Review: Mr. Robot: Season 1

Series: Mr. Robot: #1

Well that’s a heck of a show. Given that I’m do computer security for a living (albeit with a bit less of the black hat revolutionary mindset) and have my own problems figuring out how brains–mine and others–work (albeit not nearly to that extent…) I feel like the perfect audience for this show. I’m honestly impressed with how well they got the hacking in this show. It’s not 100%–that would be boring–but it’s miles closer than two-hackers-typing-on-a-keyboard-is-faster. On top of that, I knew going in there would be twists and turns, but this… I didn’t not expect all of this.

Quiet a show and I’m very much looking forward to see where in the world they can go from here…

Mini-reviews for each episode (potential spoilers, especially given the nature of the show).

  1. eps1.0_hellofriend.mov

    Elliot: Hello, friend. Hello, friend? That’s lame. Maybe I should give you a name. But that’s a slippery slope. You’re only in my head. We have to remember that.

    Well that certainly hits close to home… Hacking and an unusual brain? My life in a nutshell–albeit turned up to 11. Fun fact: Not only do I not talk to the voices in my head / the viewers of this TV show called life; but I don’t actually have an internal monologue at all. Mind blowing when you realize that other people have/don’t have one…

    Ollie Parker: Look bud, you and Angela have been close for a long time, and that’s even more reason why I want us to be on good terms. I just, I feel like things have been awkward between us, don’t you?

    Elliot: I’m ok with it being awkward between us.

    Feeling so far: The Matrix meets Fightpe Club. An interesting combination.

    Prediction: Mr. Robot isn’t real.

  2. eps1.1_ones-and-zer0es.mpeg

    Tyrell Wellick: Technically what we’re doing might be considered illegal, which is why I’m surrounded by 11 of our most annoying lawyers.

    The surreal escalation of fsociety’s plans; IRL troubles with drugs, legal threats, rape, and job offers. Oy there’s intensity here.

  3. eps1.2_d3bug.mkv

    The appletini scene just makes me all the more sure. If that doesn’t nake any sense… watch the show.

    Elliot trying to be normal is pretty hilarious and adorable. I wish Shayla and him the best, but given that it’s a TV show, I fear the worst…

    Give Ollie some credit at least for trying to come clean. But man he’s unlikable. Angela can do better…

  4. eps1.3_da3m0ns.mp4

    Drugs are one hell of a drug… and it seems that if anything, withdrawal is even worse.

    An interesting episode. Truly bizarre. Something is going on. I just have to hope that at some point I figure out what that is.

  5. eps1.4_3xpl0its.wmv

    Lots of forward motion. Tyrell is intense, Elliot is crazy, Angela stood up to Ollie (good for her), Shayla tries to move on, and Steel Mountain is the target. Oy.

  6. eps1.5_br4ve_trav1er.asf

    An impossible situation and an overwhelmed Elliot. He’ll either rise to the occasion… or short out entirely. Oh this show.

    And the there’s Tyrell. Turns out he’s not the only high powered, ruthless man at the company. And his wife. She’s even scarier than he is.

    Also… that scene with Mr. Robot in the stairwell. There’s something going on there.

  7. eps1.6_v1ew_s0urce.flv

    [pounding on door]

    Open up! I’m bleeding all over the hallway! [pounding on door]

    It’s a life-or-death situation out here! Look, I know you’re in there. I just saw you go in.

    Oy. Just oy.

    Elliot voice-over: I remember when I was a kid, I got into web design by ripping off sites I liked. All you had to do was view source on your browser and there it was, the code. You could copy-paste it, modify it a little, put your name on it, and like that, it was your site. View source. What if we had that for people? Would people really want to see?

    What if…

  8. eps1.7_wh1ter0se.m4v

    In the beginning: Darlene and Angela… know each other? And have for a while?

    Also, the infamous White Rose is intense.

    Every hacker has her fixation. You hack people, I hack time.

    Also also: So many twists this ridiculous episode. Giddeon. Tyrell. Mr. Robot. Darlene. Elliot. Everyone… Whoa. Just whoa.

  9. eps1.8_m1rr0r1ng.qt

    Finding out who has known what (especially when the viewer hasn’t) is mind blowing.

    Elliot: You knew all along, didn’t you?

    Holy crap this show…

  10. eps1.9_zer0-day.avi

    Allsafes CFO: Gideon, I handle the money. It’s always going to be a depressing conversation.

    Man. The ‘finding out who has known what (especially when the viewer hasn’t) is mind blowing’ just got turned up another notch…

    Mr. Robot: You know how this looks, right? Very weird.

    Finally.

    This is one hell of a show.