Mr. Robot -series (2015-2019)
Looking for a hacking thriller? If you haven’t watched Mr. Robot yet there’s 4 seasons to marathon on rainy days. The show is appreciated on realistic hacking techniques and storytelling. It has also inspired many people to pursue careers and studies in cyber security. Show is produced by Sam Esmail.
What series is about
Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek) is a brilliant cyber-security engineer battling with his unstable mental state. Series follows how he joins an anarchist hacktivist group called “fsociety”. The group is led by figure called Mr. Robot (Christian Slater). Their goal is to wipe out global consumer debt by destroying a corporation called E Corp.
During series Elliot goes in and out of therapy and is faced with serious consequences and difficult decisions. As do other hackers in their group. Everyone will eventually reach a point when there is no going back.
Series with a lot of plot twists
(That I try not to spoil too much!)
Mr. Robot is a really eventful series and has no completely filler episodes. First season starts with a realistic tone and portrays Elliots choices in a way that feels humanly relatable. A person with an inner conflict in values at work and facing mental difficulties. He is self-medicating his problems away to fit into the mold. He has gotten an ambitious E corp employee Tyrell Wellick (Martin Wallström) unnervingly interested about his capabilities.
On second season there is much more descriptive imagery inside of Elliot’s head. Elliot goes deeper into criminal world and is having terribly heavy conscience about not knowing what happened to Tyrell Wellick when he blacked out.
After the first season series is sinking way more into secret societies and how organized some of the described factions are. The hacking methods are indeed quite accurate but the speed of getting hacking operations started is quite dramatic. But I get it – Mr. Robot is a show after all.
Some used antics and describing mental illness
For my tastes the first season was the best since it was least over-the-top. Most people enjoy tons of action but for me the immersion in the first season seemed especially promising. I felt like the immersion broke in some point with the speed of the events. I admit I sighed at the “I’m your father” -trope. We had Darth Vader and Forrester moments already on TV. Still, I watched the whole series since it was entertaining.
The choice to use a different actor for Elliot’s another persona made his mental shifts easier to follow and was certainly a choice. Still, I’m finding it hard to tell if I’m siding the creative solution or not. It makes sense with the plot though.
Handling mental illness on screen is up for an endless debate so I don’t go any deeper than that. Would be interesting to hear a mental health professional or a person struggling with similar symptoms analysing the series in that regard.
Conclusion
Mr. Robot is really entertaining thriller of hacking but writing could’ve been better. The themes are interesting. Actor casting is done well and that’s often one of the charms for appreciated production. Worth watching!
