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Silicon Valley - Season 3 of the hilarious Mike Judge comedy series - HBO Sundays

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iammeiam

Member
Realistically Netflix would probably pay through the nose for access to their tech and probably wouldn't insist on exclusivity. The nice thing about the uptick scandal getting out is it establishes why nobody would want them now--people would just assume they're faking any impressive numbers.

What's kind of interesting is that the situation at the end of this season is overall considerably worse than last season, despite the more upbeat final scene. At the end of season two the only thing really 'wrong' was Richard no longer being the CEO. Now, not only is he not CEO, he's actively poisonous to the company given his involvement in the fake uptick. He has no board seat and whatever shares he gets are up to Erlich and Bighead. The platform is scaled now, so he's much less valuable for his knowledge of the algorithm. Their initial funding is all gone and new funding is unlikely to be found any time soon. Their brand as a whole is pretty severely damaged.

I do sort of wonder if next season is the season of Dinesh. They heaped abuse on him this year, but with his video chat app apparently the one PP thing that is appealing, he's potentially more valuable to the company than Richard is.
 
In addition, it's sorta not making sense to me how Jared, of all people, is the one guilt tripping Richard into blowing the whole "fake users" cover.

For fuck's sake, Donald, you were the one who ordered them in the first place. What the fuck was your gameplan, if you weren't willing to go all the way with it?

There was no plan. He just did it so Richard won't end it prematurely.

That and Jared isn't exactly comfortable to what he did (buying fake users). So seeing someone he believed in get funding via a lie isn't exactly thrilling. As much as an asshole Richard can be, he is still the contrast to Gavin Belson to the viewers and to some extent, in-universe.
 

Kyuur

Member
Finale fucking slayed me. Dinesh and Gilfoyle's super subtle winkwink-nudgenudge on Richard, bringing the new guy into the board only to have the other one confess his love for Monica, the cold cut from Erlich's serious scene to throwing cheetos into eachother's mouths. Just great stuff.

You guys saying stuff like 'I'll miss the GoT SV combo' made me scared for a second that this wasn't renewed. It'll be a long wait but already hyped for next year!
 
Did Bachman's FOMO speech activate anyone else's iPhone?

Yep.

Wait, I'm confused. Richard was right when saying that regardless of users, the software still works. A few episodes ago this software was worth billions of dollars. But know that VCs know that some users were fake the whole thing becomes worthless? I feel like I'm missing something.

It's just the show. Real-life, that company wouldve been bought a long time ago.

It's still weird to me that redesigning the UI or bringing in a UX guy was never tried out as a serious solution, even though it was alluded to multiple times.

Still, really fun season with a good setup for the next one. I like how Gavin keeps voicing his sociopathic tendencies almost every episode, I want to see them go nuts with that next season.

Yea, if the tech works but the experience sucks, thats an easier fix.

It's one of those - wait, that's not quite right moments (but let's just go with it for the sake of the story).

I mean the compression stuff alone is already worth a shit fucking truckload of money to any of the big cloud computing or internet players.

It's just Pied Piper had super terribad implementation... and the show was trying to draw your attention to that in order to say - they can't make it succeed it a platform, therefore it has no value.

In reality, like the show shows, there are any multitude of applications (including video chat) for such amazing compression technology that the algorithm itself has huge innate value.

In the real world, simply verifying the demonstration of this level of compression would be sufficient for the company to be valued into the hundreds of millions or billions as the large SV companies tried to buy that shit out.

The (compression tech) premise that they're running with in the script is simply at a mismatch between the actual value such a thing would have in the real world and the value that the show intimates something like that has.

Yea, you have to accept that as the big lie of the show.
Video Chat, movies, game streaming, downloads, music, that tech would have their families set until the end of time.
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
They mentioned back when Action Jack was pushing the box idea that the company only wants boxes if they get exclusive control over the Pied Piper algorithm or whatever. Richard wasn't willing to so that, because he wanted to build a platform.

Exclusivity only got them 3 times the asking price. Pied Piper still had a superior product to everyone else. I'm sure there would have been companies who were interested.
 

Quirah

Member
Feels like this isn't that comedy serie anymore. I don't remember any scene that I laughed so hard in a 2nd and 3rd season. First season was really good in comedy sense but others...

I am slowly getting bored of it.
 

Ecto311

Member
Goddamn every episode is so good. Creative and goes directions I didn't anticipate. Makes most other shows look so bad in comparison at least the ones I watch. I hope all these guys stick with it or do something else because the entire cast is fantastic. Anyone know how many seasons there will be? This one ended in a way it could be the last easily I think.
 

Ogodei

Member
The ending doesn't create the same satisfaction because the problem they had last episode was imminently solveable.

I like how Coderag seems to only subsist on what essentially amounts to blackmail.
 

CoolOff

Member
Burst out laughing at the opening with the dead elephant. Of course it was going to die, and of course the security guy "can call in a favor".
 
Goddamn every episode is so good. Creative and goes directions I didn't anticipate. Makes most other shows look so bad in comparison at least the ones I watch. I hope all these guys stick with it or do something else because the entire cast is fantastic. Anyone know how many seasons there will be? This one ended in a way it could be the last easily I think.

yep this show is definitely operating at a higher tier of comedy. Lots of turning tropes on their head and good laughs and the research is amazing.
 

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
The board meeting with the manufactured drama between that dude and Monica was so fucking hilarious

Monica, I love you
 

Bitanator

Member
My favorite part was Jared mimicking Richards every move while they were on the top bunk together, had my laughing so hard,


Feels like this isn't that comedy serie anymore. I don't remember any scene that I laughed so hard in a 2nd and 3rd season. First season was really good in comedy sense but others...

I am slowly getting bored of it.

I disagree, this season offered the most laughs out of the three seasons. I guess now that the characters have really been able to breathe and each one of their mannerisms is delightful and hilarious. The show keeps getting better, definitely the most consistent season by far.
 

SMG

Member
While the Pivoting of pp isn't to my liking this final really set up the next season to give the secondary characters stronger rolls.
And it was funny.
 

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
All I care about is more Big Head, and the foreboding words of his father on "getting real Italian" on Elrich. Mr. Bighetti Sr is obviously making an appearance next year
 

120v

Member
i was kind of tepid on this show at first but it's really come into full form. should've never doubted mike judge

but assuming it has a handful of seasons left the "out of the frying pan and into the fire" situation with pied piper is getting a little tired. i dunno, maybe without that there wouldn't be a show but i can see it wearing a little thin
 

cHaotix8

Member
Dinesh: "Jared, have you been crying?"
Jared: "Yes, but for ordinary reasons"

Jared is the best. Great finale, wish Richard was more likeable.
 
One thing I'm both saddened by and happy about is the seeming end of both the Raviga and Hooli storylines, as, while both fundamental to the show, I felt they were helping it have that formulaic feel it sometimes had. Nice to see it move on to new stories and, more importantly, new antagonists to act as their next obstacle.
 
I know a lot of people on here find Richard annoying but I like him a lot. I guess because I can relate to "getting in my own way" in life and business situations :p
 

Slo

Member
It's gotta be someone from The Sopranos, right? Big pussy, Paulie Walnuts, Steven Van Zandt.

Kenny "Fucking" Powers.

tumblr_mzogkp2Lpi1s5hedko1_500.gif
 

Lomax

Member
Much better season across the board than season two (not that season two was bad, the latter half was just a let down). Consistently brilliant satire as well as laugh out loud funny.
 
Really enjoyed that episode, I'm glad things didn't get too bogged down after last weeks episode that I didn't really like!

Everything's back to basics again and I really like that Big Head and Monica are in the group proper too. Looks like some fun will be had next year. :D
 
It's still weird to me that redesigning the UI or bringing in a UX guy was never tried out as a serious solution, even though it was alluded to multiple times.

Basically yup, this show lost the plot with the UI 'problem'. Hiring a designer and iterating on the product like any normal startup? No, let's pivot the whole company to be a video chat product that not only goes against Richard's vision, but is just fucking stupid. Now they're back to square one.

If this show doesn't improve on the writing front next season I think I'm out. Comedy gags can't sustain it over the long term.
 
Considering this episode they show how they can seemingly do anything 'hax0r' they needed to like hide the fake users or whatever it was but none of them are smart enough to sort the UI thing (even just saying hey I'll call my buddy he knows a guy etc etc) lol, it is a bit silly.
 

SMG

Member
Considering this episode they show how they can seemingly do anything 'hax0r' they needed to like hide the fake users or whatever it was but none of them are smart enough to sort the UI thing (even just saying hey I'll call my buddy he knows a guy etc etc) lol, it is a bit silly.

Not really, the show time and again has shown that what really drives them, more than money, is pushing tech and doing 'cool stuff'. Fixing the UI would need a difference skill set based around the uneducated user.
It would be a kin to a master musician forcing themselves to play elevator music.

The answer would have been to bring in a couple of people to work on profitability and usability. The core group wouldn't be the ones to do that sort of job.
 
I get that, but I mean, they're shown to be clever enough to fix all the other 'difficult' problems but this UI thing is the one that stumped them all and they're just like oh well I guess that is that. *throws away everything* :\

They seemingly have many contacts in the world but zero of them even suggest a hmm maybe this idea.
 

deefol

Member
It's still weird to me that redesigning the UI or bringing in a UX guy was never tried out as a serious solution, even though it was alluded to multiple times.

I think thats the whole point, it's about what tech companies face today. The problem under their nose that they can't see.

A lot of companies never considered that as an option even though it was obviously the problem, for example MySpace.
 

Alpende

Member
Watched the finale yesterday and.... PIVOT PIVOT PIVOT!. Loved it, having the gang back together and in control is awesome. Jared watching Richard from the window was great.
 
Fantastic end to a fantastic season. This show is so reliably entertaining I look forward to it over everything else every week. It's a shame it's the end for now. One of my favourite new shows by far. So glad it has been renewed. It's just a great, great show that's genuinely funny with such an interesting and fascinating premise. Can't wait for next season!
 

The Beard

Member
Love this show. Banter between Gilfoyle and Dinesh is great! And I love Jin Yang, haha!

Jin Yang and Erlich are hilarious.

I love the show and I'm a little bummed that the season is over. I don't even mind that the plot essentially just keeps going in circles because the comedy writing is very good.

Just Googled Erlich Bachman, and it said "did you mean Erlich Blachman?" Lol
 

Shaneus

Member
Seeing Jin Yiang at the very end as it panned out, with him peering from the corner was hilarious.

My favourite bits:
* Jin Yiang telling Richard how he can stay at Erlich's for a year for free.
* Lori's "Elephant in the room" comment
* Obviously Jin Yiang's phone call at the end
* Random guy at the board meeting shaking his head
* Oh, and Erlich's "and I came" conclusion
* One more: Jared banging his head


Also, someone called it earlier but the new app is going to be called Big Head Chat or something, isn't it? Erlich droning it while he was stoned wasn't a coincidence.
 

Shaneus

Member
Don't forget that Jin Yang was smoking when it showed him and we know he only does that on special occasions lol. He was celebrating too.
Absolutely.


Do we have any noms for standout this season? I know AV|Club said Zach Woods, but TJ Miller was right, right up there too.
 
Jared immitating Richard when they were on the bunk beds was a nice touch too.

Absolutely.


Do we have any noms for standout this season? I know AV|Club said Zach Woods, but TJ Miller was right, right up there too.
it's a toss up for me

I also feel like gilfoyle was really funny.
 
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