‘Halt and Catch Fire’ brings the heat back in all types of ways, using fathers as a key theme in the narrative.

“IF YOU SAY SOMETHING WITH THE RIGHT AUTHORITY, YOU GENERALLY GET WHAT YOU WANT.”

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

“Adventure” got things got moving in Halt and Catch Fire. Each character got their share of plot, and Cardiff Electric as a whole benefited in the end. A lot happened to make this episode great so let’s get to it.

The issue with fathers was brought up a lot throughout this episode. Turns out Gordon’s family is well threaded in the tech industry. Gordon’s father-in-law is in a position to provide cheap LCD technology, all in the effort to reduce the weight of Cardiff’s PC, and a meeting is set up between Joe, Gordon, and affiliated Japanese clients. Over the show’s run thus far, Gordon is oft run over by those around him. So it makes sense that he would try to be the big man at the table, but it ultimately proves to be his downfall. Gordon eventually is put in the position to beg for his father’s help in fixing the situation, something Joe attempts to take credit for in the end. This turns out to be the case and Gordon has to bring shame upon himself to show Joe that he wasn’t the fixer here.

In Joe’s part of things, he can’t even face his own father. We see him in a position of inferiority as he arrives at the hotel but can’t seem to enter and face his father. Although Joe McMillan Jr. never got to interact with Sr., Sr. had very engaging scenes with Cameron. It’s very interesting to see Cameron with a father figure. Back in “High Plains Hardware” we got a brief glimpse into this dynamic between her and Bosworth. Talking with Joe’s father revealed that Cameron’s dad died when she was younger. Cameron doesn’t have the choice to see her father, Joe does, and Gordon has to, very interesting set up and theme here. Cameron eventually sees that Joe’s father is just like him, manipulative and controlling.

In the office things were a bit lighter in tone. Joe hired on a team of programmers, something he believes will speed up production on the BIOS. The new programmers were fun to watch as they all played Adventure, heroin as Yo-Yo put it. This new group of programmers was a great addition as they provided a lighter, more comedic aspect to the drama. Learning from Joe Sr.’s words of “If you say something with the right authority, you generally get what you want,” Cameron fired her boss and cut the team down to those who thought outside the box: the hackers/cheaters. This was a great “hurrah” moment and further proves that Cameron can steal a scene with ease.

Donna didn’t have much of a role to play opposed to her time in the spotlight last episode. We did however get a possible foreshadowing of an affair brewing up with her boss. Once grandma’s peach pie recipe is shared, shit is bound to happen. Another minor character this episode was Bosworth. He didn’t have much to do and he lacked knowledge in both his scenes, one more serious than the other. The episode opened with him trying to pitch Cardiff’s PC as Joe stood back and watched as Bosworth limped to the point. Joe eventually easily takes over and garners the interests of all in attendance of the sales meeting. Also, outside of the shots of Joe’s bruises at the episode’s start, we get no display of consequence of Bosworth’s heinous actions of the last episode.

THE BREAKDOWN

“Adventure” was great episode of Halt and Catch Fire. The theme of fathers was a deep one to tackle and was executed well across three very different characters. Some comic relief was had with the new programmers as well. Progress was made in terms of actually building the PC, with the hardware coming together and the work on the BIOS getting the boost it needs. Other characters like Donna and Bosworth weren’t given much to do this episode, but things could get really complicated in Donna and Gordon’s life. Joe’s control continues to fluctuate and he still loses it.

What do you think of the new “adventurous” team of programmers? Any predictions for Donna’s story? Upload your thoughts to the comments below?

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