The first episode of the fifth season of “Silicon Valley,” an HBO TV series, premiered on March 25 and is now available for streaming on HBO.com. Despite differences from the previous four seasons — the most notable being the absence of T.J. Miller as Erlich Bachman — the show keeps the humor and suspense viewers have always enjoyed. Photo fair use of www.decider.com
The first episode of “Silicon Valley” season five premiered on March 25. Although it reuses the familiar storylines the series is known for, the episode does not disappoint.
“Silicon Valley,” a series created by Mike Judge, John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky in 2014, returned to the air on March 25 with the first episode of its fifth season.
The episode, titled “Grow Fast or Die Slow,” follows programmers Richard, Jared, Dinesh and Gilfoyle as they navigate the trials and tribulations of hiring new people for their latest venture with their tech company, Pied Piper: building a decentralized internet.
This episode is no different, satirizing America’s technology industry by the curveballs it throws at its nerdy heroes, notably the Google parody company, Hooli’s umpteenth attempt to sabotage the business in the show’s four-year run.
Perhaps the biggest divergence from other episodes is the pointed absence of former main character Erlich Bachman (T.J. Miller), whose character was written off the show at the end of season four.
However, his character is hardly missed as he becomes the unseen center of a new B-plot storyline involving his one-time apprentice, Jian Yang, portrayed by Jimmy O. Yang, a skilled comedian whose talents are mostly hidden behind an exaggerated Chinese accent and Asian stereotypes throughout this series.
The episode, albeit eventually entertaining, starts off slowly, and it’s not until around the 10-minute mark that the show begins to do what it does best: explore the moral ambiguity of those involved in the tech industry, particularly the growing willingness of main character Richard to undermine other people in order to get what he wants. In this episode, he causes a rival company to go bankrupt.
Richard’s risks create the uncertainties that make the show suspenseful and entertaining.
However, the highest point of any episode is the comedic interaction between members of the ensemble cast — particularly whenever Zach Woods of “The Office” fame as meek, eccentric “mom friend” Jared Dunn is involved. This element was not as strong throughout the season premiere, often giving way to Richard’s antics and making for a slower episode than usual.
Although the show is normally exclusive to the subscription-based HBO network, the first episode of Season 5 is currently available for free streaming on the website.
The fifth season of “Silicon Valley” seems promising, and the only thing to do now is hope that subsequent episodes emphasize the strong comedic bond the cast has formed.
