Bad Guys Gone Good: Our Favorite TV Villains Who Turned Over a New Leaf
By Sundi Rose
Photo: HBO
Erlich Bachman – Silicon Valley
It’s not a breach in the social contract to just be kind of a jerk, but Erlich Bachman was the closest thing to a villain the guys on Silicon Valley could get. (Gavin was a tad more malicious, but at least he had the decency to be on the opposite side of the fight.) More of a headache than anything else, Erlich was constantly undermining their good work and generally just messing up their plans for a better business and future.
As the guys got a better footing in the world of technology, Erlich tried harder and harder to get in with them as well. While never outright sabotaging their work, he got in the way more than he helped. His confidence and annoying swagger is mostly because of his bravado over past successes, and he mistakenly thinks that he can carry this over into a place in Pied Piper.
When Richard drunkenly gives him a ton of shares in Pied Piper, Erlich is emboldened even more. Much to everyone’s surprise, however, he’s competent speaker and advocate for the brand. When the other employees are socially awkward and timid, Erlich steps into fight for the small company, and manages to save the day on several occasions.