The actors and creators behind the hit HBO show Silicon Valley took to Twitter Wednesday to answer questions from fans with the hashtag #AskSiliconValley. The hit show parodies the technology industry from its perch in Hollywood, but it’s beloved by techies and critics alike.
The second season begins airing in April 2015—which seems like a long time to wait in an era of binge-watching. Until then, we’ll have to make do with the tidbits of information the cast and crew shared on Twitter. One key point: The show’s gender balance is changing for the better.
How Silicon Valley Is Really Like “Silicon Valley”
The show follows a startup named Pied Piper through its battle with Hooli, a Google-like giant. It’s a David vs. Goliath battle of algorithms, and, although humorous, the show features a number of aspects of the tech industry that are all too real—including the fashion, the absurd aspects of startup marketing, and an obsession with jokes about male genitalia.
The #AskSiliconValley Twitter chat was in part a marketing ploy by HBO to get fans to purchase the first season on Apple’s iTunes, but creator Mike Judge and actors Thomas Middleditch and Kumail Nanjiani shed some light on behind-the-scenes aspects of filming and what to expect in Season Two.
Many viewers asked about the lack of women in the show, specifically in technical roles. This was a case of art mirroring life, as many big tech companies have revealed how skewed the gender ratios are in their workforces—but some hoped “Silicon Valley” could show a better vision for the industry.
#AskSiliconValley Will there be a female coder joining the team in the next season?
— Mark O'Sullivan (@MarkOSullivan94) August 13, 2014
So here is a bit of good news: According to Judge, two new female characters will be added to the cast. It’s unclear whether their roles will be technical. In the first season, women were mostly treated as disposable props or love interests for men—and every episode failed the Bechdel Test, a yardstick which measures movies and TV shows for meaningful female characters.
@ChiMock2 Yes. We're writing now and 2 new main female characters so far. #AskSiliconValley
— Mike Judge (@MikeJudge) August 13, 2014
Bay Area locals have noted the show’s visual faithfulness to the real Silicon Valley, a bland realm of suburban houses and office parks. That’s because the show filmed many exterior shots in northern California.
@rnelli @kumailn Yes. A lot of the exteriors were shot there. #AskSiliconValley
— Mike Judge (@MikeJudge) August 13, 2014
Middleditch, the lead actor who plays awkward Pied Piper founder Richard on the show, dropped some hints about what people can expect from the upcoming season. One person suggested comedian John Hodgman should make an appearance as a relative of venture capitalist Peter Gregory. Middleditch hinted he might.
https://twitter.com/Middleditch/status/499657868396601345
Maybe we’ll also see a glimpse of Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak. Perhaps not. Judge managed to give fans a tiny bit of hope while throwing some shade in Woz’s direction.
@stephanwozniak The other guy might be a lot cheaper than you think. #AskSiliconValley
— Mike Judge (@MikeJudge) August 13, 2014
Nanjiani, the comedian who plays Dinesh, has some experience working as a programmer. He received a degree in computer science, and says his role on Silicon Valley playing a startup programmer is much more exciting than being an actual programmer.
https://twitter.com/kumailn/status/499658440197697536
If you were disappointed that the first season of Silicon Valley only lasted eight episodes, you might be excited for this: Season Two will run for 10 episodes.
https://twitter.com/kumailn/status/499660073006686211
Big Head, the friend of Richard who ditched Pied Piper in favor of a cushy gig at Internet giant Hooli, made a handful of cameos in the show after his startup departure. Fans of the deserter will be pleased to know that he will be back for season two.
https://twitter.com/kumailn/status/499666175396040704
During the season finale, the Pied Piper team developed a particular method of stimulating … well, let’s just say data to get their pitch to fly at TechCrunch Disrupt. So how long did it take the team to film that one scene?
https://twitter.com/kumailn/status/499660580525850624
If you haven’t seen the show yet, you have plenty of time to catch up before its April 2015 return. And we’ll be recapping every episode on ReadWrite.