Mr Robot

[luke wilson]

This looks like a very highly rated new TV series. I watched 3 episodes a couple of weeks back and I think it would appeal to some people. I personally didn't like it to much as it lacked a certain type of warmth to it but nonetheless, lots of people seem to like it!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4158110/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Follows a young computer programmer (Malek) who suffers from social anxiety disorder and forms connections through hacking. He's recruited by a mysterious anarchist, who calls himself Mr. Robot.

 

[Mrs.Tigersoap]

I personally didn't like it to much as it lacked a certain type of warmth to it

I see this lack of warmth as quite fitting when you consider the characters, the occupation of the characters (most are involved in a shady business of one form or another), the world they live in, the company they are trying to fight. There is not much warmth in their world. There is one character showing a little bit of warmth and she... Well, you'll see when you continue watching, I don't want to spoil it for you. ;)

So far it's been an interesting show and I'm curious to see where this will lead.

 

[Woodsman]

This show is very cold and very dark, and I don't understand exactly what the creators are going for.

However..,

It is very clever.

It seems to be a very deliberate exploration of the mechanical behavior of humans and how their programming can be "hacked" or exploited. The title, "Mr. Robot", I think, lines up with this theme.

When the main character, Eliot, was pushed over the railing and severely injured, it was just another programming hack to install Mr. Robot in the role of his father, taking up where Eliot's abusive father left off. Now Eliot feels on a deep level the need to please and perform for this master hacker.

The whole thing is very cynical and horrifying. If it is going to up its game, there must be some way of demonstrating that there is more to humans than just pure mechanical behavior, what that 'more' might entail and how to find and work for it. While there have been a few glimmers of this, so far all we've really gotten is a purely materialist argument.

Its exploration of the out and out psychopathic executives is also quite chilling.

I never know how to read these sorts of media presentations.

On the one hand, it can serve as a sort of wake-up call. On the other, the whole show resonates on the wavelength of deep sickness. Like, "Game of Thrones" (which I find unwatchable), I wonder how many viewers come away having learned more about themselves, provided with a goal of what to try to grow away from as humans, or if they take it as a sort of instruction manual for what normal behavior is and conform to it.

These shows, all media, have the ability to make millions of people believe what normal reality is and thus teach the behaviors needed to "create" that reality. TV "programming" in a very literal sense.

 

[luke wilson]

Game of thrones has a sense of warmth to it residing in some of the characters e.g. Jon Snow. Human behaviour there is not purely mechanical... there is virtue, there is character... they talk about religion and gods... there is mysticism... it has a lot going for it. Mr Robot, the only thing from what I have seen so far going for it is his neighbour.. the drug dealing girl with a soul. I hope they haven't killed her off!!

 

[Woodsman]

Game of thrones has a sense of warmth to it residing in some of the characters e.g. Jon Snow. Human behaviour there is not purely mechanical... there is virtue, there is character... they talk about religion and gods... there is mysticism... it has a lot going for it.

In all honesty, I've only watched a single episode somewhere in the middle. It was the book series (well, the first book and about 100 pages of the second), which soured me on me the author's view of reality. Again, it might all be a project meant as a therapeutic lesson in psychopathy and the futility of integration with them, and how cagey politics might be the only solution, (as per the Putin way), but I didn't have the stomach or the patience to find out. There were too many instances of "No good deed goes unpunished" without any evidence of the forces available which assist earnest seekers. (Like the C's).

Mr Robot, the only thing from what I have seen so far going for it is his neighbour.. the drug dealing girl with a soul. I hope they haven't killed her off!!

She ended up in the trunk of a car with her throat slashed. It was heart breaking.

This might be designed to propel the main character into some new kind of awareness and action, but it's hard to tell. I don't think I have the stomach to find out in this case either.

Maybe I'm just too sensitive and impatient.

 

[lilies]

In the last episode - which was delayed because of similar shooting in US happening during the show's airing - the following strange fictitious information is served:

- The response to the Chinese and Japanese stock markets has provoked panic, setting off the downward trends of the European stock exchange. But what's even more worrisome is that the IMF has no leverage against these defaults. Already, 17 governments are said to be in large-scale crises with some on the verge of collapse. Among the countries are Lithuania, Croatia, Ukraine, Romania, the Czech Republic, and Estonia. [um.. they left out Hungary :)]

Man watching TV, and these are the headlines: European markets tumble... Governments prepare for state of emergency

Credit card systems go down... in the story in the US.

 

[gdpetti]

Sounds like The Matrix.... if only Neo joined the dark side? Similar perhaps to plotlines in many such projects... the 'Dark' Superman, Spiderman etc....

 

[Renaissance]

Mr Robot, the only thing from what I have seen so far going for it is his neighbour.. the drug dealing girl with a soul. I hope they haven't killed her off!!

She ended up in the trunk of a car with her throat slashed. It was heart breaking.

Hey! Bad tv/movie etiquette!!!

I really like the series and the characters, well except for Christian Slater - I think they could have cast that role better. It's gritty and has some good themes on society and the lies we're told. I think it could have been better in their portrayal of likely psychopaths, but overall I like the show.

 

[Tomek]

I really like the series and the characters, well except for Christian Slater - I think they could have cast that role better. It's gritty and has some good themes on society and the lies we're told. I think it could have been better in their portrayal of likely psychopaths, but overall I like the show.

I really liked this first season as well, and I agree with you regarding Christian Slater, he doesn't really fit with the rest of the casting. I wish that Keanu Reeves got the role :D or Edward Norton !

As for psychopathy, well, I think they are doing a good job. It's not a clinical approach of the problem, but they presents the psychopathic characters cleverly enough to hint something about the mask of sanity. The Tyrell character, so neat and charming in his costume, at work, is also shown at his worst, in a more "American Psycho" way than realistic, though, but it's already something. As for his wife, or the new CEO of Evil Corp (see last episode), well, they're just spine-chilling

On an overall note, I think this is a great TV show, I really love the unreliable narrator approach, the pinch of surrealism, the characters, the music, the cut, the photo, well... You got it, I'm a big fan.

 

[Tigersoap]

As for psychopathy, well, I think they are doing a good job. It's not a clinical approach of the problem, but they presents the psychopathic characters cleverly enough to hint something about the mask of sanity. The Tyrell character, so neat and charming in his costume, at work, is also shown at his worst, in a more "American Psycho" way than realistic, though, but it's already something. As for his wife, or the new CEO of Evil Corp (see last episode), well, they're just spine-chilling

On an overall note, I think this is a great TV show, I really love the unreliable narrator approach, the pinch of surrealism, the characters, the music, the cut, the photo, well... You got it, I'm a big fan.

I agree, unlike a few other TV shows that I won't name, it is a well crafted serie on all accounts.
From what I've read, it is also the only show where hacking is described realistically.
On par with the hospital drama, The Knick imho.

 

[luc]

We watched the first couple of episodes, and I agree - it's a unique and very interesting series, full of potential "wake-up" topics. And it really depicts human mechanical behavior, including psychopathy, with chilling accuracy I think. In that respect, it is really excellent!

However, I fully agree with Woodsman, especially the bold part:

This show is very cold and very dark, and I don't understand exactly what the creators are going for.

However..,

It is very clever.

It seems to be a very deliberate exploration of the mechanical behavior of humans and how their programming can be "hacked" or exploited. The title, "Mr. Robot", I think, lines up with this theme.

When the main character, Eliot, was pushed over the railing and severely injured, it was just another programming hack to install Mr. Robot in the role of his father, taking up where Eliot's abusive father left off. Now Eliot feels on a deep level the need to please and perform for this master hacker.

The whole thing is very cynical and horrifying. If it is going to up its game, there must be some way of demonstrating that there is more to humans than just pure mechanical behavior, what that 'more' might entail and how to find and work for it. While there have been a few glimmers of this, so far all we've really gotten is a purely materialist argument.

Its exploration of the out and out psychopathic executives is also quite chilling.

I never know how to read these sorts of media presentations.

On the one hand, it can serve as a sort of wake-up call. On the other, the whole show resonates on the wavelength of deep sickness. Like, "Game of Thrones" (which I find unwatchable), I wonder how many viewers come away having learned more about themselves, provided with a goal of what to try to grow away from as humans, or if they take it as a sort of instruction manual for what normal behavior is and conform to it.

These shows, all media, have the ability to make millions of people believe what normal reality is and thus teach the behaviors needed to "create" that reality. TV "programming" in a very literal sense.

Each time after watching it, I really felt deeply depressed - I usually have this kind of reaction to "dark" movies showing psychological abysses. And this series does it so well! And I'm afraid that many people will either be "downed" by the content (as in the opposite of empowered), or idealize this sort of pseudo-rebellious, drug-abusing "hacker scene". In fact, in Germany and elsewhere I watched the real ("mainstream") hacker scene become really something of a phenomenon, with their blogs and meetings etc. - there seems to be a strong critical spirit, but it goes only so far, and it is completely materialistic. I could be wrong, but this smells like a psy-op...

I watched a panel discussion on youtube with some of the actors/the creator of "Mr. Robot", and I found it telling that the guy playing Elliot was like "oh, doing drugs is cool..." - he was kind of promoting/idealizing this kind of dysfunctional behavior, this romanticized "outlaw hacker" lifestyle. And if I imagine being 16 again, realizing that something is wrong with the world while being driven by puberty to go against parents/society and be "rebellious", this kind of ideology would strongly appeal to me I think. It's kind of spooky and dangerous...

 

[MichaelM]

Just recently finished watching Mr. Robot.
Found it to be very clever. I agree with most of the insights brought up in the previous comments.
It is pretty creepy that the topic of economic meltdown is being depicted in a tv series just as an economic meltdown is progressing in real life. Some people have even noticed the "timing" of the Ashley Madison email dumps and it being mentioned in the 9th/10th episode of the series.

It could have been added to the clip post-production though. Or maybe it was purely coincidental like how the Red Sox actually won during the filming of Fever Pitch.

After reading the previous comments here are a few more thoughts that I had after a bit of reflection:
- Angela at the end of the season seems to have come to a position to be able to face petty tyrants. She did show that she could face off and hold her own when Colby "tested" her during their first meeting at Colby's home.
- The Joanna and Tyrell dynamic is well written/portrayed. With Joanna being the real psychopath and it looks like Tyrell is the sociopath because of his connection/association with his wife. Or maybe just a failed psychopath? Not as good of a psychopath as his wife?

The end of the season was also beautifully done with enough "mysteries" to seed the story for the next season.


*** Spoiler Alert ***



Also, if no one has noticed it yet, it is very Fight Club-ish. But the creator did admit to as much being inspired by the film.

 

[Divide by Zero]

I got to binge watch the show this weekend and was impressed.
It's nice that it was a show rather than a movie. I feel a movie would not allow for the freedom to spend time as they did in building up things.

The soundtrack is riveting, especially the scenes when you are thrust into Eliot's world.

I like how through Eliot's issues we learn about psychology- the subconscious and all that. It reminds me of the book Operators and Things!

It's very interesting how the psychopathic CEO was interested in Angela, because of what she did and risked to do what she did. I'm reminded of the C's saying that STS can't just kill someone like her and it seems that is because they have to first convert her (or try to) in order to "absorb" their power.

Tyrell's wife is definitely the most creepiest character in the story, with a reptilian like stare despite the "smiles". Interesting enough, Eliot is able to sense that she might be able to read (hack) him!

Question:
In the scene where he is at Times Square and wants to be alone, I noticed something odd. Instead of Bank of E being shown on the screens, we see Bank of America and other advertisements of companies from our real world. It kind of made me wonder if that was meant to be, or a mistake?

 

[meta-agnostic]

*vague thematic spoilers*

I also got to binge watch it recently and loved it on the whole. Basically a mash-up of The Matrix and Fight Club, two of my favorites. Right down to using the piano cover of "Where is My Mind" by The Pixies (original played during end credits of Fight Club) it had me eating it up.

There is some darkness in it and I agree with others that it may contain elements of a psy-op. The timing compared with real world events just seems a bit uncanny. Perhaps it could be meant to vector people into a certain way of thinking about and reacting to events? I saw a lot of people protesting/partying like crazy in reaction to the culminating events but I didn't see them dealing with infrastructure crumbling beyond just banking transactions. Like so many things in entertainment there are probably elements involved with it trying to promote truth and wake people up and they end up making compromises with darker forces in order to get the product to market. Who knows what the end result will be? Looks like they are planning a second season. Wait and see...

 

[Kisito]

I agree with everything you said.

However what surprised me is very committed stance of the film production.

From the first episode, we see people like the actor Mel Gibson, making us assume that it is part of the dark side. Then right after, it speaks of the dictator, and at this time we see the President V. Putin. I do not know if it's Putin to denounce or to signify that he is the only one to struggle against the hegemony of the real world dictatorship, the US, represented by American actor Mel Gibson.

Another point, when the young psychopath is doing visit the company Eliott, he shows her a person, and said that this man finance "ISIS" (the terrorist group in Middle East).

This same young psychopath, made an ironic allusion, he said: I am not human. What would make us believe that he is either a PO or be a lizard..

I don't state the name of lizard by chance, but because in the generic film, one of the names of the producers or writers, is "Draco".

Other name generic film of "Anonymous Content". "Content" in French, translates as "happy."