S02.E08: Limbo

[Tara Ariano]

Cameron and Tom try to come to terms at Mutiny's user picnic. Meanwhile, Gordon searches for answers as Joe and Sara say goodbye to Dallas.

[Primetimer]

Because nature abhors a vacuum, Joe's unexpected show of conscience in last week's episode means that there's a new Joe in town. And he turns out to be the biggest Joe who ever Joed, which means Mutiny is totally Joed over.

Read the story

[ketose]

Limbo - how low can they go?

I caught the shout-out to "The Last Starfighter." That movie kicked ass, but in no way did it look like reality.

I wasn't sure what MDMA was, but I was right about it being Ecstasy. Except, now I guess they call it Molly. I wasn't sure how far Joe was going to go because that stuff usually causes impotence.

Was Cameron writing games for C64 in C? Is that even right? I kind of figured they would try to steal the concept. I just can't believe they stole the company. How does that even work? I think everyone should move to CA and join the real computer revolution. They may have a magic cure for Gordon there.

[MamaBird]

Are there still any backdoors left in the code?  If so, perhaps the Mutiny coders can bring Westnet down by introducing that great program that Gordon wrote.  

[ketose]

So the one guy is named Bode. Is that a nod to Real Genius?

[OrientalAmish]

Bosworth's son who is fictional and exists only in my TV: if you somehow deprive me of more Bosworth on this show, I will hunt you down and wound you.

Fucking amen to that!

Edited July 20, 2015 by OrientalAmish

[Yolapukka]

For the most part, I tend to get a kick out of the characters of Joe and Cameron but it was (and always is) deeply satisfying to see things blow up in their respective faces given how high-handed they typically are, especially Cameron in the last episode. I feel truly sorry for all the employees who got screwed over because she decided it was time to stop playing her "no titles" game and admit she was the big boss in order to make a bad decision that no-one else found desirable or even sensible.

 

Joe looked like he was sensing something badly off in every scene with Jacob and it really kicked into high gear in the meeting with weasel-boy. Personally I think he knew it was the smell of burnt bridges in the air. Not just with Jacob, over leaving his job and eloping, but also when he name-dropped some former IBM contacts and realized how irrelevant those connections were thanks to his own actions. The elopement was quite frankly a deeply hurtful thing to do, given that he and Sara live in the same town with her father and there is no obvious estrangement, it would have been bad even with an estrangement. Joe was a fool for going along with it and putting himself in the middle of his new bride's daddy issues. I think it's possible Jacob decided to gut Mutiny's business in the way he did when they dropped the news of the elopement because it's a way of getting at Joe without messing with his daughter. He had options that didn't involve squashing a small company simply because he could, but that was the choice he made.

 

Gordon needs to spend the night and perhaps several nights in jail and not call Donna to bail him out unless he stops his paranoid imaginings that she's trying to ruin his business. He had crappy judgement even before he was obviously ill and that's what is driving off his employees. By the way, what the hell is he doing continuing to guzzle booze with the diagnosis he has received, it doesn't seem like a good a strategy for minimizing any further progress of the brain damage he's already suffered.

 

This show really seems to be about the also-rans, the people that had the good ideas and knowledge that would eventually lead to somewhere big, but didn't have the business sense and good fortune to make it work out for themselves.

 

Poor Stan. He seems like a sweet, caring guy. He doesn't deserve to be on the receiving end of Gordon's wing-nut antics.

 

I really enjoyed the scenes with Cameron and Tom. He's a grown-up, unlike her emotionally immature self or her last bed-buddy.

Edited July 20, 2015 by yuggapukka

[zentropa]

I was living in Dallas in the HACF era... I am sure I was also at the Starck Club that night! The set was really accurate.

 

And "MDMA," what they used to call ecstasy. Memories! (or not)

Edited July 20, 2015 by zentropa

[minamurray78]

Damn, Joe.

He was ready to leave. Without flooding or setting shit on fire this time. And then this.

Yeah, maybe getting married without telling your bride's father/boss wasn't really a good idea. Although, the way Jacob was casually ok with letting Joe go and giving them a  car for honeymooning and shit, makes me guess he was already thinking of ways to go around Mutiny not selling to him, and Joe not being in the middle would only make things easier.

 

Gordon's storyline is getting sadder, particularly for Donna, who's been dealing with a paranoid crazy husband since before he got brain damage.

 

I hated every single second of Cameron's meeting with her own younger version, which finally allowed her to see the greatness of community, like, remember subtlety, writers? Some scenes are pretty nuanced, like Joe and Bosworth's meeting last week, or Joe and this Jessie guy. And then you have stuff like Cameron's scene from above, or Joe's wonderment last season, after learning that Donna's daughters had given names to their flashlight during the storm. Oh well.

[Hanahope]

I'm not sure what Joe could have done about the wedding without Jacob.  If he had told Jacob about the wedding, his wife would have been very mad at him.  He had to choose, boss/fil or wife and there's really no question who he should choose.  It was clear, after the fact, that Jacob did sense that Joe might have sabotaged the Mutiny buy out and maneuvered him out of the way so he could steal it instead.  It does prove Cameron's point, that you need to copy protect everything.

[riverheightsnancy]

When this went down, I thought, can't these guys hack it? I mean come-on, did that not even cross their minds? Where are the lawyers? Joe didn't sue over his contract, can't Mutiny prove intellectual property? Even to stop the other site for the time being while they figure out what to do? Create a NEW site, tell everyone about it and hack the old one and take it down in flames. They still have a problem of no servers though.  The users have gotten used to better access, not having that will kill Mutiny anyway. They have been very short sighted in their thinking, but that is probably how things go for a lot of people who have a great idea, but either do not have the experience, or intelligence to take it to the next level.

 

I know a lot of people have been saying how Mutiny had all these ideas well before their time or before they could actually exist, but isn't that true of real life? I thought of an idea about 18 years ago for a child protector device after my daughter was born. It was right around the time that cell phones were becoming viewed as an item that everyone would have.  I had the idea and a name, talked about it a little. Never did anything with it. Now today, they have these EXACT things on the market or aps on phones, which do the same thing I thought. Did they "steal" my idea? Nope. Just lots of people having a similar thought based on looking around at a situation and trying to find a way to improve or solve it.  It is the height of arrogance to think that only one person is capable of thinking that one thought at one point in time. Sometimes, it is the person with all the other tools in their basket and that gets it to market soonest is dubbed the inventor or winner, but that doesn't mean that other people couldn't have thought of the idea, and possibly even sooner. I would imagine that man pondered the ability to fly well  before the actual technology existed to do it. 

 

Regarding Gordon, I think he needs another workup regarding his illness. From what I read, his illness can look psychiatric and he is definitely acting paranoid and out of control. Perhaps his issue is really accelerating?

[TVHappy9463]

Let's just say this, I don't see a season 3 for Halt and Catch Fire, which makes me said because I need Lee Pace on my TV 24x7.

[dubbel zout]

it was (and always is) deeply satisfying to see things blow up in their respective faces given how high-handed they typically are, especially Cameron in the last episode.

 

Same here. It always cracks me up at how indignant Joe gets when someone uses his tactics against him. Cameron's naivete is a bit tired, though.

 

The lawyers aren't around because that's way too formal and corporate for Cameron. But the previews for next week showed Joe (I think) huffing about intellectual property. So maybe something will happen on that front. 

 

Regarding Gordon, I think he needs another workup regarding his illness.

 

I get that the show doesn't want to turn into Gordon's Medical Woes, but now that Donna knows he's sick, I find it highly unlikely she isn't doing everything she can to get additional opinions, treatment options, etc. I can see Gordon ignoring appointments that she set up, but I'd like to know she, at least, is being active about it.

 

Two more episodes in the season. I'm not sure I'll stick around for a third season, if there is one. The same plots are used, just transplanted to different situations. No, thanks.  

 

(Apology to attica: I think you're right that Toby Huss is shorter than 6'.) 

Edited July 20, 2015 by dubbel zout

[qtpye]

I know a lot of people have been saying how Mutiny had all these ideas well before their time or before they could actually exist, but isn't that true of real life? I thought of an idea about 18 years ago for a child protector device after my daughter was born. It was right around the time that cell phones were becoming viewed as an item that everyone would have.  I had the idea and a name, talked about it a little. Never did anything with it. Now today, they have these EXACT things on the market or aps on phones, which do the same thing I thought. Did they "steal" my idea? Nope. Just lots of people having a similar thought based on looking around at a situation and trying to find a way to improve or solve it.  It is the height of arrogance to think that only one person is capable of thinking that one thought at one point in time. Sometimes, it is the person with all the other tools in their basket and that gets it to market soonest is dubbed the inventor or winner, but that doesn't mean that other people couldn't have thought of the idea, and possibly even sooner. I would imagine that man pondered the ability to fly well  before the actual technology existed to do it.

 

 

It's hilarious because that is exactly what Dona was trying to tell Gordon.  Of course Gordon is ill, so that could be the explanation for his totally off the wall actions.  I felt sorry for Gordon's friend.  He did the right thing by calling the cops and now he feels bad about poor sick Gordon.

 

I love the way Cameron cam to the realization that Community is the real reason Mutiny is still in business and not her tired sad little game (the only one she has managed to put out in fifteen months).  Of course, this is the precise reason she turned down a buyout that would have been good for her company and her employees.  Those grand total of five gamers that came to the picnic are going to bail as soon as Nintendo comes out the next year, unless she truly creates something spectacular.

 

As soon as they talked about copy protected their code, I knew some sort of piracy or theft was going to happen.  I heard that sharing things for free was a big part of the computer community and people were actually affronted when Bill Gates wanted to charge for information.  I have no idea if that is true and I am certainly not very knowledgeable about that world when compared to many people on this board.  So, I will leave it to you good people to correct me on that point.

 

I hope the new company actually comes in and actually tries to hire Donna and Bos.  Cameron had really been under appreciating both horribly.  I hope some time in the future Donna is made aware that Cameron turned down the deal not because it was for the good of the company, but because she did not want the focus to go to community.

 

I really would like this show to get a third season.  However, I know this is unlikely as Mutiny has more games then this show has viewers.

[Yolapukka]

 

Cameron's naivete is a bit tired, though.

 

It's beyond tired. She needed to learn a hard lesson about the realities of running a business. She truly seems to believe that using an unconventional business model excuses her from traditional business realities. She has no foresight or any understanding of the pat phrases and cliches she likes to spout about selling out and corporate tie-wearing. For one, it doesn't matter what you wear or whether you hang out after work when it comes to what kind of boss you are, it comes down to whether you treat people with respect and value their contribution as opposed to manipulating, berating and lying to them. Other than being more approachable on a superficial basis, she is much like Joe was last year.

 

 

Edited July 20, 2015 by yuggapukka

[attica]

I think you're right that Toby Huss is shorter than 6'

 

Hee! I was totally watching the scene where Huss is next to Davis (when Joe comes over), and she's taller by at least an inch. Given that Cam is not a high-heel kinda gal, I deduced that Huss's publicists are blowing some of that super-itchy sunshine up our butts. :) 

[qtpye]

I know...after discussing it on this board, I was totally paying attention to Toby Huss's height.  He honestly seems tiny compared to most of the  people on the show.  He is also very small boned which probably adds to his diminutive appearance.  I know most people on this show are giants, but I am going to guess he is not a particularly big guy( not that it matters).

 

Speaking of diminutive...the height difference between Joe and his wife is also quite striking.

 

I am beginning to think the source of Gordon's problems are not his brain damage, but his beard.  The more beard Gordo has, the odder he acts.  I do not know if he is fantasizing about Jules because of his guilt or illness (though it could be both).

 

Donna always seems to get the short end of the stick personally and professionally.  I hope this season (series?) ends with a solid win for her.

Edited July 20, 2015 by qtpye

[Yolapukka]

I'm not sure what Joe could have done about the wedding without Jacob.  If he had told Jacob about the wedding, his wife would have been very mad at him.  He had to choose, boss/fil or wife and there's really no question who he should choose.

 

 

We don't know if Joe even questioned the idea of not including Jacob. We were seeing the aftermath of whatever conversation Joe and Sara had or didn't have about the presence of her father at the wedding.  I'm inclined to think there was no conversation or it was perfunctory. The decision to tell him via dropping in to his office was telling. They didn't take him out to lunch or have him over to their home for dinner, in other words, after not including him in the actual event they didn't tell him in a way that involved a clear gesture to invite him into their lives as a married couple.  Jacob and Sara's issues are not superficially obvious or hateful, but there seem to be problems that go beyond headstrong offspring bumping against opinionated parent.

[OrientalAmish]

Another highlight of the episode for me would be Skylar Astin guest spotting, even though he stole Mutiny's idea.... I hope it's for more than 1 episode..... ::squeals::

 

LOL @ when a Mutiny user told Donna she pictured her as being fat when she introduced herself + all she could say was, "Uhhhh.... Thank you?" with a smile....;-)p

Edited July 20, 2015 by OrientalAmish

[thuganomics85]

So, Cameron at long last realizes that community is a success and even gives Donna her do for it, and is prepared to treat it just like the games.  Of course, this just has to mean that Mutiny is now in major trouble, thanks to Jacob pretty much stealing them right under their noses.  No idea how this won't cause legal problems for him, or why Mutiny's doesn't just simply hack then in retaliation, but maybe they'll explain it next week.  And, ironically, they also blame Joe, even though he honestly had no idea what Jacob was up to and really was trying to help.  Sucks for Joe, but then again, if you are an asshole 90% of the time, people will usually tend to think the worst of you.

 

I honestly don't care about Cameron and Tom.  I felt like the scene where he kept trying to get her to say that she loved him back, went on forever.  If she ever does say it, it will probably be if/when something happens that permanently kills their relationship, and it's her Hail Mary pass to save it.  But saying "I love you" is so not Cameron.

 

Have no idea what to make of John Bosworth's son pulling strings to get him an accounting job.  I don't want Bos going anywhere, but if Mutiny keeps sinking, he might need to look for other options.

 

Gordon's just crazy now.  He thinks someone has stolen his idea, breaks into his friend's garage, is now arrested, and in the end, he now thinks it might have been Donna who betrayed him.  Oh, and he's now hallucinating Jules/Erin Cummings.  I'm now worried she's going to show back up in the finale, pregnant with his child.

 

Joe is totally going to fuck things up with Sara, right?  By changing his mind about going to California, and trying to fix what he helped happened to Mutiny, I'm guessing.  The height difference between Lee Pace and Aleksa Palladino was really noticeable this time.  First, I noticed that for the scene when they were kissing standing-up, she was pretty much standing on a stool, to even make that possible.  And, then at the club, when Joe was carrying Sara around, it really looked like it was nothing to Lee.  Kind of amusing.

[charks]

I was living in Dallas in the HACF era... I am sure I was also at the Starck Club that night! The set was really accurate.

 

And "MDMA," what they used to call ecstasy. Memories! (or not)

 

Ha ha...same here. Reminded me of our college road trips from Norman down to Deep Ellum/Starck Club.

 

And hats off to the music director...they're nailing it. Caught Vicious Pink "Cccan't You See?" mixed into Book of Love's "Boy" at the club scene. So very mid-80s.

 

Edited July 21, 2015 by charks

[ganesh]

He had to choose, boss/fil or wife and there's really no question who he should choose.

 

It was said before as much, but Joe could have had a conversation about including him as a witness or something. Or, Joe should have said, "This isn't my place. You tell your father what we're doing." 

 

It's beyond tired. She needed to learn a hard lesson about the realities of running a business.

 

I thought this was going to be the point of having Bos there, but not really. Not that Cameron is going to become this business guru, but they made a big deal about how they have a good, almost father/daughter relationship, and I thought Bos was going to be there to help her grow.

 

I was *shocked* Cameron actually apologized. 

 

But saying "I love you" is so not Cameron.

 

I think that entire scene underscores everything wrong with Cameron. Good for the actor, because I bought it. They were having an argument, and she just goes automatically to breaking up. I don't think it's on Cameron to say "I love you" if she's not in love with him, but if you can't have an adult conversation about it, then it's time to move on. 

 

As it's been said, there's been little Nets all over the place, so this new one isn't a theft, but they took the users from Mutiny and mapped them onto the new Net. Also, Mutiny did have a contract for time on the servers, and that got squashed. I think WestCorp figures that Mutiny can't afford lawyers.

 

Thought, seriously, I want to see some hacking next week. 

 

I had no idea Molly=ecstasy.

[Texasmom1970]

 

I had no idea Molly=ecstasy.

I am an old geezer, I did not learn this until earlier this year watching an episode of "Younger" with Sutton Foster. Growing up as a teenager in the 80's I am loving the music they are using.

I think it was a lesson not only Cameron had to learn, unfortunately it happens to companies a lot. Theft of ideas, copyright infringement. Even if Cameron acts like a brat most of the time it still sucks. She did have an evil genius inspired look at the end hope her, Donna and the Mutiny guys manage to kick some ass somehow.

[wisteria]

I was living in Dallas in the HACF era... I am sure I was also at the Starck Club that night! The set was really accurate.

 

Hell, in 1985 I was a fourth grader in Richardson, and even I'd heard of the Starck Club. (My family obsessively read the Morning News every day.)

 

On-topic: I mentioned elsewhere that one of the worst parts of this for Mutiny is that although they might have a legal leg to stand on, they can't afford a decent lawyer and a long lawsuit. Nor could they afford to defend themselves from a lawsuit if they tried to sabotage Westnet. I can't really see the last two episodes eing the story of Mutiny/Cameron's personal and professional destruction (Donna will be okay, albeit injured), so I assume the writers will find an unexpected way to salvage something or even have Mutiny come out on top.

[jamblastx]

Since Mutiny and the HACF gang have invented many of today's current computer landscape, it looks like they also may be on the verge of inventing Facebook with Cameron's new ideas and resources to Community...well that is if they can somehow get Mutiny back online. I may have lived through that era as a young man, but I do seem to recall that there was such a thing as copyright protection and breeches of contract...but maybe I am mistaken as I seem to remember games being MUCH larger than computer bulletin boards.

[dubbel zout]

copyright protection and breeches of contract

 

Does any of that apply to Mutiny? I can see Cameron deciding that kind of business stuff was unnecessary and uncool. She only just started copy protecting stuff. Isn't that more of a software thing as opposed to a legal one? I do know intellectual law had a lot of catching up to do to accommodate the Internet. The legal system today is still behind what's happening online.

[orza]

Cameron started copy-protecting their stuff on the day of the picnic, the same day that the WestCorp guys finished their work, so they got all of Mutiny's code sometime earlier. It is not clear to me if Mutiny is also storing code on the WestCorp mainframe. If so, perhaps there was a something in the fine print of the leasing contract stating that anything stored on their mainframe becomes property of WestCorp if Mutiny didn't pay their bills on time.

 

It doesn't take much effort to make superficial changes to source code so it is different enough from the original to stand up to claims of theft or piracy. Lots of small companies at that time were founded using the contents of a pilfered backup tape from a previous employer. Also, Mutiny wasn't doing anything truly unique and never been done before. At any given time there were (and still are) many different companies working on the same ideas and coming up with similar solutions. The ones with the best management and funding to get them to market first were successful.

[margol29]

"Poor" Joe looked like he wanted to cry a couple of times this episode. Everytime he talked about going to CA. Especially with Gordon in the garage. Ha so funny.

[ahpny]

When this went down, I thought, can't these guys hack it? I mean come-on, did that not even cross their minds? Where are the lawyers? Joe didn't sue over his contract, can't Mutiny prove intellectual property? Even to stop the other site for the time being while they figure out what to do?

 

Ah, well some of us lawyers are here, and have some issues with this. While it is sadly quite plausible that an arrogant, large corporation would ripe off a small - presumed-to be-defenseless start-up - Mutiny has several legal options. Yes, they apparently can't afford a lawyer, but some might work on a contingency (i.e., for "free"), especially against a company with very deep pockets like Westgroup or whatever their name is. Then there's also the possibility of criminal prosecution. That doesn't require a dime, and could be a real threat. Westgroup seems to be breaking some criminal laws in addition to breaching contracts and stealing IP. Moreover, pursuing a claim for copyright infringement does not require that a program or code to be "copy protected". To prevail in a copyright infringement case, it's true that Mutiny would need to prove that Westgroup literally "copied" at least significant chunks of Mutiny code, and not just "reverse engineered" it to write their own version of the same thing, but Westgroup is still passing themselves off to Mutiny's users as Mutiny. That's fraud. The government cares about that, not just Mutiny.

 

Nevertheless, the extent of what WestGroup has done isn't' clear. What is clear is that they booted Mutiny off its network and seamlessly swapped in their own program to do the same thing for Mutiny's users, who can't even tell the difference. That doesn't necessarily mean they copied Mutiny's code, though if you're going to breach your contracts, steal clients and impersonate another company, why not break all the laws - copyright included - while you're at it. 

 

In real life, this type of situation would likely devolve into a long, complicated legal mess that wouldn't be all that interesting to follow. I expect they'll keep the legal stuff to a minimum, but can't exclude it entirely given the path they've already set.

[scowl]

So how does WestGroup bill Mutiny's customers without a customer list?

 

When people signed up for Mutiny's services, it was a contract between two parties. It seems like Westnet is practicing Interference in Business Relations since it relies on deceiving customers instead of giving them a choice. They're betting Cameron will have no idea how to take proper action and since she's probably going to run around the house screaming and sobbing for several weeks, they're probably safe from anything legal. As ahpny said, they could probably get someone to work on contingency, especially since some lawyers like to work on cases that might set a legal precedent. 

 

The music in this episode was fantastic! "Chamber of Hellos" and "Boy" were on my Walkman back then.

 

ETA: I think legally this is the same as getting "slammed", when long distance providers fraudulently switched your long distance service to theirs. You'd start getting bills from another provider. Most people just paid them.

Edited July 22, 2015 by scowl

[Cramps]

Also music props this episode for the dB's, the Clash and Lone Justice. You all can go to the club with Joe. I will hang out at the Mutiny party. (Also props for the REM, Fear and Black Flag posters and flyers on the walls.)

Edited July 22, 2015 by Cramps

[scowl]

Whenever I see the Fear or Black Flag posters, I laugh at the thought of one of these geeks slam dancing at one of their concerts.

[RustbeltWriter]

And this is how Cameron will learn that even rebels need iron clad contracts when their application is riding on someone else's network. A business owner always needs to be thinking about how things will blow up and how they will manage when they do. You know why? Because things always blow up..

[apgold]

Also music props this episode for the dB's, the Clash and Lone Justice. You all can go to the club with Joe. I will hang out at the Mutiny party. (Also props for the REM, Fear and Black Flag posters and flyers on the walls.)

Whomever is the music supervisor for this show, he/she is doing a great job.  I used to listen to the local "new wave" station in NY (WLIR) and they played the dance pop, college rock and the punkier stuff and I liked most of it.  I really enjoyed hearing Bronski Beat and Book of Love at the club, I saw the latter open for Depeche Mode in, you guessed it, 1985! (And yes, I feel old!)

 

I think I'm enjoying this season more than the last.  Donna is less of a Mary Sue character, although she is more together than anyone of the main characters.  Don't know how Gordon getting arrested or Mutiny being hi-jacked is going to affect her.

 

Looking forward to the season finale!

Edited July 23, 2015 by apgold

[charks]

Also music props this episode for the dB's, the Clash and Lone Justice. You all can go to the club with Joe. I will hang out at the Mutiny party. (Also props for the REM, Fear and Black Flag posters and flyers on the walls.)

I love it all brother. Pretty sure Cameron was listening to Red Lorry Yellow Lorry on her Walkman early in the episode. I'll continue with this show solely for the music.

[Cramps]

If you go to the AMC website they have playlists for each of the characters. For those of you who spent the 80s listening to college radio, you'll find quite a few of them particularly enjoyable!

[ganesh]

I was going to ask if anyone checked out the playlists yet. 

[riverheightsnancy]

I am a huge Lone Justice / Maria McKee fan, how the hell did I miss the song? What song was it? 

[thegreathoo]

I don't think I hated a character more than this blonde Cameron dumbarse.  Joffrey maybe.  Geez, she is annoying.

[scowl]

The show is not doing a good job with her character. I think they've put too many layers of suffering and mania on all of the characters. I'm afraid that we computer folk are just too boring for television.

[ganesh]

They didn't actually have to. They could have had Cameron struggling to run Mutiny and articulate her vision with Bos being a mentor/father.

[scowl]

I don't think many people would tune in to watch Cameron "articulate her vision" in every episode. 

 

Low ratings from last season meant they had to crank up the drama this season. The promo photo showed Cameron holding a baseball bat behind her head.

[ganesh]

That's what most of us thought around here at the end of last season. I'd go so far as to say that was the most anticipated plot coming into this season.

 

Drama doesn't have to be *drama*. There's plenty going on building Mutiny without Cameron acting ridiculous all the time. Oh, look, Cameron's throwing a tantrum. Again. That's all we've really gotten out of this season. Oh, look, she's verbally abusing Donna. Again. I guess since she apologized that counts at character development. 

[scowl]

My theory is that TPTB disagree. Average people are not going to tune in to see a start-up computer game company from the 80's. They will tune in to see attractive actors playing tormented and flawed characters reacting to events.

 

This season's plot points have had little to do with the difficulties in the mid-80's computer industry. They've been more like a series of crises that the passionate characters have (over)reacted to. People want to know how Cameron, Gordon, Donna, and Joe are going to flip out next week. Maybe Joe will set something on fire again. Maybe Cameron will finally beat someone to death with that baseball bat. I don't see much problem solving which would bore the average viewer. 

[ganesh]

You can still have all that and not have Cameron screaming and whining and throwing things though was my point. There's a balance. I don't think the show really thought out the narrative direction for this season. S1 was much more plot driven while having the character moments. They could have done something similar this season just with Mutiny/games and WestCo/servers/internet.

 

I'm not suggested anything that hasn't been done on the show already. 

Edited July 28, 2015 by ganesh

[KaleyFirefly]

Let's just say this, I don't see a season 3 for Halt and Catch Fire, which makes me said because I need Lee Pace on my TV 24x7.

I need Bosworth on my TV.