Mr. Robot (2015–2019)
7/10
Adventures in an inner monologue
28 May 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Based on the first episode only:

The lead actor and his embrace of this character are the real strengths of this show.

This is not the show for someone seeking action and special effects. A key tool used to tell the story is a running inner monologue of the main character and as such we could describe this episode as being more cerebral than many television shows but it is an approach to storytelling that some will not appreciate.

There are tropes that appear - males blackmailed for porn/prostitution, childhood friendship unrealized as an adult romance, evil mega-corporations, and so on. Very little if anything truly novel about the elements of Mr. Robot, at least as far as the first episode.

As for the production - obviously on a tight budget but a gritty feel is developed with liberal use of grey city scenes and green fluorescent indoor lighting, without becoming too melancholic.

The writers have thrown in several terms into the dialogue - "rootkit", "DDOS", etc. - that strike me as too obviously placed, as a blatant attempt to identify with the target audience.

The dialogues are nowhere as strong as the monologue and are short, somewhat awkward.

Even with all those weaknesses, the first episode left us wanting more. Worth catching.
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