By Scarlett Constand ’16 | Staff Writer

Set in the revolutionary world of the 1980s technology boom, AMC’s “Halt and Catch Fire” (“HCF”) is the television network’s newest period piece.

Lee Pace stars as the mysterious Joe MacMillan, the sales executive for Cardiff Electric (CE), a technology company embarking in the race to be the best in the technology market. With the help of an engineer, his equally intelligent wife and a prodigy code-writer, MacMillan strives to put CE and himself on top of the personal computer market.

“HCF” is new and eclectic, in both style and story. Every character is finely crafted and perfectly casted, especially leading man Pace. His appearance and portrayal of MacMillan make the show what it is: a masterpiece. Pace is tall, confident and gives off an air of arrogance only he can pull off.

Prodigy Cameron Howe, portrayed by Mackenzie Davis, is a prime example of the ingenuity of her generation. Howe is a rebel; she blasts punk music and sleeps in the office, but once she puts her mind to work there is no stopping her genius. Davis’ unique combination of wit and spunk makes her character memorable and strongly contribute to the success of “HCF.”

The dynamic between Davis’ and Pace’s characters is one of the main focuses of the show. They’re co-workers, competitors, but most importantly lovers.

“For a while you had me fooled. I mean, I thought I heard a heartbeat, but it wasn’t a heartbeat. It was an echo,” Howe said in an episode of “HCF.” The gifted youth is mentally mature and immature in many ways, and that quote illustrates a realization she made about one of her coworkers. It also shows how well the show displays its character development.

In order to fully grasp the lasting impact of “HCF,” viewers must watch the entire first season, currently on Netflix. Season two premieres May 21 on AMC.

“HCF” is devilishly mesmerizing; it breaks barriers in more ways than one. It’s worthwhile to binge-watch and obsess over because it gives light to the competitive, wild and radical scene that technology once was.