The show follows the footsteps of Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity engineer in a cybersecurity firm ‘Allsafe’ by day and vigilante hacker operating from his computer, apprehending no-gooders by night. Elliot struggles with social interactions because of his Chronic Depression and Social Anxiety but he persists with zeal to follow through with his plans. Throughout the show, we witness the world in a second person perspective- we listen to his thoughts talking directly to us while we try to understand the unfolding storyline together. This unique story-telling perspective allows us to detach from seeing the show through one person’s view, rather as a hovering observer, watching the pieces fall together as well having an apparent connection to the world.
The show really starts to show it’s charm when Elliot joins a hacker group on a mission to rid the new-age world of debt by performing a large scale hack to erase data of loans, mortgages etc, as a result, the ‘world’s largest redistribution of wealth’ takes place. In the process of carrying out the mission, many things about our protagonist and the world he lives in, we uncover the strings that allow the big enterprises to be as powerful as they are as well as the reality shattering exposition that Elliot has Dissociative Identity Disorder also referred to as Split Personality disorder or Multiple Personality Disorder. The show is something beyond just another sci-fi thriller, rather the show takes us on a cathartic experience in understanding the demons of the world we live in and how such a world creates beings with polarizing traits yet the very same beings are an integral part of a bigger system, something that grew from flawed inception. The show recurringly shows the effects of high-efficiency capitalism and how powerful technology has become and how much it can detach us from all connections from our life.
Tackling the many sensitive topics portrayed in the show with incredible foresight, allowed for a cohesive transition from one plot to another, all the while developing the character’s personality - them overcoming their flaws as well as developing new ones. The constant and consistent mind-melting twists coupled with the sound design from the detail in ambience to intense scores during key moments of a plot, combined with the creative framing of subjects to convey how much the characters are invested (or the lack thereof) creates a captivating experience that strikes both our conscious and subconscious experience of watching the show.
It is without a doubt, a one of a kind show that no other could take its place. Winning multiple awards, Mr. Robot is a testament that you can create deep, rich stories with dynamic character interactions from a very simple premise - What would it be like to live a life of thrill and how one can impact and change the world in unbelievable ways.
I loved every bit of the show and already miss it!