When people ask me what I've been watching, I tell them I'm watching Mr Robot at the moment. Which is usually met with...What's that about? So...
Have you heard of Mr Robot? Do you know what it’s about? Have you watched it? If you answered no and want to know more, then read on.
We begin with Elliot Anderson, played by Rami Malek whose more famous now for playing Freddie Mercury in the Queen film. Elliot is a very skilled hacker and I’m not talking about the coolish suave hacker type, the type that can crack code whilst getting a blowjob from some random girl while Vinny Jones is pointing a gun at his head, like in Sword Fish type hacker. (I’m looking at you, Hugh Jackman!) No, Elliot is a nerdy type of hacker, but not the nerdy type of hacker whose also not worried when the authorities catch him because he’s smarter than them like in the film The Core. (Now looking at you DJ Qualis!) No, Elliot is our hero but he’s a mentally a mess, he’s socially awkward, he’s anxiety attacks, he’s delusional, he suffers from crippling loneliness and uses pills and a therapist (Whom he hacks!) to help him through. This portrayal of a hacker is not something we’ve ever seen before.
We first see Elliot using his hacking skills to bring down an owner of a site which shows child pornography (See the clip below!) Then he talks to us, the viewer, "Hello, Friend" you see we are his friend, but he’s not sure if he can trust us and as the viewer, we are not sure if we can trust him.
Throughout the series, the viewer has a relationship with Elliot as he often narrates his thoughts. He hates the state of the world and especially E-Corp, the worlds largest conglomerate who seems to have their fingers in all kinds of pies. He meets Mr Robot played by Christian Slater, who runs F-Society (Fuck Society!), a group of hackers who wants overthrow the 1%, the people who control us, the people with money by hacking E-Corp and encrypting there data. Will they be able to bring down society along with another hacking group called the Dark Army, you’ll know the answer by Season 1.
Season 2 picks up in the aftermath and a lot of TV Shows have problems in Series 2. (I’m looking towards you know Breaking Bad!) The first part of Season 2 is slow but Mr Robot likes it surprises and it’s got another one for you but there is an excellent Episode which is set like a sitcom. After watching the first 5 episodes in Season 2, I think most people would tap out with Mr Robot but it’s worth persevering with as it gets back on form towards the end of Season 2. Some great new characters are introduced, and we learn a hell of a lot more about the Dark Army, so by the end of Season 2, you’ll be wanting more.
Season 3 is immensely brilliant. The stakes are much higher because…well, I would just get yourself into it. I don’t want to spoil anything.
We are on season 4 now and it’s going to be the last season, unlike most TV series which just carry on because they are making money, even if they made no sense or the author didn’t know where to take it after the initial season. (I’m looking at you know Lost!) Sam Esmail, the writer for Mr Robot always had a start, middle and end in mind because it was supposed to be a film. Now if it was a film, it might be a load of crap but as a TV series, it is truly fucking brilliant and I'm going to be a little sadder now it'll be finished.
For a start, the camera work in Mr Robot is something else to behold, there are long panning shots, lots of strange off-angle shots, it’s truly a stunning piece of televisual artwork which makes it appealing and unnerving at times to watch. The music choice is fantastic, there are so many easter eggs and nods to literature, movies and artists.
The actors all play their parts superbly and have won awards including a Golden Globe for Best Television Drama Series. Rami Malek also won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series which propelled him into the big leagues of Hollywood and rightly so. He captures Elliot’s nuances so perfectly that it’s easy to forget that he’s acting.
The hacking scene isn’t your usual Hollywood stuff either, it’s more realistic and Mr Robot takes its hacking scenes and scenarios very seriously. Not only that, there are so many shocks and twists throughout the story, that you’ll never guess where it’s going. It’s a combination of excellent writing, dialogue and acting that make this a gem of a program.
Oh and fuck society!
Hybrid Rules
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