Gavin’s Exit Portends New Troubles on ‘Silicon Valley’ (TV REVIEW)

[rating=7.00] “Blood Boy”

This week’s Silicon Valley threw a wrench in the cog with Gavin removing himself from the equation. While Richard got the patent for his “new internet” free and clear, the loss of Gavin means a huge setback for the fledgling company. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but when their rope is frayed it generally tends to unravel quickly.

The blood boy plot was inspired as Gavin’s lust for eternal life is mirrored in both his need for fame, and his endless vanity. It speaks volumes of what he’ll do in order to maintain his way of life, and while the whole thing is grossly bizarre, it stands in for the type of relationships he keeps in his life. He’s literally sucking the life out of the blood boy, but the b.b. can sit in on important conferences, learn insider information, and make a shit load of money all by hanging around Gavin.

The fact that it was their relationship falling apart that drove him to need a life change is the least surprising revelation on the show so far. What will he do when all the hangers on have finally gotten what they needed and he’s all alone?

Gavin’s exit keeps him in the running as the wild card. There’s reasonable expectation that he’ll make a triumphant return just in time to take credit for, or to fund Richard’s project, but for now we’re back on the “how the hell are they going to pull this one off” train.

Dinesh betrayed the one woman who wanted to be with him, which undoubtedly means the second she’s able to get out of prison (which we know she will) she’ll figure it out, and ruin his life. While this could be endlessly entertaining to watch, Dinesh is better than solely fumbling through his love life as far as story line is concerned.

Gilfoyle has been underutilized as of late. His quippy one liners play well, but just as Dinesh has hit a wall, Gilfoyle has so much more he could be doing. The good news is, with Gavin gone and the struggle back in place there’s room for his rampant personality to take over. With Dinesh almost certainly about to get cyber attacked by his old lady friend, one has to wonder if she could stoop as low as to team up with Gilfoyle. Since his only way of being friendly seems to be screwing with his best/only friend, it could make for a fun subplot.

With Laurie in the throes of the final stages of pregnancy, Monica quickly learns how important it is to choose which snake in the grass you want to slither around with. After considering stabbing Laurie in the back, Monica gets an offer she can’t refuse. She’s getting closer to her moment of greatness. Not only will she get to move on with Laurie, but she’ll be doing so as her best friend and confidant. Laurie is powerful, and scary; the perfect person to take over the world with.

The potential coop on Laurie, and her full awareness of the situation was a well-timed example of women in the tech world. She points out that this is her fourth child, and based off Monica’s shocked reaction we can safely assume this is something she keeps quiet about. Her uncaring attitude and to the point way of doing things speaks volumes of what she’s learned in the tech industry. Her cold demeanor seems off putting to some in the SV world, but really it creates this bubble around her that disallows the boys club around her from uninviting her to the table. It’s genius, and effective.

As Monica and Laurie move on to their next venture, there’s room for growth. Richard and the gang will now need funding for their new internet, and since the Jian Yang deal will likely stay with Reviga perhaps this is their in. If the new internet idea takes off, it puts Laurie and Monica in a great position for growth. Either they’re all going to make millions, or they’ll go down together.

We’ve reached the point in the season where this episode can almost be considered filler. Silicon Valley doesn’t ever necessarily have a down, but it tends to dip right before things go off the rails. So here’s to waiting in anticipation for everything to blow up, just like we like it.