TV: Halt and Catch Fire

[Dual Life]

Searched but didn't find a thread

This is now the official place to discuss AMC new show Halt and Catch Fire. Set in the early 80s the show explores how a charismatic and hard-driving former IBM sales exec orchestrates a plan to rip off the flagship product of his former employer.



Needless to say, as a former economics student who spent rather much time researching the rapid digitalisation of finance, I am pretty #HYPE

Click to read more...

 

[member 151739]

I like Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) and Kerry Bishe. So the commercial entices me.

 

[Evil Doctor]

This is one of the few new series that AMC has put out that actually seemed interesting. A series built around the dawn of the personal computer would be a natural draw for me since I actually remember playing around with some of those early personal computers and actually took some training in Computer Electronics Engineering.

However, outside of the big three, AMC series haven't exactly grabbed me. I regretted watching the entire season of Rubicon, and The Killing, Hell on Wheels, and Low Winter Sun never grabbed my interest. Of course I would never watch any series like Turn that portrays the British as completely evil. Small Town Security is just incomprehensibly strange and Comic Book Men is just completely boring.

So while I didn't have high hopes for HCF I still have wanted to give it a try, and fortunately I really enjoyed it. I loved Lee Pace in Pushing Daisies but here he is playing a character that is 180 degrees from that of The Pieman. He plays a wonderfully slimy salesman Joe MacMillan that manages to manipulate a small Texas software firm into cloning an IBM computer.

However, once the show was done, I couldn't stop thinking about it. This has grabbed me in much the same way the big three have. I thinking about Joe's Machiavellian plot, what is his endgame? Was Cardiff just a means to the end of acquiring Gordon Clark? What was so special about the Symphonic, and why did it fail? What will Donna Clark's role in this be? Why was Joe hitting baseballs in his apartment? What happened during Joe's missing year?

I'm really looking to the next episode. If the first episode is any indication, I think AMC has finally produced a series on the same level as the big three.

 

[Evil Doctor]

I'm sad that there isn't more discussion of this series. I think this series is a brilliant character study on the same level as Mad Men, Walking Dead and Breaking Bad. I've been really absorbed by the episodes and I've become invested in the story, though it really takes a back seat to the clash of characters.

 

[Virtanen18]

I'm sad that there isn't more discussion of this series. I think this series is a brilliant character study on the same level as Mad Men, Walking Dead and Breaking Bad. I've been really absorbed by the episodes and I've become invested in the story, though it really takes a back seat to the clash of characters.

I finally got around to watching the pilot and really enjoyed it. I'll try and catch up in the next couple days.

 

[Rhett4]

I'm one episode behind, but I am really liking this. The premise is "meh," but great dialogue and acting make it easily the most engaging new summer show. I also find Gordon's wife to be the most compelling character. Really dig her.

 

[Archangel]

Started a month ago? I need to catch up. One problem with the posted video. Characters aren't that fresh. Blond chick looks like a riff of the girl with the dragon tattoo and everyone else's characters are just recycled

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Meh. It's kinda...there.

Placeholder while we wait for Walking Dead, Hell on Wheels, Mad Men, etc to produce more seasons.

 

[Virtanen18]

Love this show. It'll never get the hype it deserves but it's a heck of a show so far. Everyone plays their character so perfectly.

Donna is so quick and witty with her responses, love her. Joe is charismatic as hell, as advertised. Gordon plays the perfect engineer-nerd who hardly has a clue about business.

 

[SirPaste]

Watched the first three episodes, just couldnt get into it. From what I hear a lot of people feel the same way, doubt it lasts very long

 

[AfroThunder396]

Good show, love Lee Pace's character. He pulls off the greasy corporate executive really well.

I agree with the above posts, the premise is kind of meh but the dialogue and character interactions are top notch.

 

[Grave]

Yeah Lee Pace is great, I really just love the music in this show.

 

[SensBrawler]

AMC has renewed Halt and Catch Fire for a second season.

http://deadline.com/2014/08/halt-and-catch-fire-renewed-for-second-season-amc-822134/

 

[Virtanen18]

Great news. I thoroughly enjoyed the first season.

 

[SensBrawler]

Season two premiere is tonight.

 

[Virtanen18]

I hope it's not all about Cameron's new company with Donna, though I do like Donna a lot. Cameron is just a character I never really understood or had much interest in. Super excited though.

 

[Plub]

I hope it's not all about Cameron's new company with Donna, though I do like Donna a lot. Cameron is just a character I never really understood or had much interest in. Super excited though.

She's the future. The spark that creates change.

This is one of my favorite shows. Lee Pace is awesome in it.

 

[Hivemind]

Really not sure where this show is going to go in season 2. I mean, I've seen the previews, but the momentum isn't really there.

 

[Virtanen18]

I'm enjoying season 2 outside of Cameron still being pretty annoying. Gordon and Joe working together again is great. And Donna is hot as hell.

 

[serge2k]

I am kinda liking the joe story, the cameron story, and the computer story.[

Gordon and Donna's personal lives are the worst thing ever. I do not care. The basic dynamic between them is solid, but all the **** with Gordon dying or whatever is the worst.

 

[Kane One]

Cameron has to be the most annoying person on TV. She's such an annoying *****.

 

[Hivemind]

Haven't watched any of S2 yet, but Cameron was pretty much the only one I liked in S1.

 

[Virtanen18]

Gordon crazy af for cheating on Donna.

 

[HockeyThoughts]

Cameron has to be the most annoying person on TV. She's such an annoying *****.

Easily the worst character on television. And she's like the main character of this show *shudder*

This season has been extremely boring. Last episode was promising though, finally seeing the plot progress and the stories coming together.

 

[HockeyThoughts]

Anyone else watching? The show picked up a bunch of steam and has been pretty awesome the last couple of episodes!