Mr. Robot - eps1.1_one-and-zer0es.mpeg - Episode 2 - IT Nut Blog Review

Mr. Robot - Episode 2

The last episode ended with a cliff hanger. Who are those men in the room? This is where the second episode picks up. Elliot is about to be offered a job that doesn't officially exist. The so-called 'top 1% of the top 1%' want him to join them. They represent everything that he despises, but he waivers, and for a moment, we are uncertain about the choice he will make.

When Elliot gets home, he takes a larger dose of morphine than usual, and again, we experience uncertainty about the future of this young man and the role he will play. That drug-taking aspect of his character is probably the least convincing part of the plot.

If you have seen the TV series 'Dexter', Dexter's dual personality is much more prominent and defined. He has rules that he does not waiver from. He is convincingly in control of his own choices. Elliot, however, seems to be somewhat wishy-washy in that respect. What are his absolute values that he will not waiver from? Or are the writers trying to make him more human and relatable? If that's the case, he is a character that marches the fringes of his dual existence.

Elliot, in typical American style, is seeing a psychiatrist. He seems to genuinely care about her, so he takes a protective interest in her private life. Elliot hacks everyone he meets, and he knows all of their secrets.

I can't help thinking that Elliot is a watered-down version of Lisbeth Salander from 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'. The movies don't really do justice to her technical abilities, but if you read the books, she is awesome! They both have similar back stories of woe, but Lisbeth is a true loner, maverick and tough cookie! Anyway, it's neither here nor there. This Mr. Robot series is pretty good so far.

In the last episode, Elliot was instrumental in framing one of the chief execs of the company. He is led by Mr. Robot to believe that he is doing the right thing. In this episode, however, Elliot realises that he was maybe too hasty in trusting Mr. Robot. Elliot bought the rhetoric that Mr. Robot was selling, because it was what Elliot wanted to hear.

Something that puzzled Elliot about the initial hack of the system in episode one was that the hacker group, 'fsociety', were nowhere to be found - not mentioned at all - in the online forums. He possibly took that to mean that fsociety had noble intentions. It just seems that they were biding their time. In this episode they come out, all guns blazing, with a video that outlines their demands. Elliot may soon have blood on his hands.

Elliot is at a cross-roads. What will he do? What can he do? Mr. Robot isn't about to let him go that easily. Elliot joined the group 'fsociety' - albeit hastily - and he will face the consequences if he tries to leave.

Stay tuned!

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Mr. Robot - IT Nut Blog Review - Episode 1 (eps1.0_hellofriend.mov)

Mr. Robot - Episode 1

I must admit that I was intrigued when I saw the trailer for the imaginatively named 'Mr. Robot' ('A.I.' and 'i, Robot' were already taken). Episode one starts off with the 'mysterious black screen and narrator's voice sequence, which sets the scene. The premise is that there are a bunch of wealthy bespectacled white males that run the world (or America - same difference). Nothing new there.

For those of you who haven't heard about this series, it's about Elliot Alderson. He's a sociopathic hacker who works for 'Allsafe Cyber Security', which has clients like 'E Corp' - that Elliot affectionately calls 'Evil Corp' (it bears a strong resemblance to one of the large corporations of the day) - and he's some sort of do-gooder vigilante by night. He has a pet goldfish called Qwerty (classic!).

I'll try not to include any spoilers, but we're given a preview into Elliot's expertise when he hacks into the servers of a coffee shop chain, just because it has the fastest wifi in town and that arouses his suspicions. Nothing is ever good for no reason. He discovers that the owner is running a child porn ring and dobs him into the police. He's not doing it for the money, so he's a one of the good guys. Clear cut case, or is it? The grey area is that he does morphine, but he controls his addiction, it doesn't control him.

When 'E Corp' is hit by a cyber attack, Elliot saves the day, but Mr. Robot leaves him a message in the code. That is when it starts to get interesting!

In short, the show is about a young man who is disenfranchised by capitalism and large corporations, and he's groomed by idealists that want to change the world. See the show if you want to know what else happens in episode 1!


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