Rake and Axe are laws unto themselves

IF POPULAR culture reflects, or more likely determines national identity, then Australia, as shown in Netflix’s Rake, is “America”. And while we are at it, bits of Sydney are clearly “Brooklyn” and the judicial components of the government of New South Wales, manifestly “New York”. The accents are different, but believe me fellow sinners, the content, characters, theme music and language are pallid clones of outstanding shows like Billions. How so you say? Let me count the ways.

A rake in this context is an 18th century British caricature, made up in unequal parts of wit, brains, status and lust. Servant girls, milk maids and shepherdesses are routinely seduced and violated, while the wives of friends struggle to stay out of the rake’s bedroom. Our rake, the hero, is a complicated fellow, constructed by the scriptwriters entirely out of the spare parts bin of popular television. Simultaneously, he is a poor but successful lawyer, desired by his colleagues’ wives, seduces women in the jury, is divorced from a therapist wife, in love with a sex worker, father of a pimply school boy, a gambler, drug user and, and, and. In short, he is a disrupter, a role he shares with Bobby “Axe” Axelrod, a hedge fund genius in Billions.

Unlike Rake’s jokey 18th century persona, Axe is the model of rapacious capitalism, intellectually way ahead of the pack, desired by women, a man dangerously close to massive illegality, locked in battle with a senior US prosecutor, dominated emotionally by the office shrink and life coach, and so on. Like the Rake, but not the same.

Next, the locales and sets. Rake, down on his financial luck, owes thousands on school fees, has lowincome clients, and owes huge sums to dangerous criminals who run gambling dens. He is himself beaten up as a warning, in a Chinatown (the movie) referenced meeting with his debtors who make him an offer only advanced plastic surgery and relocation to Peru will allow him to refuse.

I forget the accounting details, except for the 29% compound interest per week. Due to his financial pressures he lives in a downmarket but sorta artistic neighbourhood which is kinda sorta like a fantasy Brooklyn.

His neighbour downstairs has a heavy non-english ethnic identity and runs a coffee shop. He starts Rake’s day by banging his coffee shop ceiling with a broom handle. So aroused, the Rake dons his dressing gown (paisley, I think) and pads out of his front door into the coffee shop. Breakfast and occasional opportunities for assignations both legal and sexual sometimes occur. The soundtrack plays not-quite jazz mixed for some reason with bits of Ravel’s Bolero. Police sirens wail from time to time.

Then the senior judicial officers of the show. These include judges, prosecutors and the Attorney-general himself.

The relationships between these worthy folk and our Rake are blokey and jokey with conversations that sound like cricket sledging but are in fact quite affectionate.

Certain non-standard arrangements are made and applied as they are without humour and greater menace in Billions.

Finally, Rake, like most shows I’ve enjoyed on Netflix, encourages binge-watching.

This is dangerous to your health and undermines personal commitment to serious reading, proper food and regular exercise.

Believe me. I’ve been there.