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LTTP: Halt and Catch Fire - did you see this underrated gem?

Nightfall

Nightfall

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,956
Germany
It is one of my favorite shows of all time. The first season is probably the worst.
It's really accurate from a technical standpoint but the standouts are the characters. Everyone has an ark, everyone is believable, everyone is likeable and the emotional payoff at the end is so so good.
I wept like a baby when the series came to an end.
 
Deleted member 49179

Deleted member 49179

User requested account closure
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Nightfall said:
It is one of my favorite shows of all time. The first season is probably the worst.
It's really accurate from a technical standpoint but the standouts are the characters. Everyone has an ark, everyone is believable, everyone is likeable and the emotional payoff at the end is so so good.
I wept like a baby when the series came to an end.
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You're right! At the end of the show I felt like I was about to lose very close friends.

Gordon death absolutely destroyed me...
 
Chase Lebowski

Chase Lebowski

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
505
Italy
I liked it, but sometimes it felt way too over dramatic. Something had to happen all the time to mess up the few moments in which things were going fine. I mean, that's how most stories progress, but I have never been bothered by it or even realized it until this series.

Loved the ending, it was as satisfying as the ending of Mad Men and Breaking Bad. (Even though for McMillan felt a bit too rushed)
 
rsfour

rsfour

Member
Oct 26, 2017
16,744
Top 5 show. Despite how much I hate AMC for dumping Rubicon, and how shit TWD has been since...like season 2, they gave HACF four years instead of like two episodes
 
BreakAtmo

BreakAtmo

Member
Nov 12, 2017
12,824
Australia
Beautiful piece of work. I recently introduced my mum to it and now she keeps looking up Lee Pace interviews.

I just wish it was more visible in Australia. No disc release, not on any subscription streaming service - the only place to get it is buying it on Google Play or iTunes.
 

Deleted member 9399

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
3,925
Watching through now on Netflix. I kind of loathe Joe's character but I'm sure that's mostly the point, lol (S1). I find his scheming kind of exhausting, hoping he chills on that a bit.
 
verygooster

verygooster

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,651
New Jersey
Yeah Joe goes from "'80s Don Draper" type to a complex guy all on his own.

I don't actually even find S1 of the show bad, but very much finding its footing and it became fantastic. The final season and finale are so so good.
 

Deleted member 9399

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
3,925
-JD-

-JD-

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
3,470
Yes. I didn't think much of it from season 1 but it just takes off like a rocket from there. If I had a top 10 shows list of all time this would definitely make the cut.
 
Nightfall

Nightfall

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,956
Germany
Static_Void said:
You're right! At the end of the show I felt like I was about to lose very close friends.

Gordon death absolutely destroyed me...
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Oh god...it was the worst thing I ever experienced with any tv show.
But his final moments were fantastic.

And the real wtf for me was, that it was way before the season finale.
 
Gambit61

Gambit61

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,227
I've been meaning to check this out for a while now. I think I'll have time to dive in this weekend. Thanks for the reminder OP.
 
show me your skeleton

show me your skeleton

#1 Bugsnax Fan
Member
Oct 28, 2017
15,613
skeleton land
sorry for the bump but man, what great television.
i'm sat here the day after i finished it feeling lost? like i've just moved town and i'm missing some very good friends.
how it can make you love and loathe all four of the leads through the years is some fantastic writing. also i'm somehow nostalgic for the early 90s, a period i barely experienced having been born in 1986.

one of my favourite shows i've seen & will be recommending it to anyone who listens.
 
Crazymoogle

Crazymoogle

Game Developer
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
2,879
Asia
show me your skeleton said:
sorry for the bump but man, what great television.
i'm sat here the day after i finished it feeling lost? like i've just moved town and i'm missing some very good friends.
how it can make you love and loathe all four of the leads through the years is some fantastic writing. also i'm somehow nostalgic for the early 90s, a period i barely experienced having been born in 1986.
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There are various decisions I can hold against AMC over the years ("Rubicon!!") but honestly, they gave H&CF a finish. So much of many industries today is reflected in the sweeping changes of that era, and their story, while fiction, fit so well you could believe it was not.
 
beelzebozo

beelzebozo

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,072
bumping this to say i discovered this show over the past two weeks and i'm blown away by how wonderful the characters are. a beautiful show with such human performances. i knew scoot mcnairy and mackenzie davis were very talented, but lee pace and kerry bishe are basically all new to me and just as good. toby huss, the VOICE OF DALE GRIBBLE, also acquits himself well and is a very underrated character actor.

if you need a new show and haven't seen it: WATCH THIS.
 
KodaRuss

KodaRuss

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,855
Texas
Love this show. AMC deserves all the praise for letting them finish the story. The last season was just fantastic.
 
Colors

Colors

Member
Feb 28, 2019
39
Really loved this show and the character's arcs, and I felt ust happy browsing through this thread and reminiscing :)
 
CGriffiths86

CGriffiths86

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,843
This is in my top 5 shows I've ever watched. Every character arc was great, the ending was perfect, and even though they made jumps in time each season it never felt jarring.
 
Deleted member 49179

Deleted member 49179

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Each time this thread is bumped it makes me think about Halt and Catch Fire again, and it makes me happy.
 
Threadkular

Threadkular

Member
Dec 29, 2017
2,414
It's a fantastic show and it really gets so much better after Season 1. I loved the Cameron and Joe characters. Joe was always interesting to me because I usually have a tough time empathizing with super charismatic and successful characters like that, but you you saw there was a lot of pain underneath it.
 
dlauv

dlauv

Prophet of Truth - One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,509
Who needs a guy?

Ill add that this was my favorite tv show in recent memory. It bested Mad Men and Game of Thrones and House of Cards by knowing when to end and making each season have meaningful, succinct character arcs. Also sick intro music.
 
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Rover

Rover

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,414
I loved this show so much, maybe my favorite tv show ever? Certainly my favorite drama.
 
Darth Pinche

Darth Pinche

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,759
This is one of my favorite shows ever! The cast is amazing. The leads all get the praise, but I also want to mention that Toby Huss as Bos is great!

As others have mentioned, growing up during the early days of personal pc and BBS systems, this show just hits me at my core. This show is a masterclass in character development.
 
spookyghost

spookyghost

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,550
It's amazing that pretty much everyone who watches it falls in love, such a shame it doesn't have a bigger audience because it really deserves it.
 
Dreamwriter

Dreamwriter

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,461
I loved the first season - it's a show seemingly made specifically for me, someone who grew up with the computers in that era who loves the history of them. They did an amazing job of having it be a realistic show about the computer industry of the times. I couldn't make it very far into the second season though, it just went downhill fast. Some day I plan to force myself to finish the second season to see if it really gets as good as people say.
 
sfedai0

sfedai0

Member
Oct 27, 2017
9,933
Damn, OP just reminded me to finish this on Netflix. Brilliant show involving on of my favorite interest, Corporate warfare. Especially since it takes place in the burgeoning days of the PC market. Very intresting stuff.
 
Fallout-NL

Fallout-NL

Member
Oct 30, 2017
6,696
Rough 1st season? Thought it was pretty great actually. Have yet to see the rest but it's on my mental list.
 
A Path Finder

A Path Finder

Developer at ioi
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Oct 27, 2017
360
That episode with Joe and Cameron talking over the phone almost all night...masterful. Incredible chemestry.
 
AstronaughtE

AstronaughtE

Member
Nov 26, 2017
10,194
The name initially kept me away and it makes it kind of hard to recommend to people. But, the character work is so much fun. I feel like they do some odd things with Joe, but I also think that it all works out due to the performances. One of my favorites. Breaks my heart they dont have a bluray set.
 
Dice

Dice

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,213
Canada
Didn't care much for Season 1 (good but uneven), but after that it was beautiful and captivating and sad and electric.
 
BlueTsunami

BlueTsunami

Member
Oct 29, 2017
8,499
This series SCREAMS for a rewatch more than any series I've ever seen. There's a hindsight here that is profound. Currently on my second round and it makes you question intentions and motive and how they relate to who they end up as people. I love this series so much.
 
Deleted member 49179

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BlueTsunami said:
This series SCREAMS for a rewatch more than any series I've ever seen. There's a hindsight here that is profound. Currently on my second round and it makes you question intentions and motive and how they relate to who they end up as people. I love this series so much.
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I would argue that Halt and Catch Fire is very high in the list of best / most important shows of the decade.
 
BlueTsunami

BlueTsunami

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Oct 29, 2017
8,499
Static_Void said:
I would argue that Halt and Catch Fire is very high in the list of best / most important shows of the decade.
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Absolutely and it's gone under the radar by many. It says a lot in hints and vignettes to future technological achievements and the people who drive those innovations. The character are avatars for these breakthroughs and their personal lives dictate the movements. It's absolutely brilliant.
 
Nightfall

Nightfall

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,956
Germany
BlueTsunami said:
This series SCREAMS for a rewatch more than any series I've ever seen. There's a hindsight here that is profound. Currently on my second round and it makes you question intentions and motive and how they relate to who they end up as people. I love this series so much.
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I've watched it 3 times now (though kinda stuck on my 3rd rewatch currently) and it is still amazing. I fall in love with the characters over and over again. The technology part of the show is just a backdrop. The human drama is why you stay here. Those people feel so real and relatable.
And what I really love is that all 4 seasons are wildly different yet still feel like one single thing. I hate that it hasn't found more commercial success (I need a full series blu-ray box set) but I love AMC for having the guts to give them 4 full seasons when it wasn't even clear that it'd get a 2nd one.
 
Dascu

Dascu

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,993
I've been slowly going through this, watching about a season per month. Now finally nearing the end of the series/season 4. I was not totally on board with season 1, but it's gotten so much better as you see the characters grow over time. And, yes, when that happened. Damn.
 
cirr

cirr

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,247
Northern VA
One of my top 5 shows that I've seen with terrific character arcs for everyone. I guess with this free time I should give it a re-watch as so many have suggested.
 
ElfsborgEra

ElfsborgEra

Member
Jan 28, 2020
70
One of the few times I´ve cried while watching a show. Scoot McNairy and the others break my heart every time.
 
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