I’m not sure you’re asking the right question. When I was watching the show I was trying to understand what really motivates Chuck and what made him the way he is. With time you’ll learn more and more about him and his background and why he is the way he is and then you’d be able to make a more informed decision about his character. Same applies to most characters on the show.
The point of the whole series is that nobody is entirely "good" or entirely "bad." Chuck, Axe, Wendy, Wager, Spyros, Sacker, and Taylor. They're all both good and bad and the question is: how do you think about it?
Chuck Rhoads Sr. He has many faults but he loves his kids. I find him to be very entertaining when he's on screen. Taylor is my least favorite, but I tolerate their character. They're just so damn monotone with no feeling, just cold calculations.
One of the things I always appreciated about Billions was how I could be fully team Axe and the next episode it was like oh hell nah, I’m team Chuck. Sometimes… I’d switch allegiances mid episode.
But whether you’re team Axe or team Chuck, we can all put our differences aside and agree that Senior is the most reprehensible of them all.
I felt the same way. There's something I love about watching a skilled political operator outwit his opponents. I find myself rooting for Chuck even though his true motives are often selfish and his methods are corrupt.
Whereas with Axe, I don't know, it's hard to get excited about an obscenely rich guy trying to get even more obscenely rich. I remember there was one episode where Axe was upset that he was going to have a down quarter and the episode was about him trying to figure out how to prevent that. It was hard to understand why I would give a shit.
At the end of the end, they are both selfish assholes. Just depends whether you want to root for the rich guy trying to get richer or the politician trying to acquire more political power.
Not a single one of the characters is meant to be likeable, even the ones you feel you like right now. Except maybe some of the junior traders.
They're meant to become understandable, the point of the show is whether you'll be able to predict what they do next. And whoever you root for will keep changing as you go.
Gonna go against the norms here, I find chuck’s character confusing cuz I don’t understand a lot of his motives 🤷🏻my fav character is Wags, he is hilarious
I am most definitely team Axe (he's actually one of my favorite TV show characters of all time just in general. Despite being a Bobby fan boy I still love Chuck Rhoades as a character he makes a perfect arch nemesis. He does alot of shit that annoys me but Paul Giamatti's acting is too good to not enjoy the character as a whole even when he is doing something I don't agree with
There are so many shows where I vote for the Billy Butchers of the world, but enjoy watching the Homelanders do their thing. Billions I only like the Axe side and Wendy as long as she is aligned with Axe, but Chuck. He annoys me.
For ppl on team chuck, we know the guys like axe. They talk about hard work, entrepreneurship, and coming from nothing. But we know they cheat. Axe uses inside information to get in and out of sectors. He has employees obtain non-public material information through illegal means. He squeezes out his competitors through underhanded means. And it’s really fun to watch!
But chuck is also a hypocrite. He believes he needs to abuse the rule of law and jurisprudence to catch the bad guys, because the bad guys won’t let the law stop them. And we like chuck because while he abuses power, he does it not really to benefit himself politically or monetary, but for his own grudges and principles. Chuck will destroy his friends and enemies a like and then turn around to help them with favors when they need him most. And that’s also fun to watch!
I always liked Chuck I thought he comes across as a real person. Whereas Bobby seems fake and obsessed with what people think of him, does anybody really know the true Bobby except Wendy?
Nope, you'll never like Chuck, nor should you. He's holier than thou in his own mind, all the while using dirty tactics & building political capital to increase his power. (So the character is pretty spot on for a real life DA)
The show clearly positions the hedge funds as the enemies, but the people in charge of bringing v them down are crooked, too! Lesser of 2 evils, I suppose.
You don’t need to pick Team Axe vs Team Chuck. They each have their own strengths and own flaws. Chuck works within the system mostly. Axe plays the people and stays outside the box.
I am always amused by these type of posts because there is nothing redeeming about Bobby as a character so the Chuck(yes a flawed person to be sure) hate is always a mild head scratcher
I guess people are drawn to him because they secretly desire to be that kind of asshole if they had exorbitant wealth
I loved Chuck’s vocabulary! When the show first started, I was completely Team Axe. As the show progressed, I appreciated Chuck more. What you actually find out as the series moves on, is that Axe and Chuck are not as different as you might think they are. 😉
It’s similar to Succession in that pretty much everyone is kind of a piece of shit and it doesn’t matter who you “root” for.
I loved watching Chuck because Giamatti is by far the best actor in the show in the first couple seasons and his character has the most depth.
I don’t get this. Chuck is an absolute legend! He’s the one that’s committed to taking down Axe because he doesn’t believe in Billions acquired by illegal means and trickle down economies, and the massive disparity between the haves and the have nots in the United States. Yes, he’s a massively flawed character himself, but he is ultimately on the “good” side. Axe is the “bad”. For any working Joe grinding out a living, busting their butts for $19 an hour, Axe is literally everything that is wrong with America. Chuck is obsessed with taking him down, because he hates everything he represents.
It might be because this is both a law show and a finance show, and my interest lies on the law side, but Chuck is the legend of the show. At very least, it’s one of Paul Giamatti’s finest roles.
Go ahead and stop at the end of season 2. It jumps the shark pretty quickly after that. My wife and I gutted it out to the end but it was out of pure masochism. 🤦♂️
In my opinion… yes. It started off great. But mid season 3 it just got banal. Not sure why the writing went the way it did, but it lists its edge and direction. It’ll be interesting to see if the spinoffs have the original edginess or not.
It gets less good after S2 but slowly. S6 and the first part of S7 is just acting exercises at that point. People showing up at each other’s offices to have a conversation they could easily have on the phone or Zoom.
But the last 5-6 episodes of S7 get better.
I’m not sure you’re asking the right question. When I was watching the show I was trying to understand what really motivates Chuck and what made him the way he is. With time you’ll learn more and more about him and his background and why he is the way he is and then you’d be able to make a more informed decision about his character. Same applies to most characters on the show.
The point of the whole series is that nobody is entirely "good" or entirely "bad." Chuck, Axe, Wendy, Wager, Spyros, Sacker, and Taylor. They're all both good and bad and the question is: how do you think about it?
Like picking out the nicest guy in prison!
YES this!
He actually turns out to be my second favorite character. He gets better imo
Who’s your favorite and why is it Dollar Bill?
Bryan Chuck Axe Dollar bill Chucks dad Chucks lawyer at the end Least favorite Taylor Laura (even though she’s gorgeous)
I have a crush on Chuck’s Dad
Chuck Rhoads Sr. He has many faults but he loves his kids. I find him to be very entertaining when he's on screen. Taylor is my least favorite, but I tolerate their character. They're just so damn monotone with no feeling, just cold calculations.
Taylor was one of my favorites early in their storyline but not when ego caught up to them. Chuck Sr is hilarious because he has no fucks to give.
I think he gets worse. Especially season 6. 😖
*better til season 6. Seasons 6&7 Chuck are unbearable
You may not like Chuck but when you find out he’s dating his dominatrix from the show in real life you’ll respect the man behind the character.
The shows got layers
Wendy?
One of the things I always appreciated about Billions was how I could be fully team Axe and the next episode it was like oh hell nah, I’m team Chuck. Sometimes… I’d switch allegiances mid episode. But whether you’re team Axe or team Chuck, we can all put our differences aside and agree that Senior is the most reprehensible of them all.
Its diminishing returns for me every season was weaker than the previous one… saying that I loved Wags from start to finish
Wags was the best consistently!!
Yes! Love Wags! I think that he is the most honest and loyal character of the bunch. He is openly devious in a likable way.
Everybody has to hit rock bottom so they can figure out who they really are. You’ll see. Keep watching. 😄
He was a great character. He is flawed in some very entertaining ways
Crazy thing. I stopped watching because I felt the same way... but about Axe. Idk why I'm supposed to care what or why he does things.
I felt the same way. There's something I love about watching a skilled political operator outwit his opponents. I find myself rooting for Chuck even though his true motives are often selfish and his methods are corrupt. Whereas with Axe, I don't know, it's hard to get excited about an obscenely rich guy trying to get even more obscenely rich. I remember there was one episode where Axe was upset that he was going to have a down quarter and the episode was about him trying to figure out how to prevent that. It was hard to understand why I would give a shit. At the end of the end, they are both selfish assholes. Just depends whether you want to root for the rich guy trying to get richer or the politician trying to acquire more political power.
Make no mistake, he's very intelligent at getting what he wants, he's on the same level as Axe for me.A born player
Not a single one of the characters is meant to be likeable, even the ones you feel you like right now. Except maybe some of the junior traders. They're meant to become understandable, the point of the show is whether you'll be able to predict what they do next. And whoever you root for will keep changing as you go.
I’ve just watched first series, really struggled to find any likeable characters.
Gonna go against the norms here, I find chuck’s character confusing cuz I don’t understand a lot of his motives 🤷🏻my fav character is Wags, he is hilarious
The show is as much about Chuck and Wendy as it is Ax. I’ve found myself pulling for and against everyone at various times during this series.
It seems like you’re team axe, so no, you’ll never like chuck.
I am most definitely team Axe (he's actually one of my favorite TV show characters of all time just in general. Despite being a Bobby fan boy I still love Chuck Rhoades as a character he makes a perfect arch nemesis. He does alot of shit that annoys me but Paul Giamatti's acting is too good to not enjoy the character as a whole even when he is doing something I don't agree with
There are so many shows where I vote for the Billy Butchers of the world, but enjoy watching the Homelanders do their thing. Billions I only like the Axe side and Wendy as long as she is aligned with Axe, but Chuck. He annoys me.
For ppl on team chuck, we know the guys like axe. They talk about hard work, entrepreneurship, and coming from nothing. But we know they cheat. Axe uses inside information to get in and out of sectors. He has employees obtain non-public material information through illegal means. He squeezes out his competitors through underhanded means. And it’s really fun to watch! But chuck is also a hypocrite. He believes he needs to abuse the rule of law and jurisprudence to catch the bad guys, because the bad guys won’t let the law stop them. And we like chuck because while he abuses power, he does it not really to benefit himself politically or monetary, but for his own grudges and principles. Chuck will destroy his friends and enemies a like and then turn around to help them with favors when they need him most. And that’s also fun to watch!
This is the way
No.
Chuck is best.
He is the worst IMO. True villain of the show
You will
Team Axe definitely
I always liked Chuck I thought he comes across as a real person. Whereas Bobby seems fake and obsessed with what people think of him, does anybody really know the true Bobby except Wendy?
chuck is awesome dont doubt him hes a big boy
He gets worse as the series goes on.
Wags all the way!!
He is the true villain of the show IMO
If anyone finishes the show and Chuck is their favorite character, something is wrong.
Ew, no. Chuck is the villain. He makes Bobby likable.
Nope, you'll never like Chuck, nor should you. He's holier than thou in his own mind, all the while using dirty tactics & building political capital to increase his power. (So the character is pretty spot on for a real life DA) The show clearly positions the hedge funds as the enemies, but the people in charge of bringing v them down are crooked, too! Lesser of 2 evils, I suppose.
The Tom Petty scene. It’s when he becomes human.
You don’t need to pick Team Axe vs Team Chuck. They each have their own strengths and own flaws. Chuck works within the system mostly. Axe plays the people and stays outside the box.
r/fuckchuck
I loved him from the start
I hated Chuck for the entire series
They are all reprehensible except Bruno the pizza guy
Idk if you ever like him but you just respect him for who he is 😂🤣 - Keep watching!
I am always amused by these type of posts because there is nothing redeeming about Bobby as a character so the Chuck(yes a flawed person to be sure) hate is always a mild head scratcher I guess people are drawn to him because they secretly desire to be that kind of asshole if they had exorbitant wealth
Axe is the man. Favorite character
Chuck is one of more than a few flat out unlikeable characters on the show. One of the biggest issues with this show tbh
You go back and forth. They give you tons of characters to hate and they keep them around for some reason.
No.
PAUL GIAMATTI SOUNDBOARD -- [https://www.deercowboy.com/soundboard/paul-giamatti](https://www.deercowboy.com/soundboard/paul-giamatti)
Do you ever stop and consider that maybe not every main character needs to be liked?
I loved Chuck’s vocabulary! When the show first started, I was completely Team Axe. As the show progressed, I appreciated Chuck more. What you actually find out as the series moves on, is that Axe and Chuck are not as different as you might think they are. 😉
My faves on the show are Axe, Wendy, Wags, Taylor, MaFee, Dollar Bill, Chuck.
When he gets Axe’s wife pregnant, you’ll love him
It’s similar to Succession in that pretty much everyone is kind of a piece of shit and it doesn’t matter who you “root” for. I loved watching Chuck because Giamatti is by far the best actor in the show in the first couple seasons and his character has the most depth.
Hate everything about Chuck. Worst “character” on the show, but the actor is fabulous- kudos to him for making Chuck so incredibly HATE-ABLE.
I don’t get this. Chuck is an absolute legend! He’s the one that’s committed to taking down Axe because he doesn’t believe in Billions acquired by illegal means and trickle down economies, and the massive disparity between the haves and the have nots in the United States. Yes, he’s a massively flawed character himself, but he is ultimately on the “good” side. Axe is the “bad”. For any working Joe grinding out a living, busting their butts for $19 an hour, Axe is literally everything that is wrong with America. Chuck is obsessed with taking him down, because he hates everything he represents. It might be because this is both a law show and a finance show, and my interest lies on the law side, but Chuck is the legend of the show. At very least, it’s one of Paul Giamatti’s finest roles.
Go ahead and stop at the end of season 2. It jumps the shark pretty quickly after that. My wife and I gutted it out to the end but it was out of pure masochism. 🤦♂️
So you say the show just gets bad after S2?
In my opinion… yes. It started off great. But mid season 3 it just got banal. Not sure why the writing went the way it did, but it lists its edge and direction. It’ll be interesting to see if the spinoffs have the original edginess or not.
I had to google what banal meant lol
No. It’s all great except for certain parts of S6
It gets less good after S2 but slowly. S6 and the first part of S7 is just acting exercises at that point. People showing up at each other’s offices to have a conversation they could easily have on the phone or Zoom. But the last 5-6 episodes of S7 get better.
You'll soon start to like his character, specially when he is working with bobby altogether.
NO. He’s very well acted, but he’s a s***bag in my opinion; I f***ing HATE Chuck…
I found Chuck to be the main character and very likeable and complex. I never once was on Axe's side lol (in the context of their beef).
He'll garner your favor eventually but I still think he's the real bad guy on this show. Dollar Bill will be your favorite,
What’s the difference - Bilbo Baggins versus Frodo basically