Television Review - 2016 (Part 2): #5 TV Experience of the Year - Silicon Valley

5) Silicon Valley

This year, my top four shows are head-and-shoulders above the rest and I had a lot of trouble deciding on which show would claim this spot.  Ultimately, I settled on Silicon Valley, a consistently hilarious comedy with some pretty good characters.

I'm admittedly not very tech-savvy nor do I follow much of what the Pied Piper gang is trying to do with their product. However, even to one with little technical knowledge, it's fascinating to watch the cutthroat nature of the digital business both between competing firms and within them. Richard and company seem to continue to catch big breaks only to be held back from controlling their own destiny at every turn. It's an interesting battle for financial and intellectual independence for some of the most brilliant minds in the industry.

Oh and beyond that, it's funny. Really, really funny.

There is no character on TV quite like Erlich Bachman, a man who has confidence, bravado, and foolishness in spades and in equal proportions. T.J. Miller's screen presence is right up there with that of any comedic actor anywhere. While he's often difficult to take seriously, Miller is able to make us feel for an oft-absurd character whose desire to be part of the Pied Piper team and friendship with Richard come off as genuine. When he faces struggles this season in both departments, we feel for him because Miller makes him the most likable character on the show, even disregarding how entertaining Erlich is when he's trying to impress or influence others.

Over the years, Erlich has replaced Richard as the guy we really root for and it's a good change. Many comedies (::cough:: Modern Family ::cough::) have a tendency to have their characters never really progress, but what Silicon Valley has done with Richard's character through three seasons keeps him both fresh and believable. Richard used to be superlatively timid when he was just trying to get his algorithm off the ground in Season One. By Season Three, he's still pretty nerdy and often tentative with decision-making, but leadership of this group and the frustration of trying to make it in the business world has created a substantial change in his character. He's much more demanding and often arrogant; the latter is a flaw that frequently costs him and makes his failures seem all the more avoidable.

I'd be remiss to do a Silicon Valley review without mentioning Bertram Gilfoyle, a close second to Erlich on the comedic front. Gilfoyle's one liners and deadpan humor are excellent, particularly when he's messing with Dinesh. He's mostly a dick who has little sense of loyalty to the group or any sort of moral code, but he's certainly a favorite of mine.

If you haven't seen Silicon Valley, it's an easy watch with 30-minute episodes and an addictive sense of humor. It's one of the best comedies out there and has been for all three of its seasons.

Season Grade: B+

Essential Episodes: "Maleant Data Systems Solutions" (s3.ep4), "Bachman's Earning's Over-Ride" (s3.ep8), "The Uptick" (s3.ep10)