Michael and Olivia’s firm comes together but runs the risk of not being a sustainable business in Cupertino Season 1, Episode 3, “Juno.” It’s because this episode defines the risk of Silicon Valley’s shell game of companies declaring bankruptcy to avoid paying out. “Juno,” written by Jennifer Cacicio and directed by John Dahl, digs more into how far these companies reach.
Cupertino does so most efficiently in its engaging courtroom scenes. In “Juno,” those scenes particularly highlight the growing cast’s easy chemistry. Not to mention, this episode stages what will be an on-going Girls5eva reunion between Renée Elise Goldsberry and Busy Philipps. The latter’s Natalia Boutella may be my favorite character on TV right now. That’s saying a lot. All of the characters in Cupertino are immediately interesting – except the dude bros.
Goldsberry’s Nichole, for example, is instantly compelling from the second that she walks onto the scene. Of course, Michael pays extra attention for his personal reasons, which is a fine example of how there’s always more going on under the surface with Cupertino. In an age of second-screen viewing, I can’t help but appreciate a show that trusts its audience will pay attention to catch the seemingly inconsequential things that contribute to characterization.
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A lot can change, but I appreciate that the AI and the men who have created and/or profited from it are the main sources of corruption and antagonism. ChatLike’s defense jumps through well-crafted hoops to deny just that. That team tries to paint a picture that refutes reality, which feels almost too on the nose. I like that the perspective shift isn’t immediate. It’s earned as Michael and Olivia meticulously pull the curtain back. They’re good at their job. They hold a mirror up to characters like Kirk Boutella, played by guest star Fisher Stevens.
It takes time for the change to ripple throughout the room. Of course, there are characters that hold their own, like Natalia who is constantly and delightfully scoffing and rolling her eyes at Kirk. I particularly like that Judge Cogswell’s opinion changes. For some reason, that feels the least expected, but it matters. It gives depth to this recurring character – he’s seeing how men like Kirk use personal manipulation to win. Beyond the case, it’s also exciting to watch Olivia, who is just out of law school, continue to find her footing and gain confidence.
The case becomes this vehicle to learn more about her and Michael and to see how much they care. For example, Olivia is visibly affected by the evidence at the start and Michael is moved after questioning Daniel. For Michael, adding Nichole into the cast opens up all these new changes to know him. She has a past with him and his dad – something that Olivia notices but he only really opens up about to Natalia. All of them have such great chemistry in their respective scene that Cupertino has so much to work with moving forward.
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It’s a testament to Cupertino that it’s been so little time and even the character of Bo is recognizable. This serialized sentient AGI storyline has layers – dangerous ones. Christy could be stuck in the office, but, three episodes in, “Juno” takes her on an investigative arc. Relatedly, the show itself could be limited to conference and court rooms. Christy searching for the CultAI safety teams opens up the Silicon Valley world for Cupertino. The legal drama can meet all these people and places impacted outside of the case of the week.
Even Christy’s story about her grandfather and his chicken farm is something real to latch onto in this fragile world of literal fake people (Bo, I’m looking at you!). “Juno” also explores the lengths that people, like Calvin, have to go to survive – and help people like Christy. Cupertino goes right to 100 with the reveal of Bo that now the show can step back and start to unravel what that means.
For instance, Coki and the Enders who want to stop AI with violence adds another layer to this story. Cupertino is examining both extremes of the spectrum in the people who create it (Kirk) and the people who have taken it upon themselves to end it (Coki). The main characters are caught in the middle. There is more to this Bo/CultAI story. Rosetta Lane’s interestingly-timed arrival confirms as much. So what is Michael, Olivia, and Christy’s next move?
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