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Mr. Robot season_2.0 |OT| We Would Care, Bill - Wednesdays on USA

S

Sou Da

Member
aku:jiki said:
Proof that Elliot has completely lost it...but at the same time he's not wrong.

g59MwHJ.png
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Oh god how did I miss this.
 
C

Corpekata

Banned
torre_avenue said:
What's the spoiler policy after airing?

I'll despoilify this if the policy is we can discuss spoilers after airing, but:
- Hot damn, Angela turned cold. Christ, her brushing off of the lawyer and just annihilating all the people who thought of her as a bitch was something else. It's good to see that Sam is setting the stage for a whole lot of inner conflict this year. Angela's going to turn full on Price this season, and it is going to be amazing to watch.
- TYRELL LIVES. Hallelujah, best character is going to return in style. I wonder what the hell Tyrell has been doing since the hack. 33 days away with the ability to freely call people implies that Tyrell has been working on something big, possibly global financial meltdown big?
- The directorial style of Esmail is too fucking good. That cut between Elliot nodding off and him waking up with the phone in a random apartment was amazing, the shot through the fish tank was amazing, the gorgeous gray and steel of New York was amazing.
- GIDEON NOOOOOO :( He was the only guy I was rooting for to survive but their ain't no rest for the good. The man lost his company, his husband, his reputation, and now his life to what Elliot did. I wonder if Brock is going to continue on, and what his deal is regarding the hack. Curious to see what they're going to do with him.
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Brock called Gideon a crisis actor so I imagine he's simply a nutjob. That's the term conspiracy theorists use for the people that are victims / survivors of things like Sandy Hook. They claim it's all fake and the people wounded or in mourning are simply actors in a plot by the government to control us for some nefarious end.
 
U

User 479360

Banned
Didn't realize the premiere was 2 hours. Is it considered just one episode, or two in one?

I haven't watched it yet because I was tired last night, but look forward to doing so and setting aside an afternoon for it.
 
M

metsallica

Member
OCDChewie said:
Didn't realize the premiere was 2 hours. Is it considered just one episode, or two in one?

I haven't watched it yet because I was tired last night, but look forward to doing so and setting aside an afternoon for it.
Click to expand...
Two separate episodes, but they aired in a 90-minute block with limited commercials and an "intermission."
 
Zoe

Zoe

Member
Since the premier and finale both have two parts, I'm guessing they just ran over initially and that's what gave them the idea to add two more to the run.
 
T

torre_avenue

Banned
Corpekata said:
Brock called Gideon a crisis actor so I imagine he's simply a nutjob. That's the term conspiracy theorists use for the people that are victims / survivors of things like Sandy Hook. They claim it's all fake and the people wounded or in mourning are simply actors in a plot by the government to control us for some nefarious end.
Click to expand...

I caught the crisis actor stuff, but I wonder if Sam will keep him on in some way. Judging by the actor' IMDB profile though, he likely was just a one-off character.
 
N

NaM

Does not have twelve inches...
Fuck, those episodes did not meet my expectations. Hopefully the rest of the season is better.
 
M

MegaManTrigger

Banned
Holy shit. What a strong start.

There's absolutely no way Elliot's "programming" is real, or at least takes place in what we know as real life. The locale is way different compared to what he had in season 1 (his apartment vs. a very surrealistic area even if subdued by drab colours), plus his mother is home, which already raises questions. Maybe he moved, but is that likely in an economy where housing is fucked? The "programming" an attempt to quell the Mr. Robot persona by repeating mundane things in real life to enable Elliot to maintain focus. The only problem is Elliot got caught up with the repetition and lost focus, which in turn enabled Mr. Robot to take over.

Also, I've got to say. Kudos to not killing off Tyrell Wellick, the larger goal seems to be to completely fuck up the global economy after encrypting E Corp's data. I thought Wellick was a dead man walking after Elliot reached for the gun.

Also, wow:
Price's speech against the government, which exhibits the greatest use of irony I've ever seen: talk about how business is focused on conning people, while he's trying to con the government into giving him a bailout. Same goes for Angela's development as she plays hardball as PR Manager.
 
S

Spoiled Milk

Banned
I'm actually really upset by the prison speculation. It wasn't obvious to me but it is now and now I feel spoiled because I was robbed by the epiphany. :/
 
M

MegaManTrigger

Banned
Kristoffer said:
I'm actually really upset by the prison speculation. It wasn't obvious to me but it is now and now I feel spoiled because I was robbed by the epiphany. :/
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I have to admit, it's a very good theory, but I'm not sure he's actually in a mental institution. He's able to go to his psychiatrist instead of having their own in the hospital (unless his mind is so fragile and damaged that he sees every psychiatrist in the hospital as Krista). And then you have the focus on Elliot trying to fix his own state of mind on his own terms (which ultimately is the reason why Mr. Robot succeeds on multiple occasions). Or maybe this is all a revenge fantasy in Elliot's mind to cope with the loss of his father.
 
T

the_firewithin

Member
Damn that ending "I'll be a hero tomorrow"

I forgot Craig Robinson was cast this year until popped up.

Is it because I dvrd the 3am showing or did they really let a handful of f bombs fly?
 
T

TripOpt55

Member
I enjoyed the first episode(s). The direction and look of the show remains unique and just plain cool-looking. Great performances once again from most of the cast. And the music both licensed and original is so good. Great selection and placement.

It did feel a little scattered at times as they checked in with so many different spots both new characters and old. But I imagine the somewhat disorienting feel of it all is pretty intentional at this point given some of the series' subject matter. I liked the introduction of the lawyer for E-Corp. Really enjoyed the scenes with Darlene. I also enjoyed seeing the effects hinted at and just straight up shown of what has happened because of the hack and how it isn't all working out so easily for fsociety.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of that missed time with Elliot and Tyrell which with their contact at the end, I hope we'll be delving into more soon. Kind of torn on the idea of this mental institution theory. It certainly fits (really well) and I definitely noticed things off especially with his interactions with other characters (something the first season certainly trained me to watch for with Elliot), but it kind of feels like it is trying to recapture the whole first season debate too much maybe. But speculation and theorizing was definitely a big part of the fun of Season 1 too... so yeah I don't know. Of course, it might not even be the case, so I guess I should just wait and see how it goes.

Anyway, glad the show is back. I enjoyed getting back into this world and checking in with these characters. This premiere wasn't as impactful to me as the first season premiere, but I guess it didn't really have to be either.
 
O

Opto

Banned
It could be a halfway house / recovery house. The bible study is definitely more like a narcotics anonymous group. Question is, what are the parts Elliot doesn't himself know, and what are the parts he's keeping from us
 
J

JTripper

Member
So I'm 4 episodes into season 1, and for how smart these people seem to be, they're doing some stupid shit. Like, why does (up to ep. 4 spoilers)
Angela take the ectstasy? She seems way smarter than that. And why does Elliott need these drugs? Sure he self-medicates for his anxiety, but is that why he's addicted to the morphine? And every time the drugs come up as a plot point, it seems pretty generic except for the trippy dream he has in episode 4. The sub-plot with his junkie neighbor is super boring to me.

I love the premise of the show, and the tone, but I just don't care much about Elliott, which might or might not be to the credit of the show and how Elliott is controlling how we're seeing the narrative play out through his pov. I'm still trying to figure out if the reason I dislike Elliott is because he mentally paints himself through his anxiety as a super negative person or if I just don't like how he's written. On the other hand, Mr. Robot is a pretty fascinating character and the way he treats Elliott as a father figure is pretty interesting.

I'm definitely going to finish the season but the show is hit or miss for me so far, at least plot-wise. It's so visually and tonally satisfying but I feel like it needs to iron out some narrative kinks going forward.
 
K

kevin1025

Banned
MegaManTrigger said:
I have to admit, it's a very good theory, but I'm not sure he's actually in a mental institution. He's able to go to his psychiatrist instead of having their own in the hospital (unless his mind is so fragile and damaged that he sees every psychiatrist in the hospital as Krista). And then you have the focus on Elliot trying to fix his own state of mind on his own terms (which ultimately is the reason why Mr. Robot succeeds on multiple occasions). Or maybe this is all a revenge fantasy in Elliot's mind to cope with the loss of his father.
Click to expand...

It could be that Krista comes there as an in-patient psychiatrist. Like she felt bad for him and goes to visit him there for sessions, especially since he promises to never lie to her anymore.

Plus he goes to the phone in the hallway to hear from Tyrell, which is all staticy and far away sounding, like he's breaking the fourth wall of sorts.

There's definitely holes to the theory, but the next episode could really add or subtract to it. I personally don't think it's that, but I wouldn't be mad if it was!

Thought I'd make it spoilers since there's some who are on the first season in here!
 
T

The Illiterati

Member
I really liked both episodes, but I disliked the way they introduced Grace Gummer's character. Or rather, I disliked that they introduced her with a rather long scene in the store, the walk into the interrogation room and then..... nothing.
 
C

chefbags

Member
The Illiterati said:
I really liked both episodes, but I disliked the way they introduced Grace Gummer's character. Or rather, I disliked that they introduced her with a rather long scene in the store, the walk into the interrogation room and then..... nothing.
Click to expand...

Yeah I think it's just a tease of what's to come since Gideon confessed everything (and also died) which means after this point, the next, idk how many episodes, grace gummer's character is going head on with elliot.
 
C

Cromwell

Banned
NaM said:
Fuck, those episodes did not meet my expectations. Hopefully the rest of the season is better.
Click to expand...

Glad someone said it.

I love this show but that was a lame premiere. They're almost completely obfuscating the plot, and stepping up the fight club-esque audience fuckery is more annoying than it is cool at this point. There's clearly a lot off about his "routine" but it all being in a mental asylum or something would just drag the show backwards, Elliot still being a total mental wreck isn't interesting.

As usual I love the cinematography and atmosphere (that lawyers house was straight out of Blade Runner or Deus Ex), but I hope the writing kicks into gear next week. Tyrell is the best character in the show and the sooner he's back the better.
 
S

SephCast

Brotherhood of Shipley's
Is it a coincidence that the guy's name is Leon? (Speculation)
As in Uncle Leon? So like someone above is saying, he's a figment of Elliot's imagination from watching a lot of Seinfeld to stay in a routine? Also he always meets Leon in a diner, much like in Seinfeld.
 
Z

Zakalwe

Banned
I disagree with the mental health facility theory. I do think that Leon is in his head though, but Elliot's interactions with his psychiatrist and "Leon's" altercation with the basketball player feel grounded in reality and, imo, if they spun that it would feel cheap.

I wasn't a huge fan of the way they handled the
Mr Robot reveal at the end of last season. We'd seen MR interact with people independently, completely isolated from Elliot. I understand he takes control of Elliot in these situations,
but it still felt like a cheap tactic.

I preferred the way
Fight Club handled it, never showing The Narrator and Tyler too far from each other, always interacting in the same space
. It was incredibly satisfying and very cleverly done, I wish Mr Robot had taken a similar route.

Therefore I could be wrong about the institute theory, but I won't be satisfied with it if it's true.
 
-BLITZ-

-BLITZ-

Member
Woah :eek:, they
killed Gideon
. That was unexpected. I got up from bed and went closer at the TV as everything in the scene was going too fast.

That thing with Obama speech of F Society, I liked the most.
 
M

MassiveNights

Banned
Mii said:
I'm new to Mr Robot. Watched all of S1 yesterday and now just watched start of S2.

Given I haven't been part of any of the discussion, I wanted to check. Am I unusual or normal to be cheering for E Corp (and now Angela), particularly since the end of S1? I've assumed I'm supposed to interpret this show as following along with the likeable antagonists (digital terrorists) and that the protagonists are flawed (
the loony they had, Tyrell, appears for now to be with the terrorists).

But now the after-show is referring to E Corp CEO as being a 'classic villain'.

I could see people who are anarchist sympathizers or those with strong anti-consumerism views agreeing more with the views of Darlene and FSociety, with some caveats.

What is GAF consensus?
Click to expand...

E Corp are gross. They are the most unsympathetic people in the whole show.

Although there's no way Angela isn't playing her own game.
 
I

Incandenza

Banned
JTripper said:
So I'm 4 episodes into season 1, and for how smart these people seem to be, they're doing some stupid shit. Like, why does (up to ep. 4 spoilers)
Angela take the ectstasy? She seems way smarter than that. And why does Elliott need these drugs? Sure he self-medicates for his anxiety, but is that why he's addicted to the morphine? And every time the drugs come up as a plot point, it seems pretty generic except for the trippy dream he has in episode 4. The sub-plot with his junkie neighbor is super boring to me.

I love the premise of the show, and the tone, but I just don't care much about Elliott, which might or might not be to the credit of the show and how Elliott is controlling how we're seeing the narrative play out through his pov. I'm still trying to figure out if the reason I dislike Elliott is because he mentally paints himself through his anxiety as a super negative person or if I just don't like how he's written. On the other hand, Mr. Robot is a pretty fascinating character and the way he treats Elliott as a father figure is pretty interesting.

I'm definitely going to finish the season but the show is hit or miss for me so far, at least plot-wise. It's so visually and tonally satisfying but I feel like it needs to iron out some narrative kinks going forward.
Click to expand...
Angela's storyline in season 1 was pretty terrible, tbh.
 
E

EdibleExplosives

Member
JTripper said:
So I'm 4 episodes into season 1, and for how smart these people seem to be, they're doing some stupid shit. Like, why does (up to ep. 4 spoilers)
Angela take the ectstasy? She seems way smarter than that. And why does Elliott need these drugs? Sure he self-medicates for his anxiety, but is that why he's addicted to the morphine? And every time the drugs come up as a plot point, it seems pretty generic except for the trippy dream he has in episode 4. The sub-plot with his junkie neighbor is super boring to me.

I love the premise of the show, and the tone, but I just don't care much about Elliott, which might or might not be to the credit of the show and how Elliott is controlling how we're seeing the narrative play out through his pov. I'm still trying to figure out if the reason I dislike Elliott is because he mentally paints himself through his anxiety as a super negative person or if I just don't like how he's written. On the other hand, Mr. Robot is a pretty fascinating character and the way he treats Elliott as a father figure is pretty interesting.

I'm definitely going to finish the season but the show is hit or miss for me so far, at least plot-wise. It's so visually and tonally satisfying but I feel like it needs to iron out some narrative kinks going forward.
Click to expand...

Only dumb people take drugs? wat?
 
C

Cornballer

Member
- Matt Zoller Seitz: Why Mr. Robot’s Film References Are Subtler Than You Think
Mr. Robot is one of the most pop-culture-fluent series on TV. Rather than merely recycle favorite references, writer-director Sam Esmail and his collaborators use their knowledge base to create a work that’s uniquely personal. This illustrated article about the style of Mr. Robot will look at a few examples from the season-two premiere, with commentary about how Esmail’s writing and direction help put them across.

Part of what makes Mr. Robot so enjoyable, whether or not the story is doing it for you at that moment, is that you can’t take everything in all at once. The show is directed within a millimeter of its life, and because Esmail’s script is driven as much by images and sound as by dialogue, the show's directing is inextricably intertwined with its writing. Every shot, camera move, music cue, and cut has purpose, whether a given choice seems intended to convey an important meaning in the story (the hero’s mental state, the relationship of one character to another) or to add a visceral or “awesome” quality to what might otherwise just be a scene of people talking in a room. Although it's far from a subtle show, and can be obvious in its borrowings, Mr. Robot is genuinely cinematic television in which the image is not a slave to the word, but its partner.
Click to expand...
Lots of interesting images and analysis via the link.

For example:
A richer example of the show’s layer-cake approach can be seen in the second half of the Mr. Robot premiere, when Evil Corp’s CEO Philip Price (Michael Cristofer) refuses to resign his position to please high muckety-mucks working for the Department of the Treasury. “Every business day when that market bell rings, we con people into believing in something,” he tells them, with undisguised contempt. “The American dream, or family values. Could be freedom fries, for all I care — it doesn’t matter! As long as the con works and people buy and sell whatever it is we want them to.”

It’s a long speech even by the standards of Mr. Robot, a series that’s not shy about asking its actors to make wordy monologues sound natural. The setting — a creepy cavelike space where slightly abstract “powerful” figures hold sway — evokes two classics of 1970s American cinema: Sidney Lumet’s 1976 satire Network (scripted by Paddy Chayefsky, an unrepentant speech-aholic) and Alan J. Pakula’s 1974 paranoid thriller The Parallax View, in which Warren Beatty’s investigative journalist tries to expose a corporation hired by elites to stage political assassinations. Price’s monologue to the board is reminiscent of the four-minute speech in Network that TV fat cat Arthur Jensen (Ned Beatty) delivers to news anchor Howard Beale (Peter Finch), about how “there are no nations” anymore, only an international network of forces united by greed. And in the most direct reference, as Mr. Robot's Price becomes more arrogant, the episode brings in a music cue from Michael Small’s Parallax View score, “Commission and Main Title.”

PFPNR3T.jpg
Click to expand...
 
E

EdibleExplosives

Member
Kristoffer said:
I'm actually really upset by the prison speculation. It wasn't obvious to me but it is now and now I feel spoiled because I was robbed by the epiphany. :/
Click to expand...

This is one of the reasons I don't like watching shows as they air. I remember looking back at old Breaking Bad threads after I caught up and seeing so much correct speculation about twists in the show.

The good thing about this show is that I doubt the prison/institution stuff is the main twist (if it the theory is actually correct in the first place).
Pretty sure there's more going on than anyone has figured out yet, much like Mr Robot in season 1.
 
N

NotTheGuyYouKill

Member
Wow, what an opener. I was riveted throughout.

- First, poor Gideon. I hope Elliot actually is severely affected by this cause he essentially caused it, first through the hack, and then by refusing to help.

- Mr Robot continually shooting Elliot was fucked up. He's gone full crazy.

- Elliot's mom seems intense.

- Joanna continues to be scarily sexy.

- Phillip's "confidence" speech was a hell of a villain moment.

- Elliot's analog routine was really fascinating to watch.

- Darlene continuing the fight but being aware that they're failing was cool to see.

- the new characters are... interesting. FBI lady, lawyer lady, shady business dude.
 
A

anddo0

Member
Finally saw the first two episodes.. Poor Gideon indeed.

I'm happy this show is back, one of maybe a handful of non-sports programming I actually watch.
 
T

T Dollarz

Member
I think my DVR fucked me over. First scene I saw was Gideon sitting with Elitiot. I feel like there was stuff before that I missed. Anyways, great stuff. So happy I binged the first season a month ago. The show is so cinematic, with really fleshed out characters. Glad to join in on the hype now
 
W

wenis

Registered for GAF on September 11, 2001.
T Dollarz said:
I think my DVR fucked me over. First scene I saw was Gideon sitting with Elitiot. I feel like there was stuff before that I missed. Anyways, great stuff. So happy I binged the first season a month ago. The show is so cinematic, with really fleshed out characters. Glad to join in on the hype now
Click to expand...

There's like a whole 20-25 minutes leading up to that scene.
 
Zoe

Zoe

Member
T Dollarz said:
I think my DVR fucked me over. First scene I saw was Gideon sitting with Elitiot. I feel like there was stuff before that I missed. Anyways, great stuff. So happy I binged the first season a month ago. The show is so cinematic, with really fleshed out characters. Glad to join in on the hype now
Click to expand...
Be sure to check all of your recordings. The replay last night was listed as two separate episodes, so my DVR picked them up as new.
 
C

Cornballer

Member
- Tom and Lorenzo on the first two episodes
Mr. Robot will probably always be a show more interested in setting a tone than clearly progressing a narrative – and God, are they ever good at setting a tone. Never has a Phil Collins song seemed both so sinister and so sadly pathetic at the same time. Sam Esmail, the show’s auteur and show runner, is very, very good at utilizing composition, sound, lighting and art direction – the base tools of filmmaking – to tremendous effect in order to produce intense feelings in the audience. If you’re planning on rewatching the this episode, pay attention to the composition in particular. Not only is every scene off-center, but in instance after instance, the characters are placed very low in the shot, with tons of head space above them. Everyone is shot to look weighed-down and off-center, over and over again. It tends to give the entire story a flimsy feeling, as if everything is on the verge of collapse. The use of music and how it moves from background to foreground is also masterfully done, not only in the Phil Collins money-burning scene but when Angela’s got her headphones on. Watch the scene where the E Corp lawyer’s “smart house” goes dumb and note how it’s awash in horror movie tropes, underlining in thick black marker the show’s primal fear of technology out of control.
Click to expand...
 
N

Not

Banned
So yeah it seems likely to me that Elliot was institutionalized after admitting to his therapist that he has a split personality. I know he was talking to her about living with his mom already, but that might just be to throw us off, or there's some other reason. I bet his "mom" is like the warden and that Gideon conversation seemed like an inmate visit. I agree that Leon is another inmate and Craig Robinson is a security guard.

Even while he's committed, he's trying to tell himself he's in control. Might be one of the reasons Darlene is so distraught, too, because she knows where he is.

Super upset that the Muslim hacker and the other fsociety members besides the slobby white guy aren't back :(

It is a summer show; the 1 million viewers can't be that bad in context. TV is dying. This show is a huge get for Amazon; binge streaming is the way to go.
 
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