If you would like to read my review of the last episode, click here.
Synopsis: Encouraged by Jared to strike up a friendship with Dana, a like-minded CEO, Richard instead finds himself charmed by Dana’s COO, who challenges his loyalty to Gilfoyle. Facing limited housing options thanks to his impulse purchase, Dinesh searches for a new roommate. (HBO)
Writer: Carrie Kemper
Director: Jamie Babbit
Rating: TV-MA
Running Time: 30mins
Airs: Sundays at 10pm on HBO Canada (Canada)/HBO (United States)
This strong season continues with another great episode that went back to basics.
This episode started with Jared trying hard to set Richard up with one of his old friends, a low-energy CEO named Dana (Dan Mintz) who was strikingly similar to Richard but Richard didn’t see it. Meanwhile, Gilfoyle was being especially difficult to work with by showing up late and using a loud heavy metal song as an alert for his bitcoin operation. Also with nowhere to live and little money, Dinesh was looking for a new roommate and found a reluctant victim.
At Dana’s party, Richard met his COO Ben (Ben Koldyke) for whom there was a strong connection. They spent a lot of time together despite it being inappropriate. Ben thought they should work together. Dana interrupted their latest meeting at a restaurant. Richard believed that they should hire a COO but didn’t tell Jared that he wanted Ben.
Dinesh and his new roommate didn’t seem to be getting along until Dinesh got a little drunk and let slip the fridge incident which gave Gavin enough to go to the appliance company and convince them to sue Pied Piper for hacking their fridges. Gilfoyle wasn’t worried as he was convinced that he didn’t screw up and that they didn’t have evidence that it was them. Asking Ben for advice, he thought Richard should throw Gilfoyle under the bus but Richard was reluctant to do so.
Richard finally shared his intentions with Jared who felt slighted as he valued someone else’s opinion over his. He and Ben then confronted Dana while Jared got a call from Jian-Yang to go to his house. Dana suddenly found enough energy to be upset at Richard whom he blamed for poaching Ben even though it was both their fault. Jared found a worried Gilfoyle at Jian-Yang’s house going through his fridge to find any traces of his code. He didn’t find any code but learned that the fridges were listening to people.
When confronted with this information, the appliance company revealed that Gavin forced them to sue. Jared made an offer to help them in exchange for dropping their suit. Ben showed up, thinking that Richard hired him, but Richard didn’t like what he did to Dana. Richard finally realized what he had and offered Jared the position of COO.
Realizing that the appliance company didn’t know what they did but Gavin did, they must have a mole at Pied Piper. We know who it is, however, Dinesh, not realizing that the mole is his roommate, stumbles onto him talking to Hoover on the phone.
Overall, this was a great episode that was perhaps lower on laughs, with Dinesh and his roomate being the highlight, yet featured a compelling story between Richard and Jared which was a testament to the excellent chemistry between Thomas Middleditch and Zach Woods. Gilfoyle’s behavior here felt a little out of place. Gavin’s latest attempt against Pied Piper may have failed though he’s surely not done. It’s only the third episode but it’s nice to not see them have to face adversity from a stronger position instead of being knocked down all the time.
Score: 9/10
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The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.