Halt and Catch Fire

I was kinda kidding when I predicted that they'd start running BBS's for the next season but it looks like that's exactly where theyre going! Granted it was foreshadowed in the first five minutes of the pilot by Cameron herself but it makes sense that would be the most interesting origin story they could make at this point. Compuserve had been around but BBS's were more prevalent (but I don't remember them as far back as 84). Assuming they get another season, that is. Wonder if they got Ronan the Accuser salary-locked for multiple seasons.

Joe was maybe the least compelling character I've ever seen in a TV show.

I guess I don't understand the point of him. He's the perfect bad guy, yet they try to pawn him off as a good guy. He's handsome, arrogant, vindictive, stubborn, and has had success and fortune virtually handed to him via his family. Everything that would make a great villain that would be easy to hate. Yet they constantly try to make us like him. The whole scene where you saw all the scars from being abused/bullied? Didn't care. I feel absolutely no empathy for the guy, he has no redeeming personality traits or qualities whatsoever.

They should have played it up as Cameron, Gordon, Donna, etc succeeding despite him, he should be on the "losing" side of things. Heck, even the boss Bosworth who we are initially made to dislike became a more endearing character than Joe by the end of the season. He's much more likable.

He was just boring and pointless, not so much his actions as he was the catalyst etc. Just all his character traits and foibles. The best episode for him this season was when they totally dropped all the crazy pseudo-sociopath 80's slickster(sans bonitis) shit and he was at Gordon's house and playing with his kids.

Which of course they ruined with the flashlight naming shit making him realize Cameron was right. But still, the character felt like an actual person that episode. Not the writer's weird attempt at a lovable version of Patrick Batemen.

Donna was the best character on the show and the most consistent. Though if they open next season with Gordon flipping out because she didn't tell him she was going to work with Cameron it will be stupid. If she's doing it in "secret" that will be even more contrived than most of this show.

Cameron was consistent as well, just consistently horrible. Sticking her in a house with the nerd herd is a good idea though, they are fun bit parts.

I don't know why I care about how it's going to be going forward, I won't be watching it. I can't....I really shouldn't.....

I think the problem with Joe was primarily that they never explored his depth. There's obviously a lot of underlying issues to why he is the way he is, but they left most of that stuff on the periphery - the issues with his dad, whatever led to his departure from Microsoft, his mother's craziness, etc. Anything that was meant to make him a sympathetic character was mostly just hinted at or explained in a way where you weren't sure whether he was being authentic or not. And by leaving that stuff on the sidelines, it made him fairly one dimensional and hard to like. He was mostly just a manipulative asshole who had no redeeming qualities. Considering how the season ended, I gather they'll be getting more into his background next season, but they really should've put more effort into filling out his character in this one.

Renewed for Season 2:AMC Renews For A Second Season

hell yeah.

Glad to see it renewed but it wasn't really surprising. Amc doesn't have a lineup beyond this show and better call Saul since mad men will be gone next season. The show doesn't have a viewership to speak of, but its few fans are very dedicated.

It is sort of surprising considering the show had significantly lower ratings than Low Winter Sun, not to mention the fact that AMC has about two dozen shows in some stage of development with five pilots ordered and at least two new shows set to debut next year. But, it is good to see AMC having faith in a show and willing to give it time to grow. Perhaps they learned from with Breaking Bad's sudden jump in ratings during its later season.

Read some article that it's a combination of having almost nothing of worthwhile in development and multiple shows on break and/or ending soon, so they are willing to renew lower rating shows right now just to fill out their schedule. Plus, the two main actors were in higher profile projects recently (Joe was Ronan in Guardians, for example) so they are hoping for some splash-over awareness of the show.

Personally, I liked this show. I have a hard time saying why, but I started watching it and got invested I guess. The history of the computer business is interesting, and I kind of like Joe as a character for some weird reason. I realize I'm in the minority on that, but I'm glad to see it coming back for another season at any rate.

I'm surprised this was renewed. Far better series have been canceled after similar declines in ratings.

Anyone watching Season 2?

Bosworth is quickly becoming my favorite character on the show, and he has the absolute least connection to doing anything technology-related(the reason for my initial interest in the show)

Yeah I've been watching it. It's been decent so far and Ronaan's character is definitely less obnoxious this time around. Unstable hacker girl is approaching absolute insufferability tho.

I'm watching as well. It's nice but it could be better (as in more tech stuff, less emo hacker girl). I like that they're using the right hardware but those fuckers need to learn how to touch type.