Plot Synopsis

Set in the early 1980s -- one year after IBM released its first major product, the IBM PC -- HALT AND CATCH FIRE is a one-hour fictional drama series that follows a visionary, an engineer and a prodigy, as they attempt to revolutionize the computer industry and the culture in Texas' Silicon Prairie. After recognizing a fatal flaw in IBM's PC that will make personal computing anyone's game, former IBM executive Joe McMillan plans to reverse engineer his former employer's flagship product and force his current company, Cardiff Electric, into the personal computer race. McMillan enlists the help of Gordon Clark, a once great engineer who dreams of creating a revolutionary product while trying to manage his initially unsupportive wife Donna and Cameron Howe, a volatile prodigy who puts her future in jeopardy to join MacMillan's rogue PC project. As tensions build within the group, they attempt to navigate the thin line between visionary and fraud, while driving to do something that matters. HALT AND CATCH FIRE made its world debut on Saturday, March 8, 2014 at 11am during the film portion of the SXSW Festival in Austin, TX, with a screening of the pilot followed by a panel discussion featuring showrunner Jonathan Lisco, series creators Chris Cantwell and Chris Rogers, and select cast. Two months later, AMC previewed HALT AND CATCH FIRE from Monday, May 19 through Saturday, May 31, 2014, making the full pilot episode available on VOD, TV Everywhere services on AMC.com, and Tumblr, marking the first-ever television series premiere on the microblogging and social networking website. HALT AND CATCH FIRE returned for its second season on Sunday, May 31, 2015 at 10pm ET/PT on AMC. Season 2 picks up in early 1985 and centers on the rise of Mutiny, Cameron and Donna's start-up company that is built upon the most disruptive idea of the modern era -- the Internet. At the same time, Joe, Gordon and Bosworth will be caught up in their own online wave, remaking the tech landscape all around them, as they attempt to heal old wounds and deal with the fallout of Season 1. The second season explores themes that tap directly into the modern zeitgeist such as the thin line separating genius from self-delusion, the fragility of human connection, and everyone's desire, especially in today's tech-obsessed world, to leave a meaningful mark and do something that truly matters. AMC premiered Season 3 of HALT AND CATCH FIRE on Tuesday, August 23, 2016 at 9-11pm ET/PT with two back-to-back episodes. New episodes will air in the series' regular time slot of Tuesdays at 10pm ET/PT beginning Tuesday, August 30. In the third season, which picks up in March 1986, Mutiny leaves Texas for the big leagues of Silicon Valley. Founders Cameron Howe and Donna Clark search for the idea that will launch Mutiny as a player, but new collaborators test their partnership. Gordon struggles to find a place within his wife's company as Joe McMillan builds upon his empire, reinventing himself with a bold play that shocks the Valley and sends him back into the lives of his old partners. In addition to Pace, McNairy, Bishe, Davis and Toby Huss as John Bosworth, the third season features Annabeth Gish as Diane Gould, a seasoned Silicon Valley venture capitalist, and Manish Dayal as Ryan Ray, a talented and ambitious programmer, in recurring roles. In the season opener (9pm), "Valley of the Heart's Desire," Gordon settles in at Mutiny while Joe launches his latest product; meanwhile, Donna and Cameron work to expand beyond chat. Then, in the night's second new episode (10pm), "One Way or Another," Cameron and Donna have a hard time finding venture capital, and Joe hires a key coder. AMC premiered the 10-episode fourth and final season of HALT AND CATCH FIRE on Saturday, August 18, 2017 from 9-11pm ET/PT, showing back-to-back new episodes. Anna Chlumsky joins the cast this season as Dr. Katie Herman, Chief Ontologist -- a crucial role in this season's central business ventures. "Six years ago, AMC bet on a passion project and the two untested young guys behind it. As a consequence, we've been allowed to take the creative journey of our lives and tell a story that, over four seasons, became something greater than the sum of its parts," said co-creators and executive producers Christopher Cantwell and Christopher C. Rogers. "At its core, "Halt and Catch Fire" has always been about how people who make things put themselves into the things they create. Alongside our exceptional cast, writing staff, producers and network partners, we couldn't be more excited to share these final ten episodes of this beautiful thing we all made together." In the season opener (9pm), "So It Goes," Gordon enjoys success while Joe works to keep their web project afloat. Cameron extends a business trip. Donna launches a new venture. Then, in the night's second new episode (10pm), "Signal to Noise," Joe and Cameron talk on the phone. Donna promotes her assistant. Gordon's business buckles under pressure from a larger competitor.
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On Saturday, October 14, 2017 from 9-11:15pm ET/PT, AMC premiered the series finale of HALT AND CATCH FIRE, showing back-to-back episodes, "Search" and "Ten of Swords." Donna celebrates a milestone with her closest allies; Cameron contemplates saying goodbye; Joe confronts an uncertain future.