In ‘Billions’ season 6 episode 8, titled ‘The Big Ugly,’ titanic shifts come in the feud between Mike Prince (Corey Stoll) and Charles “Chuck” Rhoades, Jr. (Paul Giamatti) as the latter decides to go after Mike’s partners. In their attempt to compete with Philip, Taylor (Asia Kate Dillon) makes a terrible mistake. Wendy (Maggie Siff) recruits Megan Rapinoe for her team for the Olympics, while Wags (David Costabile) deals with commitment issues. Here is everything you need to know about the ending of ‘Billions’ season 6 episode 8. SPOILER AHEAD.
Billions Season 6 Episode 8 Recap
As ‘Billions’ nears its season 6 finale, the animosity between Mike and Chuck reaches its zenith. Chuck finally finds a way to prevent the Olympics from happening in New York. In the previous episode, New York City was confirmed to host the 2028 Olympics. Mike had won convincingly. However, Chuck and Dave (Sakina Jaffrey) remain relentless, knowing that the only thing worse than not getting something is getting it and then ending up losing it. They visit Katerina Brett, a high-ranking official in the ICS, to convince her that Mike employed illegal means to get the Games to New York. Realizing that Chuck and Dave have nothing on the hedge-fund billionaire, Brett tells them to come to her with proofs next time.
Meanwhile, Mike basks in the glory of the success and tells his team to go all out for profit in the days leading up to the Olympics. As Philip has become the new star employee of the Michael Prince Capital, Taylor feels suddenly envious. Philip scores a massive win by investing in a self-driving car company and turning the said company into a partner for the Olympics. Taylor decides to respond by backing an aviation company called Hypersonic. However, Rian notices some glaring issues with the company and tries to warn Taylor. But they are so immersed in their competitive mode that they refuse to listen until it’s almost too late.
Billions Season 6 Episode 8 Ending: Why Does the Olympic Games Move to Los Angeles?
Ultimately, Mike’s plans fall apart because Chuck manages to get through to his partners. The New York Attorney General realizes that he will not be able to prove that Mike bribed Colin Drache and the members of the Olympic Committee. When Chuck and Dave reach out to Brett, she tells him to prove Mike’s crimes. With Drache long gone, that isn’t a viable option for Chuck any longer. So, he decides to target Mike’s partners — Sruthi Reddy, Todd Krakow, and Bud Lazzara — with the thing that all rich people arguably fear the most: taxes.
Chuck contacts the state legislatures and prepares a bill that, if passed, will force the wealthy class to pay hefty taxes. He and Dave know that people like Reddy, Krakow, and Lazzara will threaten to move their operation to neighboring states to avoid the taxes, so they arrange a dinner for the governors of those states. Chuck then convinces Sweeney to be there.
The entire thing is theater, a way to scare Mike’s partners. Things play out just as Chuck hoped. Reddy, Krakow, and Lazzara break under pressure and distance themselves from Mike. They even appear in front of the media and echoes Chuck’s claim of Mike using illegal methods to get the Olympics to New York. Mike, Scooter, and Wags visit Katerina as a last resort, but she reveals that the Games have already been moved to Los Angeles.
For Mike, getting the Games to New York was a grand gesture meant for his estranged wife, Andy. While it wasn’t the only reason, it was one of the main ones. Before this news broke, he all but convinced her to move back with him. But now, with the Games being hosted in Los Angeles, they are back to square one.
Why Is Taylor Happy about New York Losing the Games?
Since their first appearance in ‘Billions,’ Taylor has demonstrated that they have an intuitive understanding of trading. But in this episode, they let their envy toward Philip cloud their judgment. After a conversation with Wags, Rian confronts her boss and makes them see the truth. However, by then, Taylor has invested too much into Hypersonic and has no way to backtrack. New York losing the Olympics proves to be a blessing in disguise for Taylor. Hypersonic now can sever ties with Taylor’s company, which means the latter doesn’t have to suffer as big of a loss as initially feared.
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