You know how some shows start strong, but then loose their magic a few seasons in? Or shows like Game of Thrones that shit the bed so hard with their ending, but it retroactively removes the enjoyment from prior seasons? Silicon Valley is part of a short list of shows that just were great start to finish. Interesting, engaging, well written, and a solid ending. My list is short:
The Good Place Breaking Bad Silicon Valley
The key is ending in time, I think. All of these shows wrapped up their story before they got dull, and didn’t drag it on for a few more seasons, waiting for the ratings to drop.
I very much agree, having a clear arch in mind helps, which is how Breaking Bad felt mostly. A show that comes to mind which did exactly what you said was Supernatural. There was a logical conclusion arch wise in season 4 or 5 but it was popular so they were pressured to keep it going, and now… meh.
Six Feet Under is the best show ever made
With the best ending ever made.
It’s the best.
Every episode.
Everyone should watch it.
It’s the best.
You have BB but not BCS on that list?
I recently watched Better Call Saul, I very much enjoyed it! It was fantastic, engrossing, but I don’t think it’s QUITE as good as the full arc of Breaking Bad, thus my omission from my short list. I would highly recommend Better Call Saul though, it’s absolutely wonderful!
It’s a great series but sadly I think it dates itself far too much with the references, jokes, and plot lines. A person who started watching in 2023 probably won’t enjoy it as much as someone who did around the release. Unfortunately reality of making a show focused on tech.
That said I would love a new season based on everything GenAI and GPT, it would be amazing.
What about it do you think would be dated? Example?
Whoops guess I never replied for this
Few examples I can think of in the show:
- There’s many technologies shown were more impressive for their time. Jian Yang’s hot dog/not hot dog app or the joke that we were mislead to believe, that it would pick an object and identify what that object is is would genuinely have been more impressive at the release of the episode and not so much now. There’s things like drones, AI where at release you thought “wow imagine a future with these” compared to now where the future for these has actually arrived.
- IIRC the last season starts with Richard Hendriks testifying in court, and it’s a big reference to Zuckerberg doing the same for I think the Cambridge Analytica scandal? The moment would be lost today
- Lots of things around the opening sequence which changed per season as companies got acquired and died, you saw that and said “Oh yeah that happened!” vs now you might just say “Oh yeah. that happened”.
Then there’s things not in the show that would date itself like the shift to remote working post pandemic, or the massive focus companies are giving mobile now which again wasn’t as big as at release of the show. I bet Gavin Belson trying to micromanage remote workers or something around the short form video craze we have would have been important plot points if the show came out now.
I’m not saying it’s a bad show to watch now, it’s just something which is more impactful to watch at release
Dedication to waste time is unlimited.
Great scene!
I’m very grateful that I only learned about Silicon Valley after the finale had aired. I binged it in the blink of an eye and loved every second of it!
It’s really sad that 2/5 of this room are pretty rapey. ☹️
