The bro-coder urges of the Pied Piper gang cause them to fixate on the lewder bodily fluids, but it’s the sweat and tears put into keeping their upstart startup alive that’s proven to be endearing. Of course, this is an underdog company with plenty of commas in its bank account; in the gilded coliseum of the Internet economy, tech industry Davids worth millions look mighty small next to Goliath companies ubiquitous enough to all-but patent the image of an upward thumb. The figures, lingo, and look of Silicon Valley are 21st century through and through. Digital mattes borrowed from the GoT lot don’t always look believable, but often they’re in service of sight gags so outlandish you hope the actors weren’t anywhere near the real equivalent of what you’re seeing onscreen.
The characters and comedy of Judge’s show are well future-proofed, however, even as Silicon Valley takes steps in its third season to rewrite a proven algorithm for success. Dinesh and Gilfoyle (Martin Starr) remain one of TV’s funniest combative partnerships, and are the best source for extended high concept jokes that apply coder logic to awkward social situations. Middleditch, meanwhile, neatly balances the alternately embarrassing and heartfelt naiveté of Richard. After barely surviving the Hooli lawsuit with his soul intact, it’s Richard’s ego, not just his usual gawky gibbering, that puts many of this year’s plots into motion.
Stephen Tobolowsky is an A+ addition as Jack Barker, the replacement head of Pied Piper that threatens Richard’s vision for his company simply by being a sensible, pragmatic CEO. “Do you know what Pied Piper’s product is, Richard?,” Jack asks in the season’s second installment. The joke and real answer to the question say as much about where Pied Piper is in its growth as a company as where Silicon Valley is in its development as a show. Established brands and comedies always need to upset your expectations, lest what they’re selling become stale. With this in mind, the writers spend the first few episodes laying out a clear blueprint for the season ahead, only to roll that blueprint up and spark it at the last minute.
It’s difficult to say what the seven episodes to follow will look like, but it’s safe to assume they’ll trade on the same mix of geeky hijinks and salty banter that makes the first chunk of the season so amusing. Familiar kinks continue to dog Silicon Valley the way they have in seasons past: Amanda Crew is still just kind of hanging around as Monica, and Suzanne Cryer might one day escape the shadow of the late Christopher Evan Welch if finally given a chance to. All the same, there’s great fun, even excitement, to be had when watching a comedy rework and develop its template, not just copy the existing one.
