[rating=8.00] “eps2.1_k3rnel-pan1c.ksd”
There’s a nuanced race to the finish happening this season on Mr. Robot that’s shaping the series in an abnormal manner. What one would assume to be a story building session has, so far, exceeded expectations with the introduction of a world post fsociety. It’s like the casual approach of the apocalypse, only with business suits and gray washed colors. Little things like newsflashes, rushes to the banks, and the inability to even pay a bill online have been interweaving itself into our storylines, building the eventual path to utter chaos.
Elliot’s quick descent into total madness has been hastened by his continued reluctance to take his meds. Seems like an easy fix, but to a man with no control over his own consciousness things tend to get grossly complicated. After learning the fates of our leads in last week’s season opener, we were left grasping at plot fueled straws hoping for something more. We’re only getting glimpses of the tumult that’s occurred so far, and while it’s only been a month, there’s reason to hope for a complete meltdown of the entire economy and financial systems as we know them. In conjunction with the expected end of the world, it’s also quite possibly safe to assume that at some point Mr. Robot will completely take control of Elliot, leaving no trace as he consumes his core.
Something that should be addressed is the fact that we as the audience are treated as an additional bystander. We have no choice but to participate in the madness because we’re a figment of Elliot’s imagination, designed to counter Robot’s effects. As long as Elliot can talk to us, interact, he knows that he’s still got a lifeline to his world. Consider that a month in his world without that additional contact would have been torture’ it’s fascinating.
Angela’s continued rise to prominence at Evil Corp is curious. Either she’s fully committed to being a horrible person (the likes of which are the only ones who are able to get ahead in her mind), or there’s something more nefarious on the horizon. Considering the track record of the series it’s likely the latter, though it would be genuinely more exciting to watch her turn into a villain. She could be the one who finally brings Elliot down, or at least to sanity. I predict they’ll keep the two of them apart for as long as possible after the mess he incurred on her life. Angela could be a crucial character, and aside from painting inside the lines a little too closely the show hasn’t fucked it up yet.
Grace Gummer’s character Dominique gained clout this week with her introduction as the sleep deprived, slightly OCD FBI agent. The peek inside her bedroom was a gut punch to the psyche as her misery and loneliness are partnered with her sweeping intellect and inability to sleep. While the fsociety case is obviously on her radar (her first appearance was during the raid on the Evil Corp offices) it was actually Romero’s murder that got her engaged with the world. We now know it was Elliot that pulled the trigger, begging the question how good is Robot at clean up? Is this kicking off the eventually man hunt that will lead to Elliot’s final repose?
In a flashback with Romero and Mobley we learn the origin of the arcade- the doomed building has led to the demise of more business owners than faulty bank loans. As Mobley convinces Romero to jump on board with Elliot’s yet to be revealed plan, the two wind up their time at the well-worn arcade with a last look at its exterior, revealing the large deteriorating lettering ‘f society,” remnants of the old company ‘Fun Society’. It’s such an eye roll moment. Was fsociety that lackadaisical? Or are the idiots among us really that goddamn blind to everything around them? Either way Dominique figured it out in about six minutes, so perhaps we’ll get to avoid the oblivious police officer trope with her.
We’ll have to watch Craig Robinson’s character Ray closely, as his breakfast talks with his dead wife could be the gateway to a worrisome connection with Elliot. As fragile as Elliot is (his Adderall fueled bender non-withstanding) he’s also incredibly powerful, or rather, Robot is. We’re building up to something in this skewed universe, and it’s like watching a bomb tick down slowly. While we’ll likely catch on before the next big reveal, it will still be satisfying to drop the mic on your self-doubts and assure the world you knew what was coming. Will the world descend into chaos? Definitely. Will it happen all at once? No, but that’s the point. It’s the quiet build up that causes us to consume this show so ravenously.
