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Halt and Catch Fire

TV·2014–2017·4 seasons, 40 episodes·AMC·Drama·1h·8.1·Created by Christopher C. Rogers, Christopher Cantwell

Streaming on (US) AMC Plus Apple TV Channel YouTube TVPhiloSpectrum On DemandSee all

Halt and Catch Fire is set roughly one year after IBM all but corners the market with the release of its first major product – the IBM PC. In this fictional drama, a former IBM executive, Joe MacMillan plans to reverse engineer the flagship product of his former employer and forces his current company, Cardiff Electric, into the personal computer race. MacMillan enlists the help of Gordon Clark, a great engineer whose unrealized dreams of creating a revolutionary product have created tension in his marriage to Donna, and Cameron Howe, a volatile prodigy who puts her future in jeopardy to join MacMillan's rogue PC project. Halt and Catch Fire thrives on the spirit of innovation and explores what it's like to stand at the forefront of something world-changing and work towards it, no matter the risk.

Highest-rated episodes all ranked

  1. 01Halt and Catch Fire S04E10Ten of SwordsS04E10 · 8.1Donna celebrates a milestone with her closest allies; Cameron contemplates saying goodbye; Joe confronts an uncertain future.
  2. 02Halt and Catch Fire S03E08You Are Not SafeS03E08 · 7.9Diane, Bos and Donna hit the road in hopes of building support for Mutiny; everyone else awaits the big day; Joe approaches Cam for a favor.
  3. 03Halt and Catch Fire S03E07The ThresholdS03E07 · 7.7Joe and Ryan face the consequences of Joe's decision; Gordon experiences a crisis of conscience; Donna and Cameron fight about the future.

Cast

Lee PaceLee PaceJoe MacMillanScoot McNairyScoot McNairyGordon ClarkMackenzie DavisMackenzie DavisCameron HoweKerry BishéKerry BishéDonna ClarkToby HussToby HussJohn BosworthAleksa PalladinoAleksa PalladinoSara WheelerDavid Wilson BarnesDavid Wilson BarnesDale Butler

Episodes by season

Season01Episode ratings across the season — the gold bar is its best episode10Episodes2014Aired 7.2Season avg
  1. S01E01Halt and Catch Fire S01E01Season's bestI/OJune 1, 2014 7.5The Texan company Cardiff Electronics gets a new employee from New York. He's apparently working for IBM, but after the he gets the new job
  2. S01E02Halt and Catch Fire S01E02FUDJune 8, 2014 7.2Joe's team must overcome internal differences and start building the new machine.
  3. S01E03Halt and Catch Fire S01E03High Plains HardwareJune 15, 2014 6.6Despite IBM's raid on Cardiff Electric's clients, Joe has convinced those concerned, most specifically Gordon and Cameron, to continue with
  4. S01E04Halt and Catch Fire S01E04Close to the MetalJune 22, 2014 7.0With a mid-project success with the BIOS code, Joe makes two bold moves within the office. First, he destroys the book that contains the IBM
  5. S01E05Halt and Catch Fire S01E05AdventureJune 29, 2014 7.5The Wall Street Quarterly article and Cameron being able to complete the BIOS code have created renewed public interest in the PC project, u
  6. S01E06Halt and Catch Fire S01E06LandfallJuly 6, 2014 7.3Cameron and Gordon clash over their differing plans for the computer's operating system while Joe struggles to connect with his colleagues.
  7. S01E07Halt and Catch Fire S01E07GiantJuly 13, 2014 7.2The next phase of the PC project is design. Believing it could be aesthetically beautiful and not just another beige box, Joe is able to cal
  8. S01E08Halt and Catch Fire S01E08The 214sJuly 20, 2014 7.2Scandal rocks Cardiff Electric as the team finalizes preparations for COMDEX. Bosworth makes a sacrifice for the good of the PC program.
  9. S01E09Halt and Catch Fire S01E09Up Helly AaJuly 27, 2014 7.3Unforeseen adversaries and new complications threaten to derail all that the Cardiff Electric team has worked for at COMDEX.
  10. S01E10Halt and Catch Fire S01E101984August 3, 2014 7.0As Gordon and Joe prepare to ship the Giant, a suspicious defect calls their partnership into question. Cameron takes her future into her ow

Season 1 ranked & reviewed

Season02Episode ratings across the season — the gold bar is its best episode10Episodes2015Aired 7.1Season avg
  1. S02E01Halt and Catch Fire S02E01SETIMay 31, 2015 7.0In the Season 2 opener, Cameron and Donna's fledgling gaming company, Mutiny, finds itself at a crossroads. Meanwhile, Joe and Gordon are re
  2. S02E02Halt and Catch Fire S02E02New CokeJune 7, 2015 7.0After meeting Sara's father, Joe begins a new job. Meanwhile, Gordon grapples with his new freedom as Donna is blindsided by Cameron's surpr
  3. S02E03Halt and Catch Fire S02E03The Way InJune 14, 2015 7.0The Clarks receive a surprising invitation as Bosworth tries to reconnect with his former life. Meanwhile, a problem from within Mutiny thre
  4. S02E04Halt and Catch Fire S02E04Play with FriendsJune 21, 2015 7.0Joe and Gordon reunite to make Joe's vision a reality. Meanwhile, at Mutiny, tensions between Cameron and Donna run high in the aftermath of
  5. S02E05Halt and Catch Fire S02E05Extract and DefendJune 28, 2015 7.0Cameron and Joe cross paths again, putting Cameron in a tailspin. Meanwhile, Gordon searches for connection as he processes difficult news.
  6. S02E06Halt and Catch Fire S02E0610Broad36July 5, 2015 7.0Gordon returns to California to reconnect with his brother, Henry, as Joe uses his newfound leverage to change Wheeler's thinking about comp
  7. S02E07Halt and Catch Fire S02E07Working for the ClampdownJuly 12, 2015 7.0Gordon and Donna harbor secrets from one another as Gordon launches a new venture. Meanwhile, at Mutiny, an acquisition puts Cameron's princ
  8. S02E08Halt and Catch Fire S02E08Season's bestLimboJuly 19, 2015 7.3Cameron and Tom try to come to terms at Mutiny's user picnic. Meanwhile, Gordon searches for answers as Joe and Sara say goodbye to Dallas.
  9. S02E09Halt and Catch Fire S02E09KaliJuly 26, 2015 7.0Left reeling by the launch of a rival, Mutiny takes measures to ensure its survival. Meanwhile, Gordon pays a price in an attempt to quell h
  10. S02E10Halt and Catch Fire S02E10Heaven is a PlaceAugust 2, 2015 7.3In the Season 2 finale, Gordon aids Joe as the Clark family descends into crisis. Meanwhile, Cameron envisions a new future for Mutiny that

Season 2 ranked & reviewed

Season03Best seasonEpisode ratings across the season — the gold bar is its best episode10Episodes2016Aired 7.3Season avg
  1. S03E01Halt and Catch Fire S03E01Valley of the Heart's DelightAugust 23, 2016 7.0In the third-season premiere, Donna and Cameron explore their options to expand beyond chat. Meanwhile, Gordon settles in at Mutiny; and Joe
  2. S03E02Halt and Catch Fire S03E02One Way or AnotherAugust 23, 2016 7.6While Cameron and Donna struggle to find venture capital, Joe hires a key coder, leaving the rest of the team at a loss.
  3. S03E03Halt and Catch Fire S03E03Flipping the SwitchAugust 30, 2016 7.4Gordon and Donna's personal life bleeds into work, causing tension at the office; Joe meets with the MacMillan board.
  4. S03E04Halt and Catch Fire S03E04Rules of Honorable PlaySeptember 6, 2016 7.2A game of laser tag teaches Gordon the importance of teamwork; Donna and Cameron disagree on their acquisition.
  5. S03E05Halt and Catch Fire S03E05Yerba BuenaSeptember 13, 2016 7.0Donna and Gordon treat themselves to a vacation at home instead of camping; Joe and Ryan have a revelation; Cameron and Bos return to Texas.
  6. S03E06Halt and Catch Fire S03E06And She WasSeptember 20, 2016 7.0An offer to purchase Mutiny creates tension; Gordon and Cam bond over video games while Donna has a weekend to herself; Joe faces off agains
  7. S03E07Halt and Catch Fire S03E07The ThresholdSeptember 27, 2016 7.7Joe and Ryan face the consequences of Joe's decision; Gordon experiences a crisis of conscience; Donna and Cameron fight about the future.
  8. S03E08Halt and Catch Fire S03E08Season's bestYou Are Not SafeOctober 4, 2016 7.9Diane, Bos and Donna hit the road in hopes of building support for Mutiny; everyone else awaits the big day; Joe approaches Cam for a favor.
  9. S03E09Halt and Catch Fire S03E09NIMOctober 11, 2016 6.6Donna tries to bring everyone together at Comdex with her vision of the internet's future; Gordon faces a strong-willed Joanie.
  10. S03E10Halt and Catch Fire S03E10NeXTOctober 11, 2016 7.2Donna's vision creates a spirited discussion over the next big thing, and how to achieve it. The end result may not make everyone happy.

Season 3 ranked & reviewed

Season04Episode ratings across the season — the gold bar is its best episode10Episodes2017Aired 7.0Season avg
  1. S04E01Halt and Catch Fire S04E01So It GoesAugust 19, 2017 6.7Gordon enjoys success while Joe works to keep their web project afloat; Cameron extends a business trip; Donna launches a new venture.
  2. S04E02Halt and Catch Fire S04E02Signal to NoiseAugust 19, 2017 6.7Joe and Cameron talk on the phone; Donna promotes her assistant; Gordon's business buckles under pressure from a larger competitor.
  3. S04E03Halt and Catch Fire S04E03MiscellaneousAugust 26, 2017 6.6Cameron promotes her game at an industry conference; Donna squares off against old rivals; Gordon struggles to support Joe's newest idea.
  4. S04E04Halt and Catch Fire S04E04Tonya and NancySeptember 9, 2017 7.3Cameron buys a plot of land to recenter; Joe and Gordon hire a team of websurfers to map the web; Donna focuses her team on the mission ahea
  5. S04E05Halt and Catch Fire S04E05Nowhere ManSeptember 16, 2017 6.8Donna struggles with suspicion; Bosworth hits a breaking point; Joe confesses to Gordon while Cameron faces past mistakes.
  6. S04E06Halt and Catch Fire S04E06A Connection is MadeSeptember 23, 2017 7.2Donna makes a play for a heavy-hitter; Gordon confronts his daughter about an issue at school; Cameron finds a new fan; Joe sees a new side
  7. S04E07Halt and Catch Fire S04E07Who Needs a GuySeptember 30, 2017 7.2Joe and Gordon discuss Comet's future; Donna takes a vacation; a new collaborator challenges Cameron; Bos and Diane make a life-altering cho
  8. S04E08Halt and Catch Fire S04E08GoodwillOctober 7, 2017 6.4Cameron helps Donna pack up; Bos makes his famous chili; Joe helps Haley recover a memorable keep sake; Gordon and Donna fight.
  9. S04E09Halt and Catch Fire S04E09SearchOctober 14, 2017 6.9Donna faces a professional crossroads; Joanie takes a trip; Joe unveils Comet's new look; Cameron asks a favor from a one-time collaborator.
  10. S04E10Halt and Catch Fire S04E10Season's bestTen of SwordsOctober 14, 2017 8.1Donna celebrates a milestone with her closest allies; Cameron contemplates saying goodbye; Joe confronts an uncertain future.

Season 4 ranked & reviewed

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