by Ali Paige Goldstein / HBO)
HBO’s Silicon Valley continues its season five run with five new half-hour episodes in April 2018. The current season which kicked off on March 25th is the first without T.J. Miller in a starring role, but otherwise sees the return of all the other regulars from seasons one through four.
Created by Mike Judge, John Altschuler, and Dave Krinsky, Silicon Valley stars Thomas Middleditch, Kumail Nanjiani, Martin Starr, Jimmy O’Yang, Matt Ross, and Zach Woods. Mike Judge, Alec Berg, Clay Tarver, Michael Rotenberg, Tom Lassally, Jim Kleverweis, and Jamie Babbit are the executive producers.
The Season 5 Plot: The future is now. Pied Piper finally has enough funding for proper offices and new employees, and to bring its peer-to-peer internet to the world – but leveling up introduces a whole new class of obstacles. While Richard struggles to lead a larger team and play with the big dogs, the rest of the team adjusts to new staff, new digs and new anxieties. Meanwhile, Hooli rival Gavin Belson has returned to power, but finds the threat of Pied Piper, and its boldness, hard to shake.
The Pied Piper guys are closer to real fame and fortune than ever before, as their new decentralized internet “PiperNet” approaches its debut. But more money brings more problems. As Richard struggles with the responsibilities of being the CEO of a rapidly growing company, along with pressures from investors Monica and Laurie, Dinesh and Gilfoyle adjust to a new team, Jared works his hardest to hold everything together, Big Head continues to stumble his way into good fortune and Jian-Yang proves there’s nothing he won’t do to make some fast cash. Meanwhile, at Hooli, reinstated CEO Gavin’s desire to stay relevant threatens to consume him as he seeks to destroy the competition.
Silicon Valley April 2018 Episodes:
- Episode #40 (season 5, episode 2): “Reorientation”
Debut: SUNDAY, APRIL 1 (10:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT)
Panicked by suddenly leading a much larger team, Richard (Thomas Middleditch) finds himself managing a number of small conflicts in his efforts to unite his new employees. Dinesh (Kumail Nanjiani) celebrates a new purchase that Gilfoyle (Martin Starr) looks to spoil. Jian-Yang (Jimmy O. Yang) goes to court. Gavin (Matt Ross) meets pushback over his signature and what it says about him.
Written by Carson Mell; directed by Mike Judge. - Episode #41 (season 5, episode 3): “Chief Operating Officer”
Debut: SUNDAY, APRIL 8 (10:00-10:30 p.m.)
Encouraged by Jared (Zach Woods) to strike up a friendship with Dana (Dan Mintz), a like-minded CEO, Richard (Thomas Middleditch) instead finds himself charmed by Dana’s COO (Ben Koldyke), who challenges his loyalty to Gilfoyle (Martin Starr). Facing limited housing options thanks to his impulse purchase, Dinesh (Kumail Nanjiani) searches for a new roommate.
Written by Carrie Kemper; directed by Jamie Babbit. - Episode #42 (season 5, episode 4): “Tech Evangelist”
Debut: SUNDAY, APRIL 15 (10:00-10:30 p.m.)
Attempting to woo a gaming company to PiperNet, Richard (Thomas Middleditch) inadvertently angers a prized ally. Dinesh (Kumail Nanjiani) deals with a betrayal. In preparation for a big launch, Gavin (Matt Ross) leaves his underlings with a cryptic message. Jared (Zach Woods) gets inside information from Big Head (Josh Brener).
Written by Josh Lieb; directed by Jamie Babbit. - Episode #43 (season 5, episode 5): “Facial Recognition”
Debut: SUNDAY, APRIL 22 (10:15-10:45 p.m.)
Overshadowed by Jared (Zach Woods) in an on-camera interview, Richard’s (Thomas Middleditch) confidence wavers further when Laurie (Suzanne Cryer) and Monica (Amanda Crew) force him to work with Eklow, a new artificial-intelligence company. Gilfoyle (Martin Starr) worries about the prospect of introducing AI into Pied Piper. Dinesh (Kumail Nanjiani) makes Jared self-conscious ahead of a second interview. Gavin (Matt Ross) questions his future beyond Hooli.
Written by Graham Wagner; directed by Gillian Robespierre. - Episode #44 (season 5, episode 6): “Artificial Emotional Intelligence”
Debut: SUNDAY, APRIL 29 (10:00-10:30 p.m.)
Richard (Thomas Middleditch) decides to help when Laurie (Suzanne Cryer) gets in a jam, but his lack of emotional discipline threatens to backfire on Pied Piper. Gavin (Matt Ross) tries to make a deal with a stubborn partner while abroad. Dinesh (Kumail Nanjiani) relishes a rare win. Jared (Zach Woods) bonds with a surprising figure.
Written by Anthony King; directed by Matt Ross.
