Summary: Flashbacks show that cops were at Elliot's door at the end of season 1 and they arrested him. But now, Elliot is free from prison and reunites with Darlene. Darlene tells him that Mobley and Trenton are missing and Elliot demands they meet with Cisco to figure out their next move. With Cisco, Elliot hacks into the phone of Xun, Cisco's Dark Army contact. Elliot meets with him and asks about Stage 2 but they don't reply. Darlene listens in and realizes that Stage 2 was set up by Elliot. Darlene also realizes that she left behind an important tape at Susan's house. Cisco goes back and finds it, along with something else. Elliot returns to his apartment and sees Joanna waiting for him. Angela hacks her boss and retrieves critical files on the Washington Township Plant. She takes them to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission but leaves when she detects that they are after her. At home, Angela is visited by Dom who offers to help her, letting her know that she is on their radar to be arrested soon. Whiterose meets with Price who asks for more cash to get through their plan. They threaten each other.
The Good: The flashbacks to start the episode did a terrific job of filling in all the blanks from the season 1 finale to now, making it explicitly clear how Elliot's prison story worked out in the grander scheme of things. Elliot was arrested as a result of Michael's actions against him, and we learn that Leon was there since the beginning to protect him, and Ray was the warden which explains his presence. This was all good stuff, clearing up all loose ends and setting up for what should be a more focused narrative going forwards. I am enjoying whatever it is that the show is setting up with Elliot and Mr. Robot. The strange disconnect they are experiencing was surprising and completely caught me off guard. The show neatly captured the feeling of not being in control and being powerless to stop your own actions. The creative filmmaking ensured that this stuff was chilling, and anxiety-inducing. I have to especially praise the subway scene as Elliot is physically unable to reach Mr. Robot as he talks with Cisco, with some unsettling keyboard playing in the background making the whole thing feel that much more sinister. Angela's hack was tense and exciting. I really enjoyed seeing her make use of her new skillset to further her own goals. The visitor mistaking her for Monica was a wonderful moment that again highlighted how little these high-ranking people think of the assistants (he couldn't even remember her face). There was wonderful suspense in this sequence. I'm also happy with Dom's story connecting to Angela, and I hope that this goes somewhere big. Price and Whiterose's scene is very well acted, especially from Price. His angry rant that he will ensure that Whiterose fails no matter what if he betrays him was fantastic and very gripping to watch. Michael Cristofer is engaging in every single scene. Magnificent casting. Darlene and Elliot's hug was nice. The Bad: Unfortunately this episode pushed me close to my breaking point. Season 2 has frustrated me plenty with its convoluted storytelling, slow pacing and lack of substance, and all of that really got to me with this episode. Following the flashback sequence, I had figured that we would be leaving the mysteries behind and go to a more emotionally satisfying story. Instead, as has been the case this season, Sam Esmail opts to jerk us around with more mysteries, more convoluted storytelling, and even more frustrating teasing without offering us any clear answers. With season 2 coming closer to its end, I have grown weary of this. I have been patient a long time but now I am actively annoyed that just 4 episodes from the end of the season we are still being exposed to these games. Smoke and mirrors alone do not make a good TV show. We need emotional substance to feel something. This episode was all smoke and mirrors, and zero substance. Every scene left me with more and more questions, nothing became clear, and I struggled to connect with every character. The show is so fixated on setting up its plot through these frustrating mysteries, and it loses sight of its characters in the process. So many potentially good storylines have been abandoned for the sake of preserving mystery and developing the plot. I'll start with Elliot's storyline. The Darlene/Cisco reunion wasn't anywhere near as impactful as it should have been. Darlene went at Cisco full swing with a baseball bat last episode, and it had zero consequences! What? Come on, that feels so cheap. Both characters act like nothing even happened outside of a single underwhelming scene, and that was so disappointing. The conclusion to this storyline at the end of the episode angered me. The use of cliffhangers was terrible and by this point I am angered at how this show manipulates us into watching more by giving no answers. What did Cisco find behind the couch? Who is at Darlene's door? Find out next time! The impact of these reveals is nullified by this garbage cliffhangers and that irritated me massively. Elliot's story ends with a meeting with Joanna. This should be an exciting moment, but I find myself rolling my eyes because I know that we won't get any plot movement or character building from this. We will likely just be jerked around and teased with answers at the start of the next episode before "Mr. Robot" moves on to its next convoluted story. I'm frustrated that after 9 episodes in season 2, we still haven't moved on from the frustrating storytelling of the early episodes. Angela's story is so confusing for me. One of the biggest weaknesses of "Mr. Robot" is how it tells its story. By hiding so much from us, it becomes difficult to understand what characters are trying to do and what their motivations are. The people creating the show know what's going on, so they can understand just fine, but the audience is left clueless. As a result, so many storylines fall flat because we can't understand the characters. Angela's story is the biggest consequence of this problem. I still have no good idea of what her motives are or what she is trying to do. What is her goal? Why is she moving up in E Corp? How invested is she in this place? How does she feel about alienating her father and her friends? None of these questions have concrete answers, and that's problematic because these are the essential aspects of her character that we need to connect with. Angela's story here is hurt because I have no idea about anything that she's doing. Why did she do that hack now? I have no idea. Was it always her plan? Did she just come up with it when her new boss pissed her off? I have no idea. Did Price want her to do this? I have no idea. What is her endgame with this information? I have no idea. It's one frustrating question after another and I find myself just craving for some simple details on Angela's character so that I can better understand her. Price and Whiterose had what should have been a fantastic scene. Instead, I found myself only able to appreciate the acting because I have no idea what they're talking about! So far every scene between these two serves as a tease of what's actually happening but nothing is ever revealed. Just more and more questions, and I'm left feeling cold about the whole thing. By this point, I'm not sure if any reveal would be able to justify the ridiculous amount of teasing and set-up that has been done this season. Just give us some answers and a story that we can connect with for the love of god. At least the early season 2 episodes had some fascinating storytelling with Elliot and Mr. Robot to keep me interested, but this episode doesn't have that luxury. This episode had no emotional core at all and nothing was clear. The Unknown: What did Darlene say to Elliot when they hugged? Why did Elliot visit his mother? Is she physically unable to interact with him, or does she just choose not to? Why does Whiterose hate the word "accident"? Did she cause the plane crash that killed the former E Corp CEO? It was pretty amusing when she pissed on his grave. What's the deal with whatever she has going on with Price? Is Price really able to fight against Whiterose? What is with the suggestion for World War 3? How can they make that happen? Why is the Washington Township Plant so important for Whiterose? What is going on there? What's going on with Elliot? Why is he "glitching" with Mr. Robot? What is happening to his mind? How is this happening? Why did Angela do this E Corp hack? What motivated it? Why was the US Nuclear Regulation Commission after her? Are they somehow complicit in whatever is happening at the Washington Plant? What does Dom want from Angela? What is her plan? Why is she extending an offer to her? Will Angela accept it? What did Mr. Robot say to Cisco? Is Elliot going to get a meeting with Whiterose? What will he learn from that? What did Cisco find in Susan's house? It sounded like a bound person? Was it Mobley and Trenton? Someone else? Who left it there, whatever it is? Apparently Stage 2 was Elliot's plan. Did he come up with it during the 3 missing days? What does it entail? Why did the Dark Army agree with it? Did Elliot meet with Whiterose during this time? Who was at Darlene's door? What does Joanna want from Elliot? Best Moment: Angela's E Corp hack is signature "Mr. Robot". Character of the Episode: Dom. Conclusion: The most frustrating episode of the show. I've been patient for a long time, but this episode is where I finally had enough. All of season 2's biggest weaknesses were on display here and no amount of gorgeous camera work can overcome that. We need something of substance fast for this season to be salvaged. Score: 48
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Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
March 2024
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