Halt and Catch Fire (2014–2017): Season 1, Episode 10 - 1984 - full transcript
As Gordon and Joe prepare to ship the Giant, a suspicious defect calls their partnership into question. Cameron takes her future into her own hands.
You need any help?
I got it.
Well... I'll just dry, then.
It's okay.
Man on TV:
Seems like everyone is really
in the holiday spirit there,
Janice.
I see you've got
lots of company there.
Janice on TV:
I sure do, Dan.
We're here inside the Northeast Mall
and crowds are bustling.
As you can see
right behind me here...
- (Donna sighs)
...the line of children
and their parents
waiting to meet Santa
and put in their last-minute
Christmas requests
and to get a picture...
- Donna. Donna!
- Nope.
I am done feeling bad about this.
It's been a week.
You've made your point.
You're sleeping in the bed
with me tonight.
Get in there.
I'm still very mad at you.
(chuckles)
- I am!
- (sighs)
Gordon, can we go to bed now?
(thumps)
(rattles)
Wow. Sheesh,
what happened here?
I don't know.
Maybe it fell?
Across the room?
Maybe it was ringing too much.
- How about there?
- Catastrophic failure.
You're gonna need wire strippers.
Looks like it, don't it?
I'd better run out to my truck.
Here.
Use mine.
You know,
phone company's always hiring.
(chuckles)
Okay, so just leave them
on the desk when you're done.
(sighs)
This computer y'all built,
what's it say on the outside?
I think we get your point.
What does it say?
Cardiff Electric.
It says Cardiff Electric.
Whose name is that?
I closed ComputerLand
at 100,000 units.
We'll be in stores March 1.
You're looking at a projected
net profit of over $40 million.
I'm 65 years old.
Why would I want $40 million
when I can settle for five
and just kick back, Jack?
My phone's been ringing, too,
people wanting to buy
this company outright.
They've been offering me
a lot of change to close her down.
Joe:
This office...
what does it say outside?
The sign in the lobby,
what does it say?
You be careful, boy.
It says Cardiff Electric.
Whose name is that?
Not just yours.
Your father's, right?
Started in 1934,
shortwave radios
manufactured out of Longview.
I heard he ran
the factory floor himself.
I'm not talking about money.
I'm talking about legacy.
The company shifts entirely
into personal computing.
Overhead shrinks,
profits grow.
You let me run this,
Cardiff Electric becomes nimble
and ready for the 21st century.
(sighs)
You both run it.
As equals...
because you are a rattlesnake,
and you... you're
a little bunny rabbit,
but you're the brains
behind this thing.
Fine.
Eight percent of the company,
fully diluted,
four-year vesting,
cliff at one year for each of us.
(laughing, thumps)
You know, I should just bury you
in a shallow grave.
I should get somebody else
in here to run this company.
Hell, I should save a few bucks
and just run it myself.
Good luck with that.
You gonna manufacture locally
or in Taiwan to save some coin?
Japan has better output facilities,
but the tariffs are tricky.
You might be able to do
a deal with Intel in bulk
if you know who to talk to,
but it's the same guy
who manages IBM's bulk deal,
so it'll take some massaging.
Go 286 in the near future
and switch to AMD.
Bypass Intel.
Especially since AMD parts
almost always clock faster.
Megahertz, minimum bucks.
But I don't know.
What do you think, Nathan?
- Eight percent.
- Each.
Split.
We can live with that.
We'll see, won't we?
(door closes)
(theme music playing)
(singing "Ride of the Valkyries")
(all singing)
(all cheering)
The Giant awakens!
All right,
this is the first test shipment
from the manufacturer.
We got 100 machines here,
so I need all hands on deck
QA-ing these boxes.
Hardware, software,
failed pixels, l/O ports...
Pinch tension.
Pinch tension, internal temp,
fit and finish.
Check every millimeter
of this machine.
The Giant ships out
in less than six weeks.
It must be perfect!
(all cheering)
Debbie.
Oh, Gordon,
I don't know how to test a computer.
No, this is for you.
I figured you put up with me
and Joe long enough,
you deserve one.
Oh, thank you.
Have you seen Joe?
- He's in Bosworth's office.
- Okay. Thanks.
Yeah. Excuse me.
- (TV plays)
- (VCR clicks)
I wondered how long it'd take
till you took the corner office.
- I just needed the TV.
- (VCR whirring)
Our first test shipment came in.
I got everybody going over it
with a fine-tooth comb.
Did you miss the Bowl yesterday?
- I taped it on VHS.
- Well, the Redskins still lose, so...
Forget about the game.
Watch this commercial.
(VCR clicks)
(chattering)
- Announcer:4.
- Joe...
Tell me that wasn't amazing.
Tell me that wasn'
the best piece of marketing
you've ever seen in this industry.
Yeah, it was neat.
The girl that looked like Cameron
threw the sledgehammer
through the screen
and freed the weird slave people.
They're telling the world
that they're going to topple IBM.
Okay, well, I also didn't see
a computer anywhere in sight.
My guess is,
knowing those guys,
the Macintosh is all bells
and whistles and zero utility.
You want a toy,
you buy one of those.
You want a computer,
you buy one of ours.
People will buy the Giant,
but will they remember it?
If we delay shipping
just a few months...
Absolutely not.
We need to QA,
give manufacturing
the full green light, and ship.
Don't you want it to be great?
Joe, we keep futzing
with this thing,
it's gonna end up vaporware.
What about a graphical
user interface?
- We could do a GUl...
- Joe, be realistic.
You think Cameron's OS
slowed things down?
We don't even have hardware
that's capable of doing...
A killer app, then.
We design a phenomenal
piece of software,
bundle it with
the machine as a suite.
Gordon, what's our "Lotus 1-2-3"?
Our "Lotus 1-2-3"?
It's "Lotus 1-2-3.'
We built an IBM
compatible machine.
You wanted a computer.
You have a computer.
You need to sell
your computer, okay?
She really did
look like Cameron.
(VCR whirring)
And again, this is strictly
to get a sense
of the department I'm inheriting.
Please answer each of the questions
with one of the following,
"L eading the way," "Moving ahead,"
"Right on track,"
"Falling behind," or "Off track."
How would you rate the quality
of your work overall?
"Falling behind."
Care to clarify?
Honestly, I've been very distracted
since Hunt left...
I'm sorry, Mr. Whitmarsh...
and for a while there,
I was really caught up in...
I wouldn't call it an affair.
An emotional affair, maybe.
But then he left to start a company
based on ideas
he stole from my husband, so...
How would you rate
the timeliness of your work?
- Off track.
- And why's that?
I went to Vegas in November
for three days
and I didn't tell anybody.
Okay.
How do you feel about your future
at Texas Instruments?
Do you think...
could you just write "N/A"?
Because, honestly,
I don't see one.
I suppose we could
give you two weeks.
Actually, I would really prefer
if today were my last day.
Can I take you to lunch, ma'am?
- I got fired.
- Congratulations.
I financed it.
They were practically
giving them away.
What do you think?
I think it's about
the gaudiest exorbitance
- I've ever seen.
- Mm.
And everyone's gonna be
looking at us when we drive in it.
Mm. Let 'em.
(phone line beeping)
(modem beeping, chirping)
(laughing)
(line ringing)
Graphics compression
program is amazing.
So is phase modulation.
We're stable at 2400 baud.
How's my firmware holding up?
Modem's solid.
Hey, you authorized to access
any of this stuff?
Are you kidding?
If the suit found out,
he'd shit a brick.
Lev:
You know how many connections
we can carry on the 3B5?
We can play "Zork" on this.
We can make our own "Zork,"
"Wizard, Warrior, Rogue."
God, everything is
"Dungeons & Dragons"
- with you guys.
- Well, you have to admit,
- this is pretty cool.
- Yeah, I know.
Show your boss.
People would flip if they could
move data this fast
across the phone network.
Well, then we don' get to be
the phone company anymore.
We're probably
not even talking about a patch.
- What? What is it?
Found a sev-one problem
with the Giant.
Manufacturing or design?
'Cause if it's manufacturing,
I can make a call.
Honestly, we don't know yet.
What do you mean you
don't know yet?
We can repro it
and we're trying to pin it down.
It's causing the machine
to turn off spontaneously.
- All the test machines?
- No, just Debbie's.
What did you do to it?
Did you drop it?
Did you spill something on it?
Did you lend it to your
boyfriend or something?
No, none of that.
- Debbie, what did you do?
- I didn't do anything.
These are delicate machines.
You can't just throw them
in the trunk of your car.
- Gordon, I'm sorry.
- You've gotta be careful with them.
None of the hardware appears damaged.
That's not the issue.
Then we got a bad egg.
One bad egg out of the five
we've touched so far.
Say one in five computers has the flaw?
That's 20,000 units.
That's 20,000 store returns
at ComputerLand.
Exactly.
- Everything all right?
- No, we have a problem.
- Ooh, how bad?
- Gordon: We don't know yet.
Sev-two, sev-three maybe.
Oh, will it delay shipment?
Well, we'll have to
check every test unit.
Maybe this is an opportunity.
Maybe we delay a month
or two to fix the bug
and make some improvements.
Then come March,
ComputerLand will have
a bunch of empty shelves.
I already got Dennis flying in
first class from New Jersey
at the end of February
for the public launch.
This is bigger than plane fares
and party costs.
We got software just sitting around
while we figure out what's wrong.
Let me run with them
and build a killer app.
By the time the bug is fixed,
ComputerLand won't just
have a computer,
they'II have a bundled suite.
We'll be out ahead again.
Now that's something to celebrate.
Look, I know this is unfortunate.
But life gives you lemons, right?
Joe:
Okay, listen up.
We've had a little hiccup
with shipping,
which means we've
got some extra time,
and because we're who we are,
we're not gonna spend it playing "Pong"
and twiddling our thumbs.
We're gonna capitalize.
I know you've been
chomping at the bit
to write something that's not
a peripheral driver.
Good, because today,
Cardiff Electric
has entered the software
application business,
and in 60 days,
I want a killer app
ready to ship with the Giant.
A top-notch program
for our top-notch machine.
Now this is blue sky.
You got ideas, I wanna hear 'em.
And then I want us
to make them.
You guys up for
a challenge like that?
You bet.
(chuckles)
Good, good, good.
Hey, how was
your first day off?
It was euphoric.
Oh. Where are the girls?
Sleepover.
Do you wanna have
one of our own?
(briefcase thumps)
Donna:
So, how bad is it?
It's definitely gonna
delay shipping.
I think Joe did it on purpose.
I-I don't understand the benefit.
He can't live in reality.
He's always chasing
some fantasy, you know?
He's never satisfied.
I don't know what
his endgame is.
It doesn't matter.
The truth is that
I can't trust him.
Hey, you have worked too hard
and risked too much to get here.
We both have.
Nothing can be allowed
to jeopardize that.
What are you saying?
I think you know
what I'm saying.
I've got three teams
running diagnostics on the 3B5,
checking to see if you've
corrupted it in any way.
Also got guys checking
the network itself
to see if it's damaged.
Come on, Eli.
You're not that dumb.
You know the network
can transmit way faster
than we're letting it.
We can phase shift,
modulate amplitude,
insert error correction...
basically whatever we want.
Your modems were uncertified.
We dictate the terms
of how the network is accessed.
- You understand?
- Uh-huh.
So, let me guess.
Southern Lines is setting up
its own data network?
Who do you really work for?
(laughs)
Nobody.
Not anymore.
All right, what do we got?
Come on, let's fire it up.
You, let's hear it.
Um, um,
it's a moon phase calendar.
So you type in the date
and it gives you
the upcoming
phases of the moon
for the next 25 years.
So, like, on
my birthday in 1997,
it's going to be
a waxing gibbous.
Okay. What else?
You.
Careful,
you're gonna love this.
A simulator... beekeeping.
Full-on "zimulation."
Hardcore.
You start with three
hives and you're able...
Guys, a killer app
is something
that everyone wants,
they must have.
Think bigger.
What, so Cameron
was the only one of you
that had any real ideas?
Well, what are your ideas, man?
("Voila, An American Dream"
playing in background)
#Your voice it trickles
down inside of my ear... #
Donna...
I know how I'm gonna do it.
Lay it on me.
What is Joe's Achilles' heel?
Casual wear.
No, Cameron.
He's in love with her, you know?
Of course I know that.
What planet have you been on?
I'm gonna turn her
in to the feds
for hacking with Bosworth
unless Joe leaves Cardiff.
Isn't that a little bit evil?
You're gonna ruin Cameron's entire life
just to get rid of Joe?
Relax. I'm not actually gonna do it.
I'm just gonna threaten to.
Joe's too smart for that.
What happens when
he calls your bluff
and realizes you don't have
the stomach to go through with it?
- No, no, no, no.
- Wait, wait, unless...
you show him proof.
Like this uplink
from the bank's daemon.
It shows the alteration
of transaction codes
all routed back to Cameron's
office computer.
Donna, this is a print driver.
Joe doesn't know that.
(knocking)
I can't do this without you.
Do what, Joe?
Cameron...
come back to Cardiff.
You can do whatever you want.
You'll have carte blanche...
- No.
- Fine, don't work for Cardiff.
Form your own company.
I'll hire you as a vendor.
You'll never have to see my face.
I just... I need you.
Oh, God, you're pathetic.
- (bangs)
- We can start our own company.
I'll leave Cardiff.
We can go to California,
go anywhere.
We can start from scratch.
I wanna be with you.
That sounds nice.
We could build something
together, a partnership.
Make our own future.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Except you're not the future.
You're a footnote.
For a while,
you had me fooled.
I mean, I thought
I heard a heartbeat.
But it wasn' a heartbeat.
It was an echo.
I loved you...
because you recited
my own ideas back to me
and pretended
they were your own.
(scoffs)
You want to know the truth?
You're still exactly what you were
the day your mom
let you fall off that roof.
Yeah.
Just a sad little boy...
with a lot of wasted potential.
(elevator bell rings)
Where the hell have you been?
It's past 11:30.
Nice of you to show up.
Come here, you're gonna
want to see this.
None of them showed up
for work today.
Where are they?
Neil, tell 'em.
They all went to work for Mutiny.
I've never heard of it.
(chuckles)
Well, that's the best part.
Okay, I need you guys
to buy as many XTs
for the shelves as you can until
these max out.
Okay, okay,
but the modem firmware
is bugging out
all over the place.
- I can' predict the errors.
- Okay...
We need to get onto the protocols,
the interface, the games.
It'd be awesome to have
someone dedicated to hardware.
Dave:
Shit.
Preferably an adult.
Okay.
(knock on door)
So, I can't pay you,
but I can offer you
a percentage of the company.
Why me?
My house is running wild
with code monkeys.
I need someone
with real hardware experience
and attention to detail.
- Well, what's the idea?
- Connecting people.
You dial in, you play games across
phone lines with real humans.
We're writing the interface,
the games, everything.
But phone lines aren't fast enough.
I've got a phase-shifting and
amplitude modulation protocol
that breaks 9600 baud.
You subscribe.
You get a modem
and software in the mail.
Wait, what is this really?
Some sort of revenge hire?
Some screwed-up way
of getting back at Gordon?
Because I am not
some pawn
in whatever
twisted chess match
the three of you
play with each other.
Donna.
I'm flattered, thanks.
But, no, thanks.
Okay.
Suit yourself.
You wanted to see me?
- Look, Joe...
- Save your breath.
You got me.
The coders are gone.
Any chance of a killer app is dead.
You're right.
It's ready.
Okay.
Did any other test boxes
display the same problem?
Just the one.
A thousand machines
out of a hundred thousand,
one percent?
Return rate will be less.
We won't even feel it
in the profit margin.
So, what are you saying, exactly?
Ship it.
What are you working on?
Just a print driver.
I think the tailor cut it weird.
(scoffs)
Gordon, that looks so good
on you. You look great.
Well, you know,
Joe's gonna be all...
Oh, Joe is Joe.
You be yourself. Here.
Ah, I don't know.
- (brush clatters)
- (sighs)
- Give me 10 minutes.
- We're gonna be late.
Well, it's my computer.
They can wait for me.
- (music playing)
- (chattering)
Gordon:
I'm already talking to Hercules
about placing
their CGA technology
directly onto our motherboard
for the next iteration.
Fantastic.
I'm sorry... Donna...
Gayle, I apologize,
this is my wife Donna.
- Oh, so pleased to meet you.
- Thank you, likewise.
Man: Hey, Gordon, Gordon.
Come tell 'em how we came up
with the name.
Can you guys excuse me
for just one moment?
- Busy bee.
- (chuckles)
So, what do you do?
Oh, l... uh, I'm not working presently.
Um...
so, he looks great
without the beard.
It makes him look
so in charge, you know?
Well...
Well, you sold
your first computer.
Mm-hmm... mm,
which reminds me.
What... what are we
doing in here?
Here.
Stand right there.
(quietly)
Okay.
Gordon?
Give me your hand.
I made a promise to you
nine years ago.
Oh, Gordon.
(laughs softly)
It's just like the original one
with the same
polyalphabetic cipher.
I "darf" you very "gerp."
I'll "darf" you
to the day I "zof."
Gordon, they're asking for you.
(clinking)
All right, everyone, listen up.
I'd like to invite you all
out to the parking lot
where the first shipment
of Cardiff Giants
is waiting to be christened
for its maiden voyage.
- (cheering)
- (clinking)
Gordon: All right, first off,
I'd like to start by saying
that I wouldn't be
standing here tonight
in front of all of you
if it weren't
for Joe MacMillan.
None of us would be.
Sometimes you had to drag us
forward kicking and screaming,
but in the end, you were right.
The Cardiff Giant is an incarnation
of everything you are.
It shows the reach
and power of your vision
and the very best
of your abilities as a leader.
To my partner, Joe MacMillan.
All:
To Joe!
And to my wife...
where's Donna?
To my other partner,
without whom I'd be completely lost.
I love you, honey.
- (crowd sighs)
- I love you, too, Gordon.
This vessel departs at dawn.
Good luck and Godspeed!
- (crashes)
- (cheering)
(crowd chanting)
Giant! Giant! Giant!
- Just... like that.
- Watch your head.
(groans)
Hey, just give me a minute.
I can't believe it.
It just doesn't seem real.
Yeah.
Well, I'll see you in the office
in the morning,
- bright and early.
- See you then.
Thanks.
For everything.
(slurring)
'Member when Joe followed us
to "Return of the Jedi"?
Do you think he even
watched the movie?
I know he didn't.
A few months ago,
I called the coders a bunch of Ewoks.
He had no idea
what I was talking about.
Then why did he have popcorn?
I think he just wanted
to look more normal.
(chuckles)
(car engine revs)
- (tires screech)
- (heavy thud)
Son of a bitch.
(slurred)
Did somebody hit us?
You just hit a Porsche, buddy.
Hope you got great insurance.
Stay in the car.
Man! What the hell?
You busted the... ah!
- Keys!
- They're in the car.
(grunts)
(groans)
(tires screeching)
Wait! Wait, my wife!
My wife!
Oh, shit.
(panting)
("2020" playing)
# And what you see
is really what you see #
# What you, what you,
what you, what you... #
(lighter clicks)
(clatters)
# And what you see,
you feel #
# Coming real #
# Take you away #
# Did you, did you,
did you, did you #
# Did you, did you,
did you #
# Did you, did you,
did you... #
(phone ringing)
- (TV playing)
- Joanie: Even more had.
All right, so Joanie's crunchy
and Haley's creamy.
No, I'm creamy.
Crunchy's gross.
I really hate creamy.
- Gordon: How about apricot?
- Haley: Ew!
Joanie:
That's really disgusting.
Why do you have gummies
all over your lunch box?
We were gonna eat that.
That's my dessert
for after lunch.
- That's too much sugar.
- No, it's not.
The Braswells moved
over the weekend.
Did you see?
There was a truck.
Hey, girls, why don'
you go out to the van?
All right, I'll be home
by 5:00 as usual
and Rose will pick up the kids.
Love you.
Love you, too.
(seat belts click)
- You guys all buckled up?
- Girls: Yep.
Here are your lunches.
Joanie: I already know
I'm not gonna eat it.
Haley: That's for sure.
(TV playing)
(TV clicks off)
Look...
Donna, there was
a moment that night
when I thought...
I thought I was gonna lose you
and I never want to lose you.
I can't lose you,
but more than that,
you can't just
sit here and stew.
You should do whatever it is
that you want to do.
Come work at Cardiff.
I want you to be
the head engineer.
I'm stretched thin
running everything,
and whatever we do next,
it needs to be big.
Donna, it... it needs you.
Thank you.
Thank you, you don' know
what it means to me...
- Yeah?
...for you to ask.
Of course.
But I don't think that Cardiff
is the best place
for me right now.
Uh, o-okay.
Okay, well, you know,
you should work
wherever it is that
you want to work, okay?
Go wherever
your heart takes you.
I'm gonna support you
no matter what.
I've been thinking.
I actually got an offer
from somewhere else
a little while ago
and I'm gonna take it.
What?
That... that... that's fantastic.
That... that's great news.
Where?
Cameron:
All right, everyone listen up.
Uh, I just want you guys
to keep a few things in mind.
One, I'm not your boss.
Nobody here has titles.
Your title is your first name.
Mine is Cameron.
- Hi, Cameron.
- Hello.
Also, this isn't my thing.
This is our thing.
Which means you'll get out of it
exactly what you put into it.
For me, it's everything.
For all of us,
it should be everything.
Otherwise why even
do it at all?
(scattered applause)
Right.
Thank you.
Uh, and just one last thing.
A lot of people are
gonna want us to fail.
But that's because
we're the future
and there's nothing
scarier than that.
Yo-Yo:
Yes!
- (applauding)
- Man: The future!
- All right! To the future!
- Men: Yes!
Donna Clark!
Hello, welcome to Mutiny.
- Very nice setup.
- I know.
Ed:
"Unlike other portables,
the Giant is not
a strain on the back,"
blah-blah-blah.
"Overall, it's pretty fast."
There you go.
"Also a wise value
at such a low price..."
- Larry: Sounds good to me.
- Ed: Yeah.
Uh, "despite the LCD screen
being hard to read in bright light."
Bullshit.
What did he do,
take it to the beach?
Okay, here we go.
"Overall, the Cardiff Giant
Portable PC
stands out as
a strong contender
in no-frills computing
accommodation."
- Okay.
- We can take that to the bank.
That's good, right?
- A hundred thousand units...
- So, what's next?
What are we gonna do next?
If Joe MacMillan were here,
he'd have us building
a damn spaceship.
Ed:
Anybody ever find that guy?
Larry:
I think he's a fry cook at Kel's.
Afternoon.
Need a fill-up?
Uh, no, thanks.
Where you headed?
Fiske Observatory.
Is that around here?
I can' find it on the map.
That's 'cause they just built it
two years ago.
It's that way, though, right?
Sure, a couple dozen miles.
You know there's an access road
about an hour away
coming in from the south.
This way is just dirt roads
and old horse trails.
Raw hills country.
Thought I'd take the scenic route.
Is it all right if I
leave my truck here?
Hmm, some kind of stargazer, huh?
Yeah.
(chuckles)
I'll watch your truck for you.
Thanks.
You know there ain't nobody
up at Fiske, save the one.
Lives there most of the year.
- She ever come down?
- Not really.
See her in town once
in a while buying groceries.
Pleasant enough.
Not sure she's used to visitors.
Don't get yourself shot.
I'll be careful.
What do you want to see up there?
Lev.
This is hardware.
Donna.
(chuckles)
Yeah, do you
want to see your...
(instrumental music playing)
I got it.
Well... I'll just dry, then.
It's okay.
Man on TV:
Seems like everyone is really
in the holiday spirit there,
Janice.
I see you've got
lots of company there.
Janice on TV:
I sure do, Dan.
We're here inside the Northeast Mall
and crowds are bustling.
As you can see
right behind me here...
- (Donna sighs)
...the line of children
and their parents
waiting to meet Santa
and put in their last-minute
Christmas requests
and to get a picture...
- Donna. Donna!
- Nope.
I am done feeling bad about this.
It's been a week.
You've made your point.
You're sleeping in the bed
with me tonight.
Get in there.
I'm still very mad at you.
(chuckles)
- I am!
- (sighs)
Gordon, can we go to bed now?
(thumps)
(rattles)
Wow. Sheesh,
what happened here?
I don't know.
Maybe it fell?
Across the room?
Maybe it was ringing too much.
- How about there?
- Catastrophic failure.
You're gonna need wire strippers.
Looks like it, don't it?
I'd better run out to my truck.
Here.
Use mine.
You know,
phone company's always hiring.
(chuckles)
Okay, so just leave them
on the desk when you're done.
(sighs)
This computer y'all built,
what's it say on the outside?
I think we get your point.
What does it say?
Cardiff Electric.
It says Cardiff Electric.
Whose name is that?
I closed ComputerLand
at 100,000 units.
We'll be in stores March 1.
You're looking at a projected
net profit of over $40 million.
I'm 65 years old.
Why would I want $40 million
when I can settle for five
and just kick back, Jack?
My phone's been ringing, too,
people wanting to buy
this company outright.
They've been offering me
a lot of change to close her down.
Joe:
This office...
what does it say outside?
The sign in the lobby,
what does it say?
You be careful, boy.
It says Cardiff Electric.
Whose name is that?
Not just yours.
Your father's, right?
Started in 1934,
shortwave radios
manufactured out of Longview.
I heard he ran
the factory floor himself.
I'm not talking about money.
I'm talking about legacy.
The company shifts entirely
into personal computing.
Overhead shrinks,
profits grow.
You let me run this,
Cardiff Electric becomes nimble
and ready for the 21st century.
(sighs)
You both run it.
As equals...
because you are a rattlesnake,
and you... you're
a little bunny rabbit,
but you're the brains
behind this thing.
Fine.
Eight percent of the company,
fully diluted,
four-year vesting,
cliff at one year for each of us.
(laughing, thumps)
You know, I should just bury you
in a shallow grave.
I should get somebody else
in here to run this company.
Hell, I should save a few bucks
and just run it myself.
Good luck with that.
You gonna manufacture locally
or in Taiwan to save some coin?
Japan has better output facilities,
but the tariffs are tricky.
You might be able to do
a deal with Intel in bulk
if you know who to talk to,
but it's the same guy
who manages IBM's bulk deal,
so it'll take some massaging.
Go 286 in the near future
and switch to AMD.
Bypass Intel.
Especially since AMD parts
almost always clock faster.
Megahertz, minimum bucks.
But I don't know.
What do you think, Nathan?
- Eight percent.
- Each.
Split.
We can live with that.
We'll see, won't we?
(door closes)
(theme music playing)
(singing "Ride of the Valkyries")
(all singing)
(all cheering)
The Giant awakens!
All right,
this is the first test shipment
from the manufacturer.
We got 100 machines here,
so I need all hands on deck
QA-ing these boxes.
Hardware, software,
failed pixels, l/O ports...
Pinch tension.
Pinch tension, internal temp,
fit and finish.
Check every millimeter
of this machine.
The Giant ships out
in less than six weeks.
It must be perfect!
(all cheering)
Debbie.
Oh, Gordon,
I don't know how to test a computer.
No, this is for you.
I figured you put up with me
and Joe long enough,
you deserve one.
Oh, thank you.
Have you seen Joe?
- He's in Bosworth's office.
- Okay. Thanks.
Yeah. Excuse me.
- (TV plays)
- (VCR clicks)
I wondered how long it'd take
till you took the corner office.
- I just needed the TV.
- (VCR whirring)
Our first test shipment came in.
I got everybody going over it
with a fine-tooth comb.
Did you miss the Bowl yesterday?
- I taped it on VHS.
- Well, the Redskins still lose, so...
Forget about the game.
Watch this commercial.
(VCR clicks)
(chattering)
- Announcer:4.
- Joe...
Tell me that wasn't amazing.
Tell me that wasn'
the best piece of marketing
you've ever seen in this industry.
Yeah, it was neat.
The girl that looked like Cameron
threw the sledgehammer
through the screen
and freed the weird slave people.
They're telling the world
that they're going to topple IBM.
Okay, well, I also didn't see
a computer anywhere in sight.
My guess is,
knowing those guys,
the Macintosh is all bells
and whistles and zero utility.
You want a toy,
you buy one of those.
You want a computer,
you buy one of ours.
People will buy the Giant,
but will they remember it?
If we delay shipping
just a few months...
Absolutely not.
We need to QA,
give manufacturing
the full green light, and ship.
Don't you want it to be great?
Joe, we keep futzing
with this thing,
it's gonna end up vaporware.
What about a graphical
user interface?
- We could do a GUl...
- Joe, be realistic.
You think Cameron's OS
slowed things down?
We don't even have hardware
that's capable of doing...
A killer app, then.
We design a phenomenal
piece of software,
bundle it with
the machine as a suite.
Gordon, what's our "Lotus 1-2-3"?
Our "Lotus 1-2-3"?
It's "Lotus 1-2-3.'
We built an IBM
compatible machine.
You wanted a computer.
You have a computer.
You need to sell
your computer, okay?
She really did
look like Cameron.
(VCR whirring)
And again, this is strictly
to get a sense
of the department I'm inheriting.
Please answer each of the questions
with one of the following,
"L eading the way," "Moving ahead,"
"Right on track,"
"Falling behind," or "Off track."
How would you rate the quality
of your work overall?
"Falling behind."
Care to clarify?
Honestly, I've been very distracted
since Hunt left...
I'm sorry, Mr. Whitmarsh...
and for a while there,
I was really caught up in...
I wouldn't call it an affair.
An emotional affair, maybe.
But then he left to start a company
based on ideas
he stole from my husband, so...
How would you rate
the timeliness of your work?
- Off track.
- And why's that?
I went to Vegas in November
for three days
and I didn't tell anybody.
Okay.
How do you feel about your future
at Texas Instruments?
Do you think...
could you just write "N/A"?
Because, honestly,
I don't see one.
I suppose we could
give you two weeks.
Actually, I would really prefer
if today were my last day.
Can I take you to lunch, ma'am?
- I got fired.
- Congratulations.
I financed it.
They were practically
giving them away.
What do you think?
I think it's about
the gaudiest exorbitance
- I've ever seen.
- Mm.
And everyone's gonna be
looking at us when we drive in it.
Mm. Let 'em.
(phone line beeping)
(modem beeping, chirping)
(laughing)
(line ringing)
Graphics compression
program is amazing.
So is phase modulation.
We're stable at 2400 baud.
How's my firmware holding up?
Modem's solid.
Hey, you authorized to access
any of this stuff?
Are you kidding?
If the suit found out,
he'd shit a brick.
Lev:
You know how many connections
we can carry on the 3B5?
We can play "Zork" on this.
We can make our own "Zork,"
"Wizard, Warrior, Rogue."
God, everything is
"Dungeons & Dragons"
- with you guys.
- Well, you have to admit,
- this is pretty cool.
- Yeah, I know.
Show your boss.
People would flip if they could
move data this fast
across the phone network.
Well, then we don' get to be
the phone company anymore.
We're probably
not even talking about a patch.
- What? What is it?
Found a sev-one problem
with the Giant.
Manufacturing or design?
'Cause if it's manufacturing,
I can make a call.
Honestly, we don't know yet.
What do you mean you
don't know yet?
We can repro it
and we're trying to pin it down.
It's causing the machine
to turn off spontaneously.
- All the test machines?
- No, just Debbie's.
What did you do to it?
Did you drop it?
Did you spill something on it?
Did you lend it to your
boyfriend or something?
No, none of that.
- Debbie, what did you do?
- I didn't do anything.
These are delicate machines.
You can't just throw them
in the trunk of your car.
- Gordon, I'm sorry.
- You've gotta be careful with them.
None of the hardware appears damaged.
That's not the issue.
Then we got a bad egg.
One bad egg out of the five
we've touched so far.
Say one in five computers has the flaw?
That's 20,000 units.
That's 20,000 store returns
at ComputerLand.
Exactly.
- Everything all right?
- No, we have a problem.
- Ooh, how bad?
- Gordon: We don't know yet.
Sev-two, sev-three maybe.
Oh, will it delay shipment?
Well, we'll have to
check every test unit.
Maybe this is an opportunity.
Maybe we delay a month
or two to fix the bug
and make some improvements.
Then come March,
ComputerLand will have
a bunch of empty shelves.
I already got Dennis flying in
first class from New Jersey
at the end of February
for the public launch.
This is bigger than plane fares
and party costs.
We got software just sitting around
while we figure out what's wrong.
Let me run with them
and build a killer app.
By the time the bug is fixed,
ComputerLand won't just
have a computer,
they'II have a bundled suite.
We'll be out ahead again.
Now that's something to celebrate.
Look, I know this is unfortunate.
But life gives you lemons, right?
Joe:
Okay, listen up.
We've had a little hiccup
with shipping,
which means we've
got some extra time,
and because we're who we are,
we're not gonna spend it playing "Pong"
and twiddling our thumbs.
We're gonna capitalize.
I know you've been
chomping at the bit
to write something that's not
a peripheral driver.
Good, because today,
Cardiff Electric
has entered the software
application business,
and in 60 days,
I want a killer app
ready to ship with the Giant.
A top-notch program
for our top-notch machine.
Now this is blue sky.
You got ideas, I wanna hear 'em.
And then I want us
to make them.
You guys up for
a challenge like that?
You bet.
(chuckles)
Good, good, good.
Hey, how was
your first day off?
It was euphoric.
Oh. Where are the girls?
Sleepover.
Do you wanna have
one of our own?
(briefcase thumps)
Donna:
So, how bad is it?
It's definitely gonna
delay shipping.
I think Joe did it on purpose.
I-I don't understand the benefit.
He can't live in reality.
He's always chasing
some fantasy, you know?
He's never satisfied.
I don't know what
his endgame is.
It doesn't matter.
The truth is that
I can't trust him.
Hey, you have worked too hard
and risked too much to get here.
We both have.
Nothing can be allowed
to jeopardize that.
What are you saying?
I think you know
what I'm saying.
I've got three teams
running diagnostics on the 3B5,
checking to see if you've
corrupted it in any way.
Also got guys checking
the network itself
to see if it's damaged.
Come on, Eli.
You're not that dumb.
You know the network
can transmit way faster
than we're letting it.
We can phase shift,
modulate amplitude,
insert error correction...
basically whatever we want.
Your modems were uncertified.
We dictate the terms
of how the network is accessed.
- You understand?
- Uh-huh.
So, let me guess.
Southern Lines is setting up
its own data network?
Who do you really work for?
(laughs)
Nobody.
Not anymore.
All right, what do we got?
Come on, let's fire it up.
You, let's hear it.
Um, um,
it's a moon phase calendar.
So you type in the date
and it gives you
the upcoming
phases of the moon
for the next 25 years.
So, like, on
my birthday in 1997,
it's going to be
a waxing gibbous.
Okay. What else?
You.
Careful,
you're gonna love this.
A simulator... beekeeping.
Full-on "zimulation."
Hardcore.
You start with three
hives and you're able...
Guys, a killer app
is something
that everyone wants,
they must have.
Think bigger.
What, so Cameron
was the only one of you
that had any real ideas?
Well, what are your ideas, man?
("Voila, An American Dream"
playing in background)
#Your voice it trickles
down inside of my ear... #
Donna...
I know how I'm gonna do it.
Lay it on me.
What is Joe's Achilles' heel?
Casual wear.
No, Cameron.
He's in love with her, you know?
Of course I know that.
What planet have you been on?
I'm gonna turn her
in to the feds
for hacking with Bosworth
unless Joe leaves Cardiff.
Isn't that a little bit evil?
You're gonna ruin Cameron's entire life
just to get rid of Joe?
Relax. I'm not actually gonna do it.
I'm just gonna threaten to.
Joe's too smart for that.
What happens when
he calls your bluff
and realizes you don't have
the stomach to go through with it?
- No, no, no, no.
- Wait, wait, unless...
you show him proof.
Like this uplink
from the bank's daemon.
It shows the alteration
of transaction codes
all routed back to Cameron's
office computer.
Donna, this is a print driver.
Joe doesn't know that.
(knocking)
I can't do this without you.
Do what, Joe?
Cameron...
come back to Cardiff.
You can do whatever you want.
You'll have carte blanche...
- No.
- Fine, don't work for Cardiff.
Form your own company.
I'll hire you as a vendor.
You'll never have to see my face.
I just... I need you.
Oh, God, you're pathetic.
- (bangs)
- We can start our own company.
I'll leave Cardiff.
We can go to California,
go anywhere.
We can start from scratch.
I wanna be with you.
That sounds nice.
We could build something
together, a partnership.
Make our own future.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Except you're not the future.
You're a footnote.
For a while,
you had me fooled.
I mean, I thought
I heard a heartbeat.
But it wasn' a heartbeat.
It was an echo.
I loved you...
because you recited
my own ideas back to me
and pretended
they were your own.
(scoffs)
You want to know the truth?
You're still exactly what you were
the day your mom
let you fall off that roof.
Yeah.
Just a sad little boy...
with a lot of wasted potential.
(elevator bell rings)
Where the hell have you been?
It's past 11:30.
Nice of you to show up.
Come here, you're gonna
want to see this.
None of them showed up
for work today.
Where are they?
Neil, tell 'em.
They all went to work for Mutiny.
I've never heard of it.
(chuckles)
Well, that's the best part.
Okay, I need you guys
to buy as many XTs
for the shelves as you can until
these max out.
Okay, okay,
but the modem firmware
is bugging out
all over the place.
- I can' predict the errors.
- Okay...
We need to get onto the protocols,
the interface, the games.
It'd be awesome to have
someone dedicated to hardware.
Dave:
Shit.
Preferably an adult.
Okay.
(knock on door)
So, I can't pay you,
but I can offer you
a percentage of the company.
Why me?
My house is running wild
with code monkeys.
I need someone
with real hardware experience
and attention to detail.
- Well, what's the idea?
- Connecting people.
You dial in, you play games across
phone lines with real humans.
We're writing the interface,
the games, everything.
But phone lines aren't fast enough.
I've got a phase-shifting and
amplitude modulation protocol
that breaks 9600 baud.
You subscribe.
You get a modem
and software in the mail.
Wait, what is this really?
Some sort of revenge hire?
Some screwed-up way
of getting back at Gordon?
Because I am not
some pawn
in whatever
twisted chess match
the three of you
play with each other.
Donna.
I'm flattered, thanks.
But, no, thanks.
Okay.
Suit yourself.
You wanted to see me?
- Look, Joe...
- Save your breath.
You got me.
The coders are gone.
Any chance of a killer app is dead.
You're right.
It's ready.
Okay.
Did any other test boxes
display the same problem?
Just the one.
A thousand machines
out of a hundred thousand,
one percent?
Return rate will be less.
We won't even feel it
in the profit margin.
So, what are you saying, exactly?
Ship it.
What are you working on?
Just a print driver.
I think the tailor cut it weird.
(scoffs)
Gordon, that looks so good
on you. You look great.
Well, you know,
Joe's gonna be all...
Oh, Joe is Joe.
You be yourself. Here.
Ah, I don't know.
- (brush clatters)
- (sighs)
- Give me 10 minutes.
- We're gonna be late.
Well, it's my computer.
They can wait for me.
- (music playing)
- (chattering)
Gordon:
I'm already talking to Hercules
about placing
their CGA technology
directly onto our motherboard
for the next iteration.
Fantastic.
I'm sorry... Donna...
Gayle, I apologize,
this is my wife Donna.
- Oh, so pleased to meet you.
- Thank you, likewise.
Man: Hey, Gordon, Gordon.
Come tell 'em how we came up
with the name.
Can you guys excuse me
for just one moment?
- Busy bee.
- (chuckles)
So, what do you do?
Oh, l... uh, I'm not working presently.
Um...
so, he looks great
without the beard.
It makes him look
so in charge, you know?
Well...
Well, you sold
your first computer.
Mm-hmm... mm,
which reminds me.
What... what are we
doing in here?
Here.
Stand right there.
(quietly)
Okay.
Gordon?
Give me your hand.
I made a promise to you
nine years ago.
Oh, Gordon.
(laughs softly)
It's just like the original one
with the same
polyalphabetic cipher.
I "darf" you very "gerp."
I'll "darf" you
to the day I "zof."
Gordon, they're asking for you.
(clinking)
All right, everyone, listen up.
I'd like to invite you all
out to the parking lot
where the first shipment
of Cardiff Giants
is waiting to be christened
for its maiden voyage.
- (cheering)
- (clinking)
Gordon: All right, first off,
I'd like to start by saying
that I wouldn't be
standing here tonight
in front of all of you
if it weren't
for Joe MacMillan.
None of us would be.
Sometimes you had to drag us
forward kicking and screaming,
but in the end, you were right.
The Cardiff Giant is an incarnation
of everything you are.
It shows the reach
and power of your vision
and the very best
of your abilities as a leader.
To my partner, Joe MacMillan.
All:
To Joe!
And to my wife...
where's Donna?
To my other partner,
without whom I'd be completely lost.
I love you, honey.
- (crowd sighs)
- I love you, too, Gordon.
This vessel departs at dawn.
Good luck and Godspeed!
- (crashes)
- (cheering)
(crowd chanting)
Giant! Giant! Giant!
- Just... like that.
- Watch your head.
(groans)
Hey, just give me a minute.
I can't believe it.
It just doesn't seem real.
Yeah.
Well, I'll see you in the office
in the morning,
- bright and early.
- See you then.
Thanks.
For everything.
(slurring)
'Member when Joe followed us
to "Return of the Jedi"?
Do you think he even
watched the movie?
I know he didn't.
A few months ago,
I called the coders a bunch of Ewoks.
He had no idea
what I was talking about.
Then why did he have popcorn?
I think he just wanted
to look more normal.
(chuckles)
(car engine revs)
- (tires screech)
- (heavy thud)
Son of a bitch.
(slurred)
Did somebody hit us?
You just hit a Porsche, buddy.
Hope you got great insurance.
Stay in the car.
Man! What the hell?
You busted the... ah!
- Keys!
- They're in the car.
(grunts)
(groans)
(tires screeching)
Wait! Wait, my wife!
My wife!
Oh, shit.
(panting)
("2020" playing)
# And what you see
is really what you see #
# What you, what you,
what you, what you... #
(lighter clicks)
(clatters)
# And what you see,
you feel #
# Coming real #
# Take you away #
# Did you, did you,
did you, did you #
# Did you, did you,
did you #
# Did you, did you,
did you... #
(phone ringing)
- (TV playing)
- Joanie: Even more had.
All right, so Joanie's crunchy
and Haley's creamy.
No, I'm creamy.
Crunchy's gross.
I really hate creamy.
- Gordon: How about apricot?
- Haley: Ew!
Joanie:
That's really disgusting.
Why do you have gummies
all over your lunch box?
We were gonna eat that.
That's my dessert
for after lunch.
- That's too much sugar.
- No, it's not.
The Braswells moved
over the weekend.
Did you see?
There was a truck.
Hey, girls, why don'
you go out to the van?
All right, I'll be home
by 5:00 as usual
and Rose will pick up the kids.
Love you.
Love you, too.
(seat belts click)
- You guys all buckled up?
- Girls: Yep.
Here are your lunches.
Joanie: I already know
I'm not gonna eat it.
Haley: That's for sure.
(TV playing)
(TV clicks off)
Look...
Donna, there was
a moment that night
when I thought...
I thought I was gonna lose you
and I never want to lose you.
I can't lose you,
but more than that,
you can't just
sit here and stew.
You should do whatever it is
that you want to do.
Come work at Cardiff.
I want you to be
the head engineer.
I'm stretched thin
running everything,
and whatever we do next,
it needs to be big.
Donna, it... it needs you.
Thank you.
Thank you, you don' know
what it means to me...
- Yeah?
...for you to ask.
Of course.
But I don't think that Cardiff
is the best place
for me right now.
Uh, o-okay.
Okay, well, you know,
you should work
wherever it is that
you want to work, okay?
Go wherever
your heart takes you.
I'm gonna support you
no matter what.
I've been thinking.
I actually got an offer
from somewhere else
a little while ago
and I'm gonna take it.
What?
That... that... that's fantastic.
That... that's great news.
Where?
Cameron:
All right, everyone listen up.
Uh, I just want you guys
to keep a few things in mind.
One, I'm not your boss.
Nobody here has titles.
Your title is your first name.
Mine is Cameron.
- Hi, Cameron.
- Hello.
Also, this isn't my thing.
This is our thing.
Which means you'll get out of it
exactly what you put into it.
For me, it's everything.
For all of us,
it should be everything.
Otherwise why even
do it at all?
(scattered applause)
Right.
Thank you.
Uh, and just one last thing.
A lot of people are
gonna want us to fail.
But that's because
we're the future
and there's nothing
scarier than that.
Yo-Yo:
Yes!
- (applauding)
- Man: The future!
- All right! To the future!
- Men: Yes!
Donna Clark!
Hello, welcome to Mutiny.
- Very nice setup.
- I know.
Ed:
"Unlike other portables,
the Giant is not
a strain on the back,"
blah-blah-blah.
"Overall, it's pretty fast."
There you go.
"Also a wise value
at such a low price..."
- Larry: Sounds good to me.
- Ed: Yeah.
Uh, "despite the LCD screen
being hard to read in bright light."
Bullshit.
What did he do,
take it to the beach?
Okay, here we go.
"Overall, the Cardiff Giant
Portable PC
stands out as
a strong contender
in no-frills computing
accommodation."
- Okay.
- We can take that to the bank.
That's good, right?
- A hundred thousand units...
- So, what's next?
What are we gonna do next?
If Joe MacMillan were here,
he'd have us building
a damn spaceship.
Ed:
Anybody ever find that guy?
Larry:
I think he's a fry cook at Kel's.
Afternoon.
Need a fill-up?
Uh, no, thanks.
Where you headed?
Fiske Observatory.
Is that around here?
I can' find it on the map.
That's 'cause they just built it
two years ago.
It's that way, though, right?
Sure, a couple dozen miles.
You know there's an access road
about an hour away
coming in from the south.
This way is just dirt roads
and old horse trails.
Raw hills country.
Thought I'd take the scenic route.
Is it all right if I
leave my truck here?
Hmm, some kind of stargazer, huh?
Yeah.
(chuckles)
I'll watch your truck for you.
Thanks.
You know there ain't nobody
up at Fiske, save the one.
Lives there most of the year.
- She ever come down?
- Not really.
See her in town once
in a while buying groceries.
Pleasant enough.
Not sure she's used to visitors.
Don't get yourself shot.
I'll be careful.
What do you want to see up there?
Lev.
This is hardware.
Donna.
(chuckles)
Yeah, do you
want to see your...
(instrumental music playing)