‘Billions’ Season 5 Episode 7: Who is Dr Swerdlow, played by Rick Hoffman aka Louis Litt from ‘Suits’?
Spoilers for 'Billions' Season 5 Episode 7 'The Limitless Sh*t'
It's not always about the shocks in Showtime's ‘Billions’, sweet surprises are around the corner too. In the midseason finale, one such character will make you jump out of your seat! Rick Hoffman has booked his first role on TV after his nine-year endearing stint in ‘Suits’ — where he played the intelligent corporate attorney and the shrewd managing and name partner with a big heart, Louis Marlowe Litt.
But what is lawyer Louis Litt from ‘Suits’ doing on ‘Billions’ and what does his character have to do with Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti)? Hoffman is introduced in the show as Dr Swerdlow, a medical man with unorthodox methods. Wearing sassy glasses and having grown a mustache, Dr Swerdlow comes into Chuck's cabin and is compared to the doctor from ‘The Good Doctor’, who has a big heart with little care for money, but when Chuck asks, "And is the doctor here the same?" pat comes the answer, "Nope. Dead opposite!"
"I did that "care of patients" for years. But they kept suing me, the f**kers," Swerdlow says. "Now they can f**k themselves unless they're willing to pay me to unf**k them." However, there is one similarity between Dr Swerdlow and the Good Doc. "They both are excellent practitioners of their craft." So, Swerdlow's job in the show is to "get men like [Chuck's] father worthy paying customers, exactly what they need".
In the last couple of episodes, ‘Billions’ has been hinting at the declining health of Charles Rhoades Sr (Jeffrey DeMunn) — to the point where many fans are wondering if he will die. Dr Swerdlow comes as a saving grace for Chuck, but how will he do it? In his words, "with a special turkey baster right up his c**k!" At first, Chuck is scared and labels him a "rug merchant" but soon realizes that there's no match for Charles Sr's kidney and gets back to the doctor.
How will he help Chuck secure an organ? Dr Swerdlow pulls out a picture of a young girl and says, "She's an illegal just over from El Salvador. And a match." Woah! Seems like Dr Swerdlow has it all solved for Chuck, doesn't he? But, most of all, it's absolutely fun to see Hoffman back on the small screen with his surreptitious swagger and charisma. You just can't take your eyes off when he's on screen, can you?
Fans clearly feel so! "@RickHoffman_ So glad to see you in #Billions. It was like a meeting with old friend! I almost hugged my laptop. P.S. Once Suits fan always Suits fan ))))," one posted and another said, "Rick Hoffman 'Louis Litt' played the bad guy role and aced it, I wouldn't have imagined him dealing human organs." Another fan posted, "I almost rolled out of my chair with laughter when I saw Rick "Louis Litt" Hoffman in the latest episode of #Billions looking all serious with a weird moustache."
Swishing back into the corporate world, Hoffman brings his acting chops to the character and viewers loved that he shared the same frame as Giamatti, who has often been compared to the former in the past. "The new #Billions episode had me feeling some type of way with Paul Giamatti and Rick Hoffman getting a scene together. Acting masters," one fan said and another posted, "Rick Hoffman as some shady doctor on #Billions is precisely what I needed from this season."
One even went on to say: "Hey, Mr @RickHoffman_ just wanted to say that I just saw you on #Billions & you did an amazing acting job being the worst human being on Earth. Complete polar opposite of your character on Suits!" In the last few episodes, Julianna Margulies from ‘The Good Wife’ and Corey Stoll from ‘House of Cards’ were added to the stellar cast and have been shining in their roles. The drama airs on Sunday at 9/8c.
