Ep 1. I/O

In the first episode of the drama series Halt & Catch Fire, entitled "I/O", we are introduced to the lead characters and their motivations in the fast-paced world of computer technology in the early 1980s.

The show is set in Texas, which was not the hotbed of technology that it is today. However, as we learn right away, something is brewing in the underbelly of the community, as computer engineer Joe MacMillan (played by Lee Pace) arrives on the scene and meets ordinary computer salesman Gordon Clark (Scoot McNairy), and his wife, Donna (Kerry Bishé).

Joe has a shady past in the computer industry, having worked at IBM and gotten fired in the process. He comes to Texas with a plan to jumpstart the nascent PC era by developing a new computer that will compete with IBM's machines. He's also looking to start a company and needs a couple of willing partners.

Gordon and Donna, like most people of their generation, are fascinated with the possibilities of the personal computer, but they're operating on veteran IBM technology. Their marriage is going through a rocky patch because of Gordon's inability to make anyone else perceive the potential he sees in his IBM PC and get behind it. Along comes Joe, with his big talk and vision, and convinces Gordon to work with him to develop a new machine "engineered to reverse-engineer the IBM PC."

Joe brings in a third party, the young prodigy programmer Cameron Howe (played by Mackenzie Davis), who initially agrees to help them only for the money, but then becomes enamored with the challenge of building something new, from scratch. Cameron is called upon to "write the software that nobody else can." Her problem-solving skills are apparent right away, as she quick-draws a rudimentary version of a game on dry-erase board and starts working to build the game on the new machine they're designing.

As this new trio sets out to make their mark in the computer industry, they run into obstacles from all sides, from skeptical investors to overly-protective tech giants. The episode sets up the basic conflict for the rest of the series, as we see the challenges the team faces and how they overcome them in the early stages of their journey.

In the first episode, we see the show's creators stick to an authentic representation of the era, as they recreate the details of the 1980s with great attention to detail, from the rotary phones to the floppy disks, and even the small church at which Cameron's parents worship. The show's pacing is deliberate yet compelling, with a subtle score that picks up right where necessary.

Overall, the first episode of Halt & Catch Fire sets the tone for a show that is part business drama, part character study. It captures the excitement and enthusiasm of the early days of the PC era, but also highlights the struggles, frustrations, and personal conflicts that individuals had to endure. The episode serves as a solid start for the series, giving viewers a glimpse of what's yet to come for this promising group of individualists in the tech industry.