Parents' Guide to

Halt and Catch Fire

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Period tech drama is fascinating, but expect sexy stuff.

TV AMC Drama 2014
Halt and Catch Fire Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 1 parent review

daveteds
daveteds Adult
September 20, 2020
age 16+

Outre Sexual Practice Depictions Not For Younger Viewers

In the first 5 minutes there's a depiction of hook up rough sex that our 14 year old wasn't comfortable watching. I don't suppose it got too graphic, but we prefer healthy sexuality depictions, not people physically hurting each other. Is it any wonder Americans have issues understanding consent? Given the timing it was gratuitous, and we are sorry to not be able to watch it at this time. Also disappointing that the premise seems to be that male and female engineers couldn't work together in the 80's without tearing each others clothes off (or banging with them on).

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
1 person found this helpful.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Set on the flats of Texas' "Silicon Prairie" circa 1983, HALT AND CATCH FIRE follows a trio of tech-industry risktakers who set out to build a better personal computer. Spearheading the project is Joe MacMillan (Lee Pace), a former IBM executive who recruits a disillusioned engineer (Scoot McNairy) to dissect his ex-employer's flagship PC but must add an unpredictable prodigy (Mackenzie Davis) to the mix when IBM threatens to sue.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

There are shades of Don Draper to Halt and Catch Fire's charismatic Joe MacMillan, and that's probably no coincidence, considering the show debuted near the end of Mad Men. And so the network delivers another period hero who is handsome, mysterious, and ever charming, drawing the doubtful into his web -- and drawing in viewers, too -- with a seductive quality that's hard to ignore.

Of course, Halt and Catch Fire's characters are fictional, but, since their stories are set in a real time and place, both parents and teens who watch stand to learn something. (Lesson 1: There's a lot more to high-tech history than Silicon Valley.) The real success of the series, though, is its ability to make old technology feel new by turning the complicated language of computing into a narrative modern audiences can relate to.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Halt and Catch Fire's premise and the risks of blending fictional and factual storytelling. How accurate is the show's portrayal of the Texas tech industry in the 1980s? How are viewers supposed to know what's fact and what's fiction?

  • What role do women play in the show's central plot? What would this show be like if there were more female characters? None?

  • How has technology changed since the advent of the world's first personal computer? What are the pros and cons of today's highly portable technology? Where do we go next?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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