History Quotes / HaltAndCatchFire

-->--Joe sees the UsefulNotes/AppleMacintosh for the first time, seeing it as the IBM PC-killer he envisioned.

'''Gordon Clark:''' Yeah, well, except what's ''on'' the chip. The BIOS is on one of these chips; we just don't know which one. The ROM BIOS is the only part of the machine IBM actually designed. I mean, it is the program, it is the magic. The bad news is they copyrighted it, and they own how it works. The good news is there's a way around that, sort of. \\

->'''Nathan Cardiff:''' [[SuddenlyShouting YOU LISTEN TO ME, BOY!!!]] You listen to me! I admire your tenacity, but I draw the line at you claiming that you did me a favor. Don't screw this up. 'Cause in Texas, you put a man's livelihood on the line, and you don't follow through, there's ''not'' gonna be another new job [[ImpliedDeathThreat 'cause ain't nobody gonna be able to find where you're buried]].

->'''Joe [=MacMillan=]:''' ''(after he and Gordon had gotten into a fight, revealing deep scars on Joe's chest)'' I was nine. There were some boys at my school who used to... chase me. I didn't care about the New York Giants like they did. I cared about Sputnik. I was nuts about it. I was passionate. Nobody told me yet that adults are supposed to be ashamed of those feelings. I learned that lesson the night the Colts beat the Giants. '58 Championship, greatest game ever played, and I didn't see a single snap. I was hooked up to machines at St. Peter's. To this day, I don't blame them. I don't think they meant to chase me off the roof. After IBM, I went across the country just looking for answers. ''(To Gordon)'' I'd read your article, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. Open architecture, the idea of it. As a way of life. It kept me up at night. It made me that kid again, and I tracked you down to COMDEX and watched as they chased you, too, and your beautiful machine right off the ledge. ''(turns to Cameron)'' And you, when I saw you, everything about you threatens people. I thought that maybe we could do this precisely because we're all unreasonable people and progress depends on our changing the world to fit us. Not the other way around. I want to believe that. I ''must'' believe that. Tomorrow, I will show up at 7:00 A.M. and I will keep going. You don't have to join me, but something tells me you both need this just as much as I do.

-->--Gordon has to let go of several employees because of IBM's raid.

'''Kenneth "Yo-Yo" Engberk:''' Yeah, let Boz. \\
'''Cameron Howe:''' Boz! \\

'''Cameron Howe:''' Yeah, Boz go! \\
''(everyone in the room, aside from Joe, starts chanting "Boz")'' \\

-->--Joe sees the UsefulNotes/AppleMacintosh for the first time, believing that it is the future of computing.

'''Donna Clark:''' This is BULLSHIT! ''(throws the contract at Joe)'' Joe, this is bullshit! All you own is time on a network. What entitles you to have an opinion about ''anything'' that we do here?! What makes you think that you can question our commitment for one dollar an hour?! ''(glass shatters)'' \\

-->--Gordon warns Donna about (figuratively) stabbing Cameron in the back.

'''Gordon Clark:''' YEAH, I ONLY ''BUILT'' THE DAMN THING, JOE!!! \\

'''Gordon Clark:''' I didn't kill myself all these months for you to get all the glory with the Giant! You plan on seeing me at booth C-23 on Monday!

'''Joe [=MacMillan=]:''' ''(scoffs)'' Let's skip the "Two Roads in a Wood" bullshit. You're not Creator/RobertFrost. You're pawnshop hacks selling ''my'' dream under a cheap plastic mask. \\

'''Gordon Clark:''' Our "Lotus 1-2-3"? It's "Lotus 1-2-3." We built an IBM-compatible machine. You wanted a computer. You have a computer. You need to sell your computer, okay? ''(Gordon steps out of the office)''\\

->'''Tim Bondham:''' Okay, so you have put up chess, checkers, backgammon, "Tank Battle," and "Parallax". And ignoring the first three, because who cares about those, that's two games in 15 months. Not exactly in a hurry, are we? \\

'''Cameron Howe:''' I think if your nephew understood coding a little better, he'd think "Parallax" was pretty cool. ''(Donna clears her throat)'' Um, look, cartridge games may look better for a while, but online gaming is the future.\\

'''Tim Bondham:''' Oh, yeah, with proof like that, how can I argue with you? \\

[[folder:MAJOR SPOILER]]

->'''Ryan Ray:''' I, Ryan Ray, released the [=MacMillan=] source code. I acted alone, and nobody told me to do it. I did this because security is a myth. Contrary to what you might have heard, my friend, you are ''not'' safe. Safety is a story; it's something we teach our kids so they can sleep at night, but we know it's not real. Beware baffled humans, beware false prophets who will sell you a fake future of bad teachers, corrupt leaders and dirty corporations. Beware of cops and robbers, the kinds that rob your dreams. But most of all, beware of each other. The world is going to crack wide open. There is something on the horizon. A massive connectivity. The barriers between us will disappear, and we're not ready. We'll hurt each other in new ways, we'll sell and be sold, we'll share our most tender selves only to be mocked and destroyed. We'll be so vulnerable, and we'll pay the price. We won't be able to pretend that we can protect ourselves anymore. It's a huge danger, a gigantic risk, but it's worth it, if only we can learn to take care of each other, then this awesome new connection won't isolate us. It won't leave us in the end so totally alone.

!!Valley of the Heart's Delight

!!Flipping the Switch

->'''Joe [=MacMillan=]:''' Fear... ''[{{beat}}]'' it's a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth. You know, ever since I started [=MacMillan=] Utility, I've been accused of selling fear. But let me ask you... ''[beat]'' is it fear? Or is it truth? How sure is our footing? Yesterday morning, many of us were reminded of that question when we literally felt the ground move beneath us. We live in a world that is constantly shifting, sometimes bringing us together, and sometimes pulling us apart. Who are our friends? Who are our enemies? What's gonna happen to us? Are we safe? What I created has grown. Now, some of you... ''[chuckles]'' ...even call [=MacMillan=] Utility the gold standard in corporate anti virus protection. But in the meantime, I've been asking myself, "What should the price of security really be? How much should we pay to feel safe?" ''[moves to pillar, then pauses]'' Wait, here's another one from that same ancient tradition. The whole secret of existence
is to have no fear at all. Never fear what will become of you. Depend on no one. Only in the moment that you reject all help are you really free. ''[lifts cloth off pillar, revealing an empty glass case]'' Only by moving past fear can we ever arrive at the truth. And the truth is freedom from fear is a right, not a commodity. ''[off audience reaction]'' I know what you're thinking: I charge my corporate clients millions. Well, they can afford it. But tomorrow I'm releasing our user version--Citadel--the version I created for all of you. Mainframe-quality security
for your personal computer. ''[audience applauds, then Joe briefly gestures for silence]'' Wait, wait. ''[beat]'' And I'm charging you... ''nothing''. ''[audience applauds more loudly]'' For you, it will be absolutely free.

->'''Joe [=MacMillan=]:''' ''(after he and Gordon had gotten into a fight, revealing deep scars on Joe's chest)'' I was nine. There were some boys at my school who used to... chase me. I didn't care about the New York Giants like they did. I cared about Sputnik. I was nuts about it. I was passionate. Nobody told me yet that adults are supposed to be ashamed of those feelings. I learned that lesson the night the Colts beat the Giants. '58 Championship, greatest game ever played, and I didn't see a single snap. I was hooked up to machines at St. Peter's. To this day, I don't blame them. I don't think they meant to chase me off the roof. After IBM, I went across the country just looking for answers. ''(To Gordon)'' I'd read your article and I couldn't stop thinking about it. Open architecture, the idea of it. As a way of life. It kept me up at night. It made me that kid again, and I tracked you down to COMDEX and watched as they chased you, too, and your beautiful machine right off the ledge. ''(turns to Cameron)'' And you, when I saw you, everything about you threatens people. I thought that maybe we could do this precisely because we're all unreasonable people and progress depends on our changing the world to fit us. Not the other way around. I want to believe that. I ''must'' believe that. Tomorrow, I will show up at 7:00 A.M. and I will keep going. You don't have to join me, but something tells me you both need this just as much as I do.
-->Joe giving one of his trademark [[RousingSpeech Rousing Speeches]] to Cameron and Gordon.

->'''Gordon Clark:''' ''(to Floyd)'' Look, it's not your fault. It's no one's fault. It's like when you get an early snow and it freezes your orange grove. And then the farmer has to find another way to deliver the juice. Even if every snowflake is totally unique like you. \\

'''Joe [=MacMillan=]:''' '' (scoffs)'' Let's skip the "Two Roads in a Wood" bullshit. You're not Creator/RobertFrost. You're pawnshop hacks selling ''my'' dream under a cheap plastic mask. \\

So why did you torch it? \\

'''Joe [=MacMillan=]:''' don't know who you think I am, but I'm not looking for charity. \\

-->--Nathan Cardiff tells Joe off for the last time.

'''Jacob Wheeler:''' Here's what I think, Joe. I think with your checkered work history [[BrutalHonesty and that's the nice way of putting all the things I've heard]], you don't have a whole lot of options right now, in tech or anywhere else. With your abysmal references, I think you'd have a tough time getting a job selling waffle irons. You'd really want to put yourself through all that? \\

'''Jacob Wheeler:''' I'm just stating cold facts. You won't easily get a new job. If I haven't made myself clear, I'm offering you one. \\

->'''Tim Bondham:''' Okay, so you have put up chess, checkers, backgammon, "Tank Battle," and "Parallax". And ignoring the first three because who cares about those? That's two games in 15 months. Not exactly in a hurry, are we? \\

'''Tim Bondham:''' Well, when I invest in a company, I don't just bet on an idea; I bet on the people. Success is no Sunday drive. It's not another "to-do" tacked to the fridge. If you two, as you claim, are really gonna run this business, I need to know that you're fully committed, long-term. Even over, you know, [[StrawMisogynist biological imperatives]]. \\

-->--Donna and Cameron encounter a sexist venture capitalist.

'''Jacob Wheeler:''' Here's what I think, Joe. I think with your checkered work history and that's the nice way of putting all the things I've heard, you don't have a whole lot of options right now, in tech or anywhere else. With your abysmal references, I think you'd have a tough time getting a job selling waffle irons. You'd really want to put yourself through all that? \\

'''Donna Clark:''' That's exactly right. And that's why we're here.\\
Our network is overloaded, limiting our ability to sign up new subscribers. \\

'''Tim Bondham:''' Well, when I invest in a company, I don't just bet on an idea, I bet on the people. Success is no Sunday drive. It's not another to-do tacked to the fridge. If you two, as you claim, are really gonna run this business, I need to know that you're fully committed, long-term. Even over, you know, biological imperatives. \\

-->--Opening quotation in the pilot.

!!New Coke

-->--Nathan Cardiff tells Joe off for the last time.

-->--Joe is not satisfied with making an IBM PC clone and is now fixated on the Macintosh.

'''Randy:'''' I'll wait in line for a Ferris wheel. I'll wait in line for a beer. But damned if I'll wait around till 11:45 to get fired by flipping you or flipping Joe [=MacMillan=]. \\

'''Randy:''' ''(after snatching his reference letter from Gordon)'' And can I just say on behalf of a once-great company, I look forward to driving past here when the "For Lease" signs get nailed to the lawn and your little PC vision quest crashes and burns.