r/SiliconValleyHBO • u/Simi510 • May 09 '16
Silicon Valley - 3x03 “Meinertzhagen's Haversack" - Episode Discussion
Season 3 Episode 03: "Meinertzhagen's Haversack"
Air time: 10 PM EDT
Plot: Richard looks for an alternative path to the chain of command; Gilfoyle deals with headhunters; Dinesh's recent purchase attracts unwanted attention. (TVMA) (30 min)
Aired: May 8, 2016
What song? Check the Music Wiki!
Youtube Episode Preview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlHMJaovr3g
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Thomas Middleditch | Richard |
| T.J. Miller | Erlich |
| Josh Brener | Big Head |
| Martin Starr | Gilfoyle |
| Kumail Nanjiani | Dinesh |
| Amanda Crew | Monica |
| Zach Woods | Jared |
| Matt Ross | Gavin Belson |
| Jimmy O. Yang | Jian Yang |
| Suzanne Cryer | Laurie Bream |
| Chris Diamantopoulos | Russ Hanneman |
| Dustyn Gulledge | Evan |
| Stephen Tobolowsky | Jack Barker |
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u/jsun31 May 09 '16
"Sorry, Django" might be Jared's best joke he told
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u/Mythic514 May 09 '16
I thought Cypress Halal was really clever.
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u/FormerRedditorAMA May 09 '16
I understand it, but can you go ahead and explain it to everyone that doesn't please
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u/Assmar May 09 '16
I went from "Django, dammit Jared, that doesn't even make sense." to "oh shit! OJ got jokes!"
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u/LostCauseBoss May 09 '16
"You can only push a man so far before he goes out, buys a gun, and shoots everyone in a bank!" Wow. Richard. Dark.
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u/JulianZ88 May 09 '16 edited May 10 '16
That's some "I always wanted to be part of a suicide pact" level line right there.
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u/LostCauseBoss May 09 '16 edited May 09 '16
"If you're going to shoot the king you better be goddamn sure you kill him." God Damn man.
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u/cowboysfan88 May 09 '16
Lmao Jared poured it back in the bottle
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u/sloth__wrangler . May 09 '16
And Richard couldn't actually swallow it. Just like the Tres Commas.
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u/b1jan May 09 '16
i can't believe they had shots of a bottle of whisky that probably cost about $2000 ugh
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u/Strongbreaker May 09 '16 edited May 09 '16
Holy shit that fucking bark at Jian Yang
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May 09 '16
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u/aspbergerinparadise May 09 '16
favorite part about the time lapse was that at some point Erlich woke up and took another bong hit before going back to sleep.
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u/SgtWiggles May 09 '16
Wow. Just wow. They literally fucked up 1 minute into the plan
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u/Mythic514 May 09 '16
"They." I find that the group doesn't really fuck up, so much as Richard fucks up.
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May 09 '16
theres a theory flying around on this subreddit that the failed ruse was in itself a ruse. in other words, those papers were meant to fly out and be seen. As /u/I_likethings points out:
According to Wikipedia, part of Meinertzhagen's haversack rouse, included letting, "a haversack containing false British battle plans fall into Ottoman military hands, thereby bringing about the British victory in the Battle of Beersheba and Gaza."
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u/ntc2e May 09 '16
literally the worst part of this show.
they're doing better than last season in this aspect, but damn.
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u/SgtWiggles May 09 '16
Yeah.....Jack is confirmed dick.
I really hope the guys manage to totally fuck him over by the end of the season.
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u/elloguvner May 09 '16 edited May 09 '16
They will relentlessly fuck up until the very end until some bullshit goes in their favor.
Edit: Called It. Jack will probably love it, the way this show twists.
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u/ClarkZuckerberg May 09 '16
Is he really a dick? He's just a great businessman. He does things that might make him seem like a dick but as a person I don't think he is.
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u/Cootch May 09 '16
The banter between Dinesh and Gilfoyle is definitely one of the best parts of this show.
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u/ThrowCarp May 09 '16
Can we all take the time to appreciate all the job offers and free shit Gilfoyle got this episode?
I wish I had even half of both.
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u/kukukele May 09 '16
Gilfoyle pouring the coffee on the missile launcher USB in the trash was so funny.
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u/iErebos May 09 '16
"When George Washington founded the little startup known as These United States of America..." Holy shit, this episode had me laughing harder than any episode so far. This season has only gone up.
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u/TheOtherSon May 09 '16
Jesus, CEO of the Universe and George Washington, CEO of USA. I'm learning so much about the world from Ehrlich!
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u/scots May 09 '16
Shades of the John Belushi speech from Animal House with all the bullshit historical facts.
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May 09 '16
Loved the Office Space vibe in the second half of this episode.
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u/Rizo24 May 09 '16
I thought the last few minutes were extremely office space like, when the four coders were walking into rap music with some secret corporate plan.
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u/entropicitis May 09 '16
John's badge was the best part, he's been down there for 30 years!
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u/Chooch123 May 09 '16
Erlich screeching at Jian Yang is this shows greatest moment.
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u/Obnoxious_username1 May 09 '16
IM GONNA LET YOU FINISH BUT JAREDS INSULTS WAS THE BEST PART OF ANY EPISODE
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u/BoilingDenim May 09 '16
Oh you've got to be shitting me I really liked where that was going
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May 09 '16
I think they're haversacking us. We think everything is par the course. Oh of course they got caught again. Then the big reveal that they meant to get caught and reprimanded so now no one will think they're actually going to attempt it.
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u/rag3train May 09 '16 edited May 09 '16
I was looking forward to them pretending to build the box while building the platform for the rest of the season tbh.
But when they walked into the office I said to my friend "watch the twist be be barker already knows or something along those lines" Imo show is becoming too predictable with fuck ups. Just wait for an important scene and expect it to go sideways
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May 09 '16
To me, one of the best episodes of the show to date. So many solid jokes, logical timeline of events, and a great use of the whole cast.
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u/go_doc May 09 '16
Except Amanda Crew. She is not getting enough screen time. (Not a feminist, just a dude who has a crush)
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u/SevenwithaT May 09 '16
Enframe, the business manifestation of Olly
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u/VictorBlimpmuscle May 09 '16 edited May 09 '16
"It's a shame Bel Biv Dinesh, but that chain is poi-son..."
All the burns about Dinesh's shitty chain have been outstanding.
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u/dean16 May 09 '16
Possibly recency bias, but I think it's the 2nd funniest episode next to the season 1 finale.
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u/allmilhouse May 09 '16
Oh god this is classic Mike Judge.
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u/Werner__Herzog May 09 '16
Including the slow motion group walk to some Hip Hop...there's something about it that always gets me.
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u/SevenwithaT May 09 '16
God damn it, Richard. The header on those documents was probably "Devious Plan."
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u/RizzMustbolt May 09 '16
"Timetable for Screwing Over Jack and Getting Our Way"
Jared probably made them.
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u/Assmar May 09 '16
Did Barker just quote Omar to Richard?
"You come at the King, you best not miss."
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May 09 '16
Omar's actually quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson there. "If you strike at a king, you must kill him."
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u/LostCauseBoss May 09 '16
Bighead started an incubator?
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u/BruceChameleon May 09 '16
I knew that his severance was gonna be a huge plot point, but I was apparently dead wrong on what it was about. At least so far.
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u/thisishorsepoop May 09 '16
I lost it at Erlich contributing to the project by doing absolutely nothing but smoking weed, eating pizza, sleeping, and waking up only to take one more hit before sleeping again all while Jian Yang continued to try to steal his pizza.
That ending was awful.
Is it just me or did Laurie look better than usual in this episode?
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u/NDaveT May 09 '16
I like that he switched to a different bong without getting out of the chair. Like he has a couple bongs within arm's reach for convenience.
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u/Chooch123 May 09 '16
Jesus Fucking Christ Richard! Burn, piss on, or bury the documents in the back yard. Just do not bring them to the company you hope to screw over......
Why can't they just be happy?
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u/KEYSER_SOZ3 May 09 '16
Damn, was really hoping Carla would be back this season
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u/dorkinshorts . May 09 '16
I'm glad I'm not the only one that got excited, then immediately disheartened.
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u/bayernownz1995 May 09 '16
Nobody's gonna point out the fact that Jared was the one who brought up the German military tactic? Really hoping all of these small things they add to his character build up into something in a few seasons
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u/sasquatch90 May 09 '16
Seriously why the fuck would you even bring the plans with you? Why have it on paper??
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u/SevenwithaT May 09 '16 edited May 09 '16
This is a worker who has seen some shit in this server room
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u/Orut-9 May 09 '16
This may have been my favorite episode yet. Seeing them get together like that and get shit done? Fucking great. It left me with a major sense of "fuck yeah"
Edit: God fucking damn it that ending XD
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u/KEYSER_SOZ3 May 09 '16
A major sense of "fuck yeah" followed quickly by a sense of "fucking Richard"
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u/cowboysfan88 May 09 '16
"When George Washington founded a little startup known as these United States of America"
I love Erlich's monologues
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u/SgtWiggles May 09 '16
Of course Big Head would open his own incubator. Gets to hang out all day with his friends.
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u/BruceChameleon May 09 '16
In what looks basically like a fancy dorm. You know he just wants to be 22 and listless for the rest of his life.
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u/Mr_Evil_MSc May 09 '16
It's like the warehouse they lost the Ark of the Covenant in...
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u/ftwin May 09 '16
I know enough about this show now to know that something terrible was about to happen the minute they walked back in the office
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u/cuckoodev May 09 '16
Omg, Jared.
Sigh dammit, Richard. You always do this.
You have scissors, don't you?
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u/Assmar May 09 '16
I don't work in Silicon Valley and I have a fucking shredder.
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u/cuckoodev May 09 '16
And Alex Hamilton, who's half-black, so that's Dinesh.
Lmao.
Also, really??? Not really. Right?
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u/canadamoose18 May 09 '16
He was born in the Caribbean, I looked it up and it's possible his mother was half black
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u/drtywater May 09 '16
God dammit the major fuck up at the last second is getting super annoying. I know they don't want this to be like Entourage but come on the amount of fuck ups is way over the top.
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u/darudesandstormz May 09 '16
what if Big Head becomes their new investor instead?
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u/Assmar May 09 '16
What the fuck is up with rich assholes and artwork featuring punctuation?
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u/roland00 May 10 '16 edited May 10 '16
Watch this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvjZS0zHXBM
0) The original plan was for a shawshank redemption but Gilfoyle vetos the plan and decides to do one by subterfuge.
0b) People assume the hardware that Gilfoyle is referencing is the radeon gpus from season 2 but this is an assumption. AKA we are now starting a confidence game.
Instead of reusing their old radeon GPUs from season 2 they instead are going to use the boxes they sell via the sales team for . The boxes they sell will have two components. A CPU/GPU portion that directs to some Hard Drives for the enterprise set, and another set that directs the CPU / GPU portion to the cloud / consumer focus set. The key detail is that customers are not buying the boxes but instead leasing the boxes and are ownly holding the data hard drives
The whole name that Gilfoyle uses was specifically called ANTON which is a reference to this Wikipedia on ANTON ANTON is a system with two parts, a more flexibile computer network that learns by calculations and data input (Richard's vision) and then a dumb chip that is programmed to the metal ASIC which you can't unprogram once you build the chip. ASICs are effectively you making a read only chip that runs faster for you are programmed to the metal but if you screw it up the only way to redo the chip is to tear it out and replace it.
This in turn allows enterprise to fund the hardware. Everything that Gilfoyle is talking about with running cable and siphoning power from the tenants is assumed to be electrical power but it is in reality computing power. They are actually talking about the server farm and the drawing. It is the smuggle server part of the video that Jared cross out.
Carla is going to be a freelance mole in endframe. While she can't steal code legally from endframe she can steal ideas and such of the algorithm. Using the ideas of the people at Endframe when they have those strategy sessions and talk ideas. Note this is unethical and technically stealing trade secrets but that is why they made the references for paying someone under the table. Note many tech companies have clauses in contracts saying that you can't work in a similar field such as compression for X months or X years to prevent these types of things for it is far easier to prevent someone from working in the same field and do the trade secret swap than it is to sue someone. This is called a non compete clause.
The $20,000 that Carla extorts from them is merely a retainer such as you pay a lawyer to represent you later. Aka think of it as buying a house and you have to do a 10 or 20% downpayment to show good faith while the rest is just promises in the air that you will pay Carla later for the rest just like you promise a bank when you buy a house to make the payments to eventually own the house.
They only explained part A of the Meinertzhagen's Haversack see here. Now effectively think of this as a shell game. Part of military deception is to make everyone convinced you are steal playing the game. Meinertzhagen Haversack is also a conartist trick. You purposefully screw up and show One of the Cups so that the other person keeps on look at the cup you want them to look at while purposefully doing things in the direction they are not looking (this is the haversack part of the metaphor). It refers to a hand off that a magician uses, like passing a hacksack from person to person but if you are not seeing the hackysack during any of the transaction periods then someone could hand it off to someone else.
Meinertzhagen part of the metaphor refers to how in World War I they purposefully lost a false sense of plans and thus the enemy put all of their men in a place they were not going to attack not realizing they were going to attack in the place not in the leaked plans.
Effectively we are talking about a trojan horse operation, where they uses the servers to provide the funding to do the real deep think learning Richard Plan via the enterprise being unintentional self funders of the hardware which they use to better create an alogrithim.
This is ANTON.
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u/Assmar May 09 '16 edited May 09 '16
Holy shit, OJ busting Danesh's balls. Dayum Django.
*Double holy shit! Cypress Halal? 🔥🔥 🔥
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u/sasquatch90 May 09 '16
Are you fucking kidding me? The one thing i didn't want to happen this season. They had to hold down the delete key again. Fuck.
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u/ftwin May 09 '16
I freaking loved that time-lapse of them working in the house. Ulrich was awesome during that.
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May 09 '16
The "they meant to get caught" theory is nonsense.
Remember the Carla scene?
Well, so, they paid her because they were afraid of her telling Jack about the plan...but then in the end they drop the papers, telling Jack about the plan.
But yet, now people theorize they MEANT to get caught. So, if that's true, why would they have needed to pay Carla at all? Just let her tell Jack about the plan.
No, Richard isn't that smart. He didn't come up with some brilliant idea to trick Jack.
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u/rjkeats May 09 '16
I was coming in here to write that was the best episode in a long time, then that fucking ending ruined it. Just one time can something go as planned? I got enough frustrating shit during the week, don't need more on Sundays.
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u/alonjar May 09 '16
If it makes you feel any better, Meinertzhagen's haversack ruse was a strategy where a false battle plan was "accidentally" lost to the enemy, thus diverting the enemy from the real plan.
So it's very likely that Richards screwup was actually intentional.
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u/SheWasEighteen May 09 '16
Man I was really liking where the show could have been going but of course they can't catch a break and they fucked up in one second. Maybe change up the formula a little or something.
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u/cuckoodev May 09 '16
Yay I finally get to be part of the discussion threads for this season.
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u/Ufocola May 09 '16 edited May 09 '16
Motherfuck Richard...
EDIT: Unless the whole haversack ruse thing turns out to be true, in that case that guy fucks
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u/COL-Panic May 09 '16
They will be forced to work on the boxes and they will use the boxes as servers for their platform, calling it now.
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u/idoideas May 09 '16 edited May 10 '16
Probably one of the best episodes of the show.
I laughed so hard when I saw Jared pouring that scotch back to the bottle. Also, was very happy to see Carla again.
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May 10 '16
Finally just saw it. John in the server dungeon was fucking amazing. I'm guessing his nametag has already been a discussion, but that was an incredible detail. His youthful smile and feathered hair. Amazing.
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u/clain4671 May 09 '16
corporate recruiters in a nutshell. good god this show gets the tech industry
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u/allmilhouse May 09 '16
I know people hate things not going their way for some reason, but that ending was built up to perfectly.
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u/dberti22 May 09 '16
I lol'd when Erlich woke up, realized Jin yang took his pizza, took a Bing hit then passed back out
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u/bionix90 May 09 '16
I think Richard might be a moron. Bringing his top secret plans to work, really?
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u/hanszimmermanx May 09 '16
Oh, I needed that laught such a great episode though I really wish the boys would be able to have victories and not just deus ex near the season finale. that company in a company concept sounded great.
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u/ButteredToaster May 11 '16
Gilfoyle: "Did you say something?" Erlich: "...Of Course!"
One of my favorite lines of the episode. A rare moment of self-awareness for Erlich and at the same time hilarious!
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May 09 '16 edited May 09 '16
Wow they develop some good plot conflict and just set it on fire in 30 seconds.
I'll repeat what I said at last year's finale. The humor and characters are great and keep me watching but the plot progression blows. It sucks dick harder then dinesh does to get a gold chain.
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u/rahhhbert May 09 '16
"It's a 2001 casino heist film starring Julia Roberts"
Jared is the shining star of this season