Mr Robot had one of the best debut seasons I've ever seen come from a TV show. Even my favorite shows of all time take a while to reach their peak, but Mr Robot comes out of the door guns blazing. Season 1 of Mr Robot is tight, well-crafted, and a lot of fun to watch.
The main storyline of Season 1 is about Elliot (Rami Malek) being recruited by a mysterious figure named Mr Robot (Christian Slater) to hack E-Corp, a company that essentially has a monopoly on the entire country. He joins a hacking team named fsociety where he meets Darlene (Carly Chaikin), a very important character later on. Also on the cast is Angela (Portia Doubleday), Elliot's childhood friend who deals with her own vendetta towards E-Corp, Shayla (Frankie Shaw), Elliot's neighbor and love interest, and Tyrell (Martin Wallstrom), an up and coming employee who takes a fascination to Elliot.
Season 1 does a great job of telling a strong self-contained story where every character matters. Elliot's therapist Krista plays an important role in the finale, Shayla's drug dealer Vera ends up killing her a few episodes into the season, and the looming mystery of the hacking team Dark Army reaches it culmination when we meet who runs it. The acting and cinematography is also top-notch across the board, resulting in a TV season that looks far more like a movie than a television show. I love the off-kilter framing and acclimation towards symmetry, giving Mr Robot a unique look.
But you can't talk about Season 1 of Mr Robot without talking about its big twist: Mr Robot isn't real, Darlene is Elliot's sister, Elliot has a split personality and amnesia, and you can't trust his narration at all. It's a brilliant plot twist pulled off with an amount of sheer confidence that you rarely see anywhere else. It's well foreshadowed, and the ramifications are nearly endless. What was just as shocking is the finale where Elliot manages to pull off the hack, causing a worldwide economic crisis that isn't even reversed, solidifying Mr Robot as one of the boldest shows ever.
In terms of notable episodes, it's hard not to list the whole season:
eps1.0_hellofriend.mov: This was an excellent first impression for the show, introducing the series's staple cinematography right from the get go. It's a well-paced pilot that confidently introduces the show and its characters leaving you intrigued to learn more.
eps1.5_br4ve-trave1er.asf: I don't like Vera at all, but there's no denying the fact that he headed some of the show's best episodes. Brave Traveler is a tense standalone with a compelling conflict between Elliot and Vera. Just when you think Elliot got the upper hand as always, the ending punches you in the gut and leaves a serious impact.
eps1.7_wh1ter0se.m4v: I already said why this episode is great, the twist of Elliot's split personality was brilliantly done and begins Mr Robot's shift from a cyber drama to a psychological thriller about mental illness. We also get to meet Whiterose herself, which was a very fun moment.
eps1.8_m1rr0r1ng.qt: Coming after the previous episode, this one did a good job of explaining what the hell is going on with Elliot without making things too expository. Darlene and Angela's dynamic is fun to watch, and the ending with Tyrell joining fsociety is super excited.
eps1.9_zer0-day.avi: An unconventional finale for sure, but a fun one too. The first few minutes were stunning as we learn just how screwed up the world has gotten since fsociety's hack. While it doesn't answer any of the questions it introduces, Zero Day packs in tons of iconic and memorable moments to end the season on a strong note.
Overall, this was a phenomenal first season that should prove to be a really tough act to follow for Mr Robot. The acting, cinematography, and writing are all top-notch, and the last three episodes are chock full of amazing and mind-blowing twists.
5/5 Stars
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