Spoilers ahead for the series finale of Silicon Valley on HBO.
After 6 hilarious seasons, Silicon Valley made its final bow on HBO. Two years prior some wondered if the show would last that long after breakout star T.J. Miller very publicly exited on rather rocky terms with both the cast and crew. While he had nothing to do with the series from that point on, Miller recently revealed he kept up with the show, and had some thoughts on the series finale.
The Silicon Valley series finale jumped between the events of the present and 10 years into the future, and the audience was treated to what happened with Pied Piper's launch and the aftermath. It was quite the twist on the typical episode structure of the comedy, but one that T.J. Miller said he wholeheartedly appreciated as a fan.
I watched it Monday afternoon with [wife] Kate and it was perfect. Not at all what I expected, but perfect. Again, so interesting to not know what was going to happen the entire season. I better appreciated the way the series was always a roller coaster — when you are on the show you know how it’s all going to end before it even airs. That’s why I would come to table reads and do a cold read, not reading the script beforehand. I am better off the cuff, it would allow me to see jokes for the first time, and so my laughter would be genuine and a surprise — very helpful in a room full of executives and people who already knew the jokes. So, like that experience but times 10, I was able to be surprised at every turn and especially by the finale! So fun. To see them fail and succeed and fail and then fail at failing and then fail — it was perfect.
The Silicon Valley series finale got a thumbs up from T.J. Miller, as did the rest of the series since his departure. Miller noted that his exit allowed more screen time for Amanda Crew's Monica, and Jimmy O. Yang's Jian-Yang, which he looked at as a positive in Silicon Valley's latter seasons.
T.J. Miller had some specific praise for Jimmy O. Yang, as Erlich Bachman's fate was seemingly tied to the actor's character. Jian-Yang learned of Erlich's windfall in Tibet towards the beginning of the series finale in the present, and then ten years later was found living under Erlich's name in a remote village. Jian-Yang had documentation to prove he was Erlich, but what happened to T.J. Miller's character? Miller doesn't know, but he told THR liked the way it all played out.
I thought it was great — especially because I’m such a Jimmy O. Yang fan.... As far as killing me off literally in the narrative, I’m sure it would have been funny, and at that point they could do whatever they wanted — but I’m pleased they left a little mystery, that’s more fun for the audience.
The mystery of what happened to Erlich Bachman is intriguing, as were the final moments of Silicon Valley. At the end of the documentary filming which took place ten years into the future, Richard revealed he still had one copy of the Pied Piper code (which they ultimately destroyed because it would've obliterated all privacy) on a flash drive. Richard went to look for the flash drive, but soon realized he has no idea where it was. The show closes with the implication the flash drive is missing, and could be used by someone down the stretch.
The ending opened the door for a Silicon Valley spinoff, which Alec Berg told THR was intentional. Berg followed up by saying he had no immediate plans or ideas for one, but with the thumb drive out in the ether and Erlich Bachman potentially alive, there's certainly a way for the series to return. Perhaps in a couple years audiences may hear of something coming to HBO, or maybe even HBO Max.
The Silicon Valley Season 4 Moment That Mike Judge Can't Believe Happened
Silicon Valley is over and done, but past episodes of the series can be binged on HBO's on-demand services. Stick with CinemaBlend for more on shows that are still happening, and to stay up to date on the latest and greatest in television and movie news.
