continue or pull the trigger on him, and Bryan relents and allows Donnie to leave and continue. After the meeting ends, Chuck emerges from the shadows, alarming Bryan who believed he was having a private meeting. Bryan is disgusted with how reckless Chuck is being, but Chuck is no longer happy after seeing the interaction between Donnie and Bryan, and says they can save the complaints for tomorrow.

Lara tosses bags at her children and lets them know that they will be going camping soon with a couple of Rangers. She says its to toughen them up, but when the kids look to Axe for help, he tells them that he stands 100% behind Lara's decision and that they should get ready to learn all sorts of survival skills. Back at Axe Capital, Axe is informed that his instincts were right, the son's girlfriend did indeed have the full version of the video that exonerates Axe. Bobby questions how much it costed, but is assured it was hefty but still reasonable for them. Bobby says to upload the footage immediately to Dimonda for his article.

Dean and Gordie assemble with all the other children for the camping trip. They are informed its an electronics free zone and one of them loses their phone while the other fibs about not having one, and discreetly hides it away in a back pocket. At the Axe residence, Lara, Bobby, and Orrin smile as they watch the full video of Bruce getting knocked down. The video has been uploaded to Youtube and is trending, reaching 400,000 views in just 2 hours. More importantly, the video reveals the motivations behind the punch. Mueller shares with everyone that the police have dropped the matter now that its clear Bruce is guilty of a DUI and Axe was emotionally charged about the situation. Bobby thanks Mueller and pays him off while also enjoying a tweet recognizing Bobby for doing the right thing from Mother Against Drunk Driving. Bobby receives comment from Raul Gomez his funds are staying with Axe, and even Lawrence Boyd has decided to reach out to Bobby about a meeting, a shocking surprise considering how he had previously given him the cold shoulder.

Chuck watches the Youtube video in his office and is disgusted with Bobby receiving adoration. Bryan, having waited 24 hours, as Chuck requested, shares with him that he no longer wants the Axelrod case if Chuck continues to interfere in it. Chuck doesn't approve, but Bryan says he needs to protect his integrity. Chuck questions if its ego, but Bryan says he doesn't care about personal glory, he plans to take down Bobby with a team of people, but that it cannot include Chuck. Chuck says its not a level playing field and that Axe will do everything to ensure Bryan fails, which is why he should stay involved. Chuck says he is capable of looking past "conventional morality" to ensure the playing field is level and Bryan wins this thing. Chuck asks Bryan to sit in his chair and tells him to enjoy it. He tells Bryan he is destined for that chair and when he gets the position for real, he will understand what Chuck is talking about. He implores Bryan to stay seated and think on what he said, and Chuck leaves the office.

Bryan and Donnie meet late at night, and Donnie gives Bryan something that he says will make him happy. Meanwhile, Axe receives a late-night text from his kids and comes to their rescue. The kids race inside their dad's car as the Ranger awakens from his tent and looks befuddled. The kids share the horrors of the days camping events, and Axe tells them he believes they've learned their lesson. Showing how much of a softy he really is with his kids; he asks if they are hungry and take them out to eat as they celebrate.

## Cast

### Starring

* Paul Giamatti as Chuck Rhoades
* Damian Lewis as Bobby Axelrod
* Maggie Siff as Wendy Rhoades
* Malin Åkerman as Lara Axelrod
* Toby Leonard Moore as Bryan Connerty
* David Costabile as Mike Wagner
* Condola Rashad as Kate Sacker

### Guest Starring

* Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Raul Gomez
* Susan Misner as Terri McCue
* Stephen Kunken as Ari Spyros
* John Carroll Lynch as Mr. Gilbert
* David Cromer as Donnie Caan
* Nathan Darrow as Mick Danzig
* Louisa Krause as Lu
* Christopher Paul Richards as Dean Axelrod
* Jack Gore as Gordie Axelrod
* Steven Pasquale as Chase

### Co Starring

* Jennifer Lafleur as Nancy
* Murphy Guyer as Chief Mueller
* Adam Mucci as Tommy Mazookis
* Catherine A. Callahan as Lilly Smith
* Sarah Grace Wilson as Martina Slovis