(S)he was, but even though I didn’t recognize the actor at first, I never bought him as a woman. Then I recognized him from about a billion episodes of Law and Order: Subtitle of the Week, and it was all over.
I really have to give huge props to the writers. They have crafted a fascinating tale. They do a great job of rolling along, then twisting what is real in a way that changes the context of everything. And the great thing is, when they do it, it doesnt come off like a gimmick. Little throw away scenes suddenly make more sense or gain importance as this show goes on. It looks like the last two episodes of the season are going to be a helluva ride and will give us at least a bit of clarity into what is real and whats not in Elliots world.
That was a fantastic scene. I was getting an Agent Cooper in the Red Room vibe.
Great episode, and I cannot wait for next week.
Interesting theory posted on reddit (spoilers): https://www.reddit.com/r/MrRobot/comments/3gvydo/theory_spoilers_i_have_cracked_the_mr_robot_code/
Not sure if I believe it, but I guess we’ll know soon enough.
Interesting read. Certainly plausible in the context of the show. I just think its a bit too pat, so Im guessing theres a real surprise in store for us. Frankly the most fun thing about that reddit link are all comments bemoaning their attempts to get other people to watch the show. “The title causes their eyes to glaze over and youve already lost them.” stuff like that. I can empathize, Ive tried to get several friends to watch, if for no other reason but to have someone to talk to about it. They have all balked and when you try to explain the greatness of the show, its really tough because if you do so without spoilering the crap out of it, its comes off kind of crazy. Sadly everyone Ive tried to get watching this show, I honestly believe would love it. but they wont take that leap.
All caught up as of today. Holy shit! What a brutal but awesome last 3 episodes! And then the dual reveal of Darlene and Mr. Robot, mind bending! I was wondering at the start of this most recent episode “how the hell do Angela and Darlene know each other?!”, then BAM.
As for Mr. Robot…I like the theory that it really is Elliot’s dad and not just another personality split. I mean, we clearly see Mr. Robot interacting with Darlene, Tyrell and Romero in scenes where Elliot is not present at all. Previously, when I was thinking Mr. Robot was Elliot’s alter ego, it was based on people only seeming to interact with one of them directly, while the other just looked on. I was thinking Mr. Robot was who Elliott became when he needed a more impulsive, stronger decision maker personality. Now though, I am not so sure. They certainly would appear to be different people. I mean, take the Tyrell interaction. Tyrell thinks of Elliott as someone beneath him, intriguing yes, and ripe with potential, but still as “salad serving guy” status. When he meets with Mr. Robot it’s obviously as partners in some pre-determined grand scheme that has Tyrell more than a little worried. If Elliott and Mr. Robot were the same person, Tyrell would have more of a similar reaction to them both.
I’m thinking Mr. Robot is real, and probably IS Elliott’s father. The theory from the website above makes sense, Elliott’s dad does something terrible that Elliott finds out about as a child (maybe he was directly involved in the toxic dumping incident that led to the death of Angela’s mom). That revelation causes child Elliott’s break with reality, and he “erases” all memory of his father, effectively assigning him the same fate as Angela’s mother (the incident “killed” him). Elliott’s father leaves after the incident (possibly also the catalyst for Elliott’s breakdown) and begins a 20 year quest for revenge against Evil Corp. He enlists his daughter and others, and eventually realizes he needs Elliott’s special talents as well. With Elliott off his meds and hooked on morphine, he is living his psychosis, and has no memory of Mr. Robot as his father or Darlene as his sister.
At this point, who the fuck knows what is real and what isn’t?! That’s part of what makes this show so interesting!
Well, fuck. It just hit me, what if Mr Robot is both? Real and not real. We have seen Mr Robot interact with people when Elliot is not around but he doesnt when Elliot is around. Interesting how many ways this show could go. Revealing the truth about Darlene has changed how we see almost everything. Damn I love a show that makes me think.
I liked the discussion on the linked Reddit above about the name of the show, Mr Robot, turning people off initially.
I know it turned me off a bit, and it was only because of the mention on QT3 here it that I gave it a shot. And my ex (we’re still good friends), who’s now totally into the show, squirmed a bit when I told her the name of the show initially, I had to reassure her several times that she’d enjoy it.
The title makes it sound like a kid’s show, and it’s only when you see the “disco” font that you start to think, “aha, this looks like it might be interesting, some arty stuff going on here”, then a few minutes of charismatic acting and great dialogue, and you’re hooked.
As to the main “thing” of the show, I dunno now. These last few episodes have blown away the Fight Club idea - or have they? I just don’t know any more … I only know it’s the best thing on the tv at the moment.
You see disco font?
I was thinking more of the 70s/80s “multi-line” fonts in general, which were pretty popular at the time (Sega obviously picked up on it when they formed) and seemed to suggest something futuristic, electronic, etc. Also used to suggest the futuristic, snazzy nature of disco at the time (picked up by films that use multi-line font to suggest that era, like Boogie Nights).
I too saw Sega.
Also, I like Elliot’s taste in music!
Speaking of cool '80s fonts, I’m reminded of the “desert chrome” effect (think FC3 Blood Dragon).
And re: the music, I’ve already expressed my admiration for the show’s taste in dramatic classical music.
ROFLMAO, my very first PC was bought in 1994 and it actually was a Pentium 90 with an 800-odd megabyte hard drive :))))
And I bought it from the very same kind of little local PC shop - lots of them mushroomed around that time, then died out a few years later :)
I bought it specifically so I could play Doom, and shortly thereafter, I played Descent, then Command & Conquer and I was a videogame goner forever …
Happy days :)
Surprised more haven’t chimed in after what happened last night…
We’re probably all just too stunned :)
I’m waiting for subs :(
Sonic Youth midway through the episode, and a pretty wonderful choice for the end: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnIE171XkIY
Good music.
But your English on the boards is so good! Still, I know that understanding speech in a foreign language is a different thing.
Very heart wrenching episode, as reality crashes full force into Elliot’s world. The second season should be quite interesting, as there was a whole lot left unresolved. Since this season was only 9 episodes, hopefully season 2 will arrive sooner. Elliot is going to need Mr. Robot if he is going to survive his new partner.
Wait, was that the season finale last night?