Silicon Valley ‘Bad Money’ Recap: What Richard Wants

After last week’s best cliffhanger ever (complete with a mariachi band), “Bad Money” picks up following Richard’s meeting with Gavin at the Mexican restaurant, with Pied Piper’s leader telling the guys back at HQ about the deal.

None of them are having it, with Gilfoyle even questioning whether Richard’s drink was drugged, based on the way he’s acting.

However, the most disappointed of the group has to be Jared, who aligns his feelings with the films of Julia Roberts. First, he was the battered woman in Sleeping with the Enemy. Then, he became Pretty Woman (“Every day here has been like that shopping spree scene,” says Jared. “I’m putting on hats!”).

Just before Richard is about to take the deal at Hooli, he gets accosted by Russ Hanneman, who shows up outside of the Hooli Sports Court blaring Limp Bizkit’s “Nookie.”

Who’s Russ Hanneman? He’s someone who’s been fucked with in the industry the way Gavin is trying to mess with Richard (“You’re hot, you’re sued, then the guy suing you offers you a buyout. Am I right?”). Richard’s spazzy TechCrunch presentation online sparked his interest. Like Doc in Back to the Future, Russ implores Richard to get in the DeLorean and alter what’s forthcoming.

Where’s the Beef?

Meanwhile, at a <code> conference, Gavin says some controversial things, comparing the treatment of billionaires in America to the plight of the Jews in Nazi Germany.

“One could argue billionaires are actually treated worse,” says Gavin.

While Gavin clearly has beef with Pied Piper, he may have also just started another one.

Over actual beef, Russ gives Richard his long and incredible journey and offers to back him and Pied Piper. He’s not worried about the lawsuit. He’s got three nannies suing him right now.

“Don’t do what you should do,” he says. “Do what you want.”

What does Richard want? That’s the question. He comes home with a check from Russ for $5 million, but before the guys can react, Monica walks in unannounced and negates the idea.

“You’re putting your entire future in hands of the man that put radio on the Internet,” says Monica.

Despite Russ Hanneman being a joke (and eerily similar to Ehrlich with his womanizing, douchebag ways), Richard would rather work with him than Hooli. He’s tired of doing what he should do.

When Monica tells Laurie Bream about the deal with Hanneman, she digs deep for some words from Peter Gregory, about how some successful companies start from an irrational moment.

“I think, I hope, I just witnessed that,” says Monica.

Laurie doesn’t understand. She won’t work with Russ Hanneman. End of discussion.

ROI: Radio On the Internet

Over breakfast, Jared admits to Richard that the $5 million will only last them 18 months, especially faced with the litigation costs. Plus, Gilfoyle and Dinesh are asking for 12 people each on their teams, which ties up a lot of money. When Jared has tried to tell them to trim this number down, they tell him to quit wasting money at the butthole doctor. Richard puts his foot down and tells the two they can only get three new hires each, and Gilfoyle and Dinesh happily oblige. In fact, they could do the same job for two hires. They were just practicing negotiating skills.

When Russ shows up, he leaves quite the impression on everyone, talking on his phone loudly during a team meeting and making Richard shout his address into the phone so his friend can stop by. He also learns that Richard really talks like that, all spazzy and nervous like the way he spoke at Disrupt.

When Russ finally listens, he hears the word “revenue” and dispels this idea. He wants them to ROI. Return on investment? Nope. Radio on the Internet.

Jared mentions an issue they had with the check Russ gave them.

“You didn’t try to cash the check, did you?” he says. “That’s a show check. You don’t get it all at once.”

Once he exits, Dinesh says what everyone’s thinking: “Well, he’s the worst man in America. And now he owns us.”

Eventually, the guys meet with Russ on the side of a highway. He’s created a billboard with a guitar-playing woman featuring the message “I am Pied Piper.” He did this independently (and took the money out of their $5 million) and placed 15 billboards all over, including one right outside of Gavin’s office.

After spotting the conspicuously placed ad, Gavin’s legal team has an idea: What if they took a former Pied Piper member and lavished praise and promotion on him at Hooli, so it looks like the idea stemmed from them rather than Richard and the gang?

Enter: Big Head, fresh from spilling French fries in the elevator. It’s about time we check back in with this character!

What did you think of “Bad Money”? Is Russ really that much like Ehrlich? What does ROI mean to you? And does the five-second rule apply to the floors of elevators?

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