I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong. Maybe it’s the cynicism that I watch every Game of Thrones episode with, maybe it’s just because watching Silicon Valley makes me feel awkward. But either way, the platform sold amazingly and actually made the guys more popular. With 100,000 downloads in just 10 days, Richard is becoming the belle of the Valley, and Jared is making jackets that look like the love child of a traffic light.
The main storyline of this episode was that Ehrlich hadn’t told Richard about selling his shares to cover the debt resulting from the losses his and Bighead’s incubator accrued. Ehrlich, once the controller of a 10% stake in a potentially billion dollar company, is now seen as the Donald Trump of the Valley: overly brash, not great to look at, and wondering when he’s going to tell you it’s all just a joke.
Eventually Richard does find out, and he has a decision to make: ruin Ehrlich’s career by releasing a press statement, or take the chance of rumors circulating about an insider dumping shares – a risk that could lead to the failure of his company.
Ehrlich makes the decision for him after hearing what he thought was the rumor trickling out. His tip actually ended up being about Jared’s ugly jackets, but the damage had been done. As the shit avalanche of his career is tumbling down, we see the most interesting and precarious balance between refined gentleman and stoner within Ehrlich as he smokes out of a glass pipe in the backyard–not really a bong so I won’t count it, but still a some great glass.
Richard learns of Ehrlich’s move but also learns that a clause in the contract he signed with Rivega allowed Laurie Bream to buy Ehrlich’s shares at whatever price she saw fit, which ended up being $713k (enough to cover Ehrlich’s debt and no more)—again what some might say a dick move.
Richard feels bad and offers Ehrlich the job for public relations control of Pied Piper. It’s here where I imagine Ehrlich walking out of the backyard with a skyward fist pump à la Breakfast Club. His first job: announce that Pied Piper has been accepted to the Hooli appstore—an official admission of their loss to Pied Piper in the compression company competition (alliteration is tight).
Thanks to the handy “next week on,” we know the boys are going to run into some trouble. So I guess I’m not cynical; I’m a goddamn clairvoyant-ass fortune-telling rat bastard. Also some internal strife is inevitable with Ehrlich now working under Richard with less stake in the company and no board seat. Also it’s episode 9 coming up, and anyone who watches HBO shows knows episode 9 is the most legit of the season. So expect something big or something shitty… or both!