[rating=8.00] “Maleant Data Systems Solutions”
With the exit of ‘Action Jack’, the dudes at Silicon Valley are at a crossroads. While one head has been cut off, we know it’s only a matter of time before another three grows in its place; so where does this leave a team that has zero control of what their future holds? Ok, zero percent is disingenuous, but when an empty chair is preferred to you, the chances of getting a hold of that control are slim to none.
After complaining about the impending monotony that comes with a show like this, Silicon Valley threw a curveball in the form of the “box” problem. While the dudes were able to get Jack to agree to their demands, they still had no interest in putting together the box. However, being the overachieving/control freaks they are, the whole project leads to a brand new innovation capable of changing the “box” game forever. Great right? Way not to suck and figure out how to work both sides. Knowing what we do about the series, one hopes there was no comfort in this tiny victory. The dudes still found a way to self-sabotage by being good at their jobs. Counter-intuitive? Of course. A welcomed shake-up to their usual format? Definitely.
An interesting side note for this week was the use of the “creatives” in the tech industry. While the marketing team was painted early on as money grubbing monsters, the creative type (Dane with the scarf in the middle of summer) was more of a flighty air-head, capable of only thinking outside the box when it came to the storied question, “If [you] were and animal what would [you] be?” As a societal norm, the creative type is constantly lauded as lazy, airheaded, and difficult to work with. Satirically speaking it’s pretty fantastic the way Silicon Valley handles these archetypes; a crossover between the creative, marketing, and engineering sides of the business are certain to never occur. As someone who works in marketing and creative processes, I can assure you we’re not all monsters, but we’re definitely (constantly) looking to push a product that will sell.
While the debate rages on as to whether or not women are represented well in the series, can we take a moment to recognize the bad-bitchness that Monica embodied? While she voted Richard out of the CEO position, she most certainly did so with the understanding that at one point the company would still need her. She’s been there from the beginning, and she’s their number one ally when it comes to dealing with the investors. Bravo to her for standing up to Laurie and Jack. Since Laurie is already the number one bad-bitch in town, it comes as no surprise that she fired Jack when he acted out. She literally has no time for that kind of bullshit, and Jack’s antics were quickly noted and executed. Laurie’s character has been getting more of a chance to grow this season, and watching her hit a peak will be fascinating to watch. The most unlikely of alliances is coming in the form of Big Head and Erlich. Big Head has no sense for business or self-preservation, and yet he’s continuously successful. With Erlich at the helm they will either take over the world through a series of bumbling and accidental events, or they’ll crash, burn, and wind up completely destitute.
Either way, it’s going to be crazy fun to watch. On the flip side an unlikely alliance feels inevitable with Jack’s “I always get what I want” threat looming over their heads. Jack and Gavin? Probably? Right? Silicon Valley continuously surprises with its ability to captivate while delving into subject matter not usually reserved for the entertainment side of pop culture- even if it’s close to rare for the series to surprise in its storyline. This recent turn of events will definitely lead to an interesting shift in the series. Here’s hoping it sticks!
