I think you have the show backwards. It's trying to tell stories about people using the technology industry as a framing device; it isn't trying to tell stories about technology.

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hnlmorg 3 days ago | parent [-]

You’ve got my point backwards. I’m not talking about the technology. I’m talking about how those stories keep getting overshadowed by nonsensical episodic cliffhangers.

It’s dramatic. But it doesn’t mean it’s a particularly good drama.

If they’d replaced the backdrop with any other normal drama setting and almost nobody on here would watch it because they’d think the show was stupid.

Stuff like setting fire to a truck, and then never talking about it again afterwards, has absolutely nothing to do with tech nor stories about people. It’s just a dumb gimmick thrown in because the network doesn’t believe their audience has enough of an attention span to watch the show otherwise.

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tptacek 3 days ago | parent [-]

Like I said downthread, I think this is a B-tier show (better than Suits or The Good Fight, worse than Better Call Saul) --- but I don't think that has anything to do with whether "open source" is overshadowed by suicide. The show isn't "for" you.

The only reason technology is featured in it is that it's a way to show a period of rapid change happening underneath the characters. More than anything else it's a period show.

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hnlmorg 3 days ago | parent [-]

> don't think that has anything to do with whether "open source" is overshadowed by suicide. The show isn't "for" you.

You’re misunderstanding my point about the suicide. I said that the suicide was unearned and didn’t tackle the real discussion about mental health. And thus it was a distraction from the plot thread.

I’d have actually preferred it if the plot focused more on mental health if they were going to have a supporting character kill themselves. Then the death would have been earned.

> The only reason technology is featured in it is that it's a way to show a period of rapid change happening underneath the characters. More than anything else it's a period show.

You keep lecturing me on this point despite everything I’ve posted clearly being about how the drama (ie not technology) was written.

Are you sure you’re not the one hung up on the tech aspect given you assume that’s what everyone else is? Because everyone in this thread already gets it isn’t a documentary ;)

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tptacek 3 days ago | parent [-]

I'm just keying off this thing you wrote:

For example, the suicide was very poorly handled. It was used as vehicle for discussing open source vs proprietary code. But you could have easily done that without the death [...]

It's totally fine if we're not making any productive progress in this part of the thread. It's art, it's all subjective, we can just disagree. I think the interpersonal dramas in HACF are as earned as they are in any series; certainly, I'd put every season of HACF several notches above Six Feet Under Season 4 and its Scooby-Doo finale.

At the same time, I don't think there's any kind of important broader theme or message or ideas in HACF; the A-tier of prestige dramas have that --- The Wire, Mad Men, Better Call Saul. Mad Men and The Americans are I think the best comparands; both period shows with high-concept settings, both bigger idea/theme shows than HACF.

	▲	hnlmorg 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		> I'm just keying off this thing you wrote Because that was literally the plot! I’m saying that the death was poorly handled. I’m not commenting on whether there should have been more or less emphasis on tech. I’m saying the death was a lazy plot device that added nothing to the story. Edit: > At the same time, I don't think there's any kind of important broader theme or message or ideas in HACF; the A-tier of prestige dramas have that --- The Wire, Mad Men, Better Call Saul. Mad Men and The Americans are I think the best comparands; both period shows with high-concept settings, both bigger idea/theme shows than HACF. I think you’re on to something there. HCF felt shallow and that was likely for the reason you’ve described.