[rating=7.00] “Terms of Service”
Picking up right where we left him, Richard’s intent to go all in on the “new internet” is in full force. Conceptually, it’s a mess; he’s not even sure what he means when he spouts off the phrase. In the long run, we can see the algorithm working as a plug in not for a new internet, but to improve what is already in place. Providing a missing piece on the internet highway that high-speeds and bandwidth were never able to. If Richard is successful, he could easily become one of the most revered tech people in the history of the world. The main question now is, has he finally moved past self-sabotage?
With Dinesh at the helm, Piper Chat is soaring in daily active users. It bothers Richard, primarily because the second Dinesh gets a little bit of power he ices him out, leaving their agreement in the dust. While this may seem like a betrayal, we have to remember, most of the time this motley little group of friends are actively working against one another. It’s like they get a greater pleasure is seeing one another fail than they do reaping the rewards of success themselves.
In true Dinesh form, there’s immediately a huge problem with Piper Chat. The lack of the user agreement that’s supposed to pop up before use makes the company liable for any problems that may arise with underage users. Though his assertion that no one reads those is 100% accurate, he has effectively sunk Piper Chat before it’s even gotten off the ground. Just as we watched the users rise last season, Dinesh sits in agony, each ping burying him deeper in debt as him and the rest of the gang attempts to navigate a way out.
As per usual, Gavin comes in out of nowhere to attempt to thwart the dudes, while unknowingly saving them from themselves. It’s cruel to dump this potential lawsuit on Gavin and co., but he makes it so easy. Gavin is the one character that will perpetually live without self-awareness, and somehow break even in the end. He’s sort of like their Gargamel, toiling on the sidelines, ready to pounce the second one of them wanders too far from the incubator.
This season has been paced slower so far, allowing for heavier interaction between characters while simultaneously giving the audience time to react before being whisked off to the next segment. The humor is subtle, the problems are mostly solvable, and everything is slowly falling into place. Is this a false calm before the storm? Or have we finally migrated away from the “will they won’t they” plot lines of seasons before? One would hope that Judge knows it’s time to evolve the characters, but considering the track record it seems safe to hold off on assumptions until at least episode three.
The one storyline they should continue to track is that of Big Head. He’s proven time and time again to be completely useless, and yet he’s been the most successful of the group. With Big Head (and his impeccable luck) definitively on their side, Richard working to bring a new era in internet usage to fruition, and the rest of the gang lying in wait to make their understated contributions, there’s potential seeping out of their pores.
Silicon Valley has an advantage that most shows do not in that as technology evolves, so too must the series. The issue with the lack of user agreement showcases the real users behind the platform: kids. These little monsters are picking up on technology faster than humanity can dole it out, and while we’re still cracking up over our MySpace pages, kids are finding new ways to communicate, and moving past those the second adults pick up on what is “hip” and “trending.” If they play their cards right, the series could potentially go on forever while attempting to catch up to the generation before, finally fizzling out when they’re just too damn tired to go on. I would watch that.
