After “Hooli Smokes!” set such a high-water mark for the final season last week, it was a safe bet that “Maximizing Alphaness” would be a step down in comparison. That assumption unfortunately proves correct, and it also illustrates another major strength of those caper episodes: a sense of focus. When the whole team is united in pursuing a goal it produces the best of Silicon Valley, able to combine its various cast members to the best possible effect. In comparison, “Maximizing Alphaness” is a scattershot episode, five different plots that direct the cast to various corners of the Valley without connection. And in comparison to last week’s victory high, it’s more than a little mean-spirited to most of the characters, as if consciously trying to strip away the joy of their recent victory.
It’s frustrating because “Maximizing Alphaness” starts from an interesting position, by opening up a corner of Richard’s life that we haven’t had any reason to think about since the days of “Minimum Viable Product.” Richard clawed his way from low-tier programmer to CEO, and now he’s surrounded by people who might remember those early days. One of them, his first supervisor Ethan (George Basil of Flaked and Crashing) recognizes his old employee and immediately trades on familiarity to keep his job—and then manages to advance past nepotism with a valuable suggestion to convert Hooli phones for a vast expansion of PiperNet. There’s potential in this idea, either Richard regressing to old behaviors or Ethan unable to move past their original dynamic.
And there is some of that, but it’s pushed to unpleasant extremes. Ethan is so determined to assert his dominance that he trots out derogatory nicknames for Richard, shares unflattering photos of Richard as a Hooli employee, and—worst of all—shows off Richard’s early code to a room of coders. It’s almost at Russ Hanneman levels of odious, to the point even Dinesh feels sympathy. And when you’re below Dinesh on the totem pole, something has gone drastically wrong with your life: “I did not have fun. I watched you get kicked in the balls for 90 minutes. My balls hurt sympathetically for your balls.” There’s been plenty of moments where Richard’s needed humbling on Silicon Valley, but this level of embarrassment feels over-exaggerated when they could have gotten the point across in a much simpler way.
The broadness continues into his efforts to fix it. Even worse than sympathy from Dinesh is advice, which takes the form of a non-stop video playing hard rock and flashing stereotypical “alpha” imagery to feel like an alpha. Like so much of the swagger on Silicon Valley, it proves empty and less helpful than you’d expect, as Richard gets goaded into punching Ethan and doing more damage to his own hand. (Helen Hong wins best delivery of the week for her reaction: “So, it’s complicated. You were the clear aggressor in this incident, but you’re also the only one who got hurt.”) And in the long run it’s not necessary to the overall resolution, as Richard’s peace comes out of Holden’s unprompted threats to Ethan—a great mirror of the way Jared stalked Holden in “Initial Coin Offering” to break him into the perfect assistant.
On that topic, Jared is another area where “Maximizing Alphaness” loses points in its pursuit of meanness. Now, heaping indignities on Jared is a time-honored Silicon Valley tradition, but usually those are tied to professional mockeries or the increasingly horrifying stories of his past. Here, the reveal of Jared’s true parents and the reasons why they abandoned him are needlessly cruel, none of the terrors hinted at in any story but an inhuman upper-class selfishness that dismisses his entire existence outright. Even in this uncaring world, it’s many steps too far, especially the ice-cold dismissal of his supposed solar panel engineer: “Well, Ken, we were underwhelmed by your presentation.” It’s a disappointment he doesn’t set fire to the entire place on his way out.
Things only get meaner when Jared tries to rationalize this wholly irrational behavior, and he reaches the conclusion that he’s being rejected because he subconsciously rejects everyone around him. Between Gwart and Big Head as his sounding boards, this is an episode where we’ve got a lot of Jared talking to himself, and it’s a less fun seeing him trying to analyze himself than it is for other members of the cast to realize they’re too confounded to analyze it in more detail. Thankfully we should be getting back to that soon as Gwart accepts an offer from Laurie, opening Jared for his inevitable return to the warmth of Pied Piper—and even more promisingly, a potential conflict with the man he broke down psychologically to become as stalwart a protector of Richard’s interests.
Elsewhere, Silicon Valley continues hanging lampshades on its long-running jokes/issues with Monica’s plot. For several seasons I’ve raised complaints about the series’ lack of gender diversity and unwillingness to tackle the industry’s toxic sexism—a problem it’s had off-camera as well—and now they make those part of the text when Monica tries to join a panel about empowering women in technology. Adding Monica to Pied Piper has dramatically improved the character’s exposure, and it’s also teaching us something interesting: she joins her coworkers in not being that great of a person. Laurie factually points out she’s never shown interest in helping women in tech, and her efforts to do so by giving another Pied Piper employee ownership of Foxhole feel pragmatic at best and craven at worst. (Priyanka on Foxhole: “It’s 90 percent men and all the female users are prostitutes.” Monica: “…Which makes it a very challenging assignment!”)
In approaching it this way, it almost seems to be making a meta point about the way Silicon Valley’s approached gender issues in the valley: maybe they shouldn’t because they’d be as bad at it as Monica is. “Maximizing Alphaness” deflates whatever sense of superiority Monica earned in record time, as Kara Swisher (another real-world tech icon guest-starring on the show) is less interested in Monica jettisoning a toxic asset as she is Priyanka’s efforts to fix it. It leads to Monica unceremoniously waved off by Laurie, a solid cringe comedy beat that’s proper payment for hubris.
And if there’s a surprise in “Maximizing Alphaness,” it’s the discovery that Silicon Valley has found a way to make Gavin Belson more insufferable than ever before. In the wake of his Hooli defeat Gavin has chosen to abandon the industry completely, finding a second life as the author of Cold Ice Cream & Hot Kisses, “a thinly veiled roman à clef set at a whale-themed B&B.” There’s no pretension like literary pretension, and Gardner and Matt Ross get a lot of mileage out of Gavin’s devotion to his new career without an ounce of talent. I’d pay for an entire audiobook of Ross reading dialogue in the vein of “Caspian’s heart cracked open like one of his father’s briny lobster traps,” should Silicon Valley want to find a new life for any of those alt-takes.
And it’s also a move that has ramifications for the last half of the series. When a reporter asks him why he’s not writing about tech, Gavin’s answer is a tirade about the destructive nature of the industry, and it turns out that’s a story MSNBC—and others—are interested in hearing. If other plots of “Maximizing Alphaness” were too mean-spirited, this is the cynicism of Silicon Valley deployed with perfect narrative irony. Richard began this season positioning himself and his company as the answer to Big Tech, the solution to the Hoolis of the world. And now it looks like his moral high ground may have been part of the lowball offer he made to purchase his competitor, handing his soapbox to someone who’s never once shied away from making altruistic promises for his own benefit.
Stray observations:
- Gilfoyle’s plot is the simplest part of the episode, as the antisocial programmer forms a potential connection with long-downtrodden data center employee John (first introduced in “Meinertzagen’s Haversack”). Gilfoyle gradually connecting with John over chess games and then deleting his subsequent friend request has more emotional heft than any of the moments where Jared’s family casually dismisses his value to their lives. With Tracy’s earlier observation that she’s seen Gilfoyle-types at five other companies, it’s sad to think he could be around like minds and just chooses not to.
- This plot also reveals that Gilfoyle’s social media feed is mostly just complaints about Dinesh’s behavior at work. Son of Anton clearly had a lot of content to draw off of in programming its creator’s AI.
- Nice addition to the opening credits: Pied Piper’s logo has now grown with Hooli shrunken to superscript size at its feet.
- Big Head continues to spend all of his time with a Simon. It’s appropriate that the character who is ostensibly the most content of the bunch is the one who’s satisfied with this simplest form of technology. And I also suspect that Jian-Yang gave it to him to distract him from whatever Customs and Border Patrol-thwarting scheme being run out of the Hostel.
- Pied Piper’s office wi-fi password is PiperN3t_4_all.
- Two punchable offenses this episode: Ethan wears rollerblades in the office, and Gavin takes great pride in writing his manuscript on a 1968 IBM Selectric.
- “Why’d you just wave him in?” “I don’t know, automatic social shit.”
- “I am now using touch as a means to communicate friendship.”
- “You need to assert dominance like Jane Goodall.”
- This week’s closing track: “First Day Of The Light,” Geto Boys.
49 Comments
Just finished the episode, and this review is spot on for Jared’s “familial” predicament. It was just too harsh (and even left-field) for a character that has been the butt of jokes throughout the show. Especially since it was revealed he was given up to make his parents’ family travels more simpler and then just tossed aside again without recourse.Now, I wasn’t getting my hopes up for any recognizable character actors to make an appearance (like Erin’s parents in The Office) to make the scene meaningful. But the fact that Jared never had a moment to call them out or angrily chase them with a BB gun just made the subplot fall flat. They could have just relegated it to his firing by Qwart as a starting point for his internal conflict.But I hope Jared gets a chance to condemn his parents for their treatment of him. And go apeshit on them like he did with Richard, that was fucking hilarious
It is “Gwart” not “Qwart.”
I for one enjoyed Jared/Donald’s origin story. He was born into a family that acts like a business, and effectively got fired from the family at a young age.Cruel? Yes, but it also means Jared was tempered into the sink-or-swim startup world since birth. Once he sank, now he swims. This guy fucks.
Also it was kind of amazing how awful the situation kept getting. I thought the enntire scene was one of the funniest from the show.
jared’s tough. he can’t be broken.
The fact that the replacement third child is also named Donald is especially cruel. (It’s an easily-missed gag, as Jared usually goes by his middle name.)
I sincerely thought his name was Gabe. Totally missed that.
Gabe was the name of Zach Woods’ character on The Office.
Monica, going back to the Peter Gregory days, has always been more comfortable being one of the guys than being one of the girls. It helped her survive in an extremely male-dominated industry, but now it’s biting her in the ass.
Amanda Crew really sold the hell out of that. Monica and Richard both have a look when they understand that a situation is getting away from them, feel powerless to do anything about it, and are resigned to the fact that shit like this is going to keep happening to them over and over again.
I loved the episode. We got a chance to see deeper into the psyche of the main characters, the last season’s theme seems to be about going deeper and tying up loose ends.
I believe it is Gwart not Qwart. Atleast that is the way the subtitles spell it.
And the name tag, and it was written somewhere else in the episode pretty visibly, maybe a laptop?
I am not clear on what exactly Holden did to Ethan.Also, while it makes sense for Jared to take his being released by Gwart as an opportunity to rejoin Richard’s inner circle at Pied Piper, I expected that he’d also show some sign of being wounded at having been dumped by the person to whom he had just pledged his life.Finally, Jared can just summarily fire Holden? Surely this is a move that Richard himself will have to make.
Oh, Jared didn’t fire Holden. That was a threat.
Also, I don’t believe Jared ever really wanted to dedicate himself to that human fire hydrant. He just thought that’s what he should do. I think he was relieved to find out he was fired.
I don’t know about that. Recall Jared’s rage against Richard when Richard insulted Gwart. So I think he really had feelings for her.Gwart’s ability to enthrall — first Jared, then Laurie — will remain a mystery of the show.Speaking of Laurie, she had the funniest “eating artichoke” scene since the Three Stooges.
I assume Gwart will be the big winner at the end of the season but I’m not enjoying that storyline. They’ve just written her as some weird enigma
I suppose that you’re right about Jared’s attitude towards Gwart at the end of their relationship. But at the beginning, he was emotionally involved; he wasn’t faking it when he started shooting at Richard.
I think Jared’s entire relationship to Gwart is simply a reaction to his breakup with Richard. His rage at Richard was misdirected—he was really upset because Richard had accused him of being a “buddy-fucker” and basically dismissing Jared’s feelings and the existence of their “special bond.” Gwart was simply the closest thing to grab onto to save himself from drowning in his sadness. She was nothing more than a (barely) human pool noodle.
So basically, Gwart is Jared’s rebound relationship?
Was Jared’s rebound relationship.
Apparently so.
Just the fact that Holden brought down Ethan shows how formidable Holden is. Doesn’t matter how he did it. Jared has his work cut out for himself.
That’s for sure. I wonder if we’ll get an examination of the upcoming struggle between Holden and Jared.
Holden has shown that he can do the job of being Richard’s protector. (I still want to know what he said/did to Ethan!) But whether Holden can fulfill Jared’s role as consigliere and conscience is something that I find highly doubtful.
Maybe Richard will find a way to have them both by his side by splitting duties.
Heh- Like all the characters in Silicon Valley, Jared has his petty side, too, and that involves not sharing Richard.Even if (if!) Richard does the adult thing and coherently splits duties for Holden & Jared, Jared would never stand for it.
Although when Jared left the whole point was because Jared was moving into more of an operational role and less of an assistant.
Jared was being pushed into that role and pushed into an office on the other side of the building away from Richard.He saw himself being sidelined from whatever he did for Richard, and preferred to leave.
Did I miss something that makes you think it’s an immigration scandal? This is the second review that mentions it as having to do with immigration but I thought the only history we have with him is making sub-par versions of other software. Like, he’s making a Chinese version of Gwarts software, or some other kind of..software illegal action, maybe pirating. I’m not well versed in bird law or software law.
I really hope they’re planning a big win for Jared to end the series on, because as you said Les, that was needlessly cruel and was too mean-spirited for me.
I’d like to think he’ll connect with his siblings and tell them the truth but on the other hand…focusing on his family life was already really off-topic for the show, and going further with it would just be an utter derail.
Jared is adopted, and his parents call him Ken when he sees them.I am adopted, and my name is Kenneth Jered.So that was weird for me.
Gwart. Not Qwart.
This is the first episode of the entire series that I haven’t been on board with, although I still think three of the subplots still mostly worked. Richard’s plot did seem oddly mean-spirited and it walks back his character a bit–Richard is evil now! And his Jared-trained assistant was the worst part of last year by far and I was hoping they’d forgotten about him. Also, I don’t think finding out about Jared’s family was a great or necessary payoff; his backstory is better (and funnier) left as backstory. I think this article’s right that he’s been too isolated this season and it hasn’t worked out.Monica’s plot was funny, although it seems like something that was left on the table two seasons ago when she was working with Laurie (it doesn’t make sense that she’d be so friendly with Laurie now–I’m wondering in general if this was an episode where the writers just put together some abandoned ideas from previous years before the show ends.) I really disagree that her plot ‘lampshades’ or ‘makes a meta point’ about Monica’s role on the show: it’s pretty clearly an elbow thrown at empty ‘lean-in’ tech feminism. While I would have loved more Monica on the show–and people better be handing Amanda Crew a pile of lead-role offers–I think they’ve used her character well by slowly developing her as a co-lead. Also, Priyanka’s been a subtle MVP the past two seasons.I would love it if the remainder of the show turned Gavin from Steve Jobs to Anand Giridharadas. His ‘this should be a Waldenbooks’ speech is one of my favorite things he’s ever done, characteristically both right- and wrong-headed simultaneously.There is a low-key interesting plot thread this season with Gilfoyle trying to adjust to being essentially a regular employee. He seems conflicted about the whole enterprise as he keeps essentially getting bettered by HR. Curious to see how his story ends (I have $5 on ‘leaves Pied Piper to walk the earth and have adventures, like Caine from Kung Fu’).
The Laurie stuff made sense to me in that Laurie has repeatedly said things to indicate she thinks she and Monica are very close. (She called her her best friend, which is probably true because Laurie probably isn’t much into friends.)
Agreed about the Lean-In ribbing—Monica initially felt indignant, like she should obviously be on the panel because of what she’s achieved, completely missing the angle that it’s for women who’ve actually HELPED other women.
Totally concur on the backstory of Donald/Jared. Its better if its a mystery. It would be like answering the past of Kreiger on Archer, terrible idea.
Monica is another Daria: a one-dimensional female character forced on Mike Judge.
Hey, it’s Native American Heritage month! Let’s drop this kind of use of “totem pole”, ‘kay?
What’s wrong with you?
He’s a PC baby.
Y’know, the plight of indigenous peoples everywhere is a real issue that doesn’t get a lot of traffic. But given the US has just replaced Native American Heritage month with Colonizer Appreciation Month, maybe being a little sensitive to using sacred symbols as trite metaphors is fine?
I mean, Blue Brain was firm, but I didn’t see it as being rude. I don’t know what to say to someone who thinks trying to be respectful to marginalized people is wrong or being baby.
being a little sensitive to using sacred symbols as trite metaphors is fine?Can you explain how the term is offensive to Native peoples? If you can’t then your point is irrelevant.
This show as fallen so fucking far from its previous heights, it’s not even worth recapping anymore. Tragic.
I did like that Priyanka’s triumph was because she has something Monica doesn’t–a network of women in the field. Maybe you should’ve tried to befriend Carla after all!
Jared’s backstory was completely unnecessary! Unearthing random tragedies from his mysterious past with quickly brushed aside offhand comments has always been a mainstay of his character. Trying to explain his origins was not only pointless but also poorly handled. Though the show has eccentrics like Gavin and Russ aplenty, it’s also been rooted in realistic character motivations, personalities, etc. Jared’s parents are part of a normal society, so their unbelievable callousness not only took you out of the moment but also didn’t serve any purpose. We know Jared lived a hard life. Saying his parents didn’t want him is one thing, but spending a long drawn out scene about how he’s the third of four children and his parents got rid of him to simplify travel plans is just taking a running gag too far and shoving it in your face while doing it. It doesn’t explain his weird attachments or anything about his character. It served no point. The mystery they should’ve explained is Gwart! WHO IS THIS CHICK?!
As someone who is /was an orphan Jared’s storyline was unnecessarily brutal. They didn’t have to wrap it up nicely but it was just cruel. I hated it and it really hurt
They set this up for him to usurp his parents I think.
I have hard time believing a bunch of ruthless capitalists like Laury Breem would cheer and clap for any sort of people unionizing. I guess it’s all for show. This “women in tech” shchtick is about peak lean-in feminism (“we demand more women CEOs!”); not actual women workers rights.
I’d pay for an entire audiobook of Ross reading dialogue in the vein of “Caspian’s heart cracked open like one of his father’s briny lobster traps,” should Silicon Valley want to find a new life for any of those alt-takes.They’re already selling Tres Commas tequila and they released a ‘hot dog not hot dog’ app a few years ago. This seems like it’s almost inevitable.
I felt awful for Jared, but I also felt just as bad for John getting his friend request denied by Gilfoyle. That was just such a dick move by him, but even he seemed a little bit apprehensive about it.
Don’t forget Jared speaks German in his sleep!