And I Finished "Mr. Robot"

Spoilers for the first two seasons ahead.

It's been a little over four years since I posted my review of the first season of "Mr. Robot," where I concluded the show was not for me and that I'd be moving on. However, the critical reception of the show's later seasons kept getting better, and after the series finale last year, it got me curious enough to take a second look. And, sure enough, the second season did a good job of smoothing out some rough edges and correcting the biggest issues I had with the first season. And then the third season raised the stakes, taking more risks and turning the show into a full-throated action thriller for several episodes. And finally, the fourth season delivered one of the most satisfying finales I've seen for any television drama ever made.

So, when we last left "Mr. Robot," fsociety had pulled off their hack of E Corp and global financial systems, throwing the world into chaos. However, E Corp isn't down for the count. E Corp CEO Phillip Price (Michael Cristofer) and the leader of the Dark Army hacker collective, Whiterose (B.D. Wong), emerge as the new major antagonists, each with their own sinister agendas. Another complication is the introduction of FBI agent Dom DiPirro (Grace Gummer), who is investigating the hack, and the disappearance of chief suspect Tyrell Wellick. Elliot is still trying to navigate his confusing relationship with Mr. Robot, and decide how to move forward, but gets drawn back into the power struggles he inadvertently helped to create.

Elliot, with his fractured mind and fourth wall breaking internal monologues, is still the star of "Mr. Robot," but he often takes a backseat to other storylines where Angela, Darlene, or Dom take the lead. The show's biggest improvement is that it's less dependent on Rami Malek, who remains a stellar performer throughout, and manages to develop its other characters to be more compelling. Dom's a great addition, and Darlene proves to be a badass with it counts. The series also knows when certain storylines have been played out, and doesn't hesitate to put characters who aren't working in the background, or just drop them completely. The Wellicks, for instance, are still important in the later seasons but get much less emphasis and screen time.

I also like that the show becomes more formally inventive and character focused, which is appropriate when you have a hero who is never quite sure of his own reality. The most obvious example is the second season episode where Elliot ends up in a sitcom version of his life, complete with a laugh track and cameo from ALF. Even better is the fourth season episode that is essentially a stage play taking place in two rooms. Or there's the episode where Elliot hits a spiritual low, and ends up babysitting a friend's younger brother for most of the hour. No doubt, the action-oriented episodes are the most exciting and technically impressive, often involving long takes, complicated environments, and great effects and choreography. The spectacle, however, isn't as impressive as the underlying drama.

A critical part of the show's success is that "Mr. Robot" never gets too outlandish. There are elements that are pure science-fiction, and the style is outre as anything, but the depiction of the world in financial meltdown is fairly plausible and restrained. The hacking, the mental health issues, and even the transgender character are all handled with care and consideration. The show also remains fully committed to its cyberpunk premise and aesthetics. The targets get bigger and the hacks get more dangerous and morally fraught, but it's always thematically consistent. The central mystery of Elliot and Mr. Robot's existence is also handled remarkably well. There are a lot of wild twists and turns throughout, but the execution is good enough that nearly all of them are effective - even the big finale revelation works, which is rare.

I don't think I've ever seen another cyberpunk show this successful on this scale before. It's such an emotionally satisfying series, and it stops exactly when it should at 45 episodes. It's incredibly timely in 2020, as the world is going through a major crisis, and yet ends up telling a very personal story with great compassion and candidness. I'm so glad I went back and gave it another shot,

Also, I know I complained about the title cards, but the "Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto" variant for the finale may be the greatest moment of the entire show.
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