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
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
March 2024
Categories
All
|