The two-part opening to Mr. Robot‘s Second Season features Elliot‘s (Rami Malek) attempts to ignore Mr. Robot‘s (Christian Slater) influence by sticking to a stringent regiment that offers him little temptation to return to the world of computers and his hacking past. The question the first two episodes ask is how long can someone run from themselves? And how long can Elliot continue to ignore his driven ID who continues to force his hand during Elliot’s down time? And why is Mr. Robot so adamant about not letting Elliot know where Tyrell Wellick (Martin Wallström) is now in a disagreement where serial murder (of the mind) is somehow a better option than cluing Elliot in on the truth?
Meanwhile Darlene (Carly Chaikin) takes control of fsociety and uses the hacker group’s pull to force an expensive public spectacle for EvilCorp that not only hurts the corporation’s bottom line but also their public perception. Things are either better or worse for Angela (Portia Doubleday), depending on your point of view. Choosing to remain an employee of EvilCorp which has given her a sense of purpose, what has Angela given up in return? Antara Nayar (Sakina Jaffrey) certainly offers a strong opinion about such a choice. And Joanna Wellick (Stephanie Corneliussen) seems equally lost in a sadomasochistic subplot I had trouble relating to the other events of the premiere.
By all indications the Second Season of Mr. Robot is going to be as bizarre as the first. I’ll admit, despite the obvious talent both in front of and behind the camera, my interest began to wane in the First Season (which I never went back to finish). From the two-part opener the show still has plenty of secrets to explore while keeping Elliot on the outside allows Darlene to be given more control in a show that has already taught us control, like Elliot’s schizophrenic evil doppelganger, is an illusion.