https://www.presto.com.au/tv/mr-robot
This series follows the rather twisted, lonely, and tortured life of a self taught former computer hacker, come white hat security expert, Elliot, who becomes entangled in an underground hacking cell with the stereotypically inspired name of fsociety by an apparent crazed vagrant on a train, who turns out to be an infamous hacker who identified by the callsign, “Mr Robot’.
As per its anarchist name suggests, the cell’s aim is to execute an ambitious plot to penetrate, subvert and destroy one of the largest corporations in the known world, Evilcorp.
Addled by mental health issues, potential delusions, psychosis and a nasty substance dependence problem, as well as a rather crazy sort of girlfriend, come drug dealer, as well as various other personal problems like stalking being his main hobby, Elliot, who cries himself to sleep most nights in his depressing “new York” aka bedsit apartment really isn’t in great shape by anyone’s standards.
His contact with the hacking cell, and the fairly loopy, potentially dangerous people in it, who potentially make him a positively sane and stable, happy man in comparison creates a stressor in his life that has the potential to test his resilience to the limit, creating immense personal growth, or push him well and truly over the edge.
As a character portrayed as clever, analytical, yet socially awkward, a bit damaged and with demons, yet still somehow functioning in a limping and broken manner in society, Elliot is easy to relate to, because he is a good metaphor for some of the character flaws we sometimes see in ourselves, and people close to us, which we need to battle to get though each day, and hold our lives together.
This production has a mildly semi-believable air to it, with tongue in cheek type stereotypical devices abounding, from the way some of the support characters are portrayed, to the ridiculous name of the big brother like corporation and the overarching nature of the spread of its slimy tentacles across the sphere of the world Elliot and his pals live in, is not so subtly depicted. “Evilcorp” – I mean, REALLY!
The flavour of the series hence somewhat reminiscent of a marvel type comic, with Elliot being the unlikely Hoodie wearing, Linux bash code loving dark eyed, barely functional and awkward junkie hero.
We all love a good underdog, though, don’t we? makes us all feel like we could change our own insignificant and isolated lives (ok, that’s just me ranting on maybe)
Even so, the whole thing seems to kind of work, and I’ve obsessively watched most of the first series already after a rather nerdy friend recommended it the other night. Funnily, Elements of Elliots character, mannerisms and awkwardness, and struggle to live in this world, made for social people kind of remind me of somebody I know well.
My advice- watch it. You’ll Enjoy it.