Here is my controversial opinion: Halt and Catch Fire is, without a doubt, the BEST show currently on AMC. Please, let me clarify. With the departure of Mad Men, it is tough consideration for which show embodies what the network's new flagship series is. For the life of me, I cannot find as much enthusiasm for Better Call Saul as I did for Breaking Bad. Humans and Hell on Wheels are entertaining genre shows while The Walking Dead feels more like a zeitgeist calling card than good show. Even with its rough edges and scattershot first season, there is something exciting about the show following 80's computer building that is missing from the remaining AMC shows. It has ingenuity and cleverness that ranks with the best of the channel's drama series. For what it's worth, Halt and Catch Fire is the underdog show that deserves more of your attention.
As mentioned, the first season was rough - especially with easy comparison points to it being an attempt at "the next Mad Men" (which went better than "the next Breaking Bad" called Low Winter Sun). True, it wasn't the most fluid season and the conflicting nature of Cameron Howe (Mackenzie Davis) rising from punk to boss alongside Donna Clark (Kerry Bische) took awhile to find its pace. However, it was still an admirable try that managed to pull itself together and quickly became a personal favorite thanks to its scrappy attitude. Even the fact that it was renewed seemed scrappy. The show became exciting largely because it was AMC taking risks that weren't related to self-consciously making a brand. Its characters felt flawed and new in an exciting way. Even the soundtrack week-to-week ranked with some of the finest shows.
Ratings aside (which unfortunately makes its renewal yet again not guaranteed), season two was a vast improvement in every way. There was assurance in Donna and Cameron starting to run Munity in a house full of new computer geeks. The introductory one-take of the Mutiny Headquarters was itself proof that the show meant business as it stumbled through the chaos, showing how the operations would run. The new characters, while not as distinguished, brought more personality to the show and the bigger focus on making computers allowed the show to realize its potential. The character dramas were no longer rooted in the uncertainty of success, but in maintaining order as business transactions threatened to shut them down. Even first season wild card Joe McMillan (Lee Pace) felt more grounded thanks to him facing more familial issues with big shot in-law Jacob Wheeler (James Cromwell), whose temptation of power and wealth threatened him at every turn.
Where season one felt rooted in building a computer, season two has the more compelling story of trying to make computers more accessible. Over the course of the season, there's exploration of selling people on the idea of an interactive digital device that connects everyone. There are episodes dedicated to solving glitches and finding those zen moments when everything comes together. The show really works thanks to a strong cast that makes small moments click, even when the problematic Gordon Clark (Scoot McNairy) is lost in a parking garage. Everyone has a weekly struggle that is compelling and while the best parts have to do with the business, the down time is equally fascinating, especially as Cameron's past starts to intertwine with her professional future. Even Gordon's desire to be relevant has its moments of success among his many struggles.
Contrary to what many would believe, Halt and Catch Fire may also be one of the most visually impressive dramas that AMC has produced as well. The use of one-takes are especially effective, allowing for a meditative feel as information unfolds. There are countless shots of characters lying in contemplation whether against a computer tower or grass that are just excellent cinematography. The show is beautiful and transfixing, embracing its scrappy computer story and the call for something more prestigious. It also embraces a color pallet as well, with a lot of red, green, and blue. It puts effort into the details like Cameron would into a computer program. That is more than you can say about the other current AMC dramas. It may be a difficult story to fully embrace, especially with some hindsight humor about how investors doubt the potential of video games. Yet it escapes the corny moments by making us care about its central cast, which expanded this season without losing its appeal.
If this is the end of Halt and Catch Fire, it will be unfortunate and likely will become the channel's definitive cult series. While that title may seem more applicable to Breaking Bad, it at least built up its ratings over five seasons. It had a chance to get success. Maybe it is that AMC is shifting more into genre entertainment, but the show's lack of attention is bothersome. From its characters to its production design, the show is fantastic in ways that the network usually gets more acclaim for. It may not always be perfect, but that is what inevitably makes it so compelling from front to back. Much like the computers, it had potential and worked out its glitches alongside the manufacturing. It was great TV because it was always shooting for the fences and being interesting. I can only hope that the series is brought back, though its low ratings suggest otherwise. It makes supporting it both more exciting and more devastating.
My personal plea here may not be enough to win over enough new fans, but if you do find yourself looking for an interesting drama, please give it a shot. It is something unique and always bubbling with fun characters. It is a show that captures the fun of the 80's without relying on kitschy stereotypes. It is a period piece about following dreams and trying not to let life interfere. It has ambition that few shows would. Much like its central plot, it works to convince you that things will work out. For me, it was a show that improved greatly in its second season and left me wanting more. It is addictive and fun, choosing to put prestige alongside its scrappy energy in fascinating ways. If this is in fact the end, I will miss it greatly because it is among AMC's best dramas not because it can be mistaken for a Mad Men from the 80's, but because it was so much more and a lot more fun with challenging what the network could do.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Comments
Post a Comment