Halt and Catch Fire
AMC | Release Date: June 1, 2014
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
75
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 59 Critic Reviews
Positive:
49
Mixed:
10
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
The New York TimesAlessandra StanleyMay 30, 2014
Season 1 Review: The pilot, moreover, is not easy to follow. Somewhat like “Turn,” an AMC show about spies during the American Revolution, this new series is a little too opaque at the outset. Read full review
60
The Daily BeastAndrew RomanoMay 30, 2014
Season 1 Review: So how is the Halt and Catch Fire pilot? Surprisingly good in some ways—and fairly typical in others. Surprisingly good in some ways--and fairly typical in others. Read full review
60
VarietyBrian LowryMay 29, 2014
Season 1 Review: There are certainly enough moving parts here (pardon the expression) to merit further attention, but there’s also a feeling that the whole thing is running in mud (or at least sand). Read full review
50
Yahoo TVKen TuckerAug 22, 2016
Season 3 Review: Halt and Catch Fire doesn’t seem to trust that the viewer will know what it’s talking about. Read full review
50
The OregonianKristi TurnquistMay 29, 2015
Season 2 Review: As with the first season, the actors all do their best, and the loving but challenging relationship between Donna and Gordon remains the show's most appealing, layered element. But Halt and Catch Fire still lacks a point of view that would make this trip back to the '80s feel relevant. Read full review
50
VarietyBrian LowryMay 29, 2015
Season 2 Review: Four episodes in, the writers have taken steps to reconnect the key characters, but it’s a too-slow update of the software on a concept that came back with a relatively shallow pool of goodwill and critical buzz. Read full review
50
Washington PostHank StueverMay 30, 2014
Season 1 Review: Halt and Catch Fire suffers from a common case of style over substance. Read full review
50
New York Magazine (Vulture)Matt Zoller SeitzMay 30, 2014
Season 1 Review: The problem is, once you get past the initial shock of a fresh premise and start watching the pilot, the show starts to seem more formulaic, with stock characters (mostly female, alas) and what sounds like placeholder dialogue that was supposed to filled in with good stuff later but wasn't. Read full review
50
Cleveland Plain DealerMark DawidziakMay 30, 2014
Season 1 Review: Due to faulty programming, it's a mixed bag of delights and drawbacks. The performances are exceptional. The dialogue is ham-fisted and stilted. The dark, grim tone is intriguing. The pace is choppy. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleDavid WiegandMay 28, 2014
Season 1 Review: At least in the one episode sent to critics--Halt doesn't offer up complicated, three-dimensional characters. Instead, we get versions of familiar types pulled from the character storage room by the writers. Read full review
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