Forget “Mad Men.” “Halt and Catch Fire” Is AMC’s Greatest Legacy
insidehook.com
insidehook.com
“When I was five, my mother took me to the city. And we went through the Holland Tunnel, and it was basic. Concrete and steel. But it was also my excitement sitting in the backseat, wondering when it was going to be our turn to emerge. It was the explosion of sunlight. And when we exited the tunnel, all of Manhattan was laid out before us. And that was the best part of the trip the amazing possibility to be able to go anywhere within something that is magnificent and never-ending. This is the first Web browser,” -Joe MacMillan (played by Lee Pace)
It's the last "show" I bought since "The Office"... I wish it had a few more seasons, but everything good must come to an end!
From a writing perspective, Breaking Bad was amazing because they somehow created a very good story arc for the entire series, despite having no idea (at least initially) how many seasons it might last. Better Call Saul has to maintain continuity with a story that's already been written. It's like trying painting yourself into a corner and then exiting the room without leaving a footprint.
The seasons with Mutiny were a real treat, great hacker startup energy and a really fun exploration into the new tech frontiers that were opening up at the time. The overall story did end up weird, but it's one of those shows where you're free to just view the characters as vehicles into a compelling world.
This is IMHO true of H&CF.
It is also true that part of this was the pivot to foreground the female characters (1)
The idea that the show was "ruined" by not portraying them as just "hot chick" and "wife" is a) extremely gross and b) a statement that's really only about the person making it.
1) https://slate.com/culture/2015/05/amcs-halt-and-catch-fire-s...
As a counterpoint, I really enjoyed Dog Day Afternoon, which is basically a masterclass in taking a single situation and a fantastic actor and just letting it play out.