Nolafus
Aspiring something
- 5,724
- Posts
- 11
- Years
- Lost in thought... again
- Seen Mar 4, 2018
First of all, I would like to thank Static for pointing out this series to me. The first episode (and currently the only episode out) is on youtube for free, so if anyone has some time to kill, then check it out. Although, it's only available in America, for some reason, so you may run into some trouble there. Anyway, moving on.
If you're like me and have never heard of Mr. Robot before, then let me give you some basic information without spoiling too much. The main character is a hacker guy who hates society. He spends his days working in a cyber security company, and dreams of taking out the social order as we know it. He's terribly socially awkward, doesn't like being touched, and basically everything else you expect the protagonist would be. I always thought it was a matter of time until the people who hate society in order to be edgy got their own show. I just didn't expect to enjoy it so much.
The first thing you should know is that this is a very intelligent show. If you're watching this expecting to just kick back and have a few good laughs while these lovable characters act awkwardly at parties and complain about work that they never seem to go to, then you're in for a shock. The show is very fast paced and isn't afraid to show off the flaws of each character in a very serious way. So starting on that note, let's get into the details.
The main character is why this show works. I was a little worried watching the intro, because the last thing I wanted was someone who hated how society works and will do anything to tear it down. I mean, yeah, that's kind of what the main character does, but there's so much more to him. This has to be the most accurate representation of social awkwardness I've seen. It's not there to be funny, He doesn't hate everyone, he really wants to talk to others, but he simply doesn't know how. He's a lot different than most people, yet you can relate to him in a few ways. Not enough to where he seems like the writers are making him awkward for the sake of it, but just enough where you start understanding where he's coming from. He cares for people, and is surprisingly an animal lover. Quite a few scenes had me smiling because the writing and acting left for a complex character to watch, and he feels like a real person. It's difficult to pull off, especially with the character traits they've given him, but they did it, and did it well.
In fact, most of the characters felt real. They had their own problems, their own lives outside of the main character, which you actually got to see considering what the main character does in his free time. They didn't feel quite as complex as the main character, but I'll chalk that up to being the first episode in the series, and you have to introduce the protagonist first. In the later episodes, I'm sure they'll come out with their own issues and be almost as interesting.
As far as the story itself goes, it's an old storyline with just enough twists to keep it refreshing. Instead of one group wanting the socially awkward hero, two groups do, and I'm wondering if they'll clash heads in the future, despite working on different objectives. The hacking itself is pretty grounded without a lot of that Hollywood flare, which makes it that much more real. It's really refreshing, and the story as a whole doesn't really try to flare things up. It relies on complex characters and interactions to hold your attention, and since the characters are so well done, it works.
The pacing is wonderful for someone like me. I actually paused a couple times throughout the episode to see how much time was left. I didn't do it because I was bored, I did it because I couldn't believe just how much they crammed in there. Each scene knows exactly what it's there for, and the second it accomplishes that goal, it starts winding down and transitioning to the next. Normally this would be a bad thing, but they strike a balance where it's not boring me to death, but it's not putting the pedal to the metal either. It hits a groove once the initial introductions are done with, and rides it until the end.
Since the story is going at such a fast pace, there are quite a few plot twists that they get through. Each one is done pretty dang well, and they definitely save the best for last. The writing, acting, pacing, and pretty much everything is on point for this first episode, and it's a very enjoyable watch. However, there are a couple flaws that I had issues with.
Since the writers were trying to get through so much, it did feel like a bit of an information dump a couple times. It wasn't bad, but it was too much to take in a short amount of time, and maybe they should have toned it down just a tiny bit to make it easier to swallow. I'm willing to let it slide since they did pack so much in, but maybe the writers were just a touch too ambitious and could have let a few things slide until the next episode.
Speaking of things that should have been a part of the next episode, let's talk characters. Way too many were introduced, and I was constantly having to remind myself that these people exist. With the main storyline being as interesting as it is, I completely forgot about the therapist, the best friend's boyfriend, and a few coworkers. They popped up a couple times throughout, so they did have their place, but I didn't really see them as being necessary additions so early on with maybe the therapist as an exception. Like I said before, the writers may have put a bit too much on their plate, and some of the subplots didn't feel quite as necessary.
Overall, this is a very promising start. Mr. Robot premieres June 24th on the USA network, and if you're interested in a new show, I would definitely say to check it out. Heck, even if you're not interested, watch it anyway. You can thank me later. Everything is well done, polished, and the main character is so complex I can't really describe it here. If you know me, then you know I love my characters, and when they're forced into a plot that's just as good, then you have a recipe for success. It's an intelligent show that respects its audience, and enthralls you into a grounded adventure without too much Hollywood getting in the way. I'll be trying to keep up with it, and considering I don't watch tv, that's saying quite a lot.
Overall, I'll give this a 9.5/10.
If you're like me and have never heard of Mr. Robot before, then let me give you some basic information without spoiling too much. The main character is a hacker guy who hates society. He spends his days working in a cyber security company, and dreams of taking out the social order as we know it. He's terribly socially awkward, doesn't like being touched, and basically everything else you expect the protagonist would be. I always thought it was a matter of time until the people who hate society in order to be edgy got their own show. I just didn't expect to enjoy it so much.
The first thing you should know is that this is a very intelligent show. If you're watching this expecting to just kick back and have a few good laughs while these lovable characters act awkwardly at parties and complain about work that they never seem to go to, then you're in for a shock. The show is very fast paced and isn't afraid to show off the flaws of each character in a very serious way. So starting on that note, let's get into the details.
The main character is why this show works. I was a little worried watching the intro, because the last thing I wanted was someone who hated how society works and will do anything to tear it down. I mean, yeah, that's kind of what the main character does, but there's so much more to him. This has to be the most accurate representation of social awkwardness I've seen. It's not there to be funny, He doesn't hate everyone, he really wants to talk to others, but he simply doesn't know how. He's a lot different than most people, yet you can relate to him in a few ways. Not enough to where he seems like the writers are making him awkward for the sake of it, but just enough where you start understanding where he's coming from. He cares for people, and is surprisingly an animal lover. Quite a few scenes had me smiling because the writing and acting left for a complex character to watch, and he feels like a real person. It's difficult to pull off, especially with the character traits they've given him, but they did it, and did it well.
In fact, most of the characters felt real. They had their own problems, their own lives outside of the main character, which you actually got to see considering what the main character does in his free time. They didn't feel quite as complex as the main character, but I'll chalk that up to being the first episode in the series, and you have to introduce the protagonist first. In the later episodes, I'm sure they'll come out with their own issues and be almost as interesting.
As far as the story itself goes, it's an old storyline with just enough twists to keep it refreshing. Instead of one group wanting the socially awkward hero, two groups do, and I'm wondering if they'll clash heads in the future, despite working on different objectives. The hacking itself is pretty grounded without a lot of that Hollywood flare, which makes it that much more real. It's really refreshing, and the story as a whole doesn't really try to flare things up. It relies on complex characters and interactions to hold your attention, and since the characters are so well done, it works.
The pacing is wonderful for someone like me. I actually paused a couple times throughout the episode to see how much time was left. I didn't do it because I was bored, I did it because I couldn't believe just how much they crammed in there. Each scene knows exactly what it's there for, and the second it accomplishes that goal, it starts winding down and transitioning to the next. Normally this would be a bad thing, but they strike a balance where it's not boring me to death, but it's not putting the pedal to the metal either. It hits a groove once the initial introductions are done with, and rides it until the end.
Since the story is going at such a fast pace, there are quite a few plot twists that they get through. Each one is done pretty dang well, and they definitely save the best for last. The writing, acting, pacing, and pretty much everything is on point for this first episode, and it's a very enjoyable watch. However, there are a couple flaws that I had issues with.
Since the writers were trying to get through so much, it did feel like a bit of an information dump a couple times. It wasn't bad, but it was too much to take in a short amount of time, and maybe they should have toned it down just a tiny bit to make it easier to swallow. I'm willing to let it slide since they did pack so much in, but maybe the writers were just a touch too ambitious and could have let a few things slide until the next episode.
Speaking of things that should have been a part of the next episode, let's talk characters. Way too many were introduced, and I was constantly having to remind myself that these people exist. With the main storyline being as interesting as it is, I completely forgot about the therapist, the best friend's boyfriend, and a few coworkers. They popped up a couple times throughout, so they did have their place, but I didn't really see them as being necessary additions so early on with maybe the therapist as an exception. Like I said before, the writers may have put a bit too much on their plate, and some of the subplots didn't feel quite as necessary.
Overall, this is a very promising start. Mr. Robot premieres June 24th on the USA network, and if you're interested in a new show, I would definitely say to check it out. Heck, even if you're not interested, watch it anyway. You can thank me later. Everything is well done, polished, and the main character is so complex I can't really describe it here. If you know me, then you know I love my characters, and when they're forced into a plot that's just as good, then you have a recipe for success. It's an intelligent show that respects its audience, and enthralls you into a grounded adventure without too much Hollywood getting in the way. I'll be trying to keep up with it, and considering I don't watch tv, that's saying quite a lot.
Overall, I'll give this a 9.5/10.