'Mr. Robot' just revealed its latest mind-bending twist, but this one feels a bit familiar
Warning: If you're not a fan of spoilers, you might want to stop here.
Dammit, Reddit.
After weeks upon weeks of speculation over a very popular fan theory, Mr. Robot proved the internet right by pulling the curtain back on the second big reveal of its young life.
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Sam Esmail's tech-drama-turned-psychological-thriller revealed that Elliot's uneven reality has yet again escaped him. While we were led to believe he was living with his mother and recovering from his dystopic view of reality, he'd actually been entrapped in prison this whole time.
And it might have been a striking reveal ... if the TV sleuths at Reddit hadn't sniffed it out one week into the season. Similar praise could and should go to Vulture.
Truth be told, this has been a bait-and-switch long in the making. Esmail flooded interviews after Season 1 with a ton of vague language that hinted at another dark, reality-bending twist that was in the works. And in July, Rami Malek told Rolling Stone this after learning about the plot to Season 2:
"My first response was, 'Are you sure you want to do this?' Sam was like, 'It may fall flat on its face. But I think it's going to work.'"
All of which makes Wednesday's episode so disappointing. Mr. Robot felt like such a different type of drama when it first aired on USA Network last summer, one that was confident enough to color outside the narrative lines in a genre that has struggled to adapt and innovate in the current state of serialized storytelling. Mr. Robot looked different. It sounded different. And it found an audience that gravitated toward its gravitas.
But Wednesday's reveal felt like a half-baked attempt at trying recapture the same kind sparkle and magic of last season. And instead of doing something as unique as the countless things it brought in Season 1, this reveal felt way more like a tired and recycled idea.
And maybe if Esmail had not preemptively prepared his viewers to try and poke holes in his plot up front, the revelation -- that all Elliot Alderson had been through this season was essentially a self-induced fever dream -- might have landed a bit more on the mark. But this arc of Season 2 has, instead, felt disappointingly familiar.
To be fair, this episode will hit home for some. And, overall, this season has been a fine season of television. But after such a loud debut last summer, Mr. Robot felt like it was a television show that would continue to differentiate itself from other dramas with fresh ideas. So far this has not been the case.
Other Notes:
The religious symbolism continues to ring heavy-handedly throughout Season 2. While most critics thought Mr. Robot's first season was a bit too similar to Fight Club, it seems like we're edging dangerously closely to a similar philosophy as the one behind The Matrix.
We finally learn the dreadful fate of Tyrell. In what must have been the most underwhelming reveal of the season, Mr. Robot tells Elliot that he shot him not too long after the hack. So, well, there's that.
Joey Bada$$ is an actual badass!
How many times are we going to see Elliot walking down a street or alley and be overtaken and kidnapped by a handful of barrel-chested goons?
Ray finally gets captured by the FBI, after some cunning hacking by Elliot, and it turns out that his Silk Road-esque market place was actually his dead wife's idea. It makes for a great scene, but how did that all go down if Elliot's in jail?
