Note: Major spoilers for the episode of Mr. Robot. You have been warned.
As each new episode comes and goes, I continue to be fascinated with the little things that this show does so well. There are a lot of subtle things that really add something to the show that most shows can't seem to capture. Sam Esmail finds a way to get the most out of the actors, and make what even seem like mundane scenes feel much bigger than either they are or bigger than they should feel. I think that is why I'm so enthralled with the show, and I wonder how long they can keep this up. But to take a line from Ray from this week's episode, "I'm not going to ask, I'm just going to quit while I'm ahead."
We start off this week with a flashback of when Elliot first puts on the mask and "becomes" Mr. Robot. Darlene shows up at his house, wearing the mask, and asks where she found that at. Turns out, the mask is from some cheap horror movie they used to watch, and so they watch it while they catch up after not seeing each other for some time. This leads to Elliot first spelling out his plan to take down Evil Corp, and it is a really cool scene.
Back to the present and Darlene is trying to get Elliot to help and explains to him a little of what is going on. He won't help, and she says that she could really use "him" right now instead of Elliot. Elliot it trying so hard to be himself, but everywhere he turns, it seems that Mr. Robot is waiting and ready to step up as soon as he is needed.
Angela stands outside the office building, listening to some self-motivation CD, as we see that the two men from the last episode are being arrested. Later, she is talking to the lawyer that she was working with in the first season, and says that Price wants something and it has to do with her. She wants to read through some documentation that the lawyer has, saying there is something in there for her. After reading the documents, she goes to see Price and demands a new title and to take over someone's position. She then talks about what she found, and he just says it is all in her head and to go home. As he walks away, she says that she knows she is right.
Dom is searching the arcade, but it doesn't look like there is any evidence left behind after they purged the scene last season. The other agents question what she has, and she produces an evidence bag with what looks like a gun casing in it.
Elliot is playing a game of chess with Ray, and Ray says that he needs to get some more practice. He tells him to take the board home and play against himself. He says that maybe he can even win. Elliot does take the board with him, and that evening, Mr. Robot says he wants to play him, winner takes control and the other will walk away. Elliot is reluctant and doesn't give an answer. The next day we see him talking to his therapist, and she tells him that he needs to acknowledge that his father is a part of him, and not to play him for control.
It appears that Darlene is being followed, but it may just be her paranoia. Her old boyfriend from the Dark Army runs into her on the street and tells her to come to a bar down the street. She goes and he tells her that the FBI found their arcade, and that the Dark Army is getting nervous. He says that he can help her, but that she can't do anything stupid or the Dark Army will have to intervene. Speaking of the Dark Army, we get a scene with Whiterose talking to Price about speeding things up. On what, we're not sure, but Price tells him that it will take time.
Joanna Wellick is getting desperate and running out of money, and can't get Tyrell's severance package from E Corp. She goes to see Scott Knowles, who has no interest in helping her, since her husband killed his wife. Pretty good scene between these two, even though they aren't main characters.
We get one of the best scenes of the season, as Elliot imagines his pefect future, with a very slow version of "Basket Case" by Green Day plays in the background. All of the people he cares about are happy, and E Corp collapses in the background as they eat dinner and smile at each other. He says he will fight for his future, and so he agrees to play Mr. Robot at chess. However, they come to a stalemate three times in a row, which he says is impossible with the move combinations. Mr. Robot explains to him that they can't get rid of each other, they have to work together. Another very well done scene.
Darlene calls and asks for Elliot's help again, and he asks if she meant what she said about wanting "him" as Mr. Robot listens nearby. She says she wants Elliot, and only Elliot. He says he has an idea. He goes to see Ray and says he will help him with the computer problem he has been having. He quickly realizes that there is more to this than he thought there was, but he is still determined to help Darlene, even having been warned to only look at what he has to for the job. He finds out about the arcade, and Romero, and the FBI's involvement. Mr. Robot asks him what he is doing, and Elliot says he is hacking the FBI as the episode ends.
Another solid episode, and very good ending. Several really good scenes throughout the entire episode, but there is a sense of leading to something, but it being still out of our grasp. I don't want to say it's developing slowly, as I think the showrunners know exactly what they are doing. Slow build into some crazy stuff in the near future, and I don't think I would have it any other way. This show is all about paranoia and the things going on behind the scenes, so the way they are handling everything right now is perfectly okay with me. Now, we just have to wait another full week until we get to see just what happens next.
My rating for the episode is 8.5/10
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