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deeeepsteep · 2 years

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Hi hi

I’m a regular at the Mr. Robot subreddit, and every time someone announces that they finished the show for the first time, I give them a list of Mr. Robot-related things for them to check out before they give the show another watch. Ever since the show moved to Netflix in certain countries, there’s been an influx of new watchers, so I like to help them out with additional content in case they’re itching for another fix but don’t feel up for a rewatch right away. I don’t really use Tumblr anymore but I figured I’d drop the list here in case people don’t know that there are other things outside the show that exist!

Mr. Robot is one of those shows that you absolutely HAVE to rewatch at least once. It’s a completely different story when you already know the major plot points. You will catch all the subtle hints and foreshadowing that lead up to the biggest reveals/twists, and you realize that Sam Esmail knew where he was going with the story from the very beginning (Fun fact: He originally penned the show as a movie, so he already knew how the story was going to end long before he knew it was going to be a show!). Remember how confusing 104 was? It makes a lot more sense on a rewatch. That’s just one of the many things that become a lot clearer when you revisit the show.

But the plot can be very dense and it might take awhile to fully digest everything before you’re ready to dive back in, so I always suggest checking out the following while you’re prepping yourself for that crucial rewatch.

- Remember the journal Elliot keeps in season 2? It exists, and you can read or listen to it yourself! It’s called Red Wheelbarrow (Duh); what’s neat about the physical copy of the journal is that it’s meant to look almost exactly like the one he keeps in the show. It’s in “his handwriting” (Not Rami Malek’s unfortunately, but it’s Courtney Looney, who was a writer for the show; she and Sam co-wrote the journal), and it comes with a bunch of neat little trinkets that serve as puzzles that you can decode! Some of the stuff that’s included are a postcard written by Darlene, a newspaper clipping, and a page ripped out from a book. There is an eBook version, as well as an audiobook narrated by Carla (The trans inmate). It’s a great addition if you’re a fan of the show and it provides a lot of important context! Chronologically, it takes place immediately after season 1 when Elliot gets arrested, all the way up to when he gives Carla the journal so she can burn it. You’re filled in on what he’s been up to in the early days of his jail time.

- There is a VR/360 video experience that you can watch on YouTube. Warning: It’s super sad. Watch out for Sam Esmail’s cameo! He also makes a cameo in each season of the show.

- There was a mobile game that was published by Telltale (It was developed by a different studio though). You can’t download it on app stores anymore, but you can download an emulator and the game file and play it that way, or you can watch a walk through on YouTube. It takes place shortly before the Steel Mountain hack in season 1, and it’s a must play if you’re a big Darlene fan. The premise is basically: Darlene loses her phone, you find it, and she forces you to do tasks for her and fsociety. It’s kind of like a text adventure game. It’s super fun; Darlene basically bullies you for the entire game and it’s great.

- When the show was still on air, there was an ARG that fans could play alongside each new episode. There were a bunch of complicated puzzles and interesting clues that added a lot of context to the show. A group of dedicated people solved each puzzle on Reddit; their sub is called r/ARGsociety and you can view every puzzle on their wiki page.

- You can watch deleted scenes, gag reels, and behind the scenes featurettes on YouTube! This playlist also includes a snippet of The Careful Massacre of the Bourgeoise, aka the movie Elliot and Darlene love watching every Halloween.

This show is packed with nuance and depth; you can spend hours dissecting everything and you’d probably only be able to scratch the surface. It’s such a brilliant show and I love it to bits. I’m always up for an opportunity to blab about the show as well so you can always message me if you want to talk about it, whether it be about the show itself or if you just want to gush about how much you enjoyed it (Though I’m on Reddit far more regularly than here so it’s probably best you messaged me there instead so I’ll actually get a notification for it lol).

#mr. robot #darlene alderson #elliot alderson #mr robot #spoilers

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mr-qwerty · 2 years

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Thinking about how so many people dislike Angela purely because the show is told from Elliots point of view and how she started out with the best intentions and tried to strive for justice in any moral way possible (doing good work/working hard, reopening the Washington township case, working on the case seemingly more than the actual lawyers, becoming a corporate mole to try and change e-corp from the inside, using any favors or advantages she gained to support her mission,...) only for it all to be for nothing because white rose saw her determination and knew she was a threat .... The fact that Angelas greatest strength, her determination, also became her downfall because it exposed her vulnerability and allowed for white rose to manipulate her... After trying everything else and striving for this her whole life, Angela succumbed to white roses manipulation and brainwashing because she wanted justice and closure for herself and her mother so badly she'd grown desperate enough to do anything... Like I'm sure not condoning what she did and how she exploited Elliots trust and manipulated him herself... but I feel like she is sometimes not treated as the nuanced character she is because we focus to much on what she did to Elliot, even though he made some pretty grave mistakes himself.. just saying. I also wonder if some people dislike her because she was introduced as the romantic interest (girl next door... literally called ANGELA like.. we get she's dainty and pure..), and because Sam Esmail loves to subvert stereotypes/cliches/tropes, of course that's not what we get. So maybe that disappointed some viewers because they saw that future for Elliot. Anyways. Just... thinking.

#mr robot #mr spoilers #angela moss #elliot alderson #sam esmail #rambling #stg she's underrated #the gatekeep gaslight girl boss jokes are funny though #kinda #like not funny funny but like. funny #yk

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that50shousehusband · 3 years

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Is It Worth It: Mr. Robot

Headnote: This is a general review of the series Mr. Robot. I will be uploading posts that retell the events of the episodes and my thoughts on the episodes starting some time next week: I’ll be calling posts like these “watch alongs.” I have a fic review in process right now, which will likely be uploaded before I start uploading those posts. Now, onto the review...

**I will try to avoid spoilers, but I may need to include specifics at times**

Mr. Robot

Mr. Robot is a TV series created by Sam Esmail that first aired in 2015 with pilot episode “eps1.0_hellofriend.mov” and ended in 2019 with it’s series finale “Hello, Elliot.” The series is available to be streamed on Amazon Prime Video, which is the method I used to watch this series. Allegedly, it can be purchased or streamed on Vudu, Apple TV, Google Play Movies & TV, iTunes, and Youtube, though I am unsure whether or not it is available on all these services. It can also be purchased as the whole series on Blu-ray disc.

The series has a total of 4 seasons, 45 episodes, and a run time of just under 37 hours. As of now, Mr. Robot has not and will not be renewed for a fifth season. However, there was a book released in 2016 titled Mr. Robot: Red Wheelbarrow, which is intended to be a companion piece to the series. The series follows Elliot Alderson (played by Rami Malek) as he finds himself involved with a hacker group and wraps himself up in-- what I can only describe as-- their “shenanigans.” Through the series, you get to follow the stories and timelines of other characters, mainly the people in Elliot’s circle, or people related to the “main event.” Elliot narrates much of the series, speaking directly to the audience. It makes the series seem much more personal and makes you feel more involved in the story. This show has a lot of nuance and needs to have the viewer’s full attention to be understood. I wouldn’t recommend using this show as background noise, nor would I recommend splitting your attention while watching, there’s a lot of key details that may be missed. There is a beautiful sort of twist ending moment, where the show reveals a ‘hiding in plain sight’ plot point and everything you have just watched all pieces together. In general, this show was beautifully made and filmed.

Things to Note

There are LGBTQ+ characters and themes.

This series is rated as TV-MA and does show many mature or “adult” themes.

General warning for vulgar language.

Narration style that speaks directly to the audience (uses phrases such as “are you seeing this” and “did you hear that”), which could be off-putting or disturbing to some viewers.

Sensitive topics, such as child abuse and sexual assault.

Depicts characters struggling with mental health and personality disorders.

Depicts self-harm and suicide.

The show seems to play mind games with the viewer, which may be distressing to some.

Depicts drug usage, addiction, and overdosing.

Depicts torture, murder, fights, and events that show general human suffering.

There is sexual content, mentions of sexual themes, and implied or “half-shown” sex scenes.

Some racist or offensive comments.

There are some criminal elements to the show, which may disturb or offend some viewers.

So, is Mr. Robot worth it ?

Where do I even start ? Mr. Robot is such an amazing and beautifully crafted series. From the very first episode I was hooked and couldn’t get myself to click away. This show is executed in a way that made me feel like I knew the characters personally, all their pain and suffering almost felt real to me, and it had me questioning how I perceive the world. Finishing the series felt like saying goodbye to a friend. I have no other words to describe how beautiful this show is. It will always hold a place in my heart. Mr. Robot is definitely worth the watch.

#mr robot #prime video #elliot alderson #angela moss #darlene alderson #dominique dipierro #tyrell wellick #rami malek #portia doubleday #carly chaikin #grace gummer #martin wallström #christian slater #sam esmail #review

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new-sandrafilter · 4 years

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Collider Interviews

One of the things I love about talking to Armie Hammer is he’s always willing to have fun and talk about anything. So when I found out I’d get an extended interview to talk about playing Maxim de Winter in director Ben Wheatley’s new adaptation of Daphne du Maurier‘s celebrated 1938 Gothic novel, Rebecca, I tried to make the most of the opportunity by asking about a wide variety of subjects.

Hammer talked about how he’d compare his version of Rebecca to the Alfred Hitchcock movie, what lesson he learned from Johnny Depp while making The Lone Ranger that he still uses today, the status of Sam Esmail’s Gaslit series, why we need to wait a number of years for the Call Me By Your Name sequel, what we need to do to get a Man From U.N.C.L.E. sequel, how Tom Ford needs to make more movies, what it was like working with Taika Waititi on Next Goal Wins, getting to work with Nicholas Jarecki on Dreamland which is about the opioid crisis, and if his Gossip Girl character Gabriel Edwards make an appearance on the HBO Max reboot, and more. In addition, Hammer talked about his desire to direct, how he’s currently obsessed with Workaholics, which movies he’s seen the most, and his first TV show crush.

Armie Hammer:

Will his Gossip Girl character Gabriel Edwards make an appearance on the HBO Max reboot?

What do we need to do to get Tom Ford to make more movies?

What TV series would he like to guest star on?

What movie has he seen the most?

What was his first movie or TV show crush?

What do we need to do to get a Man From U.N.C.L.E. sequel?

How years need to pass before making the Call Me By Your Name sequel.

How did he get involved in Rebecca?

How would he compare the new version of Rebecca to the Hitchcock movie?

How much does he pay attention to the camera lenses the director is using on set?

How he wants to direct movies.

Tells a great story about Johnny Depp from making The Lone Ranger and how he knew exactly what the camera could see based on the lens being used.

What kind of movie would he like to direct?

What’s the status of Sam Esmail’s Gaslit?

What was it about Nicholas Jarecki’s Dreamland that got him involved?

What was it like working with Taika Waititi on Next Goal Wins and what is it about?

#armie hammer

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oldschoolteenflicks · 3 years

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So I watched Pump up the Volume for the first time yesterday and I gotta say, wow. There's certainly a lot to unpack there and I don't even know where to begin.

*Spoilers Ahead*

All I knew going in was that Christian Slater played a high school student that somehow worked as a radio dj. That's it. That's all I thought it was gonna be. And boy, was I wrong.

I don't like to do much research plot wise when it comes to movies because I prefer to find things out for myself as I'm watching so that's the reason for my oversimplified description of Pump up the Volume. It's not lack of interest in my part, just my need to keep a sense of wonder.

Now, everything was going well and I was so on board with Hard Harry's speeches - I could listen to Slater's voice for hours, he should do audio books - and then Malcolm Kaiser happened and I went numb.

I was gonna make popcorn to eat while watching but then got lazy and didn't. Unknowingly, I did myself a favor because there is no way my stomach could have handled eating anything when the plot went where it did.

I couldn't believe it. I refused to. "They can't do that.", I thought. And then, Malcolm hangs up, and although we don't see the actual gun, we hear the sound of it. I'm not talking about the shot, but the sound guns make when they're being loaded/handled , so we know it's there. It's simple - as Harry would later say- and yet, it's not. Again, "he's not gonna use it, there's no way", I go. And, for a while, we get no immediate answer. So we, as an audience, are left to make our own conclusions, decide what we wanted to happen, what we thought/hoped/bet/etc happened. Perhaps deep down we know, but we still need to hear it.

I feel like this is so obviously the exact movie Allan Moyle would have made after Times Square but before Empire Records. You can just see it. There's so much of the things he probably wanted to do in Times Square and couldn't because of the restrictions he suffered while making that film. And there's some of Pump up the Volume's spirit in Empire Records as well. I suppose what I'm trying to say is, if I knew nothing about who directed these movies, had no previous knowledge about them, and one day someone showed them to me in whatever order, I think I could guess there is a connection between them and they were probably directed by the same person. And sure, the music helps when piecing that together, but it's not just that, it's the stories. That want to be listened to, to be free, to try things, to find oneself and just be... Just be accepted but not by being who they - whoever they are- want you to be but for who you actually are. And yeah, you might not know who you are just yet, and heck, you might never get there, but who cares? You're just living and learning and trying to cope with all the shit and in the middle of it all you deserve to have fun and be happy and loved and appreciated and respected and heard. At least that's what I felt those three films brought through.

I think Pump up the Volume is one of those movies I should have seen ages ago. It certainly would have been a whole different experience watching it when I was actually still a teenager. Especially that whole fake masturbating thing that Mark does... 29 year-old me doesn't get it, but maybe teen me would have. I guess it was just something fun for this persona he created. Happy Harry Hard-on. The HHH is because of the name the school, right ? It's gotta be.

Listening to Slater saying all those things, it immediately took me back to 'Mr. Robot' days. I wonder if Sam Esmail and Slater ever talked about Pump up the Volume and if any of the speeches he gave on the show were influenced purposely by the ones delivered by Hard Harry. They probably did, and they probably were.

I feel like I would need a whole day to talk about the music. Moyle apparently prefers songs to an actual score. And I am in awe of the soundtracks he's been able to provide us with. We all know they gotta pay for the songs to get them in the actual film, and they got some really great ones in this one. Leonard Cohen ladies and gents. Enough said.

Shout out to the people who convinced me to watch Pump up the Volume. Thank you and I love you ❤️

It's not an easy film to watch. It's raw, it's deep, it's painful, it's hard. But it's an interesting one. And -dare I say- a must watch.

PS: Samantha Mathis was actually ok. The actress I was most surprised to see was Cheryl Pollak ('My Best Friend is a Vampire', anyone?), not to mention a very young Seth Green.

Fun fact (for me anyway): Pump up the Volume was released on my birthday (August 22) a year before I was born. Funny.

#pump up the volume #Para Gonzalo #donde sea que estes espero que hayas encontrado lo que acá no pudiste #Review of sorts

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kinetic-elaboration · 3 years

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April 27: Mr. Robot 4x07

Started crying earlier today while reading Roadside Picnic (and I’m still not even at the end), and now I’ve just watched an emotionally devastating episode of Mr. Robot. So overall a... good day?

Okay, so I don’t know how much I actually have to say about this ep because I’m still processing it.

I knew the central revelation before because I read it in passing in some analysis of the final episode (which, yeah, I read right after watching the finale, even though I’d not yet seen the bulk of S4 and knew I’d run into spoilers; I have no shame). But I didn’t know how it was revealed or even how much/how explicitly it was revealed. So I still felt all of the tension in the scene and a lot of uncertainty, too.

It’s definitely a Sam Esmail twist--which is to say, both a very classic twist and not a twist at all, because he actually knows what the term means and uses it correctly. Twists aren’t arbitrary. They’re well-planned. After the twist, everything that came before should make MORE sense, not less.

So, yeah, when I read that Elliot was a CSA survivor, I was not surprised, really. It did fit with everything I knew from the first three seasons: everything from Elliot not liking to be touched, to his hacking targets often being child molesters, to the very use of the split personality. It fits with what we know about his father, too, honestly: the sense that he was abusive comes all the way from S1: what parent pushes their child out of a window, as we were told the event was at the time? Also, there was something always inappropriate or off about that relationship: that his father shared secrets with him, treated him differently, treated him more like an equal or an adult than a child. It’s not abusive by itself, more like inappropriate, but it fits into the same story as a history of (sexual) abuse. There’s something subtly wrong about that relationship, and it points to something deeply wrong about the father. So it’s terrible to see it come together, but it’s not surprising as in arbitrary or random.

Anyway, it made so much sense to me that I wasn’t even sure if the show actually made it explicit or not, so I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see exactly when Elliot would understand and... what that moment would be.

The answer: devastating!! Rami Malek was amazing, though.

I really liked the way the whole episode was done. Like, if you’re going to do that kind of reveal, it needs to be a Big Episode, and this one was big: hyper-stylized, hyper-intense, perfectly set up over the season so far, incredibly well constructed from first to last.

I was trying to think of what it reminded me of the whole time. The soundtrack and the fade outs between scenes in particular were really confusing me, because I knew it wasn’t television. I thought perhaps film? And then I thought, like, maybe a certain genre, like a little gothic?

Anyway then my mom said it was a play and I was like, oh, duh, obviously a play. Act one, etc. But really everything was theatrical--the thunder in the soundtrack, the simple, two room set; the fade outs like the house lights going down; the small cast; the unity of time, place, and purpose like a classical tragedy.

And it’s such an appropriate forum for Vera too, because he is nothing if not Dramatique at all times.

My opinion on Vera is still that he should be really annoying and boring but something about him in practice is actually really magnetic and intriguing. He really sells it. He’s terrible and weird and scary and dynamic. And honestly... what a way to go. I think he actually was successful in his ‘aluminum bat’ plan--he wore Elliot down, he destroyed him, and then he was there for him.

And then Krista knifed him. It’s the death he would have wanted. And the death Shayla would have wanted for him.

“Home isn’t where you’re from. It’s where you’re supposed to be” is actually a pretty great line.

I also liked when Mr. Robot was giving one of his Anti-Capitalism Speeches lol, like what a pairing, Vera versus all of Elliot’s most pretentious rants at once. He clearly had no idea what to do with that.

I actually do have more thoughts on the personalities thing--in particular, did I say before that I thought the Hacker was the first personality? might have been wrong; seems like it was Mr. Robot, which might alter my whole general theory--and my mom and I were talking a bit about Darlene and what she might have known and when, and what she’s purposefully hidden from Elliot versus what she thinks he knows--but I am SO tired!! I feel like my eyes are open but the rest of me is only marginally awake.

A lot of these thoughts will probably require yet another rewatch anyway...

Next ep returns to the Darlene and Dom cliffhanger...!

#the year 2021 #2021: mr robot #2021: fandom thoughts #old spoilers and discussion of abuse below the cut

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weremarkable · 4 years

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This is one of the best solo interview of this press "tour"

What do we need to do to get Tom Ford to make more movies?

Will his Gossip Girl character Gabriel Edwards make an appearance on the HBO Max reboot?

What TV series would he like to guest star on?What movie has he seen the most?

What was his first movie or TV show crush?What do we need to do to get a Man From U.N.C.L.E. sequel?

How years need to pass before making the Call Me By Your NameHow did he get involved in Rebecca

How would he compare the new version of Rebecca to the Hitchcock movie?

How much does he pay attention to the camera lenses the director is using on set? How he wants to direct movies.

Tells a great story about Johnny Depp from making The Lone Ranger and how he knew exactly what the camera could see based on the lens being used.

What kind of movie would he like to direct?

What’s the status of Sam Esmail’s Gaslit?

What was it about Nicholas Jarecki’s Dreamland that got him involved

What was it like working with Taika Waititi on Next Goal Wins and what is it about?

#armie hammer #lily james #Rebecca

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jmsa1287 · 4 years

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A Year in Review: The 31 Best Episodes of TV of 2019

There's never been more TV than this year. Thanks to the launch of new streaming services like Apple TV+ and Disney+ (with more to come in 2020!), there is an infinite number of hours of content out there. And while not all those TV shows are worth a watch, mot seasons of shows genuinely contain at least one great-to-amazing episode. The 31 episodes listed below are the ones that stood out the most; that either became part of the cultural conversation or were not well-watched but still resonated in a way that deserved more attention. Whether it was the writing, the acting, a visual moment or a hilarious scene, these selected episodes rose above the cut to show what TV can do in this unprecedented era.

31. “Striking Vipers,” Black Mirror Season 5, Netflix

30. “Smell Ya Later,” Killing Eve Season 2, BBC America

29. “Chase Gets the Gays,” The Other Two Season 1, Comedy Central

28. “Refugees,” Ramy Season 1, Hulu

27. “Finish It,” The Deuce Season 3, HBO

26. “Chapter 7: The Reckoning,” The Mandalorian Season 1, Disney+

25. “Life’s a Beach,” Pose Season 2, FX

24. “Easter,” Better Things Season 3, FX

23. “Chapter 8: Overview,” The OA Season 2, Netflix

22. “Reborn,” Servant Season 1, Apple TV+

21. “Stories,” Broad City Season 5, Comedy Central

20. “Blondie,” High Maintenance Season 3, HBO

19. “The Trials and Tribulations of Trying to Pee While Depressed,” Euphoria Season 1, HBO

18. “The Bad Mother,” Big Little Lies Season 2, HBO

17. “405 Method Not Allowed,” Mr. Robot Season 4, USA

16. “1:23:45,” Chernobyl Season 1 HBO

15. “Dundee,” Succession Season 2, HBO

14. “Episode 9,” Mindhunter Season 2, Netflix

13. “401 Unauthorized,” Mr. Robot Season 4, USA

12. “Take Me as I Am, Whoever I Am,” Modern Love Season 1, Amazon

11. “Part Four,” When They See Us Season 1, Netflix

Ava DuVernay's achingly painful "When They See Us" miniseries about the persecution of the Central Park 5 is capped off with its brilliant final episode; a showcase for Jharrel Jerome ("Moonlight") who undergoes a transformation here unlike any other actor on TV this year. Playing Korey Wise, we see Jerome go from happy-go-lucky New Yorker to a victim of the vicious prison system who is beholden to his truth despite its consequences. It is a harrowing 88 minutes of TV that is both devastating and beautiful, carried on the shoulders of Jerome's unparalleled performance.

10. “A God Walks Into a Bar,” Watchmen Season 1, HBO

The penultimate episode of "Watchmen," the buzziest show of the fall, is the most Damon Lindelof has been during this stellar season of TV. "A God Walks into a Bar" is a revealing episode in the same way as the last season of "The Leftovers," Lindelof's previous project. The episode reveals that for all of its surrealness and commentary about race and gender in our world, the "remix" of the popular comic book series is, at its core, a love story. Lindelof sets the episode as a classic cosmic joke but as it goes on, it exposes itself to be full of heart and emotion; about two people from different parts of the universe (and different parts of the space-time continuum?) connecting. At a bar. Over beer, conversation, and eggs.

09. “Strawberries,” Ramy Season 1, Hulu

Unlike anything depicted on TV, "Strawberries," the peak of Hulu's comedy "Ramy," created by standup Ramy Youssef, is told in flashback, tracking a young Ramy in the days leading up to and after 9/11. Seeing the event play out from the perspective of a young Muslim child in middle school is heartbreaking and raw; a highlight that is thoughtful, meditative, funny and surprising.

08. "Shook One Pt. II,” Euphoria Season 1, HBO

It's not until "Shook One Pt. II" that "Euphoria" finally clicks and finds its groove. Playing out at a carnival, the episode raises the dramatic stakes for the show's young cast, where creator Sam Levinson's bold aesthetic choices complement the intense tension on display. Part thriller, part romance and all edge, this episode of "Euphoria" features stellar performances from Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi and more.

07. “Volume 7: The Magician" + "Volume 8: The Hanged Man,” Too Old to Die Young Season 1 Amazon

It was hard to pick just one episode of Nicolas Winding Refn's twisted noir cop saga "Too Old to Die Young." The controversial auteur made a perfect thing for streaming age; somewhere between a film and a series. NWR said himself that you can watch the episodes out of order, or start from anywhere, which is sort of true. But it's the back-to-back episodes towards the back half of the series, "Volume 7: The Magician" and "Volume 8: The Hanged Man," that stand out the most; a chaotic and insane set of events that turn "TOTDY" on its head.

06. “Posh,” PEN15 Season 1, Hulu

"PEN15" is hands down the funniest show of 2019 but it's the Hulu series episode "Posh" — a thoughtful and insightful examination of racism in the 00s — that is the show's highlight. In the episode, BFFs Maya (Maya Erskine) and Anna (Anna Konkle) make their own version of the Spice Girls with a group of mean girls at their middle school for a class project. They force Maya, who is Japanese-American, to play Scary Spice — the only woman of color in the insanely popular British girl group, because Maya is the only girl of color among them. It sparks a deep divide between Maya and Anna that is explored in the short episode with maximum effect.

05. “DC,” Succession Season 2, HBO

Over the last few years, Americans have made Congressional hearings they're own sort of perverse reality show. So, it's no surprise that "Succession" would go there and put members of the Roy family on display and under scrutiny. The main targets here are Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) and Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun), who have to answer a number of questions about Waystar Royco's handling of alleged sexual assaults and crimes involving the company's cruise line. "Succession" had been building up to this moment since early Season 1 and the payoff is both cringe-worthy and hilarious.

04. “The Great War and Modern Memory,” True Detective Season 3 HBO

Filmmaker Jeremy Saulnier's ("Green Room," "Hold the Dark") crack at a TV show is nothing short of spectacular. With "The Great War and Modern Memory," he establishes an unsettling mood and tone to the third installment of "True Detective," a somber story about two cops investigating the disappearance of two young children over the span of several decades. The episode is poetic and solemn, featuring two mind-blowing performances from its stars Mahershala Ali and a career-best Stephen Dorff. They're both in tune with what kind of show they're in, selling creator Nic Pizzolatto's writing, which coming out of the mouths of other performers would likely sound dreadful.

03. “Episode 1,” Fleabag Season 2, Amazon

Filming a dinner scene is not as easy as it looks. For the first episode of the second season of the outstanding "Fleabag" both writer/creator/star Phoebe Waller-Bridge and director Harry Bradbeer hit out of the park. It's a whirlwind of an episode where PWB's Fleabag character literally tells the audience Season 2 is a love story, which, of course, involves the so-called Hot Priest (Andrew Scott). "Episode 1" is fast, zippy, and manages to get most of the show's cast in one room, featuring wonderful performances from not only PWB and Scott but also Olivia Coleman, Sian Clifford and Brett Gelman. It's a chaotic half-hour of TV that has a kinetic energy unlike anything else this year, taking an awkward family dinner to its limits.

02. "Series Finale Part 2: Hello, Elliot,” Mr. Robot Season 4, USA

The series finale of “Mr. Robot” is as emotional as it is shocking. Sam Esmail sticks the landing with his hacking drama, turning a story about a vigilante and his crew trying to right the wrong world into a personal journey of a young man struggling with deep trauma. It’s a beautiful sendoff, that is fully satisfying and a magnificent accomplishment of modern television.

01. “Never Knew a Love Like this Before,” Pose Season 2, FX

"Pose" proved itself to be an uplifting and hopeful show, uprooting cliched and tragic stories about trans people we've come to see on screen and instead, opts to show us something beautiful. But its "Never Knew a Love Like This Before" that is 2019's best episode of the year — a heart-wrenching and unexpected boom and a reminder that trans people, especially trans women of color, are often in danger. Here, Candy (an out-of-this-world performance from Angelica Ross), who orbited around the main cast in the series, is murdered. She returns to her funeral in spirit, having in-depth conversations with her friends, enemies and frenemies. Pray Tell (Billy Porter) honors her by moving forward with her wish — a lip-synch category for the balls that he previously rejected. It's a beautiful story about the history of queer culture that's personalized in an unexpected way.

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xmxisxforxmaybe · 4 years

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Hi, I think you're a very kind person, someone who will care, and I don't have anyone else who will understand this. Last night's episode really devastated me. I feel like someone I love, like someone I know personally, has been hurt. Maybe it's supposed to feel this way because Elliot created us, we're his friend. I'm just so sad with heartache for him. I've spent the most of my day being blank. Thank you for being a good part of this fandom.

Thank you 💕 I am so happy to know that even my fairly anonymous, online persona comes across as empathetic. I adamantly believe that empathy is the most powerful emotion in the universe.

* Spoilers * Below *

So, speaking of empathy, I understand how you feel and have been struggling through my own emotions, a gaping void of sadness, all day. Never has a television show so powerfully impacted my normal life before, and it is all a testament to Rami Malek’s ability to breathe such complexity and vulnerability into a character. With that being said, it’s no wonder we all feel so hurt, that we all begged with Mr. Robot, cried with Elliot, and sat riveted with Vera.

We are Elliot’s friend, and Sam Esmail made us love Elliot Alderson, made us want to protect him, just like Mr. Robot. And then, during this season, Sam tested our love. He pushed us as Elliot retreated further into his delusions and became distant to us, even refusing to speak to us. Sam wanted us to be angry with Elliot, to stop empathizing with him, and he fucking got us—the last episode ensured that Elliot crossed a line we would not just shrug off and forgive.

So when Elliot finally, and inadvertently lets us in, it devastates us. Not only do we want to hug Elliot and tell him that he’s not alone, that we love him, that we care about him, but we now have to reconcile with our own guilt because we, Elliot’s friend, have betrayed him, too. When we began to give up on him, just like everyone else in his life, we proved that no one could be trusted. And Elliot knew this all along. His fear of betrayal is so, so deep (and rightly so now that we know his father committed the ultimate act of betrayal against his son) that he even pushed away his own imaginary friend because he knew, knew we would betray him by abandoning him, giving up on him—by leaving him alone.

However, if Elliot can reconcile with this truth and move forward, he will never have to be alone again. Once he learns to trust himself, he can stop retreating into his alters, into his shell and learn to trust the people who really love him, like his sister. Now, I know in real life DID doesn’t work that way, but at the end of the day, this is a television show and so far, it has been deeply metaphorical.

My ultimate hope is that Sam doesn’t kill Darlene 🤞🏼 and doesn’t kill Elliot 🤞🏼because I want him to leave us with the message that people who suffer horrific abuse can survive, and even thrive when they are essentially good people. Elliot has always, essentially, been good. And so has Darlene.

Vera? Not so much. Despite Vera’s admittance to his own abuse, he chose to pursue a life of reckless violence and bloodshed. Krista is a powerhouse of a woman for protecting herself and Elliot by taking a life (at least I hope to hell Vera is dead because I’ve had quite enough of him).

If you will indulge me, I have one final, kinda nerdy insight: The ancient Greeks believed in the power of catharsis, the purging of emotions, through art. This episode reminded me of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. The plot is not a mystery to the audience; there are no surprising twists or turns that the author tries to hide. Everything that happens to Oedipus, we know (or we are foreshadowed to know) well in advance. And during Episode 407, we ALL knew what was coming; we ALL knew Elliot had been abused, most likely sexually; we ALL knew that the window story was some cataclysmic moment in his life. But to watch Elliot come to that realization, to feel everything with him, to shudder and cry when he says, “Yes, I remember”—that was true catharsis. I never, ever thought someone would be able to capture a moment like that on television, and I never, ever thought I would actually go through such a genuine moment of catharsis.

Bravo, Sam.

And thank you, Rami ❤️

And thank you, Anon, for giving me a platform to practice some catharsis through writing–my heart has been heavy all day, but it feels a little bit lighter now 💕

#mr robot season 4 #mr robot #mr robot spoilers #mr robot season 4 spoilers #Elliot Alderson

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yelena-bellova · 5 years

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Thoughts on the first epsiode (SPOILER FILLED, YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!!!)

Angela dying absolutely broke my heart. Right when her character was going to be redeemed and she was going to do the right thing, they go and fucking shoot her. It felt like my heart stopped for a few seconds...

Obvious, but Whiterose is fucking psychotic...

Mr. Robot and Elliot working together in (relative) harmony made me so happy.

Darlene broke my heart in her first scene, but her and Elliot’s interaction was sweet in it’s own way. Elliot’s worried about her, you can tell.

I don’t really care about Tyrell all that much compared to other characters but we should have gotten a little more of him in this episode.

Dom 😭 She’s one of my favorites and it hurts to see her in this position. I kind of wonder if she’s going to kill Darlene because of this...

I knew that woman at Dom’s mom’s house was dark army, I KNEW IT.

Look, I’m still holding out a little hope that Angela isn’t dead. I don’t know how, but obviously this is such a mindfucking show that it’s not the most impossible thing for her “death” to be some elaborate stunt. Whiterose could be doing this just to screw with Elliot and lure him into a trap...I rest my case for now.

OKAY THAT LAST SCENE. In the moment, I was fairly certain this was where we were going to lose Elliot. I thought everything we’d see from this episode on was going to be flashbacks. But my gosh, that scene was incredible. The flashbacks he had were so emotional and the SINGLE TEAR HE SHED?! 😭😭😭😭

Sooooo...Is Phillip teaming up with Elliot to take Whiterose down? What other explanation is there?

I TOTALLY forgot about Vera being back until that sneak peek...Now my anxiety is even higher so thanks, Sam Esmail.

All in all, it was a PHENOMENAL episode. I don’t think this season’s going to disappoint at all...but holy frick, I’m terrified 😭

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itrashit · 4 years

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Super Crazy Theory

Okay, so this theory is very unlikely but I think that it might be some evidence to support it.

You see, for a show that tries so hard to be as realistic as possible (I mean, even the codes they use to hack are real) there are things that don't add up.

Here we have some examples:

- Elliot fell from a second floor window at the tender age of eigth and the only injury he sustained was a broken arm

- Fell of a railing and only got a few scrapes

- Was shoot but was in his feet just a few days later

- He was hit by a car and nothing happened to him at all

I wonder how is it possible that one survives to all of this having only minor injuries and the only logical answer I can think is: he didn't.

I think he might have suffered some serious damage when he jumped through that window, he probably was in a coma or in a vegetative state.

Then, there's another thing that doesn't make sense in this show: why does Whiterose need Elliot so much?

She did help Elliot hack E Corp while she had business with them, she even ordered the death of her lover so Elliot's life would be spared. They tried to justified her decisions during the show but the truth is that in the end nothing that Elliot did helped Witherose.

So why she didn't get rid of him?

Well, my theory is that Edward Alderson was feeling so guilty for what happened to young Elliot that he seek for whatever help he could. Back at that time he used to work at E Corp, the very same E Corp that had ties with the Dark Arm and Whiterose.

We all know that Whiterose lost the love of her life some years prior to Elliot's window accident and had since became obsessed with the idea of having his partner back. So she came up with a plan and build a machine related to Virtual Reality, something that would help her see "him" again. But she needed a guinea pig, someone to test her machine before she could use it herself.

Enter Elliot Alderson.

His predicament came to her knowledge and so she promised to Edward that she could help his son. Since he was consumed by guilty, he agreed.

This VR machine projected a different reality in Elliot's mind. While it couldn't, at first, erase his past it could make him a new future. They programmed him, they created a new reality where Elliot thought he was living in. New persons, new stories, everything new and made up by Whiterose's people.

And Elliot believed it.

He never knew that what he was living wasn't real. Like a dream where you don't know you are dreaming and believe everything is for real. Only, in his case, he never woke up from the dream - which means that everything we saw until now were simply part of an illusion. An ilusion that Elliot, locked inside his own mind, has been living for the last two decades.

That's why he's so important to Whiterose and why he survived all these accidents, they weren't real afterall (aside from the window one).

However, in spite of not knowing about what was really happening, I think he could get some tidbits of reality. Things he would hear in his coma from the people in his room, old memories they tried to locked away would eventually resurface, and thus he projected some of them in his own false reality. Deep down, he knew that something was wrong.

When he said "Hello, friend" we assumed he was talking to an imaginary person, but what if the "friend" he is talking to is his "real" self from the real world, the one who is being reprogramed since he was eight years? His "false" self from his false world talks and seeks helps from his real self from the real world.

And because deep down he knows that nothing is real, and he knows that he is completely alone in this false world, he imagines the father he needed by his side as a form of emotional support.

For the first twenty years he couldn't fight this machine and the people behind it, but his subconscious projected his feelings in his false world. In this fake reality, the machine he hates is the system and so he fights the people who control the system, the 1% of the 1%. What if the F in Society doesn't stand for F*ck Society, but for False Society?

Then, because of something I'm gonna explain later, everything started to change. He started to remember about important things, real things like the abuse, and slowly he started to show signals of regaing consciousness.

For example, the moments in early seasons when Mr Robot took control over Elliot and Elliot couldn't remember what had happened. We all assumed he didn't remember these moments because it was his alter doing things in his place. Well, what if that isn't the truth?

What if in these moments he was about to regain consciousness in the real world, but Whiterose couldn't allow it (he needed a perfectly controllable world afterall) so he ordered his people to reprogram Elliot and this results in the loss of memory and confusion the false Elliot faced in the false world?

This time he didn't let it stop him, tho. He kept fighting till Whiterose felt like there was no other option than to delet this false reality and replace it with another one? A new one that wouldn't give reasons for false Elliot to fight it.

The machine of the Whiterose from the false world, the one that he talked about in episode eleven, was actually just a simbolism that the mind of false Elliot came up with to try to understand what was happening. Real Whiterose was destroying Elliot's false reality to put him in another false reality, one that wouldn't make him feel the hate and, thus, wouldn't led hin to fight his actual conditions. But since Elliot didn't know that his reality was false to begin with, to him it was like false Whiterose's machine was going to change what he believed to be his real world into a fake world.

The problem is that real Whiterose's plan didn't work quite well and instead of smoothly merging one false world into another, previous false Elliot met the new false Elliot. A bug, it seems.

And you know how all this started?

Darlene.

She was just a kid when her brother threw himself through the window, but as the years passed she came to understand what was happening to him. In his false world, Elliot created F Society after a visit of Darlene, but she's actually a hacker in the real world and was probably trying to hack real Whiterose's machine so she could help her brother. It's after she succeed that these changes started to happen in the false world. Like the false Elliot said, false Darlene is the only one who can bring him back, just like the real Darlene is the only one who can bring the real Elliot back.

That's also why she is not part of this new false world that Whiterose created for Elliot. Everyone has a counterpart on this new reality except Darlene, because real Whiterose wants false Elliot to forget he had a sister, he doesn't want him to be under her influencie ever again.

That's my crazy theory. I believe Sam Esmail once said something in the lines of how much our reality is controlled by others, or something like that, I don't really remember. But could it mean the same happened in his TV show?

Well, tomorrow I'll have my answers.

#mr robot #mr.robot #elliot alderson #whiterose #darlene alderson #absurd theory for an equally absurd show #mr robot crazy theory

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darlinique · 5 years

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[elliot voice] Jesus Fucking Christ

ah. This Shit, finally. some (MANY) robo-thoughts that aren’t all Joaks regarding 4x02, for the sake of my own organization and mapping bc *mcdonald corporate overlord jingle* I’m Losin’ It. so let’s just get this started:

1. another alter confirmation! huh. i know this one has long been theorized & i always looked at the evidence as subjective, but it’s definitely concrete now. nice work to anyone who called it early 🤙🤙 with this in mind though, we can comb back over the series to examine places where this alter may have fronted without us being aware at the time. i haven’t rewatched yet (gotta get on that), but from what i can remember, there’s certain interactions that stick out.

so, this is about to be my pepe silvia moment.

of course, the most notable is when tyrell recited the red wheelbarrow poem after his confrontation with robot in the car. whoever he was speaking to at that moment and whoever told him he wasn’t seeing what was above him definitely wasn’t elliot or robot—elliot has no recollection of the meeting at all, and robot demanded to know what the fuck tyrell was talking about in the arcade when he brought that exchange back up. plus, the demeanor of whoever was fronting was just...entirely different from what we’ve seen of both elliot and robot.

elliot takes on a similar demeanor when he berates bill harper in season 1. now i have to wonder, was this really elliot talking down to bill, or did this other alter front to handle it? if this were the other alter, theoretically, it makes me wonder why he’d front here. or why he fronted around tyrell...or why he wanted to name stage 2 after the poem tyrell recited. i don’t think i can fully place his intentions.

the halloween scene where darlene asks elliot to put on the mr robot jacket and mask, and elliot, under the mask, begins to calmly explain his ideas that eventually led to 5/9. this was framed as robot fronting before—maybe even the first time robot fronted—but...maybe it wasn’t even robot? i also have to remember that at the end of s1, robot begs elliot to not let darlene & angela get rid of him “again.” so robot seems to have existed for a while, and elliot can’t remember it? i’m assuming he was dormant? then maybe it was the birth of this other alter? but regarding another theory i’ll mention later, that doesn’t correlate. my god, So Much Is Happening.

the flashback where edward alderson (presumably) dies and young elliot leaves his body behind in the lobby to go sit in the movie theater. that kid wasn’t acting like the elliot we’ve known over the series. if this is actually that alter fronting, then how long has he existed? and who was the imaginary friend he was talking to in the theater? or was this elliot, and maybe he was seeing the alter as he “sees” robot beside him? who knows anymore!

2. this is all especially so tricky because while some instances are more definitive than others (i would consider the initial red wheelbarrow scene a definite instance of this alter fronting), i can’t actually place For Certain if these other speculations are true or not. because i can’t be positive about who was fronting when in light of the reveal, i can’t actually pin down...much of anything about the alter. we know he didn’t care much about vera returning. he’s calm and not reactive, sure. but what does he want? and what’s he been doing? (and if the speculations i brought up are correct, it seems to lean toward supporting that this alter may have more sinister intentions...? sinister as in: trying to keep the current, unfortunate status quo. or maybe he’s just handling dirty work to protect elliot? and what’s his deal with tyrell+the poem? more about that last one later, i guess.)

3. there are still several unaccounted for time periods that elliot has lost. the month between seasons 3 & 4 (during which darlene told the alter about vera), the month(?) after shayla died, and the three days after irving+the dark army took tyrell. we know this alter definitely fronted at some point between s3 & s4 based off of what darlene said, but was he ever in control during these other periods? was it robot? a combination? i’m stressing myself out trying to place these, lol.

4. but, regarding the reveal, i’d also like to think about what sam said this “twist” leads to, and that is a plotline that he’s called surprising but inevitable, and one that should feel earned. the word inevitable catches my attention most out of these, because that implies that whatever’s coming has been built up for the whole series—which is something else that sam has confirmed. sam has also said that while knows third alter theories have existed, he hasn’t seen anyone figure it out entirely. a lot of people on the subreddit jumped on the bandwagon again that the third alter was tyrell (and even more people gave them hell for it, lol) due to the end scene being in his meeting room from s1, but this theory can’t be true. not only because it’s been guessed multiple times (and sam said that the truth hasn’t been guessed), but because of other reasons that just don’t line up.

some include the fact that tyrell and elliot were separated on the FBI board in s2, the fact that elliot was in jail while the general public was searching for tyrell (the world would know if The Most Wanted Man were in prison), tyrell being in hiding when elliot was stopping the NY building from blowing up (prior to the 71 ecorp buildings attack), just...many, many things. tyrell is indisputably his own person.

going from there, the alter can’t be angela or darlene, either. these have both also been previously guessed, and the timelines just wouldn’t make sense. they all have definitely been in different places at different times, doing different things. i’ve seen people suggest (following 4x02) that the alter may be leon, but that also can’t be true, because trenton & mobley would’ve recognized him as elliot, and trenton trusted elliot enough to send him the backup email. and i really, really don’t believe she knew about elliot’s DID. vera is most likely not the alter either, because he had a plotline that involved his brother (and why would darlene tell vera she saw vera? that’s pretty convoluted).

5. so, if i’m trying to determine who this alter might be, i think it would require another examination of the season 1 dream sequence. i’m pretty sure that’s still applicable, and it’s really the only thing i think i can still turn to, lol. in the dream, angela tells elliot that he was only born a month ago. i have to consider that maybe this new alter may have been the original host, and who we know as elliot is an alter who only came about at the beginning of the show, or a bit prior to it, chronologically. that might make sense, but then...if this alter who seems to be very different than the elliot we know was fronting for almost every other moment of elliot’s life, why don’t darlene or angela notice a difference in elliot in s1 if a new alter is fronting? basically, there’s a lot to consider with all of this. the dream sequence can be read a whole bunch of different ways, and honestly, i still don’t even know what the key is supposed to symbolize for sure. so this is also speculation, obviously.

6. a theory that seems to have gained traction on reddit is that elliot’s online alias, sam sepiol, may have more to do with him than we think. people have suggested that this new alter has existed for a long time and was probably created due to a childhood trauma that elliot has repressed regarding someone named sam. in s2, elliot does say he had a friend named sam as a child, but as far as i recall, this is the only mention of sam outside of elliot’s online presence (and the scene with bill, obviously). while this makes logical sense for why elliot could have developed DID, i don’t really think there’s been much hinting at him having childhood trauma revolving around some kid he knew / a friend he had? because esmail said this plot should feel inevitable, it just makes me wonder. i don’t think a reveal like this would feel like it was coming, or as if it’s been “earned.” but it still does make some sense! i would just need to see more evidence. maybe that rewatch will help.

7. a reveal that i think would feel “earned” would be that the audience that elliot speaks to may be this alter. or, that we are the alter, who have been watching this show. because of how ingrained elliot’s narration has been in the style of the show itself, that could definitely be a big move—revealing that elliot hasn’t been talking to us, but to another alter. there’s a hole in this theory, though, because both elliot and robot were unaware of this alter’s presence (evident by their reactions at the end of 4x02). maybe esmail could justify that elliot hasn’t realized he’s been talking to another alter? hmm. this one is up in the air, too.

8. so, going back to the end of 4x02 regarding elliot’s alters...why was the young version of him in the room tyrell brought elliot to in s1? and in the same chair? is it symbolic of a higher power—those who play god, elliot once said?—or does it have to do with tyrell specifically? i want to say it’s symbolic, but tyrell’s impact seems to have some weird role in this. again, why did this alter we’re being introduced to front after the confrontation in tyrell’s car, just to listen to his desperate ramblings & admissions and then tell tyrell to see what’s above him? doesn’t that seem religious in nature, parallel to how tyrell’s love of elliot is pseudo-religious? is this exchange why tyrell’s love of elliot manifested in such a pseudo-religious manner? and why again did this alter choose to name stage 2 after the poem tyrell shared with him? i initially assumed it was to mock him, but from what i recall, tyrell seemed genuinely touched by the gesture in season 3. so, i guess what i’m trying to figure out is: what does this alter want with tyrell?

(broke theory: this alter recalls elliot’s initial trauma that led to his DID and empathizes with tyrell sharing a memory that’s affected his psyche for all his adult life;

woke theory: the alter just has a crush on tyrell and is acting out for his attention)

9. i’m not sure...with any of this, i guess. i’m really just not sure! like i said, this post is just an amalgam of Thoughts that have been nagging at me. hopefully the next few episodes will help me start to put more pieces of this whole puzzle together. and, uh, that rewatch too, of course.

10. so, onto another topic: whiterose! and her plan! someone on reddit came up with a theory i think makes a lot of sense, if it hasn’t hit the nail on the head entirely: she’s collecting everyone’s private & personal data around the world because she’s making a virtual reality. Of Reality. she’s creating a digital copy of everything & everyone who’s existed in the world to shape as she sees fit. maybe with some wacky, illegal technology. don’t know why the congo is necessary for that, though. anyways, angela claims to have seen this project, and angela also claimed that she knew there was a way to take this project away from whiterose. i think this theory is a good mix of both sci-fi & being realistic. or, realistic in the sense that a major antagonist could have it as her monumental Moment Of Evil trump card. i’d love to see how close this idea is to the actual plan that’s happening on the show. i thought it was a good guess, at least.

11. just a general comment, but i’m so glad darlene played a bigger role in this episode. i love seeing her and elliot work together, and while i’m also worried for her safety, it’s good to have her in on the plan. literally, my greatest priority for the end of the series is that her and elliot are safe, lol. and preferably happy. maybe that last one is a stretch, but... i’d really, really just like to see the aldersons survive and come out on top.

12. that’s enough yelling, right? right. wow, i’ve spent a lot of time trying to organize everything i’ve been feeling. lol. UH, ANYWAYS THOUGH—if anyone has any other theories to discuss that i haven’t mentioned (and you want to discuss them, of course)—just let me know!!! i’m so stressed! i love & hate the Thinking this show requires! Oh, Boy! but thanks to anyone who made it through this XOXO. ur sacrifice of time will be remembered...by me, and not whiterose. el oh el.

13. and remember 2 Keep it 💯

#personal #mr robot #mr robot spoilers #i just posted this and it autodeleted..huh #tumblr said No Rights For loud ppl

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