'Silicon Valley' episode 2x07 review: 'Adult Content'

What’s most engaging about Silicon Valley’s latest episode, “Adult Content,” is how it finally makes Richard (Thomas Middleditch) grow as both a person and businessman. Throughout the course of this episode alone, we follow as he goes from a receptionist at a competitive company not recognizing his CEO status to having the upper hand on this same belittling competitor. The constantly stammering, insecure Richard we know is becoming a full person, and what was once the show’s most frustrating aspect is now soon-to-be its most human, hopefully.

As seen in last week’s episode, while Pied Piper is in a much better position thanks to Nucleus’ humiliating defeat, EndFrame — the company formed from essentially “brain raping” Pied Piper back in “Runaway Devaluation” — has now overtaken their algorithm and the marketing team they’ve failed to form. They may not have the proper equation, but they know enough for it to work and now Pied Piper another David to battle in its David vs. Goliath fight.

While this happens, Russ Hanneman (Chris Diamantopoulos) learns some horrific news. Thanks to poor investments “that my money guy let me talk him into,” he is financially ruined. These are his words, of course, for now he only has $987 million to his name, kicking him out of the three-comma club and stripping him of his billionaire status. Perhaps most devastating to him, however, is how he’s been reduced to a car with simple opening doors. He can’t have one that opens sideways, or up, so he has to drive around in a car with doors normal people would have, and this kills him. He does have a solution, however.

Rather than be enemies with EndFrame, Russ thinks they and Pied Piper should be friends and begin work as partners. Richard, of course, refuses, and as he and his Pied Piper team decide what to do, Gilfoyle (Martin Starr) reveals he hacked into the company’s program. While Richard remained the morally straight-laced guy he’s been since the first episode, even as his competitors constantly take advantage of this, he knows now is the time to sink or swim. As Gilfoyle notes, “it’s time to walk the left-hand path,” and Richard understands this now to be true.

Thanks to Gilfoyle’s hack, the company discovers EndFrame’s investment to the porn provider InterSite, run by executive Molly Kendall (Romy Rosemont). With Richard attending her nearby conference, we get to see “Adult Content” not only live up to its name, but also discover the names of companies who’d attend such a seminar, from Fingered Teen to Let’s Try Fisting to Poop On My Wife to Blackmailed Into Gay, just to name a few. But it’s not long after her presentation when Richard comes up to Molly with his proposal, and while initially flustered, his confidence comes eventually and with stride. He knows he has to do this, and while this is the most irresponsible thing he’s done as a CEO it’s also the boldest motion he’s put forth. If everyone wants to put down Pied Piper, then they’ll have to fight to do it.

“Adult Content” is primarily a testament of Middleditch’s performance. Even though he’s the main character, most seem to take his subtlety for granted. As seen in this episode, Richard is much more confident as a businessman even at his company low point. He’s speech has less stammer, his posture is more upfront and his decisions are much more direct than ever before. He’s becoming a changed man, and it’ll be interesting to see where he goes as Pied Piper’s journey continues. He may have an out with InterSite he never thought to have, but in turn this may very well become his way towards success.

Following his exceptional introduction, Silicon Valley mostly has thrown Russ to the side. No more, however, as he gets to create some of the funniest moments here and also establishes himself nicely into Pied Piper structure. Although his conflicts are comically ballooned, Diamantopoulos seems to have a ball to make his conflicts feel cruical and imperatively bad for his character, and his struggles have ramifications for Richard’s company. One should hope he continues to shine here, for he easily is among the best of what this new season offers so far.

What’s interesting too with “Adult Content” — as one could guess from its title — is how it’s one of the first times Silicon Valley addresses sex beyond extended metaphors and mathematics about jacking off 40 men at once. Whether it's the conception of a new phase with InterSite or Dinesh’s (Kumail Nanjiani) earnest attempts to get with a worldly girl on Tinder — not to mention simply Russ’ continuous sexual talk or metaphors — there’s a prolonged sensual awareness to this episode, as though to hint at the penetration of a new Pied Piper. For better or worse, they are not the company they were when they began, and as they no longer become pushovers they're still the likable underdogs we love.

When talking about his Nucleus disaster, Gavin Benson (Matt Ross) addresses how he sees their conflicts less as a failure and more as a stepping-stone for success. While Silicon Valley has yet to fail, much like its characters, it’s interesting to see how the program grows as the characters become more confident. As they begin to work as a team, so too do creators Mike Judge, John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky appear more assured with where to take themselves creatively. The plots are tighter, yet the characters too feel more naturally integrated. Its all part of the show’s need to get off nicely with a happy ending in store.

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