04x07 - Who Needs A Guy

[bunniefuu]

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♪ Ice, baby ♪

♪ I saw your girlfriend ♪

♪ And she was eating her fingers ♪

♪ Like they're just another meal ♪

♪ But she waits there ♪

♪ In the levee, washes ♪

♪ Min' cocktails ♪

♪ With a plastic-tipped cigar ♪

This is Cameron, leave a message.

Hey, Cam, it's Bos.

Look, if you get this
in the next few hours...

Hello!

Hey. What, are you
screening your calls?

No, I wasn't.

No, that's all right, that's all right.

I'm just glad I still rate a pick-up.

Of course you do.

Hey, listen, what are you doing
the next few hours?

Uh, I... I don't know.
I'm just here, you know...

I need you to meet me
in Palo Alto at noon.

Is everything okay?

No, everything's fine.
I just need a quick favor.

Bos, please don't ask me
to do something...

Oh, no,
it has nothing to do with work.

I just need you to meet me
at 350 Hamilton Avenue at noon.

Can you do that for me?

Um...

what is it about?

Does it have to be today?

That's my girl.

350 Hamilton.

Don't be late.

Okay.

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Good morning.

Holy sh*t.

Good morning.

Um...

Wasn't there something you were
supposed to give me yesterday?

What do you mean?

Your biology test.

Weren't you getting
that back yesterday?

Yeah, I did. I got an "A."

Well, that's terrific.

Where is it?

You want to see it?

Yes. Yes, I would.

Well, if I say I got an "A,"
I got an "A."

If that's true,
then maybe we can talk

about you coming back to
Comet a few days a week.

But I don't want to.

You said that I would
keep working there

as long as it was fun.

And it's not fun anymore.

You're seriously not gonna say
anything about the haircut?

Do you seriously think
that that would help?

Holy sh*t!

Well, we need witnesses.

Since she brought her daughter...

Why didn't you tell me?

Well, because
we're not making a fuss.

Yeah, but I would have...
dressed up.

You're perfect.

- Hey.
- Hi.

Thank you for coming.

Read it and weep...

with joy.

Now, I don't want to get too far
ahead of myself because...

that's my nature, but...

Rover is crushing the competition...

your ex's company included.

No disrespect.

We can call it Comet.

Well, they're getting walloped.

Our traffic is phenomenal.
It's twice what Comet is seeing.

How long is it taking people to
find what they're looking for?

Uh, 35 seconds a visit,
down from a 1:20.

Users in and out.

Happy customers, Donna.

Terrific.

So, I hear that you're taking
some well-earned vacation time.

Where you going?

Or more importantly, uh...

who you going with?

I'm not going anywhere.
Just a little local R&R.

Good for you.

A little me time, eh?

Thanks for keeping me in the loop.

Yeah.

You take care of yourself.

No one else will.

Am I right?

I'm right.

What am I looking for?

Time.

Yeah. I get e-mail.

I use the computer in the library.

You mean that Prodigy thing?

What am I...
What am I looking for?

- Hey!
- Landscaping supplies.

What are you doing home?

A/C at the office finally went out.

Everyone's working from home
while they fix it.

- Oh.
- What are you doing home?

Bos got married.

- What?
- Yeah.

They just decided
to do it this morning.

I guess they finally
worked things out.

They said it was for practical reasons,
but I don't know.

When they were up there
saying their vows,

looking in each other's eyes...

Are you getting misty?

I'm not.
I'm just happy for them.

All right, all right.

Stop pressuring me.

Mm-hmm.

I just hope it works out for them.

You know, better than it
did for our sorry asses.

I mean...

our other relationships,

- not this one.
- I get it, I get it, I get it.

You're not in a rush, are you?

Well, yes,
I want to get back to work.

- The new project is,
- I want to show you some of the,

- starting to hum.
- Videos I've been sh**ting.

Oh, please. I lost a whole
morning because of this.

- The public perception of the Internet,
- Alexa's coming,

- and I wouldn't even have
- tomorrow, if it was

- picked up
- anybody but Bos.

Or you.

I would have picked up for you.

No. No. Go on, get out.

- Get out of my apartment.
- Okay.

You're out of toilet paper.

Maybe I'll come out there tonight.

You want to come out
to the Airstream voluntarily?

I might need some toilet paper.

Oh, that's fantastic!
You can meet everybody.

Okay!

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*HALT AND CATCH FIRE
Season 04 Episode 07
Title: "Who Needs a Guy"

Sync corrections by srjanapala

And then I had to spend
hours coaxing Billie

out of the corner.

And when I finally get her to move,

Bing gets a wild hair and starts
bouncing all over the walls.

Look! And now look at them.

Perfect little angels.

Hey, come here, come look.

I thought
we were going for a hike.

We are, I just want to, um,
make one...

minor tweak
to the collision detection.

It will take two seconds.

It sure is pretty out here.

♪♪

Oh, my God.
Look at this.

We should build a house.

Something with a nice deck.

I mean, Billie is bad-ass.

Nothing major.

Just a couple rooms...

two, maybe three.

But then, what,
Gazebo just instantly retreats

unless there's food?

We should have a fireplace
in every room...

even the bathroom.

Fire pole?

Stripper pole.

Any kind of pole.

I feel like our hiking
window is slipping away.

Oh.

It has been a pleasure
to fall asleep

and wake up
in your work space.

I swear to God, two minutes.

I know you believe that
when you say it.

Wait, wait.

♪♪

Can I take you to dinner tonight?

Oh, you feeling guilty?

Yeah, a little.

Please?

We'll go into town,
we can sleep in the big bed.

Ooh. Now you're talking.

I'll call you later.

Hey, wish me luck!

Luck?

What the hell
would you need that for?

Hmm.

Oh, my God!

♪♪

How short are we talking?

Well, it's um...

it's pretty short.

Like,
shorter than Dorothy Hamill's,

but not as short as Mark Hamill's.

Uh, somewhere mid-Hamill.

Well, is it pixie-ish?

Is it like... Audrey Hepburn or...

Mia Farrow?

Donna, Donna, Donna,
it is not that kind of haircut.

Okay, it's not fashionable.
You're not gonna like it.

Why would she do that?
She has such beautiful hair.

Well, I think maybe she's
trying to work some stuff out.

You know,
make some kind of statement.

All 15-year-old girls should
be just put on an island

until they're ready
for civilized society.

I think some girls just
struggle more than others.

Oh, come on.
Haley's fine.

I just wanted to give you
a heads-up before you saw it.

Hey, I appreciate you
taking them this week.

I really just needed some...
uninterrupted time.

Yeah.

Um...

how are the meetings going?

I toggle between boredom and horror.

Someone shared a story about
narcotic-induced constipation

that I will never be able to un-hear.

Mmm.

Yeah, I'll just be happy
when it's all over.

Oh, and as a lovely humiliation
coda...

I got kicked off Rover.

Shut up.

What happened?

Oh, just everything.

Cam, Bos, Diane...

it was a perfect storm of awful.

Well, I'm sorry.

I mean, at least we're not
direct competitors anymore.

Hey.

It'll make it a lot easier
when Comet kicks Rover's ass.

Oh, yeah? What makes you think
that's ever gonna happen?

Well, we're doing pretty well.

About to launch
a big marketing push.

Do you know
what your user numbers are?

Yeah.
We got 50,000 hits a day.

Rover's doing twice that.

The average user finds
what they're looking for

in 35 seconds.

That's impressive.

Yeah, it is.

But it's also what makes it vulnerable.

What do you mean?

I'm not convinced
this fight gets won

by the site
that keeps traffic moving.

I think it might go to the
one that keeps users around.

Oh, look,
it makes so much sense.

Why are we working so hard
to become the fastest site

when we could become the...

the-the-the stickiest?

If we can keep users
hanging around,

then we can start locking in
advertisers.

But the whole point is to
deliver them to other sites.

No, but we could still do that.

But it could also be
a destination in itself.

Look, a-according to Donna,
we're not even close.

- Whoa, whoa! Donna?
- Yeah.

What does she have to do
with anything?

Nothing. She stopped by this
morning,

- and we got to...
- No, no.

We're not taking
business advice from Donna.

Who cares where it comes
from if it's a good idea?

She's our direct competition.

Why would we listen
to what she has to say?

Because she's a really
well-informed player

in the field.

We're not gonna be derailed
by Donna.

We're gonna move forward
with this marketing plan,

and I'm really excited
about what they're...

What's the point in coming
up with a marketing plan

when we're gonna end up
redesigning the whole site?

Because we are not going to
redesign the whole site.

Hey,
I'm really sorry to interrupt,

but we are freezing out there.

I don't know what
that guy did yesterday,

but I think he's trying to
cryogenically preserve us.

The average visit to Rover
takes 30 seconds, okay?

Whereas the average visit to us
takes well over a minute.

I don't trust that data.

You're being ridiculous.

Are you sleeping with her again?

Am I sleeping with my ex-wife?

Yeah.

We're going at it like rabbits.

And Katie...

she's cool with it.

Been spending a lot of time together.

Much more than usual.

She's the mother of my children.
We see each other.

I shouldn't even have told
you the idea came from her.

Then you would have thought
it was a great idea.

But it did come from her, and
I'm not taking business advice

from someone who's goal

is to dance on the
carcass of my company.

Okay, come on.
She's not that bad.

Besides, she's not even...

Look, she's...

she's in a different
place now, all right?

She has other things to worry about.

Besides, her daughter works
here, for Christ's sake!

You really think she's
gonna go out of her way

to try and destroy a company
that her daughter works at?

But her daughter doesn't
work here anymore.

Now is the perfect time
for her to strike.

She's not a ninja, Joe.

I got it, I got it!

Oh, my.

I'm sorry to barge in. It's just...

Gordon told me the news,
and I...

Please, come in.

We weren't trying to
keep it from anyone,

it just all happened so quickly.

Oh.

Are you pregnant?

Honey, Donna's here.

And she brought something
massive from Tiffany's.

- Oh, it's...
- You shouldn't have.

Oh. Hey!

What?

I didn't know Tiffany's
made a box that big.

Look at you...
all happy and healthy.

Hi!

Good to see ya.

Yeah, feeling good.

Ready for another dinner.

Different restaurant,
though.

I just wanted to say congratulations.

I'm... I'm so happy for you.

Well, we really only did
it for tax reasons.

Yeah, on account of me almost
dying.

Oh, I don't know.
You pledged your troths.

I feel like that's romantic.

Well, that's what people
keep telling us.

Uh, sweetheart, can I have
a minute with Donna...

if you have time?

Mm, sure.

Here.

Geez! This thing's heavier than hell.

Oh, it's just...
it's a punch bowl, I...

Oh! Punch bowl.

Oh, sweetheart, where do
we keep our punch bowls?

- Put it in the pantry. I'll take care of it.
- Okay.

Or you can just put it right
in the back of Diana's car

so she can exchange it
for a nice piece of jewelry.

What the hell do I get?

You get Diane.

Oh. Fair enough!

Donna...

first of all, I owe you an apology.

I was...

rough about Rover.

No, look, no apology necessary.

It was a...

complex situation.

Water under the bridge.

I wanted to let you know

that I'm getting ready to step
back as managing partner.

Really?

We got the message
loud and clear

about not living forever.

And if I want to spend time
with my new husband...

managing partner is
not a part-time job.

When were you thinking
about doing this?

Soon-ish.

I wanted to let you know that
if you still want the job...

I'll back you.

Oh, I...

Of course.

I do.

Good.

I mean, I can't just anoint you.

No, of course.

But I do have a pretty
jumbo-sized vote.

Thank you.

Should we celebrate?
Some champagne, gin?

You know,
just water would be great.

Okay.

Sorry, I know it's a little
insane in here, but...

Ah. No, no, it's... it's perfect.

I didn't know what to expect

when I heard "trailer in the woods."

- Yeah.
- Ha.

I feel like I just
walked into your brain.

Oh, no, my brain is
not as tidy as this.

Do you want to see?

- Of course.
- Okay.

So it's all still pretty basic,

but what I've been trying to do

is create bots
with distinct personalities

and whose choices
change depending on...

on the circumstances
they're in.

- Self-learning A.I.
- Exactly.

So it's not just the player
acting upon the game,

it's the game acting upon itself

and then the player has to try
and catch up.

So this is Bing and Billie,

and this is Gazebo.

I have a bunch, but these
are kind of the main three.

What I'm really trying to do
is create a world

in which actions have
consequences, you know?

- Mm-hmm.
- I mean, I was trying to do

that with Pilgrim, too,
but I guess that game was too...

solitary or hard or whatever.

But, um, here, I feel
like I'm creating characters

that have the ability to accrue
memory and... and... and...

and develop a personal narrative
and... and change over time.

And it's all
just feeling really...

immersive and complete.

- Really great.
- Yeah.

I mean, I was expecting great,
so I'm not surprised.

So do you want to see some of
the more, um, in-progress work?

Um... sure.

Or maybe we could go for a little hike,

talk more big-picture.

It's just so gorgeous out here.

Um...

Okay.

So it wasn't really what you
were looking for?

Oh! No, no.
It's just...

sometimes I think
the ideas can get bigger

when the space around you does.

Yeah.

Yes. Let's...

I've been trying to get
out for a hike all day.

Let's... Let's get out there.

We can call a guy.

I already called a guy,
he made it worse.

So did you.

Look, it's a bad breaker.
I can fix that.

It's more than a bad breaker.

You sure
you don't want to call a guy?

You guys,
this is not rocket science.

Okay.

Thanks for the afternoon off.

I didn't give you the afternoon off.

You're supposed to be
working from home.

Oh. What did I say?

All right, I'll see you tonight.

Can I bring anything?

Nope. Got all that covered.

Oh. You're a take-charge mama jama.

Mm-hmm.

Try not to blow anything up.

I'll try.

Cam said Donna was looking
pretty rough

when she came by
the Airstream last week.

Is something going on with her?

Cameron said she didn't
seem like herself.

Why is Cam gossiping about Donna?

She was concerned.

Look,
I just don't trust the woman.

I know she's your family,

I'm not supposed to have
an opinion about her,

but I don't trust her.

Haley cut all of her hair off,
okay?

Short. Like a boy.

Donna came over this morning
to talk about it, except...

Well, short hair...

doesn't mean anything.

Um...

Well...

apparently, I shouldn't have
barked at you the other day.

But it's really tough hearing
something about your kid

that you don't know about.

Can I make one suggestion?

It's really important for Haley
not to feel isolated right now.

This place is such a great fit for her.

I wish you'd let her come back.

I want her to,
but she seems pretty intent

on hating me right now.

She trusts you, though.

Hmm?

I mean, she took you to that
restaurant, didn't she?

Clark residence.

Haley, Joe MacMillan.

Oh, my dad's not here today.

Actually, I'm calling to speak to you.

Oh.

I hear you're not interested
in coming back to Comet,

and that really bums me out.

It bums me out, too.

So come back.

I don't think that's a good idea.

Of course it is.
We need you.

I don't know. I... I just...

What?

I just don't think I should be
working for my dad...

or with him, or whatever
that arrangement was.

Look, nobody knows better than me

how impossible working
with your father is.

He's moody, impatient, ungrateful,

and the know-it-all
problem is legendary.

He's standing right there, isn't he?

Would I be saying all this
if he were standing right here?

Yeah.

Okay, so you answered
your own question.

You're part of this place.

And we need you.

Did my dad hear that?

Yes, he did.

And he knows it's true.

Tell him I'll see him tonight.

I'm gonna take that as a yes

and inform the Potstickers.

We'll see.

She'll see you tonight.

What, did she say that
in a... in a nice way,

or like a threatening way?

Nice.

Now the air's not coming out at all.

- It's fine.
- It's not fine, Joe.

Don't get me wrong, the bot
technology is impressive.

But Blizzard is already
doing something similar,

and so is Origin.

And I can totally
compete in that arena.

But what about

an entirely different arena?

What if your software was used
on the surface of Mars?

Or in the human bloodstream?

What if Gazebo could be used
to defend the immune system?

You know just as well as I do

the technology
you're working on

isn't going to
just live inside a game.

Yeah, and that's...

a very easy thing to say.

- But I've been working on games
- No,

- for a long ti...
- I don't mean to pretend

that I know what
it's all gonna look like.

Can I ask you a personal question?

Yes.

What's the deal
with you and Donna Emerson?

Things seemed pretty
prickly at M.I.S.C.

I know you two worked
together on "Mutiny."

We did.

So what happened?

We didn't share the same
vision for our company.

Ah.

Did she try to push you
out of your comfort zone?

Um...

Hey, don't worry.
You're the visionary.

I'm just here to make sure
you have everything you need.

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Well, the land grab is over.
I'll give you that.

Well, this is a great way

of turning a weakness into a strength.

You know, in my interviews,
I'm finding that people

are mostly just scared of the Web.

They're afraid they'll get lost in it.

Yeah, I know. That's why
we'll give them shelter.

I mean, the end game
doesn't have to be

to get wrapped up in
some software package.

It can be to make Comet
a home on the Internet.

What if we took an aggregate
of the top searches.

When Kurt Cobain d*ed,
we were flooded with searches.

How amazing would it have been
if...

if we had a little write-up
about it on the top of the page.

Yeah. That would have been great.

It makes possible a truly
symbiotic relationship

between user and content.

People will be interested
in the site

because
the site is interested in them.

Yes, exactly. This is what I
was getting so excited about.

We could have entertainment,
news...

- Sports.
- sports, uh...

stock market.

And, yeah, sure, we would
deliver people to other sites,

but they always come back to us.

Yes!

How much longer is
this gonna take?

Just two more seconds.

You and Cam, I swear to God...
no sense of time.

See? Who needs a guy, huh?

Who needs a guy?!

- Joe MacMillan.
- Cameron Howe.

So where are you taking
me to dinner tonight?

Ah.

About that, um...

Alexa invited me out for dinner,
and I kind of said yes.

Oh.

Okay.

Yeah, I'm really sorry.

I... I know I said that
I'd take you out, but...

Oh, it's okay.

Um, just got started on
something with Gordon,

and I'm happy to stick with it.

Really? Okay.

Because she wanted me
to meet this guy

who is working in human-computer
interaction at Stanford,

and then before I knew it,
she invited us both to dinner.

Sounds like things went well.

Uh...

actually, no. She was..

A little underwhelmed
by what I showed her.

What?

Yeah, she, um...

I mean, I think she knew the
programming was good, but...

she said I was thinking a little small.

Wow.

When was the last time you heard that?

I don't know.

It's been a while.

Have fun tonight.

Thank you.

You're great.

For the record...

I have thought about
building a place out here.

Bye.

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I think "re-launch" would be better.

Oh.

That's a substantive change.

Saved the whole project.

Well, "launch" subsumes design.

Says who?

You can't re-launch something
without redesigning it.

Of course you can.

Okay, you can...
but you wouldn't.

Happy?

Yes.

All right.

Aw, jeez!
Where'd I get so dirty?

Where did the time go?

I gotta meet Katie
in an hour for dinner.

Maybe we should get into this tomorrow?

Oh. Okay.

Not a problem.

Well, I mean, what's the point
in launching into something,

you know, when I gotta
get out of here in 15?

Of course.

Hey...

great work today.

Where are you taking her tonight?

Uh, nowhere. The girls
are going to the movies,

so we're gonna stay home.

Nice. It's a really good idea.

Yeah. I know it is.

- Donna.
- Joe.

Is something wrong?

No. No.

Everything's fine.

Everything's great.
I just, um...

I was hoping you could give
me some clarity on something.

Um, okay, well, I...

don't have a lot clarity
to spare, but...

what's on your mind?

Why would you give us

potentially useful market research?

I'm sorry, what?

This morning, you saw Gordon.

He came back hopped up on some
information that you gave him.

User numbers, length of visits.

Why would you share that with us?

Well, why wouldn't I?

Because you're
our direct competition.

Okay, well, first of all,
I'm not on Rover anymore,

so I'm not your competition.

- And, secondly...
- What are you talking about?

You just came over to get Cameron

to sign away the algorithm.

What can I tell you, Joe?

sh*t changes fast.

If you're off the project,
how did you get those numbers?

Are they even real?

Wow!

The old Joe MacMillan ego,
just, I mean, volcanic.

What do you think? I... I...

I have time to just sit around
and, what, plot against you?

Wouldn't be the first time.

I promise you I don't give
a sh*t about your company.

The only reason I ever even
cared a little bit

was 'cause my daughter worked there,

and now that's not even true.

So, really, I give it
just no thought at all.

Actually,
Haley does still work there.

I spoke to her this afternoon.

Did you?

Yeah.

She happens to be someone
I care about very much.

Oh, well, lucky her
'cause she's so bereft

- of people that care about her.
- Donna, look!

Gordon and I are getting
started on a new idea

that sprang from a whiff of a hint

of a nothing comment you made,

and I just want to be sure...
human to human...

that you're not planning to do
something to screw us.

Jesus Christ! What kind of
person do you think I am?

You tried to get me kicked
off the browser project.

You stole our idea for the Web index,

and those are just
the California crimes.

Don't get me started on Texas.

Okay, you know what?
You're right.

I am not a trustworthy person.

The best thing you can do
is to leave me the hell alone.

Believe me,
nothing would make me happier.

- Unfortunately...
- Jesus Christ, you won!

Okay, you won!

You got Haley and Gordon and Cam.

You got everybody.
What more do you want from me?

Ow!

Oh, my God!

Sure they're not broken?

I'm pretty sure.

Level with me.
How come you're off Rover?

Oh, it's a long story.

But the short version...

- it wasn't up to me.
- Hmm.

Sorry I got in your face.

I don't think I deserved this.

You have to know
I didn't do that on purpose.

Donna, come on.

Of course I do.

And I would never do anything
to interfere with Comet, really.

I'm not that person.

Even if Haley weren't there, I...

I just, I wouldn't.

Mm-hmm.

Donna, I get it.

It hurts to be
thought of in that way.

I've been there.

Donna?

What are you doing here?

What are you doing?

Mommy, Mommy?

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♪ Baby, no ♪

♪ Don't you cry ♪

♪ Baby, no ♪

♪ Dry your eyes ♪

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Are sure you can...

drive okay?

I'm fine.

Well, uh...

I hope it goes great...

whatever the idea is.

Really, I do.

Mm-hmm.

And what are you gonna tell people?

Punched a wall.

'Cause I couldn't find what
I was looking for on Rover.

Gordon?

Gordon, where are you?

Hello, you've reached Gordon Clark.

I'm not here right now.
Please leave a message.

Hey, there, it's me.

You will never guess
who I just spent

a very civilized hour with.

I mean, I guess it didn't
start out civilized, but...

Donna?

Gordon's dead.

This is Cameron. Leave a message.

Cam?

It's me.

Hi.

Damn it.

Come on.

Mmm.

Damn.

John.

What happened?

What?

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