Silicon Valley Season 2 Review

It was only a couple months ago that I posted my review of Silicon Valley season 1. Silicon Valley is Mike Judge, John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky's comedy from HBO about tech entrepreneurs trying to achieve success in the tech Mecca of America, Silicon Valley. In the first season we saw Richard Hendricks (Thomas Middleditch) and his team at Pied Piper working to get funding and that their app had what it took to be successful. Season 2 shows many of the challenges that come with (modest) success - more funding issues as they seek Series A financing, lawsuits, competition and growing pains.

One of the highlights of Season 2 is the new character of Carla who joins the team. She is a friend of Gilfoyle and Dinesh (who are both still the funnier parts of the show with Jared) and has the chops to stand toe-to-toe with both of them when it comes to the game of pranks they like to play. She also provides plenty of awkward moments as Jared (Zach Woods) tries, unsuccessfully, to integrate a woman into the team. Another is the continuing journey of Big Head (Josh Brenner) as he continues to demonstrate no discernible skills other than his honesty as he rises at Pied Piper competition, Hooli.

Unfortunately, after those positives, there is not nearly as many funny or interesting highlights as you would expect from Season 1's success. The jokes are couched in incompetence and stupid actions by the Pied Piper team members rather than on awkwardness and naiveté that was prevalent in Season 1. I can only watch the team shooting themselves in the foot so many times before it just becomes painful. Plus there is not enough of Monica's character this season and probably too much of Erlich and Jian-Yang.

If you have HBO and some free time, you will find some laughs in Silicon Valley Season 2, but not nearly as many as Season 1. For our house, my wife is out and stopped around episode 6 unable to take any more. Given how the season ends, there is only about one way that the writers can get me back on board with the show and I doubt they will go there. Silicon Valley Season 2 gets 2 Mick Happies. Really bums me out as Season 1 was one of my favorite shows.