Author’s note: sorry this review is going up late, but Jorge and I had to register for E3, and Margaux was busy shooting a pilot. That said, enjoy.
Margaux: I forgot to mention last week how obsessed I am with Halt and Catch Fire’s opening credit sequence. For a show based in Texas, they certainly do a good job of trying to make you forget that.
Trevor: My notes reflect the exact same sentiment. Another thing I like about this show is that it’s not dumbed-down at all; computer terms are thrown around and not necessarily explained. It’s not necessary for it to make sense to us, but it makes sense to the characters. Overall, I thought “FUD” was a much faster episode than last week’s “I/O.” What do you think?
Margaux: It’s funny that you say this weeks episode felt faster, since we were treated to Joe’s Big Idea behind reverse engineering the IBM: to make a computer that’s 2x’s faster and half as cheap. And possibly a laptop, or at least, portable.
I like that the computer lingo comes as naturally, not forced at all, a little like how Breaking Bad’s science-behind-the-meth terms were casually thrown around. That being said, I think Gordon has a touch of Walter White in him too.
Trevor: He can certainly turn on the harsher part of his nature, admonishing Joe for his “awful smile,” which I think is a nice turn of phrase. One thing that struck me about Joe is his seemingly endless well of charisma – I was legitimately pumped up during his talk to the employees of Cardiff Electric – coupled with his fly-by-night nature, as evidenced by him being caught completely off guard by IBM’s declaration of war. Obviously, a “flawed character” isn’t new to TV in 2014, but Lee Pace does a great job with the material. You get the sense that Joe isn’t a guy who will always stick the landing.
Margaux: Joe’s slick salesman facade is cracking quickly, which is a pleasant surprise. But we’re still peeling back the layers on his well of issues. He hates his Dad, has mysterious scars and he never tells the same story exactly, twice.
Trevor: A nice touch. To switch gears a little bit, while “FUD” could be a downer at times, I was struck by how happy I could be for characters at times. Especially Gordon – he gets his own office, his wife is in his corner, and thankfully he comes clean to Donna about Cameron’s gender, sparing the audience from what could be some really tedious, unpleasant suspicions. I think Scoot McNairy is doing a great job (also, “Scoot” – LOL).
Margaux: In the trend of naming your child Banjo and Pilot Inspektor, nothing surprises me anymore.
I’m glad Gordon came clean about Cameron too, I was confused at first as to why he even bothered lying via admission, worried it was be some played out themed of “long suffering wife/genius-dickhead husband”, especially since Donna is being supportive.
Donna’s exchange later with Cameron in the bathroom was tense nonetheless, I wasn’t sure why Cameron was being defensive. Other than to continue her plot of being the “fish out of water,” it just felt like a missed opportunity.
Trevor: As far as Gordon not telling Donna that Cameron is a woman, I took that as his way of walking on eggshells, because Donna wasn’t on board with this whole idea in the first place. But him coming clean before she had a chance to confront him was a nice subversion of, as you called it, “the long-suffering spouse” trope. And it was another good showcase for the chemistry between McNairy and Kerry Bishe.
Cameron and Joe were on the same level a lot. By which I mean, they both got offered jobs at IBM. I have to applaud Halt and Catch Fire for raising the stakes almost immediately, from the army of lawyers at the beginning of “FUD,” to Cameron’s apparent defection, to the near-dissolution of the team.
Margaux: The obstacles keep coming at them and don’t seem to be ending anytime soon. Sure they dodged the IBM lawyers but Joe not thinking IBM would retaliate in some form, IE taking all of Cardiff’s business, might actually end up being their biggest problem.
And what did happen to the BIOS book at the end of the episode?
Trevor: My guess is, it’s still in Cameron’s backpack. She’s not stupid, and she doesn’t seem underhanded. One thing I wonder, how will HaCF maintain the team dynamic if Gordon and Cameron aren’t even allowed on the same floor as each other? There are scenes like the one in the parking lot, sure, but as of now the majority of this show takes place at the offices of Cardiff Electric.
Margaux: By the end of “FUD” Gordon isn’t on anyone’s team it feels like. Between telling Joe that he like, “the guy who’s read Catcher in the Rye too many times and decides to shoot a Beatle.”, and slamming the door in Joe’s face after his The Greatest Game Ever Played speech; I don’t know how any of them are keep this together. Let alone, innovate a consumer laptop.
Trevor: Gordon had some great lines in “FUD.” From his sarcastic reaction to Joe’s idea of a handle, to his screaming “I’m the Beatle!” In “I/O,” Joe invited a lot of comparison to Don Draper – and he still does – but “FUD” went a long way towards differentiating the two. Don may be an asshole, but for the most part, he delivers; Joe might not be capable of the same, as evidenced by his reaction to Bosworth telling him that most of Cardiff’s employees are going to lose their jobs. Lee Pace does a good job of keeping Joe from being too likable.
Margaux: I have a question, does Cameron sleeping in the Cardiff “clean room” and drawing balls on Barry the lawyer’s face make her more likeable? Or is it that her idea of a “break” is giving a blow job? Cause that’s why I like her. Minus the homeless thing and the awkward montage of her trying horrible 80s workwear.
I think they’re doing a lot with Cameron’s character but sometimes her character can be flat, maybe a little too expected. She’s listens to punk music and has different hair, watch out Texas!
Trevor: Well, I’m always glad to hear “Blank Generation,” but I agree with you. Cameron can veer into “stock character” category at times, and she needs to show some vulnerability. If HaCF is going to posit her as a tough girl character, they need to show us the soft side so we can appreciate the hard. Mackenzie Davis is doing a fine job, but she needs more room to breathe.
Margaux: Agreed. I’d like to see more of her character but, as you said, her softer side. We’ve seen it with Joe and Gordon in their home lives, but I’d like more than fading to black on a red EXIT sign for Cameron’s backstory.
Star count? I don’t want to jinx it but I’m pretty excited for next week.
Trevor: Me too. I was leaning towards four and a half. I thought “FUD” was a marked imporovement on “I/O,” and based on the performances alone, I’m officially invested in Halt and Catch Fire.
Margaux: Definitely way too invested (again) in the fictional characters of Halt and Catch Fire, four and half stars fah sho’.
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