MovieChat Forums > Halt and Catch Fire (2014) Discussion > A second problem with HACF

A second problem with HACF

posted 8 years ago by matt-baen
4 replies | jump to latest

The first problem is the inventions (or parallel inventions or innovations if you want to be a sticker) that got ridiculous in s2 and most of s3. The second is that it apparently takes place in something like our universe, so none of the quartet really breaks through and changes the course of history. Their billion-dollar ideas come to little. None of them are a Jobs or Zuckerberg. Joe came close with his short-lived McAfee phase.

The writers could have been bolder and created a parallel universe in which they are actually the architects of today's computing instead of footnotes. And I'm sure season 4 will be more of the same - they'll diddle with developing software in anticipation of commercialization, but just be bit players. My guess is the last jump with be 1995, when it was finally commercialized.

[–] nunnehickc 8 years ago

Parallel universes are boring in period pieces based on real events. Showing players who may or may not get there is more interesting. We all know they're always going to lose, but it's still fun watching them try.

The tech is a tiny amount of what makes this show fun to watch. In season 1, The Giant was the most interesting thing at first, and you wanted to see how it went. It's much more about the characters and conflict in seasons 2 and 3. They love the "too early" angle, and it's a good place to build a fictional universe where we already know most of the history.

My web series:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLece-1eaMHaC3K1xH64WtED1tMTRYWLL7

[–] birdparade 8 years ago

While it's not fair to call it a problem, this show does strike an unusual balance of accuracy. The bottom line is that it's just fiction and the details aligning with reality isn't important.

[–] vnse 8 years ago

For every Steve Jobs there are 1000 people who almost became Steve Jobs but couldn't quite make it happen. And you'll never know their names. The HCAF gang is one of these 1000 people. They had an idea, but couldn't make it to the next level. Happens every single day.

[–] mikekaraoke23 8 years ago

That is funny considering their characters were on TV promoting their stuff or in magazines or on radio etc
So your comment makes no sense

Also some of them idea's for technology like first instant messaging existed Talkomatic was very popular among PLATO users into the mid-1980s.

And using Email via Phone line In 1984, PCs running DOS could link with FidoNet for email and shared bulletin board posting.

My Aunty and other peoples parents I knew at time while in primary school used Ceefax Email to communicate via board posting or via private email

So some of those technology advances are based on facts as you know- common knowledge I remember it was groundbreaking at the time

So it is half fiction