Donna takes the spotlight this week and doesn’t disappoint.

“Gotta get back that 6.4%”

Note: The following review goes into detail about the episode. SPOILER ALERT!

In my past three reviews of the show, I’ve used the phrase “our three leads.” I think it’s time I stopped saying that as this week’s episode “Close to the Metal” proved that Donna is actually a vital piece in the games being played. She sat upon the throne this week and outshined every other characters’ on screen presence.

This episode started off with some dirty-like innovation occurring in the offices of Cardiff, something I loved about the premiere. This was great to see because production on this whole PC building has been very static since the initial launch. This would all prove to be a fake-out, as we end another good episode of Halt and Catch Fire but the plot’s development is far behind that of its characters.

This was Donna’s episode. Last week we saw she had the willpower to kill “Bowser the Bird” and this week she showed that she had the same prowess to “save” the company from a major setback, which was all caused by Joe for the sake of good publicity for the company as a reporter set up camp in the office. Donna was able to put Cameron in her place, something even the great Joe McMillan struggles with. One excellent scene (of many) with Donna was when she displayed all of her knowledge and expertise to Gordon and his fellow employees about the situation at hand. I mention it quite a bit and I’ll mention it again: I love what this show does with its female characters.

Joe proves to be an unlikeable character this episode, a trait I’m sure will continue throughout the series. His power plays are dirty. We all know this is a character who will do anything to keep control and for the odds to remain ever in his favor (the joke had to be made sooner or later… Catch Fire?), but coming to the realization that he was behind this whole catastrophe felt less exciting and rather more dirty than anything. Joe is a dirty character, something we admire these days, but he feels more like a snake, rather than an anti-hero-esque character.

Cameron was the base of this inside attack this week, but her scenes didn’t prove to be quite the joy either. While her one-off adventures usually bring something of a relief to the show, this week I felt her character stooped too low as well. While not an immense amount of respect was lost, I would have lost even more for her if she had went through with the vandalism of Gordon’s house. Luckily she saw how she really looked in the form Gordon’s recent fire, David. He looked mentally sick and wanted to hurt Gordon, but Cameron seemed to have realized that’s not what she wanted, redeeming herself a bit.

Finally, John Bosworth and Gordon continue to be two weak characters, both in story and in action. Power plays got really dirty this episode with John having Joe beaten by cops to show his dominance which just felt cheap and weak of the “bossman.” Gordon hasn’t shown any sign of development which makes him less interesting as the series continues.

THE BREAKDOWN

Cardiff Electric makes little progress if any yet again this week in Halt and Catch Fire. This was Donna’s episode this week. She proved to be a great character that can run the show despite what anyone around her says. While all of the other characters were either background or low as dirt, Donna was able to relieve most of that from my mind. In doing so, her storyline and work issues have become more interesting and I’m excited to see what her journey will be like throughout the season.

How did you like Donna this week?
How do you feel about the rest of the cast?
Let us know in the comments below.