Season 1 - 7 episodes (2022)
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Created by: Brian Koppelman, David Levien
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kyle Chandler, Kerry Bishé, Quentin Tarantino, Elisabeth Shue, Uma Thurman, Kyle Chandler
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer
Plot
The roller-coaster ride of the upstart transportation company, Uber, embodying the highs and lows of Silicon Valley.
Verdict
It tells an increasingly more common story. A founder that promised the world and failed to deliver or got lost in their own ego. This gets a bit too cute frequently with cutaways and fourth wall breaking that are unnecessary. It's a fun history lesson, but how many of these type of properties do we need? Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a great job as the charismatic and ego-maniacal CEO, but this is a series I feel like I've seen before.
It depends.
Review
The first few scenes introduce us to Uber CEO TK, Travis Kalanick (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). He's abrasive, greedy and apathetic about safety. It's easy to see why Uber had issues. When one of the executives has the idea to make a safe ride surcharge, Travis is excited about the extra profit and only claiming that rides are safer.
Like most start ups, Uber moved quickly and ignored the rules. His conflict was with the transportation agency that saw Uber, at that point called UberCab as a cab company that needed to pay the related fees. The key is knowing when to step up or step back. This company, like many start ups, operates on hopes, dreams, and massive debt hoping to get a foothold. It doesn't always work. TK is combative yet always sidestepping any blame. He's claims to be a crusader and revolutionary, but he's here to make money and feed his own ego.
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| Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kyle Chandler play TK Travis Kalanick, Bill Gurley |
The voice overs and text overs are too cute. The series is trying to be funny, but it's not new. It only slows down the action in a bad way as it doesn't provide any additional information.
Bill Gurley (Kyle Chandler) is TK's main backer. He calls TK out on the claim he doesn't need financial support. With all the talk of Gurley's full access to the company, I imagined it would come back to bite later.
To avoid cab regulations, UberCab changes their name. They aren't a cab service, they're a ride sharing service. When they get a foothold in New York, they throw a crazy Vegas party that breaks numerous laws. TK always maintained a frat boy type culture, that proved to be his eventual downfall.
Lyft copies Uber and with a few innovations becomes a formidable competitor. With an investment from Google, TK is on the verge of buying Lyft, but his ego is so big that he can't just buy them and let it be. He has to gloat and insult the Lyft CEO. TK is never content to be the smartest guy in the room, he has to make sure everyone knows. That's his insecurity. TK has pushed the entire time, and it's gotten him and the company very far. When he pushes the Lyft CEO, he sees it as an affront and refuses the deal. TK tanked the deal due to ego and Gurley isn't happy.
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| Kyle Chandler plays Bill Gurley |
The worsening problem is that TK is concerned about his and the company's image, but not the underlying issues that are the root of the problem. Sexism is rampant and nothing is done. Women that do report are told to take one for the team, not to make a big fuss, or don't misunderstand the situation. TK knew about everything, and when it comes to light it makes the company look terrible because the company is terrible.
TK is on the way out as a way for the company to save face and pin the problem on someone. It is TK's fault. He deserves the blame, but he's also desperate to stay. It's not about the job, the company, or the money. He's just conceited. He keeps stating he is the company, but again that's ego. When things don't go well, all of his childish tendencies bubble to the surface. He's ousted from his company, but he never saw anything he did as wrong. He justifies all of it. He does make a compelling case; you have to be a jerk to win in business. You need a sociopath to bring the business to the top. Just look at Blackberry. Without someone ruthless, you can't get to the top. Just as TK used people to boost the company, the company used him to get to the top and got rid of him when it was convenient. His reckless behavior was fine until it affected the bottom line. It's his own fault, but everyone is using everyone.
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