The eighties was a turmulous time where there was a conflict between what was possible and what could be imagined and the aim to convey that is what Halt and Catch Fire aims for. Colouring darkened on purpose and initially a protagonist which you don't have much desire to watch made me unsure but something pulls you in by Joe from the get-go. The series is set in 1980s Dallas and from the most part, the show is skilled at laying the environment well by taking was is presented historically as an exciting technological time, as a dreary, and industrial, littered by 'Beige boxes' like Cameron, one of the characters consistently points out. Cameron is a character which excites me. At first glance, it's a forumalic choice to have a girl who's aggressive, rebellious, and 'differs' from a usual girl which is something I don't like because it suggests a separation from females being able to be the same.But, it's true for that time and it is easy to see that it would have helped for her appearance and name to be stereotypically masculine and she encapsulates all sorts of tensions, including fashion and conventional standards with links to the music movement atypical and a large part of the eighties.
Joe is a driving force which portrays a really watchable lunacy and unstoppable determination, smirks and a loss of control contained. He is a character we hope there is on any technological project, who seeks more and recruits people he believes can help him do it. His flaws and his potential to take credit are blindingly obvious but what is more softer and subtle is his talent which when is shown through the LED in the garage scene carries a sweetness which Lee Pace often uses articulately and like tapping the viewer on the shoulder and producing a lollipop produced from behind him. He was my main draw to the show and within the first two episodes you are almost shown a colour shade palette of all of the layers and stages which Joe has and can be and his provoking stoicness within the meeting rooms with IBN, and his relentlessness with Cameron and Gordon.
Gordon is a character which had hopes and aspirations in his abilities but was confined by practicability and legalities which is a basic trope used often but works because it is a reality far more documented than success. And so far, there hasn't been much distinction from characters like him but it sets the way for character development to come and where there is silence now, there will be a voice because you see him begin to rescue his confidence, intimidated by Joe and Cameron's. Three main characters is a strange amount and the show seems like an empty plate sometimes. Whether that is because, we are used to having strings of large amounts of characters in television or if there just isn't that much exposition on the characters yet to fill the time. We visit Gordon's wife and children which is a Mad Men-led standard which AMC knows it can use which is enough but is slightly wooden in comparison and the wife has been established to be more talented than she is given credit for (And I get the uneasy sense that it was her article that Joe became interested in Gordon for) and I hope for her to come into the development of the personal computer. I predict that she will, and then the marriage will be even more strained and consequently she might sleep with Joe.
The show is good at making you feel excited at what the characters are doing and it's really enjoyable to be swept away by the emotions. The 'goofs' and 'anarchisms' on the side ruined it occasionally but I found it useful to be aware that the truth is altered quite a lot for plot development (as are all shows) but mainly to do with time frames which isn't that important for me to be exact, as long as the element of truth happened previously or after. Some things aren't made clear, and a lack of insight into what the companies are working on yet leaves the viewer slightly immbolised, unable to decide if 'better' isn't already being worked on which is hard to believe and perhaps that is purposeful, to isolate these three characters and make it be perceived that they are individual and that's a story-arc I'd find interesting.
Because overall, I think the computer corporations to be slightly overgeneralised but not untrue as money is the most important factor and it is factual for this to have been the focus at the time. The texan accent of one of the heads of the company is slightly extreme, but there are a couple of scenes which have really blown me away such as the parking lot scene in episode two where Joe opens himself up (truthfully or falsely) to the Gordon and Cameron who are both dysfunctional too. It made a scene which is really well-acted by Pace, and a lot of emotional foundation for the show to build on. Other scenes of note are scenes which contain Cameron and Joe meeting, the dialogue and details like the arcade machine and the coin are really viewable. Their interactions and the darkness behind it are really interesting in general and the characters bounce off each other really well. Even referring right back to the opening scene of an armadillo walking across the road before Joe uncaringly collides with it sets up many foreshadows for the show. Contrasted with the innocence of all characters involved - whether it be Cameron trying to try on clothes to try fitting in, not being able to ask for the secretary's help and Joe seeing that or whether it be Gordon quietly fixing and modifying his two daughter's toy early in the dead of morning.
These are characters which could all prove to be too big for each other. (In 'The Social Network' style) I'm looking forward to seeing how that plans out and for the period to open up and grasp me even more in the other introductory episodes to come.
Check out the trailer for yourself: (or if you have seen the show yourself, let me know what you thought.)
Sidenote: I really love the promitional material that Halt and Catch Fire has such as this because of the insight and meaning associated between the keys and the characters. Details like the title itself 'Halt and catch fire' and what that command meant for computer technology are really great and I really appreciate them in a really nerdy way.
