Mr. Robot (spoilers).... 'cause I suck at this stuff

[red snow]

Nice analysis Petyr and adds to my feeling that she's potentially the most interesting character this season.

I also agree that she feels as though she could grow into filling the void of Tyrell but from a different angle. Tyrell was the kind of character where I didn't want to know how he got to be who he was (although his interaction with his wife and his gay affairs were fun insights) whereas we're seeing Angela unfold into her role. She could be as fucked up or outright evil as any of the corporate characters so far but I'd at least appreciate it.

I also think her being alone is a massive part of her arc right now and she's currently more alone than ever - Elliot is in prison (not sure he's a healthy influence on her when present though) and her dad has ditched her. She wouldn't be the first person to throw herself into work when her personal situation sucks. Then again it seems almost intentional on the show's part to present everyone as alone in some way. Gideon was happy, Tyrell and his wife had their thing (and the other corporate couple Tyrell tangled with) but all the hackers appear to be loners. I guess BD Wong's character has a relationship out of one of his persona's at least.

It probably also helps that we all think we can trust Angela's storyline too

[Dr. Pepper]

10 hours ago, PetyrPunkinhead said:

<snip>

tl;dr = Angela is a lot more interesting and complex than most people give her credit for and her struggle is an embodiment of the modern American dilemma: will I be a good person or a successful person? 

This is excellent analysis, Petyr. My girlfriend has been watching season one so I've been tuning in a bit and I've kept a lot of this in mind today as I rewatch some scenes.  A lot of things make so much sense when looking at it through this lens.

4 hours ago, SpaceChampion said:

Great analysis Petyr.  In that light, Eliot's motivation to wake society up from everything he's against is largely an effort to wake Angela up too.

Another great bit of commentary.

[Criston of House Shapper]

So, a bit of a slower episode, but it's probably going to pick up again.

I noticed something strange in today's episode. We often see someone wearing a mask on the subway. What's up with that, is there some made-up swine-flu-like epidemic going around or does it mean something else?

[red snow]

why on earth isn't this on amazon prime uk this morning??? Guess I'll have to wait - although I think my need to see is more to join in with the discussion than see the plot develop.

[SpaceChampion]

Glad to see Elliot back in action.  Also interesting to see Angela using her hacking tools for her own purposes. 

[Astromech]

The recap of the prison was nice to see exactly who was who. Answered several questions. Glad it was brief, however.

So did Price allow Angela to sabotage the Water Township simply to muscle Whiterose/Xun and the Chinese for the loan after the bailout was denied? That confrontation between Whiterose/Xun and Price was quite entertaining.

I'm still waiting to see what Angela's real angle is, but am suspecting she isn't quite sure either. Her scenes are always filled with tension and I thoroughly enjoy them. I didn't initially care for Price allowing her so much freedom at E Corp but now realize she's just another pawn for him, although one he is clearly interested in.

Answers to Tyrell's whereabouts, but what is Joanna's role? And what exactly is Stage 2.

The Mr. Robot/Elliott is the least interesting aspect of the show at this point.

 

[Kalbear]

Angela hacking - and the tension at doing something naughty and reading things you shouldn't - was done perfectly. It gave me anxiety. Well done. 

Stage 2 being what Tyrell and Elliot came up with is kind of awesome. Seems like it's the way that Tyrell can take his own revenge on E Corp. And yeah, it seems like Price is using Angela as his means of fighting back.

[Martini Sigil]

BD Wong's liquid lamentation at the gravesite was fucking hilarious...

The reality-back to what actually happened to Elliot was done really well.... Mr Robot interjecting on the screen w/ the judge was also hilarious... my only question is that if Craig Robinson was the warden, then what went on with him and the Russians going to jail?... I know I missed something...

Dying to know what Cisco saw in the apartment... and who was at the door when Darlene opened it...

I went from disliking Angela, to loving her... Her scenes are brutally tension filled... The scene with DiPiero was fantastic... as was the one in the bar last week...  I just had to realize that I simply wasn't getting her... she is a really complex character...

 

[Corvinus85]

7 hours ago, Astromech said:

So did Price allow Angela to sabotage the Water Township simply to muscle Whiterose/Xun and the Chinese for the loan after the bailout was denied? That confrontation between Whiterose/Xun and Price was quite entertaining.

Yes, I believe he did. It explains what happened to Angela when she tried to whistleblow the thing. He has those guys in his pocket, and was willing to let Angela go that far. Luckily for her, Dom may be there for the rescue.

So I guess Elliott pleading guilty was him trying to get revenge on Mr. Robot and attempt to find a way to get rid of him. Why was he on trial remotely? Couldn't he be in court?

2 hours ago, Martini Sigil said:

Dying to know what Cisco saw in the apartment... and who was at the door when Darlene opened it...

I'm going to go with DJ Mobley tied up and beaten. And the girl, too.

7 hours ago, Astromech said:

The Mr. Robot/Elliott is the least interesting aspect of the show at this point.

I tend to agree. After watching this episode, his grand prison illusion felt like a waste of time. It was just a way to keep Elliott on the sidelines, to leave Darlene and Angela on their own. But I think it took too much writing space in the season. My favorite parts of the show are the schemes: fsociety's hacking schemes, Price's schemes, Whiterose, Angela and so on. I really don't wish to watch a show where half of it is in the mind of a schizophrenic. And how come no one so far is realizing just how far gone Elliott is?

[Martell Spy]

Fantastic episode. I loved the rolling brownouts. Very tense. This reality is becoming even more dystopian. And also Price's mercenary speech. Lots of great visuals, in particular the regulatory agency and Price's talk with Whiterose.

Still no Tyrell?! He's basically Carmen Sandiego at this point.

That's perfect that Elliot doesn't remember creating phase 2. I wonder if Whiterose sees Elliot's confusion as a kind of brilliance, like he's playing games. And perhaps he is. Whiterose clearly respects him, calling him a master when telling her lackey to be careful. Perhaps it's Mr. Robot that she respects though.

[PetyrPunkinhead]

2 hours ago, Martell Spy said:

Fantastic episode. I loved the rolling brownouts. Very tense. This reality is becoming even more dystopian. And also Price's mercenary speech. Lots of great visuals, in particular the regulatory agency and Price's talk with Whiterose.

Still no Tyrell?! He's basically Carmen Sandiego at this point.

That's perfect that Elliot doesn't remember creating phase 2. I wonder if Whiterose sees Elliot's confusion as a kind of brilliance, like he's playing games. And perhaps he is. Whiterose clearly respects him, calling him a master when telling her lackey to be careful. Perhaps it's Mr. Robot that she respects though.

Except I actually wanted to know where Carmen was. Tyrell, eh, not so much caring about. Also, Joanna should have said, "Bonsoir,  Ollie," when she rolled down the SUV window.

I agree with everything else though. I loved how this episode started with answering questions (most of which we already correctly figured out for ourselves after the reveal) and then ended with raising so many more. So Elliot's relationship with Dark Army isn't adversarial. Twist! I wonder if this happened before or after their face-to-face meeting in S1? 

And WTF was with that creepy lady who was the nuclear regulatory commission director? Is she an E Corps lackey trying to scare Angela off? Angela can't possibly go back to E Corps now, right? They would have to know about her stealing the files from a leak inside the regulatory office. My guess is Price knew she'd do something like this and was okay with it because it's really Whiterose's factory and he wants to fuck with that guy. Which leads to the more important question--why is this particular factory so important? You'd think Whiterose would have more autonomy or control with a factory in China, so why is this one in Washington Township so crucial?

23 hours ago, Criston of House Shapper said:

So, a bit of a slower episode, but it's probably going to pick up again.

I noticed something strange in today's episode. We often see someone wearing a mask on the subway. What's up with that, is there some made-up swine-flu-like epidemic going around or does it mean something else?

I've noticed that too, but since it's usually just one or two people on the train I thought it might simply be a normal precaution some people started taking in NYC. I know in Japan it's been common for decades. Anyone live in NYC and know if this is a normal occurrence on subways now?

[dooog]

With Tyrell's disappearance coinciding with Elliot's incarceration, is the audience supposed to wonder if Tyrell is another one of his personalities? 

 

Without remembering S1 in great detail, I'm almost sure this is impossible right

[Martell Spy]

 

 

Without remembering S1 in great detail, I'm almost sure this is impossible right

Quote

 

With Tyrell's disappearance coinciding with Elliot's incarceration, is the audience supposed to wonder if Tyrell is another one of his personalities? 

 

 

 

Pretty sure, yes. Honestly, I think it'd break the show if they did that, at least for me. They've kind of pressed the limits with the unreliability gimmick. I was fine with the jail delusion though, since there was clues. Tyrell had some important meeting with Mr. Robot is why. But he's also been involved with all sorts of characters and events. For example, when he was working for Price at ECorp, etc.

Tyrell exists/existed as a person pretty clearly. It's debatable if he's alive. I thought he was dead, but the board people here convinced me he's not. Also, who the hell is killing people? Some of us thought it was Dark Army, but now that seems unlikely. So mr. Psychopath is a strong possibility and he's likely returning to the show quite soon.

[Kyoshi]

22 hours ago, Corvinus said:

Yes, I believe he did. It explains what happened to Angela when she tried to whistleblow the thing. He has those guys in his pocket, and was willing to let Angela go that far. Luckily for her, Dom may be there for the rescue.

So I guess Elliott pleading guilty was him trying to get revenge on Mr. Robot and attempt to find a way to get rid of him. Why was he on trial remotely? Couldn't he be in court?

I'm going to go with DJ Mobley tied up and beaten. And the girl, too.

I tend to agree. After watching this episode, his grand prison illusion felt like a waste of time. It was just a way to keep Elliott on the sidelines, to leave Darlene and Angela on their own. But I think it took too much writing space in the season. My favorite parts of the show are the schemes: fsociety's hacking schemes, Price's schemes, Whiterose, Angela and so on. I really don't wish to watch a show where half of it is in the mind of a schizophrenic. And how come no one so far is realizing just how far gone Elliott is?

I think they don't realise because Elliot is very good at hiding it. I know with me, I don't like to feel like I'm being watched, like I'm a child. Even when someone is genuinely concerned sometimes it can be overbearing. Just getting asked, "Have you taken your medication yet?" can make me feel like I'm being judged, or like someone feels like I'm already failing and that means that I am, in fact, failing, like I'm not even trying. So people sometimes tend to back off a little. Even when they see things they have to figure out the right time and manner to address it. It's very tricky.

I think Darlene certainly sees a lot but she doesn't want him to think that she doesn't trust him. That's my take on it.

[DaveSumm]

My working theory is this; Esmail told the network how many seasons he had planned, and they added to that number. Hence the original plan for Season 2 was Stage 2. Except we got wheel spinning for a whole season, and now Stage 2 will be Season 3. Elliot - off by himself contributing nothing. Darlene - basically acting as steward to fsociety but ultimately getting nowhere. Tyrell - obviously too crucial to Stage 2 so entirely absent. His wife - likes getting chocked and hinting at Tyrell being around but ultimately, doing nothing. Angela I think is the only character who feels like this was what was intended given how she was left in Season 1. And even there they've taken some pretty big leaps with her personality if you ask me.

I'm still kinda interested with Elliot, as to what's going on with him and which of his personalities came up with Stage 2 (if it's a new third aspect, whether or not that is Tyrell, I agree the show falls apart). But still such a disappointing season.

[Veltigar]

I have caught up again. I have to say, it's a much more rewarding viewing experience if you have more than one episode to watch of this second season. I think I'll pass on next week and just watch those final two episode together. I feel like Mr. Robot plays better when you're in the mood for it. Although, the last episode was pretty annoying with the cliffhangers. Ah well, we'll get our answers eventually, I sure hope. 

[PetyrPunkinhead]

3 hours ago, Veltigar said:

I have caught up again. I have to say, it's a much more rewarding viewing experience if you have more than one episode to watch of this second season. I think I'll pass on next week and just watch those final two episode together. I feel like Mr. Robot plays better when you're in the mood for it. Although, the last episode was pretty annoying with the cliffhangers. Ah well, we'll get our answers eventually, I sure hope. 

But doesn't everything play better when you're in the mood for it though?  But I see what you mean, it was a slow burn for the first half of S2. I binge watched S1 in two or three sittings. Oh, and S2 is 12 episodes, but I think they're going to air the two-part finale on the same night back-to-back, just like they did the premiere episode. So technically only two more weeks left in the season. :/

[red snow]

Interesting theory by DaveSumm there - it does feel like nothing has really happened and if Tyrell is back next season I'd be more inclined to agree. Although I'm not sure plot is Esmail's prime motivator and could see him doing this intentionally - an entire season spinning its wheels to show us how Mr Robot is the key mover of everything going on in the show.

I still wonder if they are building up to a third persona. Maybe one in which Elliot and Mr Robot are fused and super functional (Mr Robot is too angry and Elliot is too passive - mix and you get somone very effective). This persona is the one that has phase 2 in the pocket.

[DaveSumm]

As a little experiment, I tried watching this episode as if it were the first one of this season. I'm honestly not convinced you'd notice, his prison tenure reads like a 'here's what happened between seasons', then he comes out and begins Stage 2. Anything Darlene did was barely referenced, and even after previously defending Angela, it'd still make perfect sense that we'd leave her last season having joined E Corp, and then this episode "ah, so she joined to obtain those documents, got it". Seriously, nothing has happened.

[red snow]

9 minutes ago, DaveSumm said:

As a little experiment, I tried watching this episode as if it were the first one of this season. I'm honestly not convinced you'd notice, his prison tenure reads like a 'here's what happened between seasons', then he comes out and begins Stage 2. Anything Darlene did was barely referenced, and even after previously defending Angela, it'd still make perfect sense that we'd leave her last season having joined E Corp, and then this episode "ah, so she joined to obtain those documents, got it". Seriously, nothing has happened.

I agree but, again I think the showrunners aren't basing their show on what happens. I think they are just as happy at having interesting shots. Some of this season has reminded me a lot of Nicolas winding-refn where the director is more interested in the aesthetics than the story.

I'm still more of a plot/character person which is why this season is a tricky one to assess.

It does seem like a show that would happily "spin wheels" as long as their was an audience for it.