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Silicon Valley - S4 OT - The Venture Continues - Sundays on HBO

C

Catdaddy

Member
It’s great series, but this season was easily my least favorite and the finale is my least favorite episode of the series thus far. TJ’s exit was dull but about what I expected, and the whole move the server farm to Stanford and then ‘oops! no one closed the truck door’ was just bad, followed by the ‘we failed, but wait we didn’t!’ moment. They only have 10 episodes, but it’s like they tried to squeeze in 2-3 half hour episodes into that 1.

Will holdout and hope they can get back into stride for S5, hopefully give more Jian Yang and BigHead to replace TJ’s comic relief.

Didn’t Mike Judge say two more seasons to wrap it up?

That Jian Yang clip was great..
 
J

Jack Scofield

Member
Catdaddy said:
TJ's exit was dull but about what I expected, and the whole move the server farm to Stanford and then ‘oops! no one closed the truck door' was just bad, followed by the ‘we failed, but wait we didn't!' moment.
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Jumpstarting the van using computer batteries was the most contrived, eye-rolling thing the show has done. Was that really more effective than asking a neighbor for a jump? That part really rubbed me the wrong way. There's just no way that real people would think that jumpstarting a car with computer batteries is a good idea.
 
O

OnPoint

Member
There's just not character growth, except for Richard, who is just becoming an awful person. Or at least just revealing what an awful person he is inside. Everyone else is basically the same. It makes for a lifeless time, watching them do nothing new.
 
L

lucebuce12

Member
I really hope they do something with Richard's character in the next season because he is nothing but a goddamn asshole in this season. His whole ends justify the means shtick got annoying 4 episodes in, and it only got worse.
 
diunxx

diunxx

Member
lucebuce12 said:
I really hope they do something with Richard's character in the next season because he is nothing but a goddamn asshole in this season. His whole ends justify the means shtick got annoying 4 episodes in, and it only got worse.
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I think that was part of his development, his years and experiences in SV are turning him into a selfish asshole, like the rest of the CEOs in the show.
 
A

Adam_Vania

Banned
diunxx said:
I think that was part of his development, his years and experiences in SV are turning him into a selfish asshole, like the rest of the CEOs in the show.
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this is probably the "main arc" they wrote out at the start of the show. they just did a shitty job connecting the dots. at some point they were just like, fuck it, we'll just make him a cartoon villain and none of the other characters will react beyond a few token "character building" scenes that ultimately don't change anything anways
 
D

DizzyCaffeine

Member
I like this show a lot, but it's just not very good anymore. The pacing, plotting, even some of the jokes just feel very unrefined, like they're filming the first draft of a script or something.

Also, would it kill them to make Richard just a teensy bit more likable? We've had 4 seasons of bumbling incompetence...let him grow a little. Let us see the potential that Jared sees in him...lol.
 
S

Santiako

Member
I was watching an old episode of The League and saw these guys playing door-to-door Jehova's witness types:

i3Ko7BZ.jpg
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TJ looks weird like that lol
 
1

120v

Member
my problem with this show is the framework. every season it's just "out of the frying pan, into the fire", and while it's still hilarious there's never any bit of tension no matter how the stakes are raised. there's always that dues ex machina around the corner - which on the surface is fine, it's a comedy. but comedy is situational and when no matter what you know the gang will still be back at the house with the means to continue their fairly lax silicon valley lives with a few annoyances it becomes an ouroboros reel. it's just a format best left for a traditional sitcom format or something
 
S

sinkfla87

Member
CocaMantis said:
That interview its great but am I the only one who thinks that some things he said were jokes or plain irony? Like when he talks about Middletich he said stuff like "he is great!!" and a few lines later "he is such a star, he wanted more lines".
If it's true that HBO tried to work around his schedule and he declined because of reasons, that's fine and actually kinda great or sweet. But I don't know...the tone in this interview actually makes me doubt about pretty much everything he said. It really sounded like he was kicked/written out and he found out while reading the final script and he is trying to land on his feet somehow while acting cool and smug about it.
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I was thinking this too until I saw his Twitter lol. Someone said good job for cursing himself in Hollywood with his unprofessional, toxic behavior and he responded with how dumb that person is because he's got so many projects lined up and bragged about how successful he is. Like, no they're not going to cancel your projects that are going on NOW but his comments are damming enough I think to make people not want to work with him in the future.
 
K

kiguel182

Member
If they wanted to turn Richard into an asshole maybe he shouldn’t have started as one. I never liked the dude so this turn doesn’t work for me. A neurotic nerd that thinks he is always right is annoying enough and now he is spineless too I guess but it doesn’t change the fact that he was always an asshole.

Remember when he was an asshole to some marketing dude two seasons ago because “marketing guys aren’t smart like me”? He has always been the worst.
 
C

crimzonflame

Member
Its like Pinky and the Brain. At the end of every episode they end up where they started and start preparing for the same thing they do every night.
 
T

TripOpt55

Member
Disappointing season for me. It still made me laugh, but the plotting is beginning to frustrate me. I really liked the ideas like Dinesh as CEO and Richard/Gavin working together. I wish they would have ran with those ideas longer. There seemed to be plenty of ground to mine with those and it would have been a nice change-up from the same old thing. But they bailed on those almost immediately. Still a pretty funny show, but didn't like it as much this year.
 
B

btags

Member
TripOpt55 said:
Disappointing season for me. It still made me laugh, but the plotting is beginning to frustrate me. I really liked the ideas like Dinesh as CEO and Richard/Gavin working together. I wish they would have ran with those ideas longer. There seemed to be plenty of ground to mine with those and it would have been a nice change-up from the same old thing. But they bailed on those almost immediately. Still a pretty funny show, but didn't like it as much this year.
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I think that is why I am starting to lose interest in the show. They just don't stick with any plot lines for more than an episode, or if they do it is basically like, "remember that character or thing that happened a couple of episodes ago, well now it is going to help us or hurt us in some way."
 
J

jstripes

Banned
kiguel182 said:
If they wanted to turn Richard into an asshole maybe he shouldn’t have started as one. I never liked the dude so this turn doesn’t work for me. A neurotic nerd that thinks he is always right is annoying enough and now he is spineless too I guess but it doesn’t change the fact that he was always an asshole.

Remember when he was an asshole to some marketing dude two seasons ago because “marketing guys aren’t smart like me”? He has always been the worst.
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I was kind of disappointed when the blood boy turned out to be a fraud after all, because it would have been nice to see Richard definitively wrong.
 
K

kiguel182

Member
jstripes said:
I was kind of disappointed when the blood boy turned out to be a fraud after all, because it would have been nice to see Richard definitively wrong.
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Same here. And then he gave a speech about how computer science is for nerds and outcasts and my eyes couldn’t roll back far enough.
 
T

TylerD

Member
I thought the season finale was great, the whole season was ridiculous and the show has transitioned into a highly entertaining live action cartoon. I don't really care about the plot (specific to their ultimate success or failure) but I will keep watching as long as the show is funny and it's still very funny IMO.

Just look at the fucking poster for season 4!

silicon-valley-season-4daniel-clowes-poster.jpg
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Huh, I wonder why Richard is holding the damn plug...

I laughed so hard at the continuous returning to the shot of Anton just littered down the road. Thought it was hilarious that connected smart fridges saved the day with a video of simulated blow job playing on all the screens.
 
B

Barrett2

Member
After 4 seasons i would have expected more fundamental growth or progression in characters or setting. At this point it just feels like the writers are playing it extremely safe. It seems tedious at this point that after so many things that have happened, the show is still just the four of them in the same house having the same exact conflicts over and over. I think if that's what the writers are going for, that only works if the writing is air-tight, but in my opinion, the writing overall was not as sharp / funny this season. Some good episodes, but season overall kinda dragged for me.

Hopefully they are willing to mix it up next season and push for more dramatic changes, because current episode-to-episode formula feels a bit stale, and many episode sub-plots aimless.

I also agree Richard's character is too unlikeable, mostly in that it is being done in a way that doesn't really seem in service of any comedic benefit. He just sucks. I also think this is just a sign the writing was not as sharp.
 
T

tearsintherain

Member
Well, I guess that pretty much confirms TJ Miller is completely unhinged.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...ugh-to-stop-trump_us_59701345e4b062ea5f8f1e26

In an interview where he was supposed to be promoting the emoji movie, he says...
HuffPo article said:
HuffPost spoke briefly with Miller about ”The Emoji Movie" in May. This time, as the interview began, Miller asked for everyone else to leave the room, including the publicity team. He turned the conversation to the current political landscape and the obligation he believes Hollywood has to oppose the current administration.

It seems the cast of ”Silicon Valley," in Miller's estimation, failed to live up to this obligation. Just before the 2016 presidential election, he told HuffPost, he spoke with the show's cast about the campaign. ”I asked, ‘How much money did you donate, you Hollywood elites, how much did you donate to Hillary Clinton's campaign?' And everybody in the cast said nothing. They hadn't given a dollar," he said. ”What did they think was going to happen? How had they not joined a fight that they had such strong opinions about?" He noted that despite ”not even really being a fan of hers," he donated the maximum amount permitted to her campaign.

The decision to leave ”Silicon Valley," Miller suggested, freed him up to resist President Trump in other ways. ”My position [to oppose the Trump administration] became more powerful when I left ‘Silicon Valley,'" he said. ”I had more control over the content, the time, the schedule, the everything." Even ”The Emoji Movie," he argued, was a meaningful step toward encouraging younger audiences to ”understand and adopt progressive values."
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step 1: make emoji movie
step 2: sound insane in interviews
step 3: ???
step 4: president trump is impeached
 
C

Currygan

at last, for christ's sake
Im in the middle of s4, am I supposed to hate Richard or what? I swear i felt more sympathy towards Gavin and his downfall than him, seems like the writers are actively trying to portray him as a fucking arrogant manchild, it's so unsettling I'm basically waiting for Gilfoyle to atomize him with a plain faced reality check
 
B

barik

Member
Trouble said:
I'm really starting to wonder if the condition that he had brain surgery for is still affecting him. He said during the Yogi Bear movie filming he was acting crazy because the malformed growth in his brain was changing his personality.
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I was thinking the same, from what I can tell it seems like a recent development too.
 
N

Ninja Scooter

Member
I was way behind but just finished S4. I think I echo a lot of people in saying that while enjoyable in parts, the loop of the show is starting to feel old. Things are looking up, somehow (usually because of Richard), everything goes to shit, just when things are looking grave, the guys are given a life line. Rinse/repeat. It's like Entourage with Geeks. They are really going to need to mix things up next season.
 
T

TheBear

Member
I'm about 7 eps into season 4 and it feels like the quality has dropped off a cliff. Did they change writers mid season or something?
 
S

Striek

Member
Just finished the end of S4. Fuck that. Richard is whiny and pathetic, and the show jumped the shark with the last "out" saving the company yet again. Don't know if I'll bother with the next season. Especially since the best character has left. The season as a whole was waaaay down in quality and humour too, which doesn't help.
 
P

Psychoward

Banned
Finally finished S4, it was really enjoyable but it is starting to feel formulaic and I think this season was kind of lacking in laughs too.

It should probably end next season or S6 at the latest.
 
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