Elliot. Mr. Robot. Who Am I?
For all the hacking allure (and this allure is strong in the show), one of the major driving forces behind Mr. Robot is the whole fragility of his self. Season One is so awesome because for all the mysteries, the biggest one is the big Who?
Drugs and Coding, Memory and Language, or just a Femtocell… all ways to escape and obfuscate, but also to connect.
Through the seasons, I am most drawn to Elliot’s direct engagement with me… with the viewer. From the get-go: Maybe I should give you a name. Me? You talkin’ to me? What would he call me? Who is “he” anyway? Am I the only one who listens? But he doesn’t even know me, yet I feel I know him.
As the show goes on the plot really does get thin, and a couple episodes are just terrible, but the connection to Elliot and all the characters remain strong, this tenuous cognizance of the other, recognition of the other. My BFF turns out to be someone I’ve never met. (I completely understood why the closing credits started listing a suicide helpline. What is it like to create a work of art that stirs a viewer’s emotions to the point of suicide?)
In need of some love? Download the Mr. Robot “Hello Friend” text tone.
