‘Silicon Valley’ Troubleshoots Its Women Problem (TV REVIEW)

[rating=7.00] “The Lady”

After a sneaking suspicion that Silicon Valley is stupidly sexist, we get a solid episode making fun of everything they’ve been lacking for the past season plus. It felt like a quick episode and not much happened. Erlich is annoyed, Richard is doing his best to keep everyone happy, and females are finally normalized within the group.

After signing with Hanneman, Richard and Jared are intent on finding a new engineer to get Pied Piper moving. They go through a whole montage of interviews, eventually landing on a “cyborg”; a total weirdo named Jared. He has a pacemaker, and as such, has determined that he’s part robot. Cyborg Jared is strange, and during his interview his way of breaking any tense formalities is by telling Richard and Jared that he likes them, “You guys are so weird.”

While Richard and Jared are interviewing, Erlich and Jian Yang are fighting about what to do with the trash. Jian Yang wants to burn it, Erlich explains that it’s illegal, getting increasingly fed up with everyone living in his house. He just wants the fucking trash sorted. The interview process was fairly fruitful, and it becomes apparent that Jared intends to hire a woman. “There’s a distinct over representation of males in this company,” explaining one of the biggest problems both the guys and the series have been facing this whole time.

Both Dinesh and Gilfoyle are determined to get their female friend Carla into the company. Erlich is on board as he has the sneaking suspicion that Cyborg Jared is actually just using Pied Piper for leverage with another company, a move frequently seen within the community (that and Cyborg Jared has pulled the stunt before) . “Don’t I get a ding, like in a jury or ‘Who’s Line Is It Anyway?’” attempting to keep Richard from hiring him. Richard relents. After a tense stand-off between the two, Monica, Richard and Erlich head to Hanneman’s house for a board meeting to solidify new employees and make a few company decisions.

In true Hanneman form, everything about his home is unnecessary and bizarre. Upon arrival they meet his girlfriend who barely speaks English, and his tiny son who is being raised by a computer program called “The Lady.” He explains that he uses the Lady so he doesn’t have to be the bad guy. Monica advises the dudes to remain a unified front, otherwise they will fall to Hanneman’s whims. After losing the vote for Cyborg Jared to become a new hire, Erlich sides with Hanneman on unnecessary merchandise for the company. Losing $30,000 in the process. Not much gets accomplished, and by the end of the meeting Hanneman is cupping his foreign girlfriend’s face talking about his love of her stupidity/ignorance.

While at first the episode’s treatment of women was off putting, it soon became apparent that the writers were simply putting things in terms that the characters on the show can understand. Jared insults women at least ten different ways, but not because he’s a misogynist; he bumbles through because he simply doesn’t know how to act around women. In a show satirizing the tech world, why wouldn’t it take extreme measure to identify women as a separate entity? By the time Hanneman is groping his girlfriend (who, let’s be honest is kind of an idiot, case in point, “You are Jew!”) both the audience and the characters realize that they don’t want to be viewed as scumbags like Hanneman. It’s what gets them motivated to hire equally. Bias as it may be.

“Hiring equally” is easier said than done. As Jared points out early on, it’s beneficial to present their startup with a female worker, but they cannot hire a worker based on gender. Richard contacts Dinesh and Gilfoyle’s friend who, as it turns out, is a well-qualified engineer. In true Jared form he screws it up, asking her about her experiences as a female engineer, to which she artfully replies, “I’m not a woman engineer. I’m an engineer.” The three of them make it through the off putting interview, and she agrees to come work for them.

Back in Gavin-land, his plan to bring Big Head in is in motion. During a press conference naming a new Hooli sector (Hooli [XYZ]) Gavin brings on new player David Bannercheck to head the project, and hastily adds Big Head to the docket. “And Bag Head will be co-head…” leaving “Bag” Head very confused, and Bannercheck understandably pissed. Big Head now gets a “significant pay raise” an office, and the chance to do absolutely nothing if he so chooses. The catch seems to be adding “Original Co-Creator of Pied Piper” to the end of everything he puts his name on. It’s a dick move by Gavin, but then again, not surprising in the least.

Back at the house Jared and Richard do their best to outline a code of conduct now that they’re hiring more employees. By more employees, he’s of course referring to the only female on staff. The whole thing is cringe worthy, but Carla’s response is perfect. “My best friend’s nickname is Cunty, if I can’t call her Cunty I’m going to be uncomfortable in my work environment.” A flustered Jared tells her he’ll get back to her, unsure of procedure. Carla then proceeds to screw with her new co-workers, flaunting an expensive bag and bank statements. Gilfoyle and Dinesh lodge a complaint against her, upset that she may getting paid more than they are. Jared and Richard address the complaint, Richard knowing full well how much she’s actually making. Turns out, Carla was faking the whole thing to piss Dinesh and Gilfoyle off because that’s just the kind of relationship they’ve cultivated.

After a failed attempt to hob knob with the fancy billionaire club, Erlich is broken. Jinyang explains to Richard that instead of getting into the benefit Erlich was excited about (a light at the end of his grumpy tunnel) they went to Taco Bell, where Erlich cried. In an attempt to make amends, Richard tells Erlich he’s going to call off Cyborg Jared. What proceeds is one of the worst apologies in the history of television. The two go back and forth with “I’m trying to respect you asshole,” and “I don’t need a fucking apology”. Richard insists, getting Cyborg Jared on the phone to rescind his job offer. Turns out, Jared has already taken another position for more money. With…Hanneman who has poached from his own investment. As they wrap their head around the treachery, a truck pulls up with a ton of Pied Piper gear touting the “old logo”.

Hanneman just keeps getting worse. What was supposed to be a silent partnership is turning into a nightmare for everyone at Pied Piper. By the end of the episode, he’s metaphorically tea bagged the guys into submission. They’re stuck. Silicon Valley did an impressive job of addressing the elephant in the room; Carla is a breath of fresh air in the yogurt and dorito farts that make up the Pied Piper staff. Not only can she hold her own as the token woman, but she’s an all-around badass. By focusing her energies on fucking with Dinesh and Gilfoyle we’re reminded again that she’s not just a women, but rather, a tech worker just like everyone else. That’s all that should matter.

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