Very minor spoilers ahead, so if you haven't seen the show and really don't want any parts of the story spoiled, do not read further.
Mr. Robot has captivated millions of people with it's gripping and unfaltering story and production. The show debuted on USA network during the summer of 2015, and gained a steady following which has grown largely now that it is almost through it's second season. The cast is sharp, the direction and soundtrack stunning, and the writing takes each viewer on a journey alongside the leading, schizophrenic, Elliot Alderson as one of his imaginary friends. Needless to say, it can be a wild and confusing, yet intriguing ride.
The entire show begins around Elliot being recruited by a hacktivist group called F-Society, with the plans to take down E Corp (or Evil Corp as Elliot imagines). From the very start, Elliot tells us of his anger with the top one percent, and their corruption, with society, and with himself. Through Elliot's clouded and paranoid eyes, we are completely uncertain of what is real in this world, and what is an illusion. This uncertainty is one of the greatest parts of the show, as you are never aware of what could be coming next.
The show frequently pushes the boundaries of what can be shown, touching on topics of sex, drugs, violence, and censoring out only the most unacceptable swear words. However, Mr. Robot never goes overboard with these. It all feels natural within the show. Maybe more important are the themes that the show pursues in its complex story of hacking the largest conglomerate in the world with the aims of wealth redistribution. Here are some of the biggest themes the show holds.
Mental Health. As we, the viewers, are an imaginary personality created by Elliot as someone to talk to, we get a glimpse of how he sees the world. He is a paranoid schizophrenic, so we often see Elliot worrying that random people are watching him, or imagining other people, different environments, and hearing things. This creates a complex situation in which reality and illusion mash together and make it hard to be certain of anything. This is one of the most important themes of the show because it is a topic that is often swept under the rug, and one that is not fully understood by many. Mr. Robot gives people an intimate view into how some mental illnesses affect people, and how vital treatment is, as well as how vital it is to recognize that these people are just people. They do not deserve to be discriminated against, or ridiculed. Elliot is incredibly bright and proves it time and again, and this is representative of the fact that people with mental illnesses are not and should not be treated as less than.
Metaphysics. This is not as much of a theme as it is a side effect of Elliot's mental illness. Because reality and illusion are so closely tied in the picture we receive through Elliot, we very often question the reality of the show, as well as our own lives. The production of the show is so well done that it makes the show one of the most realistic shows on television. It features clips of familiar talk show hosts like Nancy Grace speaking about the current events in the show, many of which are real things in our world. This could be the mentioning of everything from the Flint water crisis, to fracking in North Dakota. Because of the intense realism of the show, that is then altered slightly with the incorporation of E Corp and F-Society, it makes us question our own reality. Are there really big corporations like E(vil) Corp that do awful things and control so much of the economy? What is our government hiding, similar to what is portrayed in the show? Do we really control our own lives, or are we just small pieces of a much larger game? What is real and what is not?
Distrust in the Government. This also relates to the controlling powers overall, many of which are entangled with the top 1% and those who control large conglomerates like E Corp, which pervade every facet of society. Elliot is distrustful of everyone, even himself, and that is a reason that he hacks many of the people he meets. Even his close childhood friends, like Angela Moss, he hacks in order to find trust in people. The government plays a shady role in this show, as the FBI are always in search of who is behind these large hacks, and are constantly threatening Elliot and his friends. The government also does what it can to cover up issues, and this creates further distrust. This is an common notion among Americans in today's society. Conspiracy theorists are everywhere and many have very justified skepticism towards the government and how much they actually tell us, the people. This is just another way Elliot, and Mr. Robot, taps into the fears and concerns of the audience and gets people thinking.
Wealth Inequality. This is a much discussed topic currently, especially after the rise of figures like Bernie Sanders. The goal of the hack on E Corp was to effectively redistribute wealth through the killing of all debt controlled by the corporation. There is no doubt that wealth is extremely unequal in today's society, much of the time as a result of corruption. As of June 2015, the top 0.1% of Americans have an income of over 184 times that of the bottom 90%. (Statistics from Inequality.org)
Cyber Safety. A very central theme of Mr. Robot is hacking on varying degrees of severity and scale. There are the large scale hacks on E Corp, as well as the times Elliot simply hacks into someone's phone to gain access to their information. Sam Esmail, the brilliant creator, writer, and director of Mr. Robot, described hacking as a sort of superpower in an NPR interview you can read or listen to here. While it may be viewed as a superpower in some manner because it can be used for good, it is much more often used for malicious reasons. The show truly shines a light on how easy it can be to access other's information with the right skills and knowledge. It makes the viewers question just how safe their online profiles are. We have so much personal information online - finances, account logins, etc - and a person with the right gear and the will can gain access to it even if you are cautious about protecting yourself on the Web. This may be one of the more worrying themes of the show because of how pervasive it is in our wired society.
These are just a few of the large themes that I observed while watching Mr. Robot. It is currently my favorite show on television and I am very excited to see what the rest of season 2 brings.
Mr. Robot season 2 is currently airing on USA network on Wednesday nights at 10:00 pm ET. Strongly recommend!
