Was the almost collapse of Mutiny a blessing in disguise?

On Halt and Catch Fire Season 2 Episode 3, Gordon’s desire to aid his wife and her company, while well-intentioned, caused the near elimination of Mutiny, its products and its users.

And while it was a dramatic mistake, causing Cameron to have a meltdown that included a freakout on Donna and later a panic attack, I can see it pushing Mutiny to rebuild even stronger and better than before.

Watch Halt and Catch Fire Season 2 Episode 3 Online

Because to Cameron it clearly is her life (though I would disagree that to Donna it is just a job). You can tell there is passion at what she does, same with Donna in working on the chat rooms, but I think Cameron has been sort of resting on her laurels.

She’s sort of had a collection of “yes” people at her disposal, and bringing on someone like Tom to challenge her work, to call her out on a level of Parallax that was a mash-up of former levels, could also help drive her to do something even more inspiring.

Again, Tom seemed confrontational, and yet we got that caring moment where he helped Cameron calm down from her panic attack. He also complemented her on those earlier levels she had created, the ones where the real spark of genius shined. He’s not just some smart jerk, he just knows how much better Mutiny can be, especially with what Cameron can do.

Tom has been a great addition to the series, and I’m really looking forward to further relationship building with his character and Cameron. Those two could really come up with something great.

Donna and Cameron really need to find a way to work together better, but Donna sticking around after the major debacle showed just how much she cares for Mutiny. These women are driven to make it all succeed.

So underneath all the “destruction” that Gordon caused, I think is just a new door opening for Mutiny, a different path that could lead them to a far better place.

I’m curious to see where Gordon will go from here. It’s obvious he only wanted to help, and he was excited to try and get involved. And you can tell that he wants to be part of that special thing, though Cameron calling him a sellout in regards to their project with the Cardiff Giant computer was a low blow.

Plus, who knew Gordon was helping out with the bills behind their back? Having the dynamic with Donna and Cameron working together, and Gordon, the husband, sort of on the outside is an interesting one.

I liked getting those smaller moments of Gordon and Donna just chatting with themselves as a couple from discussing Joe’s possible new flame or even after their dinner. And I loved their reaction to being overdressed and who Joe’s special someone turned out to be.

I was glad that Sara called out Joe descending back into his old self, apologizing for their friends and their house and his job. He was trying to make himself above everyone, but she was able to pull him back down to reality.

If anything, Joe being at the bottom and trying to work his way up is a good thing. He clearly has the intelligence to make things better and not just stick to the same old, and noticing the waste of those machines at his work being off will probably be the catalyst for something bigger.

Just seeing that smirk on his face at the very end of the hour had me looking forward to seeing what Joe has planned.

Really, everyone seems to be trying to break out and do something better, move forward to something new. This really is all about their new chapter.

The same could be said for John. And I love how this episode gave more time to focus on his story and his background. It’s great the series is fleshing out his character. Showing the relationship with his wife, how he wanted to be there for his son, even in leaving the Mustang behind pushed John on that new direction. It’s a scary one perhaps, and one that is going to require some rebuilding, but I think he is much more ready to get going now.

This was another great episode of Halt and Catch Fire Season 2, and it’s clear that the sophomore season is chugging right along at a more exciting pace and truly expanding and exploring the characters and their new journeys.

What's next for Mutiny? What's up Joe's sleeve? Sound off below, and catch up on the second season when you watch Halt and Catch Fire online.