Silicon Valley may not be HBO's biggest show, nor its best, but it is perhaps its smartest and funniest. The story of tech start-up Pied Piper continued to evolve this year, picking up after an excellent debut season without dropping the ball even once, delivering another great (and hilarious) 10-episode run. Continuing where the first season triumphantly left off, with many larger firms attempting to buy Pied Piper, it quickly dissolves into a lawsuit arc and a bitter rivalry between the company and Hooli, with the latter suing them for copyright infringement. This in itself provides plenty of drama and comedy, but really its the characters themselves - in particular the core group and their interaction - that provide the real heart and humour of this show. It actually manages to deliver some high stakes that you really care about, first with the threat the lawsuit poses to Pied Piper, and then, just when they've won and can celebrate, the possible deletion of all their data. Even when that's saved, it ends on a sour note by having Pied Piper bought-out, and Richard removed as CEO. It may have been up-and-down for the characters, but as a viewer it was only ever up, and watching the Pied Piper team continue to develop (as characters, not in a computer programmer way) and mock each while still remaining friends is the true strength of this series, and why Season 2 was even better than the first.
NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far.
A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.
