Control is an Illusion

Rami Malek has returned to us. Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice!

Mr. Robot season 2 will premiere in a extended episode, this Wednesday (7/13/16) but USA Network, have rather smartly, released the first half of the two episode premiere over several different social media sites early then the actual broadcast premiere. I was able to catch it on Twitter and I could not be happier about the shows return. Usually summers are for blockbuster events and it's rare that shows are given much attention because they are rarely released during the summer. However, with Hulu, Amazon, Netflix, and a number of other streaming companies, network television has to be increasingly more clever with how and when they release their television shows. And the way the show has been released is perfect.

Mr. Robot is not available for streaming which is interesting because of how the show is based around hacking and computers. It seems, however, that some executives have realized how ironic this is and decided to release the first episode of the show across social media platforms, I wish they had gone a step further, but that’s neither here nor there.

What I liked about it:

It’s all there. The style is the same, the script is just as crisp and biting as it once was in the first season, and everyone seems to be flawed within this show.

Rami Malek who plays Elliot is struggling with his hallucinations and control. As an individual who works in the mental health profession, I love how the show illustrates the difficulty that people have who suffer from such hallucinations. I also love that they are exploring who controls who.

Even though I wasn’t a big fan of her character in the first season, I do like the return of Carly Chaiken, who plays Darlene. It looks like we are going to explore this character a bit more and I liked the idea that her job isn’t finished. I mean it truly isn’t. They went after the rich and powerful but only really got the middle class.

Which brings me to the character of Gideon, played by Michel Gill. I love this performance and I am so glad he is back. He is a perfect example of someone who Elliot screwed over. He was just a guy who wasn’t rich nor wealthy and yet has lost everything because of what Elliot has done. Cannot wait to see more of him.

What I hope for:

I saw that Craig Robinson is joining the cast and am incredibly pleased that he is doing so. Not only does it increase the diversity of this cast, which is always something I like to see, but I loved Robinson in Pineapple Express and The Office. I also like it when comedians go dark in drama and I’m hoping for a bit of that here.

I also want to see more of Elliot’s backstory which I think we will. I don’t want an origin story necessarily, but I would like to know more about his childhood and how he grew up. I liked the scene with his father from the first season where we see the name of his father’s store. Stuff like that is incredibly interesting.

I also want more Gideon. He was great in the first season but I really want him to stick around and apply some pressure to Elliot. My hope is is that he does go to the FBI and becomes involved in the investigation somehow. I also imagine an episode where Elliot has to come to terms with what he has done to Gideon and has to confront his own actions.

So I can’t wait for the second season of this show and I’m so happy that I get to rejoin these characters.

What did you think of this episode? Comment below and let me know!