Halt and Catch Fire is to Mad Men as Low Winter Sun was to Breaking Bad. Since the announcement of the show it was evident that AMC was trying to fill the void that Mad Men is about to leave in the network’s schedule. The comparisons between the two run miles through the Pilot, but much to the writers’ credit the series never feels like a rip-off of Mad Men, instead its flaws are derived from the writers’ need show to feel self-important.
The story of Halt and Catch Fire was one that can sustain itself, unlike the underlying plot momentum of Mad Men, which had to rely on character drama to sustain its episodes. Two men, Joe MacMillan and Gordon Clark, attempt to reverse engineer the IBM BIOS chip to try and engineer their own computer. Much of the pilot is extremely compelling, particularly the well made reverse engineering montage. That is part of the appeal of the series. Its impeccable style was able to hide the fact that everything surrounding it was familiar. Everything from the opening screen defining what “Halt and Catch Fire” meant to a steamy sex scene following a very public debate, this time in a classroom setting. However, with the specific style of the show there was a slight calming of the comparisons.
Another point of familiarity were the characters. Lee Pace portrayed Joe MacMillan who is the Don Draper of the show all the way down to waft dark hair. The character floats through life like it was made for him. He monologues like a poet and persuades like a lawyer. Part of his storyline even involves him pursuing his own agenda behind his employers’ back. Sound familiar. His partner Gordon Clark is played by Scoot McNairy. He is a quiet man who has been weakened by life. It seems that all of his life’s motivation disappeared after various failures including a failed computer he worked on with his wife. She takes on the “bitch wife” role that Betty Draper and Skylar White (although I completely disagree with the public’s disdain for her) inhabited on AMC. They are later joined by Cameron whose role as the rebel genius recruited by the “heroes” seemed to take from every single person before her. It helps that that show’s ensemble was able to insert some uniqueness into each role, however I’m afraid that these caricatures might be set.
However, it’s weakness is hidden by the show’s confidence. When I say confidence, I mean it’s unwavering ability to believe that it could do no wrong, much like MacMillan. Something from a melodramatic monologue is justified with assurance that the move paid off or a seemingly useless scene involving a baseball bat has a deeper character meaning. The self-importance almost runs rampant, but the plot keeps us centered. Our protagonist’s passion keeps us invested. I don’t know how long I’m going to stick with the show. The first episode didn’t offer us much in terms of plot, however I think with this type of confidence they must have something up their sleeve.
Hey, I'm Karl, founder and film critic at Smash Cut. I started Smash Cut in 2014 to share my love of movies and give a perspective I haven't yet seen represented. I'm also an editor at The New York Times, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and a member of the Online Film Critics Society.