Halt and Catch Fire: And She Was

September 20, 2016 9:31 PM - Season 3, Episode 6

An offer to purchase Mutiny creates tension. Gordon and Cameron bond over video games while Donna has a weekend to herself. Joe faces off against the board.
posted by Pong74LS (9 comments total)

I need the weekend to process this episode.
posted by lmfsilva at 9:34 AM on September 21, 2016 [2 favorites]

I think my favorite part was when Joe tried his bullshit on Cameron again, like it's all he knows how to do, and she just walked away after repeating her demand. I'm also glad she set up a ham radio to talk to Gordon in her new place(?).
posted by destructive cactus at 11:45 AM on September 21, 2016 [2 favorites]

Before Cam setup her ham radio - was the unplugged cord to Gordon's ham radio to imply he's been hallucinating/imagining talking to the other ham radio operator? I got the impression he was going off the deep end in that closet, but I wasn't sure if I was reading that right.
posted by bluecore at 4:13 PM on September 21, 2016

bluecore - That was my take and as someone who has 'spoken into the unplugged radio' in the past it was a little hard to watch. I also would have taped the cord down because YES I was talking to someone and YES the lights on the radio were on, so it must have just become unplugged today. I thought the 'some friends' he was talking to was leading to some kind of an affair over the radio and I'm glad it didn't go that way.

I have to watch again, but Donna hallucinated Cameron coming to the vacation house too (but for different reasons) right? If I read both of those right it was a nice parallel storyline.

I enjoyed Cameron and Gordon in this episode. I really like both characters and I feel like they similarly are smart, good people who do dumb things, but with good intentions. They also have a common enemy which helped that interaction.

I don't know what to make of Joe at the end. He does seem to want to help Gordon at several points in the show and he does want to screw the board over, but it seems like there's always an upside for him even if it initially looks like he's just burning down everything around him. I'm interested to see how he comes out ahead by admitting the theft.

I am getting kind of bothered that the kids only show up when needed for the story and then they're off to ride bikes for a few episodes again. I know it's a common trope but it seems even more obvious to me on this show.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 8:17 PM on September 21, 2016 [1 favorite]

Considering he's just a figurehead in his own company, I think Joe wants to lose his share of MacMillan to Gordon, get himself fired and having his no-compete clause annulled by the new owner (because if that means not having to deal with Joe, Gordon is taking it) and start a new proto internet venture with Ryan. Plus, Moustachio and the other suits who ousted him will probably get hosed when MacMillan value tanks.

Also: so that's what the projection TVs I've seen mentioned in the warning sections of videogames look like. I've only seen rear projection screens before.
posted by lmfsilva at 11:34 PM on September 21, 2016 [1 favorite]

Also, one thing that went over the couple of recaps I've read is that Cam has been whining over losing control of Mutiny for mostly petty shit - move from games to community, old code being replaced, Donna deciding to keep the SwapMeet guys and credit card payment because Cam was not being reliable, etc, and now finally there's an actual issue that would make her lose a lot of control and make her accountable to others, and worse off, it could drive a wedge between her and Donna, who could see the IPO as an opportunity to recover the investment she and Gordon made, and get her family the life she saw at Diane's weekend place.

But speaking of control... In the same episode, Joe losses control of his company because of investors. I wonder if this was deliberate.
posted by lmfsilva at 12:06 AM on September 22, 2016

I am getting kind of bothered that the kids only show up when needed for the story

I totally agree, especially in comparison to their presence in the first season, which felt more natural & real.

Also, my life needs a Joe MacMillan clause.
posted by wheek wheek wheek at 4:11 AM on September 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

I have to watch again, but Donna hallucinated Cameron coming to the vacation house too (but for different reasons) right? If I read both of those right it was a nice parallel storyline.

I caught that but not Gordon's phantom friend. Yes, there's a symmetry to those that makes sense once you see it.
posted by scalefree at 4:12 PM on October 14, 2016

Wow, Diane's daughter had *very* 80's clothing.
posted by Pronoiac at 11:46 PM on March 3, 2018