As far as climactic episodes go, Up Helly Aa is an absolute masterpiece. The culmination of a season's worth of strife, angst, progress, manipulations, and sacrifices. From the onset, Joe's romanticization of COMDEX -likening it to the Lerwick festival to which the episode owes its name - makes holy the efforts of our ragtag Cardiff crew, suggesting the immense stakes and immense payoff if they are to succeed. "...then what?" "Then the winners burn it to the ground." Pace's Joe "Make Millions" MacMillan is at his absolute sharpest, as is the rest of the gang, as even the likes of the usually-timid Gordon Clark step up to the plate to secure their place in computer history. Every minute filled with heart-pounding, heart-breaking revelations and twists, Up Helly Aa is the absolute apex of the creative process - one that seems innately to test each of our main characters to see how much they will destroy in the name of creation. Perhaps the most gut-wrenching is the decision to remove the soul from the machine, as Cameron's sole contribution to the Giant is removed to make a functional, play-it-safe machine. Wicked character development, spectacular writing, phenomenal performances, this is one of the finest hours of television I have ever seen. Not to mention, it has one of the most astounding final scene reveals.
Joe, eyes widened, jaw-dropped looks at the future he could have created.
"It speaks." CHILLS.
Joe, eyes widened, jaw-dropped looks at the future he could have created.
"It speaks." CHILLS.