Fans of HBO's Silicon Valley got some great news this week with the official renewal for a fifth season. Unfortunately, there's now some bad news for those who have gotten attached to the Silicon Valley ensemble. One major member of the cast will be departing after Season 4 and not returning for Season 5. T.J. Miller is leaving the series.
T.J. Miller and the producers of Silicon Valley came to a mutual agreement that Miller will not reprise the role of Erlich Bachman in Season 5, according to a statement from HBO (via THR). There doesn't seem to be any bad blood between any of the parties, so it's possible that Erlich isn't actually gone for good. It hasn't been ruled out that he could drop by for guest shots or cameo appearances. A lot will undoubtedly depend on how the character is written out after Season 4 comes to an end.
A big question is when T.J. Miller and the folks behind the scenes at Silicon Valley came to the decision to part ways. If it was a while ago, the Season 4 finale could very well serve as a platform for sending Ehlich off to explain why he won't be around in Season 5. If not, his absence might have to be explained without Miller on board when the action picks up again next season. Hopefully the character doesn't get killed off. While that would be an incredibly bold move by the show, it could also alienate fans.
Fans will have reasons to stick around Silicon Valley, even despite T.J. Miller's departure. Thomas Middleditch, Zach Woods, Kumail Nanjiani, Martin Starr, Josh Breder, Amanda Crew, Matt Ross, Jimmy O. Yang, and Suzanne Cryer are all expected to return, so the majority of the ensemble will be back. The dynamic of the group (and their business ventures) will be different, but who knows? Maybe it will be different in a good way. The SIlicon Valley team has proven that they know how to make good TV, so there's a good chance that the change will result in the show going in some unexpected and refreshing directions.
We can be sure that T.J. Miller won't be sitting around and doing nothing now that he has decided to leave Silicon Valley. He's made the jump to the big screen with memorable roles in Office Christmas Party and Deadpool, and his upcoming The Emoji Movie is slated for released in July. He'll play a part in the 2018 Deadpool sequel as well as the third installment of the How To Train Your Dragon film series. We'll just have to hope that he might have to time to play Erlich at some point in the future.
There are still episodes left in Season 4, so be sure to tune in to HBO on Sundays at 10 p.m. ET to catch Silicon Valley. Check out our summer TV premiere schedule to discover all your viewing options now and in the coming weeks. Be sure to drop by our rundowns for cable/streaming and broadcast TV renewals and cancellations as well.
