'Silicon Valley' Episode 3 Recap: Stupid Name, Smart Satire

What's in a name? A lot of drama, apparently.

The bulk of Silicon Valley's third episode, "Articles of Incorporation," follows ever-awkward protagonist Richard (Thomas Middleditch) in his dogged pursuit to make "Pied Piper" the official name of his compression-algorithm company. But this being the Valley, there are obstacles — specifically that Pied Paper is already registered to a sprinkler business. Richard, an introvert inclined to hole up in his hoodie, is then forced to negotiate with Arnold Garris, the original Pied Piper's ornery owner

Episode 3's focus on names provided plenty of fodder for Silicon Valley writers Matteo Borghese and Rob Turbovsky, who take every opportunity to skewer startup culture's obsession with trendy company names. Some bandied around by the team: "SMLLR" (in keeping with the vowel-less trend), "Dwarfism 2.0." ("Oh, it's prejudice.") and "Small Come Back Now, Ya Hear?" Read more...