Summary: A flashback shows a meeting between Elliot and Tyrell before 5/9. In the present, Tyrell takes Elliot to the location where he has been working and reveals what the stage 2 plan is: to blow up the E Corp building and destroy all of their paper records. Elliot is not happy about this but Mr. Robot tries to convince him to allow it. Elliot threatens to shut it all down so Tyrell pulls out a gun and threatens to shoot him. Elliot thinks that Tyrell is a part of himself too, but Tyrell shoots Elliot and he collapses. Afterwards, he calls Angela who says she will come over. Dom and Santiago interrogate Darlene but she doesn't give them anything. Dom convinces Santiago to do her strategy. She takes Darlene and shows her that the FBI have figured out literally everybody in the fsociety operation, they are only waiting to find the leader before they bring everyone in. Joanna visits Scott, who is responsible for the phone and gifts. He reveals his grief to her and she goads him by saying his wife and unborn child deserved their deaths. Scott violently beats Joanna. Joanna asks Derek to testify against Scott to suggest that he murdered Sharon to get revenge. Mobley and Trenton have started a new life with new identities, but they are approached by Leon.
The Good: Dom's interrogation of Darlene was great to watch. Darlene is suitably broken up after what happened to Cisco and I was compelled by her flat, lifeless responses to the FBI, refusing to cooperate with them. I was pleased that she was fully aware of the FBI's tricks and used her wit to stay a slight step ahead of them. But it was all just an illusion in the end. Dom knew that they had the advantage, and she used that superbly to deliver a crushing blow to her confidence at the end of the episode. The scene built beautifully with a tremendous shot of Dom taking Darlene through the FBI building, letting us know that what was about to happen was going to be big. And it was. The reveal that the FBI knew everything, and likely had known everything for a long time, was spectacular. It made perfect sense considering how incompetent fsociety had been up to this point, and I appreciate that the show was above dumbing down the FBI to make the plot more plausible. Elliot's story was interesting and exciting. Finally we received some answers on what exactly was going on. Not everything (see: The Unknown), but a lot was revealed, especially about stage 2. This was good stuff as it finally pulled back the curtain on what has been happening, and Elliot's shocked and horrified reaction made a lot of sense. The episode does a terrific job of building up the mystery of Tyrell's presence. Is he dead or is he actually there? This question permeates the entire episode, going through our mind and going through Elliot's mind. There's no clear answer either because you can make a case for either option so there is tension involved in finding out if Tyrell is real or not. The closing moments with Elliot standing up to Tyrell as he holds the gun were tense and exciting, and it culminated in what was initially a pretty shocking moment when Tyrell shoots Elliot. Quickly you realize that Elliot is not going to die, but the moment still has that gripping impact. I was pleased with how this story was handled, and I am glad that the show went with keeping Tyrell alive in the end. He's such a fun character to follow so I'm pleased that I can look forward to seeing more of him next season. I did like Scott and Joanna's scene as its own thing. It was very well acted, and it did make a lot of sense that Scott would go after Joanna in an effort to find some purpose in his home life. His monologue on having gained and lost everything at once was genuinely heartbreaking, which greatly surprised me. "Mr. Robot" hasn't typically afforded much sympathy for the upper class so I was pleased to see this humanizing moment for Scott. I even expected for a second that Joanna might sympathize with him a bit, but of course I was wrong and given a bit of a rude awakening as Joanna says the absolute most vicious thing that someone in her position could have said. It's a fantastic moment and Scott's rampage afterwards is completely understandable. You get the sense that this was her plan all along and that she will make him pay for doing this. The Bad: After an extended 12 episode season that really pushed the boundaries of my patience, I can't believe that we still don't know what happened in the 3 days that Elliot blacked out back in the season 1 finale. I figured that uncovering this time period would be the focus of this second season, and yet here we are at the end of season 2 and we still haven't explored what happened in those 3 days. That would be okay if we had a sufficient amount of plot development in this season, but that did not happen. I can't help but feel a little bit robbed that more answers did not accompany Tyrell's return. Joanna and Scott's scene was really good but I have to question its importance. We spent a lot of time with Joanna this season but she was so disconnected with everything else happening with the story. I figured that she would be connected with Tyrell's disappearance, but it turns out that she apparently wasn't. I really like Joanna as a character and what she brings to the table, but she felt kind of pointless this season. This felt a little flat as a finale because not a whole lot of substance happened. Joanna was a tertiary part of this season's story, yet she received a ton of screentime in this episode. And key players like Price and Whiterose were entirely absent, while Angela, one of the main characters, hardly appeared at all. This wasn't the climax that this season needed to justify such a slow season filled with teasing. Instead it looks like the pay-off is going to be saved for next season. I wouldn't be surprised if the show lost a lot of fans between seasons because of this choice. The Unknown: What was Tyrell's father like? Why does Tyrell want so desperately to not be like him? Will Tyrell follow through with the plan for stage 2? What will result from the destruction of the E Corp building? Why did he call Angela after shooting Elliot? Was that planned? How are they going to save him? I'm sure he won't die. How is Angela aware of the plan? Did Whiterose tell her about it? Why is she playing such a key role? Tyrell says that he hasn't been living in this building the entire time. Where has he been staying then? What else has he been up to? Who has been hiding him? We also still don't know what exactly happened during the three days. What other details are there to uncover? What happened after Elliot grabbed the gun to shoot Tyrell? A bullet was fired, so how is Tyrell still alive? He doesn't seem to acknowledge that Elliot made an attempt on his life. Tyrell does exist right? The gunshot seemed to confirm that, but you never know with this show. I thought they had confirmed his death many episodes ago, but clearly not. Is Derek going to testify against Scott? Did Joanna plan for this to happen? Was she goading him into attacking her to make this seem legitimate? What does Joanna have to gain by ruining Scott's reputation? Is she hoping to open up the position of CTO for Tyrell again? So if Scott was sending all the gifts, does this mean that Joanna is unaware of what's been going on with Tyrell? That doesn't really make sense with how much she has known in previous episodes. It doesn't explain the deal with Kareem either. How much does she know about Tyrell? What role does she play in all of this? Did Mobley and Trenton escape on their own to forge a new life? So it wasn't the Dark Army that got to them? What did Trenton uncover about undoing the hack? Will they act on this? Why has Leon tracked them down? If the FBI know everything, does this mean that they have someone following Elliot? Could they have tracked him to the building that he is in with Tyrell? I really hope so, any other outcome will make them look sloppy. Best Moment: Dom revealing the FBI's intelligence to Darlene. Character of the Episode: Dom. Conclusion: This ended up being a mixed bag of a season finale. The scenes individually were well done and there was good storytelling here, but this failed to be the massive pay-off that we needed to justify the tedious slog that this season was. As you can expect, my opinion on season 2 is not great. The earlier episodes were slow paced but they had a solid story of Elliot learning to accept Mr. Robot, and I was patient enough to wait for the bigger pay-offs later. But those pay-offs never came, and looking back on season 2, it was quite a waste of time. So many of the storylines were dragged out, unnecessary, and needlessly confusing. I wish that we had been given a more straightforward narrative to latch onto as it would have been easier to tell a compelling story in that scenario. But "Mr. Robot" didn't do that, and as the season escalated, the story fell into nonsensical shenanigans, pointless plot twists, soap opera cliffhangers, and frustrating teases. This show is damn lucky that the production value is top-quality, because if it wasn't then this show would likely be borderline unwatchable this season. The good production, good performances, and creativity is what is saving this show right now, because otherwise season 2 was a typical sophomore slump. There is still potential here; I did really enjoy season 1. "Mr. Robot" just needs to remember what season 1's strengths were, and it needs to learn from season 2's mistakes. Score: 59
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Summary: Elliot tries a new strategy of lucid dreaming which allows him to be present when Mr. Robot starts acting. He follows Mr. Robot to a cab and regains control. In the cab he meets Tyrell. Dom tries to keep working on the case but Santiago sends her home. Dom feels lonely and interacts with Alexa. Price negotiates with Jack to make Ecoin a major new form of currency. Angela is taken to a mysterious house where she is met by Whiterose who asks for her belief.
The Good: I like that Elliot came up with a way to be present when Mr. Robot took over. We needed a way for Elliot to finally see and understand what his alter ego was doing, and this was an effective way of accomplishing that. Elliot used a lucid dreaming strategy to finally make himself present, and it worked! It was engaging to watch because Mr. Robot's nocturnal activities are hugely important to the plot, making this whole sequence feel like a big deal. And naturally, it led to Tyrell finally making his return. Dom has some good scenes here. Her debate with Santiago made a lot of sense. Of course we know that Dom is right about everything, but Santiago gives some valid and understandable reasons as to why he can't simply let her do what she knows is right. It's sad, but it's the way of the world and I suspect that Santiago's decisions will have major consequences. Dom's moment at home talking with Alexa was very sad, and illuminated how dependent she is on her job. I have grown to care about her through the season and I genuinely hope that she finds satisfaction in her personal life. Price's scene with Jack was very good. Finally we get to see exactly what his Ecoin plan was: Price wants to be the man in control of currency in America. That's a big move, and Price details perfectly to Jack why it is necessary, and even gives Jack the illusion of power by offering him complete access to regulate it, which I'm sure is either empty words or not the complete truth. Price is so great to watch, and it's satisfying to finally see what his mysterious Ecoin plan was all about. The Bad: A lot was problematic about this episode. The biggest disappointment for me was Angela's storyline. She had the most screentime this episode and it all felt so wasteful. She spends a really long time being questioned by a kid at an ancient-looking terminal in preparation for her meeting with Whiterose. This scene is weird, creepy, and raises a lot of questions. Ordinarily, I would find this fascinating and it would captivate my imagination. But with how cheap this season has been with a lot of its storytelling, I find myself wondering if there even is an explanation for this stuff. Is this stuff just being done for the sake of being "cool" and "innovative"? Is it just being done to mimic David Fincher? I don't talk much about the "Fight Club" parallels in this show (they don't particularly bother or captivate me), but I can't help but wonder if Sam Esmail thinks that these filmmaking tricks are more important than the story. When it was clear that there wouldn't be a deeper explanation of what happened here, I wondered what the point of it all was. I think that these scenes were only weird for the sake of being weird. Once you realize that things are meaningless, something that may seem fascinating on the surface immediately becomes frustrating, an emotion that I'm feeling all too much with this second season. Angela's conversation with Whiterose fell flat too. For a character who is so obsessed with being time-efficient, Whiterose sure does spend a whole lot of time saying nothing of note. This conversation was an exercise of patience for me. After the vague waste of time that was Angela's time with the kid, I was hoping that this conversation would get a move on and give us some substance. Perhaps some character development? Information on the plot? Introduce an interesting new relationship? But alas, that did not happen. Instead, we just got a lot of vague philosophical statements from Whiterose who hinted at some potentially major reveals, but then immediately changed subjects. Sure this stuff could be interesting to theorize about, but when we have had 11 episodes of this stuff, I am exhausted and craving some actual story. Then we skipped the end of the conversation and caught up with Angela later, only to find out that the interesting character development I was hoping for had happened off screen. To that I have to simply say "ugh". I am baffled that this show continues to have Angela go through such major changes off screen. I've been complaining all season about how much this disconnects me from her, and it happened again! This is the epitome of not learning from your mistakes. And why did we miss this important character development? So that Sam Esmail can continue to withhold important information about the plot to manufacture "drama" in a completely ineffective way. Good drama requires a compelling story and characters, and so this approach hasn't worked and after 11 episodes of being jerked around this season, I am absolutely sick of it. Whiterose is so concerned about time and yet she's a smoker? She is aware that smoking will actively decrease her lifespan right? What may have seemed like a cool character quirk is actually completely against the very nature of the character. Elliot's lucid dream strategy is smart, but it raises one huge question: why on Earth didn't he try this before? Especially when he was in prison and he knew that Mr. Robot was still controlling him? It came right out of nowhere, which doesn't quite make sense. The Tyrell reveal at the end was a long time coming, but it honestly fell a bit flat. There wasn't much emotion or shock to his return. The only thing I could think was "well it's about time". I suppose that's a consequence of how much the show has slowed down this season. Regardless of that, I'm still frustrated that he showed up and didn't do or say anything. Instead he's used as a cliffhanger for the next episode. With how recent episodes have annoyed me with cliffhangers, I'm not as patient about this choice as I would ordinarily be. Please "Mr. Robot", can I have some story in place of this constant teasing? Speaking of cliffhangers, I can't believe that we weren't even told who died at the shoot-out from the previous episode. In a season that has withheld answers for way too long, this is hitting a new low. After such a monumental event happened, surely we would see some follow-up right? Apparently not. We still don't know if Darlene or Cisco are alive or dead, and I can't fathom any reason for keeping this secret other than to purposefully annoy the audience under the name of "suspense". Its the same old stupid decison-making that I've been vocal about throughout this review. And this isn't even the only example of a cliffhanger not being followed up on. We get a scene with Joanna and Mr. Sutherland in this episode, and it tells us absolutely nothing. It's just another tease of what this address is. Why was this scene even necessary? And as a final nail in the coffin, I'll serve up a reminder that we still do not know what happened to Trenton and Mobley after we were left on a cliffhanger 3 episodes ago. The frustration has been endless this season. Dom's scenes were pretty good, but I have to question having such a lengthy character-building scene so late in the season. Surely this scene would have been better off in one of the earlier episodes. The Unknown: Who are the FBI interviewing? Is it Darlene? Joanna says that the address is Tyrell's biggest gift to her. Why? Who was the little girl? Was she beaten or not? How did Whiterose recruit her? Why did Whiterose put Angela through this confusingly tedious test? Did Whiterose reveal that the Washington Township Plant leak was intentional? Why would she intentionally do this? How did Angela's conversation with Whiterose conclude? Why did Angela visit her lawyer after? She seems much more sinister now. Is she working with Whiterose now? Why? Where was the cab supposed to take Elliot and Tyrell? Is Tyrell actually there? He voice sounds strangely different. Where has Tyrell been this whole time? Why reveal himself now? Has he been regularly speaking with Mr. Robot all this time? Best Moment: Price negotiating with Jack. No matter what the scenario, Michael Cristofer always steals the show playing Price. Character of the Episode: Price. Conclusion: There were some good aspects here, but this first part of the season finale offered more of the same cheap tricks that have ruined much of this season so far. It has been a frustrating ride so far and the pressure is on the next episode to offer enough of a pay off to make this journey worth it. At this point my patient is running out. Score: 45 Summary: Colby asks Price what his goals are and he reveals that he wants to be the most powerful man in the world. Joanna meets with Elliot and tasks him with tracing the phone that she was given by (presumably) Tyrell. Elliot gets new hardware and finds an address which he gives to Mr. Sutherland. Elliot is messaged by Angela and he meets with her. Angela tells him she is going to confess about the femtocell and they share a moment together and kiss. Elliot leaves and Angela is confronted by some people. Cisco tells Darlene that he found Vincent who is badly injured and in danger of dying. Darlene contemplates letting him die but Cisco stops her and they take him to a hospital. Cisco is ID'd at Susan's house and Dom tracks him down to the hospital. The FBI put Cisco's face on a BOLO. Dom tracks down Darlene and Cisco to a nearby restaurant and goes inside to talk to them. A Dark Army gunner arrives and shoots down the restaurant before shooting himself.
The Good: I appreciate this episode for rectifying much of what made the previous episode so frustrating. There are still problems (see: The Bad), but I got a lot more value from this episode. Fromt he opening scene, this promised to be a much stronger episode. We open up with a conversation between Colby and Price, and the show uses this scene as a way to tell us more about Price, telling us precisely what his goals, motivation, and character is through a magnificent speech that was thoughtfully shot, starting by making Price look small at the edge of the frame and ending with him dominating the scene. The shot nicely fits what we learn about him: he is driven purely by power. His goal is to be the most powerful man in the world because he wants to always be the one in control no matter what the scenario. He desires this because he is greedy, prideful, and ambitious. I've long awaited a scene in "Mr. Robot" that explicitly tells us things about a character, allowing us to better understand them in the future. We finally got something like that in this opening scene. We also learn more about Joanna as she tells Elliot what she sees in Tyrell. Her story about their first date is horrifying and problematic in a lot of ways, but it impressively humanizes Joanna. We understand now that Joanna is someone who enjoys feeling like she has power. She loves Tyrell not because of who he is but because he is willing to do so much for her, and puts in the effort to make her happy through material goods. He makes her feel like a queen, and that sense of power is a driving force for her. It's curious how desire for power seems to be a driving force for so many characters in this show, and I really like this thematic consistency. Like Price, Joanna was one of those characters who desperately needed more humanizing and we finally got that here. It's a shame that we didn't learn more about her earlier, as some of her earlier scenes in this season may have been more impactful. Joanna's scene with Elliot was good. It was a natural continuation of their interaction back in the season 1 finale, and I appreciate how terrified Elliot is of her, simply because she is so good at reading social cues, unlike Elliot who struggles in just about every social situation. Their conversation sets up an engaging storyline as Elliot tracks down the phone with the implication being that Tyrell is on the other end and he will be found. Though we don't get a good resolution (see: The Bad), it was an engaging storyline with a sense of importance. I adored the long-take in Elliot's apartment where he asked us to see if there was anything in there that Mr. Robot may have wanted to retrieve. The unique way that Elliot talks to us directly is one of the most creative aspects of the show. Cisco snapping at Darlene felt earned and it's good that he prevented her from slipping further into cruelty and pain. Both characters were really good in this episode. Cisco showed that he had a moral side and seemed to genuinely care for Darlene. Darlene continues to develop wonderfully as she comes to reality and accepts that she hasn't been in control of things at all and that she's in over her head. Her monologue to Cisco about her desire to feel "special" felt very real, and it connected nicely to a story from her past that helps us understand Darlene's motivations. She wants people to notice her because she wants to feel important. This was conveyed beautifully, and is yet another case of a character's goals, motives, and personality being given to us forthright. Following these good character moments, we are treated to a terrific final 10 minutes of the episode. The whole sequence is almost unbearably tense and leaves us on edge. There is a promise that something big is about to happen. The show cuts rapidly between Elliot/Angela, Darlene/Cisco, and Dom which builds tension alongside a repeated music score that plays nonstop for all 10 minutes. The drama escalates perfectly. Dom's investigation is gripping, and it takes her closer and closer to Cisco, ratcheting up the suspense as we know that Darlene is with her and if Dom finds them, it's really bad for them both. But with Cisco's face up on the news, the Dark Army also remains a major threat. Meanwhile at the same time, we learn that Angela is ready to give herself up and confess about the femtocell. Elliot talks to her and they share a nice moment as they kiss, which felt like a long time coming. It's good to see their storylines cross over once again, and I'm curious how this interaction will affect the characters in the future. It was a strange choice to integrate these scenes in the tense final 10 minutes, but it creates a unique sense of heart-pounding dread when they kiss. I think that worked very well. The whole sequence builds and builds to that fantastic shoot-out at the end, a dramatic moment that satisfied all of the build-up (see: Best Moment) The Bad: Once again, there are a few frustrating cliffhangers in this episode. "Mr. Robot" is relying too heavily on these little tricks to keep things dramatic and it is frustrating. Mr. Sutherland offers Elliot no answers about the address for the phone, which leaves us wondering what the address is. Angela is confronted by 2 mystery people but again we don't know who. We aren't told who was killed in the shootout at the end of the episode, which feels like a copout. It's consistently frustrating that every episode ends on these needless cliffhangers when giving us straightforward answers would work much better. It would be more dramatically effective if we knew where Mr. Sutherland was going, if we knew who Angela just got confronted by, and if we knew who died or did not die at the end of the episode. These cliffhangers are not needed and take away from the story. As tense and exciting as this was, "Mr. Robot" needs to deliver a lot more in these final episodes of season two to be satisfying. This episode is a step in the right direction, but with the amount of meaningless shocks and confusion that has been thrown out this season, my faith in the show is shaken. This two part finale needs to really deliver and end this season on a high. The Unknown: Who are the people that Price deems are more powerful than him? Is Price giving Congo to China as a gift of sorts to Whiterose? Why is it so important that this happens? How did Vincent get those injuries? What happened to the others that he was supposed to meet with? Did Tyrell call Joanna and Elliot on the phone? Or is it someone else? What is at the address that Elliot tracked down? Who owns this phone? Is Tyrell actually still alive? Why did Mr. Robot vanish when Joanna's phone rang? Is he hiding something? Is there something in Elliot's apartment that Mr. Robot needed? Did Mr. Robot lie about Tyrell being dead? Is Angela going to go through with confessing what she did? We still don't know what the Dark Army-modified femtocell is for. Who were the people that confronted her on the subway? Who died at the shootout? We see that Dom is covered in blood so was it Darlene or Cisco? Or both? I suspect that Cisco died and Darlene did not. How did the Dark Army know where Cisco was to send assassins to kill him? Did they trace his phone somehow? How do they have people available in America to do their bidding? How far does their reach go? Best Moment: The shootout at the end was spectacular. The stylish filmmaking choices of Sam Esmail were on full display here. The final two minutes feature a single static camera shot focusing on the restaurant from across the street. We see Dom enter and start talking with Darlene and Cisco, before suddenly a bike pulls up and in comes a man with a gun. In an extraordinary bit of detail, the crosswalk counts down to zero and right then the shooter unloads on the restaurant, before taking a hit and shooting himself in the head as the cops arrive. It's a brilliant sequence shot in such an audaciously perfect way. Simply brilliant stuff. Character of the Episode: Darlene. Conclusion: A big improvement on the previous episode. While there are still flaws here, the final ten minutes are incredibly tense and this feels like a major episode for the show. Score: 67 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 Summary: A flashback shows Mobley and Trenton meet while they wait to meet Darlene. In the present, fsociety listen in on an open discussion on Operation Berenstain and release the discussion to the public. Susan suddenly returns home and they are forced to imprison her. After much debate on what to do, Darlene kills her, exacting revenge for her father. She claims to the others that it was an accident but nobody believes it. Mobley and Trenton try to find a way out. Mobley is taken in for questioning by the FBI and is questioned by Dom who wants to be led to Tyrell. Mobley requests a lawyer and the FBI are forced to release him after Operation Berenstain went public. Mobley texts to meet Trenton to skip town and Trenton waits for him but he doesn't arrive for 2 hours. Somebody arrives to see Trenton. Darlene opens up to Cisco about her horror and she stays with him but learns that he is secretly working with the Dark Army against them. Darlene destroys his computer and knocks him out. Angela is on a date at a bar but ignores her date and confronts an old friend, Steve, who accuses her of being a traitor. Her date is revealed to be a plant from Dom who is investigating Angela.
The Good: It's strange to have an episode without Elliot at all, but I think this decision actually had a lot of upside, allowing the side characters to develop more naturally. This episode did wonders for the likes of Darlene, Mobley, and Trenton who I now understand much better, and I'm starting care about them. After almost two seasons this is long overdue, but it's better to get this development late than never. I thoroughly enjoyed everything involving Mobley and Trenton. The flashback to kick off the episode was good and it revealed a little bit more about their personalities through their little debate over android vs apple. There's also a cheeky line as Darlene shows up and Mobley and Trenton ask about Elliot, foreshadowing that he is not going to appear in this episode. In the present, Trenton and Mobley were fairly compelling. They are clearly in over their head here and there is something easy to relate with as the two of them try their best to make it out alive as they feel the walls closing in around them. Mobley is paranoid and regretful of what he has done, while Trenton is scared and in denial of the fact that she may have to leave her family. All of these emotions are easy to understand, connecting us more with these characters. There were several great scenes here. Trenton failing to convince her family to move, Mobley sending the pizza guy to scan his apartment (and then asking for his other pizza), and of course Dom's interrogation of Mobley. I'll focus on that last one a bit more because there is more substance to explore. Dom is growing on me quickly. She's so dedicated to her job in spite of her weak home life, and it is refreshing how smart and capable she is. Her shakedown of Mobley is effective, pinning down his identity perfectly, and when you consider how Mobley has acted prior to this scene, there is a genuine sense that he might break. But in a lovely twist, Mobley shows his brains as he hits Dom with "lawyer", ending the interrogation, and securing his freedom from the FBI (from the Operation Berenstain hack) even if he doesn't realize that just yet. The entire Susan Jacobs scenario was very engaging. While it does feel a little convenient that nobody was checking for her return, this does double down on how unprepared fsociety is for what they're doing, which is an idea that "Mr. Robot" has been examining for quite some time. You get the sense that had Darlene not been there, they may even have let Susan get away because of how much her appearance caught them off guard. Darlene was the only person prepared here. Mobley freaks out, Trenton stupidly lets Susan out of her bindings, and nobody can agree on what to do so they desperately try to hack her. Darlene is the only one who understands that the only way out of this situation is to kill Susan, and that any outcome where she survives will not end well for them. Her confrontation with Susan is fascinating, exposing a darker side to the character that we had not previously seen (see: Best Moment). I really liked Darlene murdering her in cold blood, and her follow-up is fascinating. Mobley, Trenton, and Cisco all know what she did, but say nothing. Darlene then sits on the subway and reflects, horrified at what she did, and confused as to why nothing stopped her from committing murder. It's a realistic and sad portrayal of what pushing past a moral boundary does to a person. Carly Chaikin is terrific throughout the episode and brings Darlene's conflict to life. I loved the montage of the FBI hack coupled with Angela's karaoke performance. The music choices in this show are always immaculate, and that's the same here. The lyrics to the song perfectly reflect the struggle of pretty much every character in this episode. It's a wonderful song that adds emotion to a hacking sequence. The Bad: Angela is treading water here. Her confrontation with Steve, the plumber, feels very familiar. Somebody calls Angela out for being a sell-out and she shuts them down with confidence. We have seen this before and it adds nothing to see it happen again. Everything involving Angela feel completely flat and it was a waste of time. I wish that a more unique storyline could have been thought up for Angela. I still feel that little bit of disconnect in who she is, so I would have liked some scenes that explored a different aspect of the character to help clear up her motives and goals, which are currently extremely messy. Of course, an episode of "Mr. Robot" without Elliot feels like it's missing something. I enjoyed most of what was offered here, but something is always going to be missing when you remove the best character in the show for an episode. The Unknown: Did the FBI get any kind of clue from the man who originally owned the gun that Darlene had placed for Elliot? Have they been directed towards her now? Who visited Trenton at her house? Why did they go to see her? What was the purpose? Where did Mobley go? Why didn't he meet with Trenton? Did somebody get to him? Who entered the shop to meet Trenton? Will Dom's plan to get information out of Angela work? Who is the older man that Angela was talking to? What are the Dark Army planning? What is stage 2? Why did Cisco need to keep an eye on Darlene? Will Darlene escape from him now? Best Moment: Darlene's speech to Susan was chilling. You get a dark sense that this was exactly what she was hoping would happen based on how much she enjoyed tormenting Susan with her story. Darlene has never been a particularly violent person so you never really suspect that she's going to outright murder Susan, but then she does. It's the most driven by emotion we have ever seen Darlene, a terrific moment that reveals a lot about the character. Character of the Episode: Darlene. Conclusion: Elliot's presence was missing in this episode, but the side characters desperately needed this episode to develop further and become better realized. While this isn't a particularly special episode, it's a fun thriller that connects me more to what was a woefully underdeveloped cast of side characters. Score: 65 Summary: Elliot talks to Mr. Robot who tells him that he killed Tyrell. Ray takes Elliot to a computer and tells him to finish the site migration. Elliot does so and plays a game of chess with Ray. Ray accepts that Elliot likely informed the cops and accepts his fate. The cops arrive and arrest him. Later, several gang members come after Elliot for what he did but Leon defends him and kills them, revealing that he works for Whiterose. Elliot meets with Krista and reveals to us that he's been lying and living in an illusion; he was in prison the entire time. Angela is able to get Dom away and finishes the hack, but Dom quickly realizes they were hacked and that Angela played a role. Angela gets the contingency dropped and meets with Price asking to be moved to being manager in risk management. She moves in and tries to take an important position, but her new boss stops her and reveals that he has been given the authority by Price to do whatever he wants with her. After feeling continually frustrated with her life, Joanna gets divorce papers for Tyrell and shows them to Derek.
The Good: The Angela story from last week resolves really well. Angela handles Dom with expertise and intelligence that fits her, but of course she looks incredibly nervous so Dom easily realizes the truth immediately, she's just unable to prove it. I was thoroughly impressed that Dom was written competently enough to still be suspicious of Angela and immediately understand that the FBI was hacked. Both characters were portrayed perfectly and the result of their scene was the most logical and realistic. Dom also brings up Angela's inner character conflict ("this isn't you") which segues nicely to the rest of Angela's story where she tries her best to make the changes she wants without giving herself up to the corporate lifestyle. She tries to offer peace to her father, but he isn't hearing it and in the episode's best scene (see: Best Moment), he tells Angela straight up that he does not trust her anymore. On the other hand, Angela gets the result she needs from Price, but is unwilling to give herself up to him which may have hindered her ability to make the change that she wants to make (see: The Unknown). It seems clear that while Angela wants to change E Corp from within, she's finding it tough to stray from the temptation of changing herself to adapt to a cushy life in E Corp instead. All of her attempts to do the right thing result in her failing to make any impact. Elliot's story in this episode sees the conclusion of the Ray mini-arc and it is compelling barring one bit of disappointment (see: The Bad). Ray's dead wife had been a detail that wasn't really explored much, so I am pleased that it factored into the conclusion of Ray's arc. He admits that his wife was the one who started the business, which makes sense considering that Ray seems too kind of a person to make something so ruthless. His own personal guilt over the website is brutally realistic and hits hard emotionally, and it made sense that he wanted to continue the business in tribute to his wife. But in the end, after he abused Elliot and RT he realized that he was becoming a real monster and decided that being busted by the FBI was a better outcome than living life with constant guilt and shame. This was an emotionally satisfying conclusion, and Ray's final chess game with Elliot was a good send-off to a good side character. The big reveals in this episode definitely delivered. We learn from Mr. Robot that Elliot likely killed Tyrell. I'm not sure if I believe it (see: The Unknown), but it is big for Elliot to finally put that uncertainty to rest. The Leon twist caught me completely off guard and was a pleasant surprise. It makes sense that The Dark Army would do something to protect Elliot if they view him as important, and having Leon be his guardian angel was a good way to raise the importance of the character. The ending prison reveal worked well too. I appreciated the way that it was revealed, making clear what each setting represented in prison; the dining room was the prison meeting room, the church group was in the prison, the restaurant was the cafeteria, Elliot's room was a prison cell, the streets were hallways, etc. With this, the reveal made perfect sense and the entire first half of season 2 makes more sense in retrospect. I did suspect this twist, but seeing the reveal was still satisfying. I do appreciate that an explanation was provided for Elliot keeping this secret from us, and while it wasn't perfect (see: The Bad), it at least prevents this reveal from feeling like a lame shock without any purpose at all. This show is portraying a changed world really well. With the economy in tatters, it makes sense that there is chaos everywhere and the show shows this whenever it can. From failing businesses to trash burning in the streets, it's clear that the world is a completely different place. The Bad: The conclusion to Ray's story felt somewhat anticlimactic. The escalation of Ray into a villainous character was superbly done in the last couple episodes, so it is pretty underwhelming that he immediately gets cold feet after beating up Elliot and essentially lets Elliot turn him in. That's a very convenient end to the storyline even if it did make emotional sense for the character. It feels like the escalating suspense led to nothing. It's a shame that the newly developed intimidating side to Ray was so short lived. The big surprise twist at the end of the episode isn't as impactful as the show thinks it is. Sure, it's a good reveal that recontextualizes the story, but it feels more like a trick executed through misdirection rather than a story beat. Elliot's reasoning is that he didn't trust us so he kept secrets, but why tell us the truth now? It feels a bit lazily thought out and convenient, giving off the impression that the writers wanted this meaningless shock in the story and constructed a narrative around that idea rather than letting the narrative develop organically. It's a forced reveal that feels like it wasn't entirely necessary. I think the season honestly would have been stronger had the story been honest with us about what was happening. At least then it wouldn't have been bogged down by frustrating mysteries and confusing storytelling. Joanna's story continues to bore me. Her scenes do not evoke any sense of emotion and I can't understand her as a character because I'm very unclear about what she knows and what she thinks is happening with Tyrell. With Elliot we always know what he's thinking and what he's perceiving, so the show's vague style of storytelling works well with him. It does not work with Joanna. I was disappointed by Price inviting Angela to celebrate his birthday, which read to me like he was asking her for a sexual relationship. We have enough two dimensional creepy corporate assholes on this show as is, I really hope that Price isn't just another of them. The character has potential to be so much more. The Unknown: Did Elliot really kill Tyrell? That's what we're told but I'm not sure that I entirely trust Mr. Robot. What did Darlene see on the computer? Apparently something was supposed to happen tomorrow. What? Why is Joanna deciding to divorce Tyrell? Is it real? I imagine that divorcing a missing person does not go through so easily. Why did Price ask Angela to celebrate with him? Was it as sexual of a request as it sounded? Was Angela's rejection why Price didn't offer her further help in her new position? How will Angela adjust to her new position? Will she be able to make the changes that she wants to make or will it be harder than she thought? How will she try to get through to her new boss? What did Elliot's letter say? Was it a release letter? Where is Whiterose going to meet Elliot? Why is she going to meet Elliot? I suppose that this reveal means that Leon is working for the Dark Army. How did they get someone into prison to watch over Elliot? So Elliot was in jail all along! Why is he there? What was he arrested for? Surely not the 5/9 hack or Tyrell's murder. I suspect that he's there for what he did to Krista and Michael, which would explain that random scene in the season 1 finale where Michael went after Elliot but that story had no follow-up. I suspect that this also means that the person at Elliot's door was the police. This reveal changes a lot of things. Does this mean Ray was another inmate? Or maybe a prison guard? His house was always strange because he had an empty office as the first room in his house. It would make sense if his house was just an office instead. Best Moment: Angela's scene with her father was sad and a perfect way to show us how much she has changed from the sweet, honorable woman of season 1 into a cold-hearted, ruthless businesswoman who is finding that changing herself is far easier than changing the system she is working in. The plight of both characters in this scene was understandable; Angela is trying to prove that she is still on a righteous path, avoiding facing how she has changed, while her father is disappointed that his wonderful daughter is working for the business that is responsible for the death of his wife. Sad stuff. Character of the Episode: Ray. Craig Robinson put in a great performance and I enjoyed his time on the show. Conclusion: We finally got some answers, the Ray story was finally resolved, and there was some decent progression on other fronts, but emotionally there was not a whole lot here, just a "shocking" twist without much impact. Add on a degree of dissatisfaction with Ray's story and this is a solid episode overall, but nothing special. Score: 64 Summary: Mr. Robot puts Elliot in a sitcom-like fantasy in his head to help him process his beating. Elliot wakes up in the hospital and is thrown into a room by Ray. He embraces Mr. Robot and thanks him for his help. Mobley teaches Angela to hack and she has 24 hours to learn because the FBI are leaving the E Corp building in one day. Cisco delivers the femtocell late after a hold up with the Dark Army inspecting it. Angela recognizes him but doesn't do anything. Angela goes to work and after some close calls she sets up the femtocell, but the wifi doesn't work. Angela goes back to her monitor and gets instructions on how to get the wifi back but she is interrupted when Dom arrives to question her. Price learns that the US can no longer borrow money from China after the attack and is unable to contact Whiterose. A flashback shows the time that Elliot's father told him about his condition, and he gives Elliot the opportunity to name his new computer store.
The Good: What an incredible 15 minute opening sequence that was. The whole episode was great, but this sequence stole the show. Following the tense cliffhanger from the last episode, it comes completely out of left field when we are spontaneously thrown into a 90s sitcom fantasy world with Elliot being every bit as confused as we are. It takes a little bit before we realize that this is Elliot's mind dealing with what happened to him and I adore this concept. I can tell that this episode likely influenced a certain episode of "BoJack Horseman", and seeing the original concept in action is a blast. The jokes are surprisingly funny and charming, and I got good laughs out of ALF (a fantastic and unexpected cameo) horrifyingly murdering Gideon and Tyrell crashing into the green screen. The self-awareness and obviously intentional cheesiness made this even funnier. Better than the laughs was the subtle hints about the various aspects of conflict in Elliot's mind. Gideon's laughable death is indicative of how Mr. Robot wants Elliot to accept what happened and move on without carrying that baggage. And as for Elliot's literal baggage, Tyrell, Mr. Robot again tells him to pretend like it's not even there and to move forward. Tyrell might be dead for all we know, but it shouldn't matter to Elliot. And then there is poor Angela who Elliot still wants to save, but Mr. Robot offers the bleak reality that he may have to leave her in E Corp because she has made that choice. The framing of these scenes as "lessons" that Mr. Robot is trying to teach Elliot is really beautiful, and it comes off as touching and honest, proving to us that Mr. Robot does care for Elliot. The pay-off at the end of the episode is extraordinary as Elliot embraces Mr. Robot during this painful and uncertain time, and it feels honest, earned, and emotional. I suspect that this will be a key moment in the story, and the creative way that it was set up only adds to its effectiveness. The rest of Elliot's story offers up some solid moments. Elliot looks half-dead following the beating, and "Mr. Robot" has done a fantastic job of making Craig Robinson feel threatening. It took time to turn Ray into an interesting character but we have finally got there. Ray initially seemed like a genuinely good person, kind, caring, and understanding. But now we get a full look at his terrifying, sadistic side and his speech to Elliot, telling him that he belongs to Ray is tense and intimidating. I'm very excited to see how this storyline is going to be resolved. The flashback at the end of the episode is a curious decision but I think that it works as a book-end scene, another reminder of how deep the bond between Elliot and his father was. "Mr. Robot" has been slow and sometimes tedious in this second season, but the emotional ending to this episode served as a reminder that this show has enormous potential and that the early parts of this season are likely setting up for even better things down the road. Angela's story is excellent and it is refreshing to see her integrated with the main story again. Without the focus being on Angela's internal character arc, the episode overcomes a lot of the problems I've had with her character development. My enjoyment of the story no longer depends on Angela's confused sense of morality, and all I need to know to enjoy her storyline here is that she has a much more aggressive personality compared to the first season. That is enough and it allows me to really enjoy how she handles herself as she executes this intense mission. Angela shines here, starting even before the mission begins when she stares down Cisco and sends him a brutal message without saying anything. I loved that moment, and we got a few more similarly intense scenes. Angela's efforts in the bathroom were suspenseful, and even better was when the FBI guy confronted her afterwards and Angela was forced to find a way out of there. The scene was superb, and Angela playing along to find her way out was excellent. The femtocell sequence was also very suspenseful, and I genuinely thought Angela was done there. But of course, true to real life, something goes wrong and Angela now has to do an extra hack from her own terminal. This final scene was absolutely outstanding. The extreme close-up of Angela's face puts us right in her shoes as she does this hack, and Darlene's quickfire instructions are tough to follow even for us, adding further to the tension. We are never given any shots of the environment around Angela, making us feel the anxiety she feels that somebody may be watching, somebody might see, somebody might hear her talking to Darlene. The anxiety is portrayed with sublime accuracy through stylistic filming choices, and it is an impressive accomplishment. Angela losing her place was totally realistic, and the fear that she felt in that scenario was perfect. The sequence finally ends with Angela inputting the final command, and right when you think she finally succeeded, "Mr. Robot" throws one final twist as Dom shows up right out of nowhere. It's a tremendous moment filled with dread, one that was set up beautifully in an earlier scene (you can see Dom in the background when Angela heads downstairs). I would normally complain about the FBI being so lax with their security, but credit where credit is due, a previous episode established that Dom is one of the only people that actually cares about security and that others don't really pay attention. Excellent foresight by the writers to include that scene to ensure that we can buy into the poor FBI security in this episode. The Bad: Angela's story was too similar to the Steel Mountain mission in "eps1.4_3xpl0its.wmv" for my liking. Sure, this time it was Angela instead of Elliot, and the concept was different, and the scenes were structured differently. But there were so many similarities along the way that it felt like I was watching the same exact thing. I still enjoyed it, but it took away from Angela's scenes when I realized how incredibly similar they were to a previous storyline. The Unknown: Is Mr. Robot killing Tyrell indicative of the fact that Elliot has killed Tyrell? Where has Elliot been taken by Ray and Lone Star? What are they going to do with him? Why did the Dark Army investigate the femtocell? Did they cause this wifi problem? Or is there something else planted in that femtocell that is yet to be revealed? I feel sad for Ahmed, the store owner who has to close down. I thought his scene with Dom was well written and I definitely felt for him. But what was the point of this scene? I wonder what Ahmed's role in the story is, because he has been shown two times now. Surely he will play some sort of role in this story instead of just being a reminder of how difficult the world post-5/9 is. Why is Whiterose ducking Price's calls? What is her goal? What will Price do without China's help? How will Angela deal with Dom? Will she find out what Angela has done? Angela gave Cisco quite the staredown. Will she do something to him later? I can't imagine that their storyline ends with just a glare. Best Moment: If I can get away with it, I'll give it to the entirety of the 15 minute opening sequence. Every second of that was a winner. If not, then I'll have to go with Elliot's emotional embrace of Mr. Robot, a terrific pay-off of six episodes of storytelling. Character of the Episode: Mr. Robot. Conclusion: Finally season 2 has started to progress and it is immediately paying off. Elliot and Mr. Robot's reconciliation provides the emotional edge that the show has desperately needed, while Angela's mission offers up some of that signature high-octane suspense that "Mr. Robot" is becoming known for. And then you add on that magnificent sitcom parody to start the episode, and this is a stand-out episode, quite possibly the best of the show so far. Score: 74 Summary: Elliot starts the process to hack the FBI and when asked by Lone Star, he requests to speak with the previous technician for help, RT. RT arrives and he secretly communicates to Elliot and Elliot finds out that Ray runs a black market website. He is torn about what to do about this information as he goes to sleep, but he's suddenly woken up and abducted. Ray's men have picked up Elliot and they beat him up. Darlene asks Angela to help them with the hack by going to the FBI floor in E Corp. She initially refuses but after realizing Ollie has told the FBI about the CD she returns tot he plan. She meets with Elliot, they catch up and Angela agrees to help. Angela is introduced to fsociety by Darlene. Kareem backs out of the deal with Joanna so she has him killed. Joanna gets a phone call from outside her house but nobody is there. The FBI head to China to investigate everything there. They are greeted by Minister Zhang who is actually Whiterose. Dom speaks her intentions to investigate the Dark Army and Whiterose later pulls her aside for a conversation. Later at the FBI hotel, a bunch of shooters attack and kill many people, but Dom manages to stay alive.
The Good: The entire hacking storyline is great, a breath of fresh air after a slow start to the season. The opening scene does a fantastic job of showing us Elliot in his element, and I love the use of darkness to illustrate how cut off from the outside world Elliot is when he is hacking. It also serves for a terrific reveal to remind us that Lone Star is watching this entire time; something that comes into play later when it turns out that RT and Elliot weren't as slick communicating with each other as they thought. The rest of the story is tense and dramatic. The episode is so fixated on the FBI hack that Ray's business becomes a side-thought, so it is a real shock when we learn exactly how depraved Ray's business venture is, and how dangerous it is. The black market website reveal is significant enough to completely upend Elliot's mission, forcing him to sidetrack and ponder what to do about Ray. It completely changes the complexion of the entire episode in a way that immediately ratchets up the tension. Angela gets some good scenes which naturally build to her agreeing to help Elliot and Darlene with the hack. Her initial refusal makes sense, but when investigating Ollie she learns a harsh truth about his motives and that he has revealed what he knows to the FBI, significantly endangering her. That scene develops perfectly as Ollie's constant flattery and nostalgia feels off from the first moment, and followed by his immediate mention of the CD and his slightly nervous demeanor gives away his plot very organically in a way that is scary for both us and Angela. Once again, "Mr. Robot" does a fantastic job of putting us in a character's shoes by connecting us with Angela's slow discovery of Ollie's intentions during the meeting. Having Angela abruptly leave after getting all she needs makes perfect sense as well; why should she respect the man who cheated on her and screwed her over? Following this, Angela returns to Elliot and their reunion is a lovely moment. The acting here is great, making it clearly that they still do deeply care about each other. Elliot wanting to be rid of Mr. Robot before seeing her feels earnest, and it leads into a fittingly sad moment when he admits that Mr. Robot is still there behind her and that he failed to be rid of him. Angela ultimately agrees to help and it looks like this is going to lead to her being actively involved with fsociety which is a big development and an important one, finally linking her story directly with Elliot's. Joanna's scenes haven't done a whole lot for me as a story, but they are quite impressive to watch at times. Take this episode where Mr. Sutherland goes to kill Kareem. That scene is executed perfectly (pun intended), overlaying Joanna's questioning and Sutherland's descriptions over top of the scene where Sutherland murders Kareem. It's an artful sequence that tells us more about Joanna as she explains why she wanted to drug Kareem before he died. Plus the chance is also taken to explain how Sutherland will deflect suspicion away from Joanna, ensuring that Kareem's death feels natural. While this sequence still suffered from the same problems I've had with Joanna's scenes all season, I was impressed with how much was accomplished and with the filmmaking skill that was on display. The lengthy dialogue between Whiterose (who I will address as a woman until we get a gender confirmation) and Dom was fascinating. Both characetrs seem to have ulterior motives, and I was fascinated to see them slightly test each other as they discussed their lives, slowly learning more about each other. Dom's backstory is told to us naturally through Whiterose's curiosity, and we can understand that she's here at the FBI after running away from commitment. Meanwhile Whiterose has strangely opted to show off her feminine side to Dom and I'm not sure why. Dom was clever enough to figure out that "Minister Zhang" doesn't have a sister and that something is up, and I'm left wondering if this was a slip-up on Whiterose's part or if it was intentional. I can also point out the possibility of it being intentional because Whiterose had organized a plan to kill Dom by attacking the FBI hotel, which happens later in startling fashion as gunshots start firing completely out of nowhere. The gunfight was brief, but it was tense and exciting. The Bad: This was solid plot progression, but it did not have the high level of character work that we saw in the last four episodes. I enjoyed seeing the plot finally develop with characters making big decisions, storylines connecting, and some twists and turns finally happening. But to accommodate all of this stuff, the ambition and emotion that was so prevalent in the first four episodes has severely diminished. While that's definitely fine - not every episode needs to be a cathartic masterpiece - it does mean that this episode isn't as big as it is trying to be. It kicks the story into motion but it does not do enough to be a great episode, merely ending up as good. The Unknown: What will come from the discovery of the raspberry pi? What else will the FBI find from it? Why did Whiterose take such interest in Dom? Why did she show Dom her closet? What was the point of that? Did Whiterose send the men to attack the FBI in the hotel? If not, then who did? Why did they kill themselves? Will Dom make it out alive? How many will survive the attack? What was the point of those two masked individuals that Dom saw? Were they part of fsociety? The Dark Army? Something else? Joanna is apparently protecting Elliot. Why? How? Was the toy for the baby a gift from Tyrell? Who was on the phone? Was it Tyrell? The call seemed to be taking place right outside her house. Is Tyrell much closer than everyone thinks? What was the purpose of that call? What will Elliot attempt to do about Ray's website? Lone Star is beating Elliot up now. How far will he go? What will Ray's follow-up be? Is Darlene telling Angela about fsociety and what they did? Will their plan to hack the FBI work? Best Moment: The opening sequence did well to make us feel how good it is for Elliot to be back in the zone of hacking. I'm starting to look forward to the creative ways that "Mr. Robot" starts off its episodes. Character of the Episode: Whiterose. Conclusion: This was better stuff. While it lost some of the fascinating dynamic between Elliot and Mr. Robot, this was a more plot-heavy, tense episode that had a comparatively easy-to-follow plot with a few exciting twists and turns. Score: 67 Summary: A flashback shows Darlene return to Elliot for Halloween and Elliot conceives of the idea for fsociety. In the present, Elliot is visited by Darlene and he tells her to stop furthering fsociety's goals but she doesn't listen. Elliot plays chess with Ray and is challenged by Mr. Robot to play a decisive game to determine which of them remain in control. Elliot consults Krista for help and she tells him not to play but he refuses to listen. Elliot plays the game and discovers he is in a permanent stalemate and that he can't be rid of Mr. Robot since he's a part of himself. Darlene learns from Cisco that the FBI found the arcade and that the Dark Army think somebody turned and will likely go after them. With her life in danger, Darlene phones Elliot to get on a computer. Elliot agrees to help Ray and uses his computer. He learns about Romero, the FBI, and the Dark Army from Darlene and decides to hack into the FBI. Angela speculates on Price's motives and gives him a proposition, but Price does not accept it. Joanna is running out of money while waiting for Tyrell and tries to negotiate Tyrell's severance pay from Scott, but Scott refuses.
The Good: These early episodes of season 2 have done a good job at expanding the world-building of the show and developing the many aspects of the plot in preparation for later. The opening scene does this perfectly. It starts off as a tease of answers from the season 1 finale, but eventually it becomes clear to us that we are watching a flashback. The scene is structured impressively subtly so that there are a number of different points where the viewer may realize it's a flashback. I was tipped off by Darlene's rhythmic knocking, but I'm sure that other people will clue in about the time jump at different points. Continuing on, the scene does a great job of filling in some gaps for our characters. The Darlene/Elliot relationship is explored and we get a better idea of the dynamic that they had prior to Elliot losing his memory. We also get a better understanding of Elliot, learning what he did before Allsafe and why he was seeing Krista (mental health concerns after his hack). This informs us more on Elliot compared to what he has told us from being inside his mind, and is changes our perception of him a little bit. Plus, we also get a better idea of the origins of fsociety. Where in the pilot it seemed like a highly organized team of hackers, now we get to learn of fsociety's true origins: the ramblings of a man who may or may not be crazy. It's a fascinating bit of expansion that brings to light how unlikely fsociety's success really was. The sequence then concludes with a clever jumpscare title drop, capping off what was a fascinating and inventive 11-minute (!) opening scene. If there's one thing this show has, it's ambition. This was skillfully executed and it held my attention the entire time. As has been the case this season, Elliot's story continued to develop his inner conflict with Mr. Robot as he continues to live in his uncertain environment cut off from the world around him. The past few episodes have seen Elliot try to wrestle control away from Mr. Robot and try to escape from him. This episode finally brings Elliot to a point of reckoning where he learns that this is not feasible. Ray tells him to open up, and Krista tells him to accept Mr. Robot as a part of himself but Elliot doesn't budge from his stance. Instead it's the unlikely source of Leon who gets through to Elliot. Leon asks Elliot what he is fighting for and that's when Elliot realizes that his main goal should not simply be freedom from Mr. Robot, it should be to build a future that he enjoys, a future that is beautifully realized by Sam Esmail in a top-quality dream sequence (see: Best Moment). With this in mind, Elliot is able to find new hope to keep moving forwards. His vain attempts to quash Mr. Robot's existence are finally halted after their chess game forces Elliot to realize how futile it all is. There is nothing he can do, and he better accept Mr. Robot soon or else he will be in a never-ending torrent of misery, accomplishing nothing. Finally Elliot understands what he needs to do, and he allows Mr. Robot to exist as he finally makes his move. With Darlene in danger, Elliot finally breaks away from his monotonous lifestyle and is back on a computer. And with big ambitions to hack the FBI (see: The Unknown), I can't wait to see what he does next. It has been very slow going to get to this point, but it feels huge that Elliot has finally accepted Mr. Robot as a part of him, and this exploration of the character was done very well. Angela's story has some good elements to it. She is learning how to carry herself and use her power, and it is great to see her compete with Price in attempts to outsmart him. But her desire for further power and ascension up the ladder ring a bit hollow. The encouraging voice she listens to every day tells her "my beliefs create my own reality" and "all of my dreams are coming true right now". But Angela's reaction indicates that she clearly does not believe this. She is starting to sacrifice her own sense of self for power, and that troubling road can potentially lead her somewhere very dangerous. The Bad: The problems I outlined in my last review still stand. I can tell that this will be fascinating to rewatch when I have a complete understanding of everything that is going on, but for now I am left feeling frustrated with the storytelling. So much mystery, so little clarity, and such slow pacing is not a good combination. I don't have enough of an understanding of the plot to emotionally connect, and the slow-burn makes it even tougher because there is so much I want to know, but episode after episode I get no answers or clarity. I'm willing to be patient and wait for it, but it is frustrating when we get so many scenes that are specifically constructed around not giving us any answers and it is immensely frustrating. Price and Whiterose's conversation should have escalated the stakes and cleared up the motives of both characters, but instead it serves as an almost infuriating test of my patience as both characters say so much while somehow revealing absolutely nothing. I feel similarly about Joanna's scenes. I have no idea what to make of her and her situation because I know nothing about her or her situation! The scene with Scott did nothing for me because I'm unclear on Joanna's goals and why she needs the money so badly. The constant barrage of questions are making this story incredibly convoluted, and my interest is waning as things become increasingly difficult to follow along. I'm concerned that the season may end up like "Westworld" if it isn't careful and if it starts relying on random shocks, twists, and misdirection too much. Angela's story is good on paper and there are some creative choices made in how it is told but it still doesn't entirely work for me. I was disappointed that Angela's decision on whether or not to use the evidence against Jim and Saul was skipped over. At least we saw the fall-out, but this is a huge moment for the character. Why on Earth was it skipped? I also find myself struggling to follow along with what Angela wants from E Corp, and this is likely continued problems from the whiplash effect of how Angela's character changed between seasons. She seems to genuinely want more power, and yet she is still helping her lawyer with the case. I'm confused by this and I want more clarity on Angela and her motives so that these scenes can mean more. At least there wasn't such excessive monologuing in this episode, but the slow pace is really starting to kill me after four episodes. Especially with there being so many hour-long episodes where very little actually happens. Let's see some plot movement now. Even "Better Call Saul", a notoriously slow TV show, has much more plot progression and character work happening in every episode. "Mr. Robot" seems to be trying to hide its slow pace and inefficient character development behind flashy cinematography and directing. The Unknown: What were the FBI pages for? What was Romero looking into? What is Operation Berenstain? Who started that operation? Does it have something to do with Elliot or Tyrell? What deal did Kareem agree to with Joanna? Why did it lead him into danger? He is the same man who confronted Elliot about Tyrell's car being parked for 3 days. Did he have a deal with Joanna by this point or did that come after? Why does Joanna need this money? What is she funding? Why is E Corp keeping Tyrell's money? Apparently the FBI were supposed to guarantee that he gets his money. Why? Are the government in on Tyrell's disappearance? What are Whiterose and Price planning? Why is Angela so important (I presume the "she" that they discussed in Angela)? Was Angela wrong when she confronted Price? I suspect that she wasn't, and perhaps Price simply did not like that Angela attempted to take power from him, so he rejected her. What is Darlene's plan to avoid being killed by the Dark Army? Will she help Mobley and Trenton too? What is Elliot's plan? How does he plan to hack into the FBI? What will this accomplish? Will Ray be fine with this? Best Moment: Elliot's dream sequence was wonderful and does nicely to illuminate Elliot's inner desires. He does wish the hook up with Angela, he genuinely cares for Darlene and wants her to be happy, and in a lovely moment, he still feels guilt over what he did to poor Bill Harper back in "eps1.4_3xpl0its.wmv", and wishes to make up with him. The sequence was nicely edited and was genuinely moving as we finally got to see Elliot dare to dream of a better future to fight for. Character of the Episode: Elliot. Conclusion: Another slow-burn episode that patiently develops the story, but loses me at several points along the way. I'm sure that this is going somewhere interesting, and the visual style of the show is tremendous, but the frustration is setting in and that is hurting the show. Elliot's story keeps me going, but I need more substance to connect with the story that is being told. Score: 56 Summary: Scott burns $5.9 million at the request of fsociety. Price makes a deal with government officials to get another loan. Elliot meets Ray who wants to become friends with him but Elliot keeps his distance. The next day, Ray tells Elliot that they talked at night and Elliot realizes it was Mr. Robot. Mr. Robot makes another attempt to subdue Elliot but Elliot refuses to give in and demands that he learns where Tyrell is. Elliot has another blackout and reawakens on the phone with Tyrell. Angela settles into her new job at E Corp and wants to keep it. She informs her lawyer about this, who is disappointed in her. Joanna continues to live her life and finds another lover. She receives a package with a phone in it. Gideon is met by Brock in a bar who kills him "for the country".
The Good: The opening sequence was well done. I appreciate the immediate follow-up to part 1's cliffhanger as Scott immediately springs into action. Fittingly, E Corp have him watched and they are well prepared to capture anyone who shows up for their own game. Scott remains sensible however, and he understands that any wrong move can have drastic consequences and he simply obeys fsociety's commands. And the result is that he is publicly seen burning millions of dollars at the mercy of fsociety, a public display of weakness and indifferent disconnect to a whopping $5.9 million, an amount of money that everyone on the street around him likely would never see in their lifetime. Fsociety's plan becomes clear immediately without a word of dialogue in this moment, confirmed by Darlene's smile as she watches it all unfold. Similar to "Breaking Bad", "Mr. Robot" tells its story beautifully, going the extra mile to utilize the format of televised media to the fullest in order to artistically convey the story as opposed to simply telling us everything bluntly. On the topic of E Corp, Price's speech in DC is brilliant. This character is likely being set up as a major villain, but we hardly know anything about him yet. What makes this extended speech work so well is that it tells us everything about this character's motivations and ideals organically in a scene that advances the plot (it explains why E Corp isn't undergoing any changes after repeated failures), while also treating the audience to a tremendous performance from the talented Michael Cristofer. This scene accomplishes a lot in terms of building this character up, and it does so without a word of exposition. After this speech, we know everything that Phillip Price is about, and it is easy to dislike him considering his inhumane morality, yet understand him because his perspective is pragmatic and logical. I praised Michael Cristofer's performance, and I suppose I should take this time to praise everyone creating this show. The extra effort put into this show is obvious just from watching. The performances are excellent, the dialogue is eloquently written, and the directing is truly something else. This show has stylistically wowed me since the first episode, and I don't say that often enough. While I firmly believe that character writing, immersion and emotional engagement is far more important than these other little things, these little things are what take a good show and elevate it further into greatness. If "Mr. Robot" can correct its major flaws, then the show has all of the potential to be fantastic because Sam Esmail pays so much attention to these little details and he nails them every time. Additionally, the music is always terrific in this show. The original score is mesmerizing and the song choices are always memorable and fitting. Now is as good a time as ever to appreciate the detail-work in this show, especially since I often do not give myself the chance to praise these details. Elliot's story remains a fascinating mystery (see: The Unknown), but we get some very good storytelling as Elliot battles his inner self. I've ignored the elephant in the room for a while, but there are very clear "Fight Club" inspirations in this show, particularly with Elliot's relationship with Mr. Robot. I don't think that this weakens the show as there is enough unique ideas and storytelling to differentiate from "Fight Club", and I think that the many homages made to "Fight Club" actually add to the series. Elliot's conflict with Mr. Robot is brilliant here as he navigates interactions with Ray, an outgoing individual that seems to have an interest in Elliot's experience as a hacker. Elliot wants nothing to do with him, but Mr. Robot is more than willing to give in to Ray and connect with him. These scenes are done really well. Ray is endearing and likeable (helped by the fact that he is Craig Robinson), but we can understand Elliot's desire to stay alone. This eventually leads to a brilliant reveal when we learn that Elliot isn't in as much control as he thought and that Mr. Robot still managed to slip out while he wasn't paying attention. It's as jarring to him as it is to us, and Elliot's panic at this realization leads to a fantastic confrontation with Mr. Robot (see: Best Moment), connecting to the episode's theme of wearing masks and how Elliot's mask is one that takes over his entire character. This story doesn't advance the plot much, but it is compelling to watch. Poor Gideon is given death as the cherry on top of all that he has been through. I do think that this moment was somewhat lacking emotionally, but it is effective as a plot moment. Elliot identified Gideon as a genuine good guy, and now he has died as direct fallout from Elliot's revolution, helping to paint the idea that maybe revolution isn't as good as it initially seems. The Bad: Angela's story work because it is hard to buy this sudden change in her character. I felt like I was finally starting to understand her and connect with her in the late episodes of season 1, but suddenly the character has done a complete 180 out of nowhere. It's incredibly difficult to buy into her sudden morality change into a stonehearted leader who treats others poorly. The show is trying to prove a point that capitalism has turned a sweet person into a monster out of self-preservation but I just do not feel this story at all. Where is the drama? Where is Angela learning to stop being sweet and embrace her darker side? We don't get to see this transformation dramatized in any way, so instead of feeling tragic, it feels like the traits we learned about Angela last season have sloppily been stripped away. It's such a shame to see that happen after I had finally started to warm up to Angela last season. Now I feel like I'm back to square one with being indifferent to her storyline, which feels so disconnected from everything else. The show's production and directing is superb, but it doesn't make up for poor character writing. Joanna's BDSM scenes make me feel extremely uncomfortable. I suppose they are supposed to add more depth to her, but they are not interesting to watch and they do not add enough substance to justify how difficult these scenes are to watch. Perhaps they will illuminate Joanna further in future episodes, but for now they do not make for compelling television. I would rather explore literally any other aspect of her character. Again, the vague storytelling does hurt the show. It's always easier to become emotionally invested when you have a clear understanding of the motivations of the characters' and the stakes of the conflict that you are watching. So much is being kept from us while we watch this two-part premiere that we never get that clear understanding, and that detracts from the episode's quality. Like I said before, I'm sure that this will be more engaging on rewatch, but on first watch this is missing something. The Unknown: Who is the guy that is watching Joanna? Who is the man she is using for her BDSM stuff? Is he someone important or just a stand-in for Tyrell? Why doesn't she go with him in public? What was that phone for? Who sent it? Was it Tyrell? Why was it sent? What is the significance of Joanna missing the call? Why did Brock kill Gideon? Was it just because of the revolution or did he have ulterior motives? Who is DiPierro and why is she important? The show made a point of introducing her briefly. What did Ray want from Elliot? What did he talk to him about when he was Mr. Robot? What else did Mr. Robot do during Elliot's black-out at the end of the episode? How did he get in touch with Tyrell? Where is he? Is he even alive? Why has Angela had such a sudden change of heart? Why do so many people at her job hate her? Is she not bothered by this? She has changed so much from season 1. Why does Angela have Qwerty? Best Moment: Elliot's psychotic laughter in the face of Mr. Robot trying to demoralize him by saying that Elliot's social identity is Mr. Robot. A bone-chilling scene that perfectly encapsulates Elliot's fraying sanity as he tries to fend off his alter ego's manipulations. Character of the Episode: Elliot again. Conclusion: A solid second part to what was a consistently good season premier. This two-parter isn't mind-blowing by any means, but it sets the stage for season 2 in good fashion. Score: 63 Summary: Flashbacks show Elliot working with Tyrell on the hack, but when things get underway, Elliot reaches for the gun in the popcorn machine. Another flashback shows Elliot fall out of the window and get taken to the doctor. In the present, Elliot is living with a new daily routine at his mother's place and is working on controlling Mr. Robot and his mental health. He is still speaking with Krista. Elliot meets with Gideon who wants help in a legal investigation going on with him but Elliot refuses to help and Gideon threatens to tell the FBI what he knows about him. Darlene continues to lead the expanding fsociety and together they blackmail E Corp for 5.9 million dollars with the threat being that they brick their entire banking system if they don't get it. Scott and Price discuss it with a counsellor and Scott decides that he will give fsociety the money.
The Good: The flashbacks to start the episode were very strong, and they gave us some curious insight into the circumstances of the show. With Elliot recollecting on his hack with Tyrell, the show makes it clear that what happened to Tyrell is going to be a major mystery in the early episodes of this season. Fascinatingly, there's a good chance that Elliot may have killed him (see: The Unknown) and that processing what he's done has furthered the deterioration of his mind. Furthermore, we get another tidbit of Elliot's past as we see the event where he falls out of the window. This scene confirms that it was Elliot who threw himself out of the window, and also gives us further details on his difficult childhood. Elliot's story in the present is very interesting. This episode was mostly scene-setting, but it does so very effectively in interesting ways. From Elliot's constant fighting with Mr. Robot in an effort to maintain control to Elliot listening while Leon rambles on about "Seinfeld", I was captivated by learning more about Elliot's current lifestyle. I have some ideas about what exactly we are watching (see: The Unknown), but outside of theorizing I am still enjoying the suspense and the inner conflict that Elliot is wrestling with. The scenes with Mr. Robot are of course excellent, and I was fascinated by Mr. Robot shooting Elliot in the head all taking place in Elliot's mind. The ensuing scene with Gideon is also terrific as Mr. Robot plays with Elliot's weak attempts to be a better person by reminding him of his own lack of control and the darker side of him that he is struggling to accept as a facet of his own character. The inner struggle is fantastic to watch, and I was compelled by it. I continue to be fascinated with how this show handles narration. It's hard to understand who exactly we are in terms of the story, and it is a clever idea to have Elliot develop a relationship with us, feeling betrayed after what Elliot went through in the previous episode. I especially loved the detail of Elliot hiding his true thoughts about Mr. Robot from us and only trusting it to Krista. This is a brilliant way to make what is clearly a plot device (Elliot's mental state being used to hide details) fit organically into the story, removing the big weakness of breaking immersion that comes up when there is a plot device. I'm not the biggest fan of using Elliot's mental state to hide plot details and needlessly confuse the story (see: The Bad), but if this needed to be done, then the show is doing it in the best way possible. The fsociety storyline continues to progress in an interesting way. I suspect that it's only a matter of time before Elliot is involved again, but for now Darlene has been given the responsibility of running the group, which should be a good opportunity for us to get to know her better. The end of the episode shows another huge hack happen, and now E Corp has to respond to this and do their best to do damage control. This is a good start to the storyline, very plot-heavy so far, but I'm sure that we will get more substance as the season continues. The Bad: There is too much mystery here and that actually detracted from my experience. Don't get me wrong, I love mystery, and I am intrigued by this new season and hungry for answers. But I am asking too many questions throughout the episode, and I don't feel like there was enough substance to make this a great episode. Instead of connecting with characters, contemplating themes, and feeling tense due to the stakes, I was spending my time trying to figure out what exactly was happening and that hurt the emotional effectiveness of the episode. I imagine things will be more effective on rewatch, but I should still be able to feel the beats of the story on my first watch. Take "Lost" for example, that show had a ton of mysteries, but it never let the mysteries take away from the characters and what they went through. I can't say the same for this first episode. Clouding the emotional aspect of the story within a convoluted mystery is a mistake that will make it harder to enjoy this show. The Unknown: A whole load of questions with this one. What happened to Tyrell? Did Elliot kill him and cover it up? It looks like Tyrell has been framed for the fsociety attack, did Elliot set him up somehow? If Tyrell isn't dead, then where is he? Did Elliot capture him and imprison him somewhere? Did he escape from Elliot and go into hiding? Where is he? What did the doctor tell Elliot in the flashback? The directing of the scene suggested that this was when Elliot was informed about some sort of mental disorder. Why is Elliot going through this daily routine? Is he holding himself to it for self-improvement? Is somebody else holding him up to it? Is Elliot's mind reliable right now? A lot of his daily routine seems to be paralleling prison, or some sort of house arrest. Is this a stylistic parallel, or is Elliot actually in a prison, or in a psych ward? Why is Gideon in so much trouble? Did Elliot frame him as well with his actions? Will Gideon tell the FBI what he knows? Or will Elliot manage to negotiate with him? Who is this new character Susan? It seems like she is defending E Corp effectively. Why did fsociety use her house as a new base of operations? Was that out of spite, or is there a deeper plan? Is Darlene the leader of fsociety now? What has she been doing as a leader? What is the goal of this new hack? She seems to be struggling internally over her new role. What is bothering her? How will Scott giving the money to fsociety go down? Will he be successful? Will fsociety spare E Corp when they get the money? What has Angela been up to? She wasn't present in this episode. Best Moment: Elliot and Gideon's meeting. Elliot's decaying mental health is engaging and horrifying to watch and his inner turmoil has been portrayed terrifically so far. Character of the Episode: Elliot. Conclusion: This was a solid start to the new season. The feel of season 2 is already much different to season 1, and while this first episode is somewhat hurt by a covoluted narrative, I am intrigued by the stylistic difference this episode has to season 1. Score: 63 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
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