So I took a screen grab of the QR code he sketched in his journal, cleaned it up in photohsop and then scanned it with my phone and it took me to an fsociety recruitment site. The detail within this series was insane. One of the best ever.
Back when the show was on they did this really cool hackery website thing that would be different every week and have funky little Cicada 3301 style riddles. Best show ever for that kind of stuff.
They marketed the show in a lot of really innovative ways. Prior to the premiere/show reveal they also had fsociety Twitch streams were people in fsociety masks were building weird stuff, it was all super cryptic and followed in the wake of Anonymous going mainstream, so the mystery drew people in.
There’s one episode, first season, where 2 characters wait to steal a vehicle, a minivan iirc. They get in and proceed to sniff the CAN bus, not only was the tool used correct but the hexadecimal vendorid code on screen was correct for the vehicle manufacturer.
Mr Robot has got to be one of the best series I’ve ever experienced. And I wish so much that more people kept watching after season 1; I am glad that we actually got an ending to the series, as I’m sure it would’ve been cancelled like plenty of other good shows that dropped off in viewership after the first couple of seasons. It is such a beautiful show, so much depth and so much creativity.
I loved season 1, it's an amazing thriller series with the most realistic cyber warfare and hacking in cinema to this day. I watched season 2, or at least part of it, I don't know how much because I couldn't follow it anymore. It was like a fever dream. These psychological horror shows and movies piss me off with their fundamentally inconsistent stories. You're following one plot line, and suddenly, it never happened. Like, how can you enjoy being so brutally unaware of what's happening in a show so bleak and gray? They make these good philosophical statements, then invalidate them. I appreciate that it's probably a decently accurate depiction of certain forms of mental illness, but come on. The show just hurts to watch after a while of going on like this.
@@100dead @100dead you should really force yourself to sit through the hard parts and watch the rest of it. I admit that there's some episodes that seem to take you on a needless foray into a surrealist dreamscape, but in the end I would put this up there with Breaking Bad, Deadwood, Better Call Saul... ugh...I wish David Milch had been given the same opportunity to finish Deadwood that Sam Esmail was with Mr. Robot. Anyway, if nothing else, just watch the rest of the series for the cinematography and artistic direction. It's in a league if its own in that respect. At the very least watch through season 3 episode 5 (eps3.4_runtime-error.r00) which is a masterpiece. If you make it that far I doubt you will be able to stop.
@@100deadafter the halfway point of season 2 it really picks up and the last 2 seasons are great. I’m not sure what you found fundamentally inconsistent but the first half of season 2 definitely is a grind to get through.
No other TV show has ever captivated me as much as Mr. Robot. I watched it live as it aired. I rewatched it mutiple times before it even ended. I participated in Reddit threads trying to figure out what was going on. I don't think there's anything that can come close to the impact Elliot Alderson's story had on me.
@@MadawaDAWilsonYes Severance is looking amazing so far. I don’t think it will be in the same level of epic, but it’s creating almost its own genre and carries a unique tone as well.
Same. It is amazing and then the last seen when we look into source consciousness and realize we are part of it has me balling every time. It then went to 1st of all shows of all time.
This show actually changed my life, the amount of mental shit Elliot goes through yet still keeps going inspired me to keep on trucking with my own mental difficulties with autism and depression. No matter how bad it gets I source strength from knowing I can keep walking forward towards a better world, even if sometimes my steps are slow and far apart I'm not just going to give up and give in to darkness, darkness can have me when I'm cold in the ground and not a moment sooner. Amazing show.
@@Whocareslol420 It kinda feels the same to me, though I don't give up for one simple reason: living is infinitely more interesting than not living. No matter how shitty my life is at any given moment, I always remember that even if things get even worse, I still could die any day and not experience anything at all for eternity. I am a junkie that way: even if my life will become 99% shit, I will still cling to that 1% of good. Even If I fail to make the world a better place or become happy, whatever that means, at least I tried. Also, even though I feel less joy than when I was a kid with no real responsibilities and hardships, I am stronger and more capable now. The harder life beats me, the harder I become. It may not be a good thing, but it is something. I would rather have that than nothing at all.
Well that’s the dumbest shit you could ever do seeing as this was a TV show and there isn’t actually a guy out there who handles his mental illness this way and gets away with it so you are just setting yourself up for failure
Dang Mr Robot, Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, and Community. All we need is Barry and you have done my top 5 favorite TV shows of all time. Thx for covering my #1 favorite TV show of all time. Amazing video.
Watched "the wire." I loved seasons 1 - 4 they are masterpices of television. But I really really didn't like season 5. The series finale kept everything back on track and Omar part of season 5 was tragic but amazing. I just really didn't like the fake serial killer plot.( If it was real I would of liked it more. but that would require rewriting season 5 and it's message.) If the wire ended at season 3 or season 4 it would definitely be in my top 5.
@@erdem-tx3tu ngl i still think season 1 is its best season, some say s2 but it was nothing how s1 described it wasnt madness it was a mob war more or less
@@username.exenotfound2943 s2 had such a unique and captivating style; whether it was the artstyle, the cool setting in the late 70s, the absolutely fantastic music choices and so on; but s1 was such a great story in a sort of straightforward way... amazing actors and actresses, and the writing was fantastic, definitely became one of my fav shows of all time :)
I don’t know if that was planned, but I got an ad as soon as Mr Robot said “But first, a word from our corporate overlords!” Really struck me for a sec. Bravo. What a brilliant video. IMO the best show of all time.
Its because youtube has a set of tools that transcribe a video, algorithmically decide the most exciting parts (change in motion between 5s blocks and spikes or luls in audio), check the transcript with an AI to decide if there are any conceptual breaks or good phrases, and then adds advertisement markers in.@@taviamemories3087
I can’t call this “another video about Mr. Robot” because I liked it, I could even stand an hour of English. The most reliable retelling. Even 3 hours is not enough to tell all the intricacies of the series.
@@KillerLettuce Which one you use. RUclips caught up to me and decided to screw me over. So I'm trying to fuck them over by switching my ad blocker to new ones they haven't found yet.
Tyrell got sidelined so hard, he was one of the most interesting characters in season 1 and then he was literally absent for most of season 2 and was mostly unimportant in seasons 3 and 4
Wow. You summarized the entire show. What an immense task. And you did it perfectly. You may have inspired me to do another rewatch of this wonderful show.
Mr. Robot is easily on the same level as breaking bad but gets a tenth of the attention. Hopefully it has a popularity explosion at some point just like breaking bad did.
To be very honest, I think the complexity of MR made it not as approachable as BB. Breaking Bad can be easily understood by 9/10 viewers. But I can guess not as many people even finished or fully understood the plot. Anyways loved both shows. Was missing MR so came back here 😅
Having recently watched it, it's ok, but simply not on the same level as breaking bad or other great shows like the sopranos. It's highly unoriginal with its' story, creates plot twists that simply don't make sense, and establishes its' themes in the most over-the-top ways, like they literally named the big bad company "Evil Corp" like cmon. The cinematography and music is really good, and the story does have quite a few interesting moments, but that's about it.
@@johngrizis What plot twists don’t make sense? I think it’s the only show that’s given a genuine representation of DID even though it’s inspired partially by fight club. Also, E Corp isn’t actually called Evil Corp. Because the show is told from Elliot’ perspective, everyone else calls it Evil Corp in the show because that’s the way he views it.
@@johngrizisthis is why MR Robot had less viewership. Because it is too complex for the masses to understand and appreciate. It needs more than a bowl of popcorn and 5 neurons.
Whiterose is a determinist who believes that their reality takes place in a simulation. And if that's the case, it would mean that reality is governed by fate and not individuals' free will. This would make control an illusion. It's why she doesn't believe in coincidences and it's why she "listens when time speaks". She's liberating everyone "from the horrific and brutal past we've been shackled to for so long". This is why she tells Angela "I guess it all depends on what your definition of real is" in 2x11. She wins over Angela's belief by proving her theory right. That's the procedure she does in that type of room. Whiterose is trying to prove this to Elliot in 4x11. "This procedure has never been about brainwashing. It is about helping you come to an understanding". That reality isn't as real as we think it is. This is also why Dark Army members are perfectly fine with offing themselves. The scene where Angela asks Irving about whether Whiterose ever "showed him" the project is even a direct homage to the scene from The Matrix where Cypher talks about the steak not being real with Agent Smith. Her machine is basically a super computer and its purpose is to fully reboot their simulated reality into a utopia. Whiterose is trying to play God without permission by rewriting the code behind reality. Now whether she's right about reality being a simulation is all up for debate. We'll never know for sure since Elliot turns the machine off before it can do anything. But Tyrell seeing a mysterious blue light as he dies does potentially give credence to that theory.
I am truly impressed by this retrospective. You are able to catch the subtle nuances of the show that many doing this miss or undermine in their review that make the series shine. Thank you. Amazing work. I have found your channel today and I am rather surprised you have not done a video on Neil Gaiman's American Gods.
Mr Robot is my favorite TV show because it trusts itself to toe the line between sticking to the rules and breaking them. Character's disappear for entire seasons only to come back for crucial functions later. We feel the effects of actions that aren't revealed until seasons later but it never feels like a retcon because they're planned out. SPECTACULAR music selections. A character will show up for an episode and still be captivating (Wallace Shawn!!!). I've rewatched it at least once a year, every year, since I first watched it. My only regret is that I didn't watch it live as it aired.
I think one thing you overlooked is the heavy details they put into every episode. There's hints it's an alternate universe with a shazam/Mandela effect Easter egg or two. There's little bread crumbs they sprinkle throughout episodes in the form of hyperlinks, qr codes, or some of the coding languages we see them typing. Honestly, the show was brilliant.
I love how the more TV shows evolved, when they do have a more serialized and focused narrative, it's almost like each season follows the structure of a film. It's crazy to think how a story can have so much more substance if you extended it. Makes me think what if some of my favorite films were TV shows as good and with the same cinematic standard as Mr.Robot, Succession, Breaking Bad, etc.
Love the video! I've been watching you for a long time, and this is the first time I've caught a video on a show I've watched being released. Only 2 critiques, 1. I feel like maybe the idea that a Patrick Bateman couldn't exist is only exemplified by how much of a fish out of water Tyrell is, and I always thought that maybe had something to do with the insinuation he is one of the few who rose up the ranks at E Corp who didn't come from old money. 2nd, the needle drop of Mr. Robot should've been mentioned also! As a fan of the song I waited for the song to be dropped the entire series and the discipline to wait until the end felt so great because it felt like the bow on top of the series as a whole. Anyway, keep up the amazing work!
Okay this is getting freaky. I actually watched Mr Robot last week for the first time based on the recommendations I picked up from watching your retros. Then I finished and have been looking for a good retrospective to find additional context since then and not found even one i like.
I haven’t watched the review yet, but I want to say that I love this show and appreciate your analysis and humour. The scene where Elliot decides to fix everything made me bawl my eyes out.
this whole series felt like a potluck dish that tasted familiar at first but has aboslutely morphed into something that is an indescribable flavor you dont know if youre enjoying it or not i dont even know if the taste is sour bitter good or not I dont even know if i am enjoying it or not
This is a perfect description of how I feel about it. Total fever dream of a show. I had to stop during season 2 because I wasn't enjoying it. I was just lost. Felt sick.
One of my favorite shows of all time, it was a glimpse into the future and an invisible world of online back and forth with multiple highly intelligent groups. I’m saying the premise and story was fantastic for me and on top of it they nailed the execution for me
I can't believe you didn't say anything about the "A way out of loneliness" scene that Elliot has with his therapist Krista. I think its easily one of the best scenes of the series. Granted it doesn't do much as far as moving the plot, perhaps. And thats why it wasn't really focused on in this video. But the scene is just so damn good though. lol
Best Tv i have seen in my live. It did something for me that nothing else has done for me and in the last season it makes sense when we discover the root of his pain and all the power he has to produce to keep himself from seeing it. It's like 20 years of therapy, for me, being a male SA victim myself, i cried and broke down. All the worries about meta-data, Cyber-Security, Shadow Governments, China, Rothschild, Empty consumerism, Anarchy and the richest 1 %, that Bernie Sanders talked so much about. This had the Zeitgeizt and was somehow the Zeitgeizt for me also. Of what was changing and alternative realities. Cicada Mindfunk Games before Q-Anon and the January 6 and that madness, but in reverse in our reality because they attacked because of a misunderstanding that Trump cared and is here to fulfill many prophesies. Mr Robot hit that nerve, for me. I don't think it did that for that many people but this will always be a Cult show
Im so sorry that you went through that. I also am a victim of CSA and sadly relate to elliot a lot. Love this show for tackling topics such as these in such an interesting way
Been watching your channel consistently since Fargo retrospective, your insights are so good - definitely one of my favorite RUclipsrs. Would've loved to hear your thoughts on Fargo S5! Keep up the great work.
I am astounded that you haven’t already covered it, but you really ought to cover AMC’s *Halt and Catch Fire*. There’s an appalling lack of material covering this series, but having only recently finished it, the “greatest show that nobody watched” reputation, turns out, is 100% deserved.
Fun video, thanks for making it. My theory is that White Rose's "Machine" is nothing! She is just crazy, it would never work, she just could not forget her beloved one and her mind just snapped and crated the machine illusion.
I wish someone would do a long form documentary on the Mr. Robot ARG & Red Wheelbarrow puzzle book. It was all super intricate, extremely challenging and pivotal to the story in a whole. That ARG was like an additional season in-between each season. The subreddit dedicated to it was awesome to follow as it all unfolded.
Perfect Timing was about to start my yearly rewatch of this show. Every time I rewatch I find something new and that what keeps me coming back and the fact that it’s what got my into learning Ethical Hacking and working towards getting a cybersecurity job
One thing I feel like you could’ve added was the fact that due to real life situations the finale of season one was pushed back and how the show stayed scarily close to real life events and situations making it a hard watch in real time
Amazing breakdown. I think my only addition is that "the machine" being the very literal "deus ex machina" like it also is in fringe. We could get into exactly how the machine works and how it will do it's business, but ultimately its just a bit of reminder that all of this is science fiction, and the machine is just the drama device to bring about the end. The literal deus ex machina.
I genuinely never knew Mr. Robot went past Season 2, I remember a YTbr who wrote a really good video essay on Season 1, but He never followed up or posted any videos for like 3-5 years now; in the end thoug, I'm extremely happy to know it wasn't canceled and that it ended with the same weird and depth vibe that made it so unique and captivating to me when i 1st watched it. Also I genuinely never found anything wrong with Season 1 and always saw Tyrell as a foil to Elliot, but I'm sad to think with a rewatch including the other 2 seasons, I'll lose the love I had for it and see now those flaws ; GR8 VIDEO!!!!
Shoutouts to the opening music. Ratchet - Deadlocked(PS2) multiplayer waiting room lobby. Not the video I was expecting to hear this track in today but VERY welcomed. Instant sub.
38:38 - feels really weird watching this scene right after finishing your Breaking Bad video with Walt bluffing about not being stupid enough to do something stupid in public where it can be seen! :’)
ah fuck I just discovered you and after finishing this great video and letting me re-experience Mr Robot while acquiring new insight, I see you've retrospective'd many things I've seen, so I know what I'll be doing with my next few days, you get a sub good sir, great vid
Hannibal, Mr Robot, Daredevil and breaking bad are probably the best written shows ive ever read, I'd include Moral Orel but it isn't live action, but still an AMAZING show I'd highly recommend watching, it gets very very dark by the end of season 2, so it's definitely not for everyone
S4 SPOILERS actually... I think Angela's death happens exactly when her character completes her own arc it is complete, it's just abrupt and brutal but still think about it. she starts off as a childhood friend to Elliot sharing history regarding their parents, then we get to S1 where they are co-workers, working for a company they despise. Elliot goes the vigilante anarchist way while Angela goes the legal way. in S2 while Elliot is staying offline trying to boycott Mr robot she becomes a full e corp employee and then an fsociety agent, only to get brainwashed by white rose herself, leading the dynamic into S3, where the first season's dynamic is repeated but inverted: Elliot goes legit and becomes e corp's best employee while angela goes full cold dark army mode. following events in S3 and entering S4 she begins to regret everything realizing what she's done and after some grief she opens her eyes to the truth and becomes 100% determined to act against white rose and deus grous I mean yes, she does get killed instantly after that but her arc had finished riiiiight there. Angela is one of the most dynamic and fleshed out characters in the history of television, she goes through many changes of heart and twisted victory moments which lead to her untimely demise, and also acting as a strange opposing force to Elliot though she's not a villain (actually his love interest and friend) even further, her death can also be read as more character development to her as Elliot and we the audience grief on her. did she die too soon to redeem herself? did she redeem herself and for that did she get killed? I personally think the latter honestly, brutal death tho it really hurt me.
33:00 The 'Grander Stage 2' was not unknown by Tyrell, it was Tyrell's idea. He told Irving that he needed the full force of the Dark Army to pull it off and Angela was privy to it, that's why she was tripping because she blamed herself but she wholeheartedly believed White Rose's plan could 'bring them back'. Soz for being nitpicky, this is my legit favourite show of all time and it takes away from Angela's breakdown and Tyrell's full excusal when they're both fully culpable in the greatest Terror Attack on American soil. Mr Robot, however, was completely kept out of the loop on that one. That's what makes that so heartbreaking, Elliot spends the whole episode risking his life, fighting against Mr Robot, and his message of like 'You've been played, there's no records here' which breaks the back and forth and does save the lives of everyone in the 72nd building.
I'm surprised you didnt mention "Leave the World Behind" movie. It might be small easter eggs, but there was an Evil corp logo, and some quick reference to the finale's white rose machine melting down.
this show hit me emotionally so hard and Like... it may be one of my favorite shows of all time, and the hot episodes are some of the best ever, like 4x7 is insane
No joke, it had one of the characters say, "but first, a word from our corporate overlords," and then immediately cut to a youtube ad. Did anyone else get this?
While it was interesting to see someone else’s perspective on the show i think you’re looking at it from the wrong lens. The show isn’t about saving the world, and it’s not about the plot, the twists or even the hacks. It’s about broken people finding purpose in a broken world and “elliot”s psychological journey. Tyrell, mirrors his alienation of the modern world, but instead of rejecting it, he doubles down. Abandoning morality and diving head first into the corporate system only to find himself in a position to destroy it. Dom attempts the same thing without compromising her morality but the corrupt nature of the world forces her to question her morality. Angela succumbs to the allure of corporate success, only to be used as a tool and pay the ultimate price. (No pun intended) To me, its more about the character arcs, everything else is just b plot that guides them on that journey.
Loved Mr. Robot. My one critique is how convoluted it makes itself. "The machine" and "Elliot's true identity" just feel too sudden and weird. Breaking Bad had an amazing payoff, where Mr Robot has amazing concepts, but fumbles it a bit - writing itself into corners without being clear on the end goal. Elliot's identity is a nice twist, but feels like they thought of it on the day, and had to retcon.
I definitely get why you say this and it’s a totally fair point to raise, but personally, I disagree. I found the machine plot line and True Identity twist more than fitting and I think they greatly benefit the show narrative wise and thematically (I can explain this more at depth if you’d like). That being said, that’s just my own take and I can definitely understand the “Convoluted” aspect of it being an issue for someone even if I’d personally argue that actually benefits the show. Lastly, while I get why a lot of people say something along these lines, I would not call the last twist a retcon because on rewatch, at least for me personally, that last twist feels more than appropriate and supported. But that’s just my take.
There are shows you only watch once, shows you can watch over and over again, and then there's Mr Robot: The show you watch exactly twice. A second time to have the benefit of hindsight, but not a third because it's devastating to watch likeable characters die horribly.
Fantastic first season okay second season great 3rd season and honestly really loved the last season, I think mr robot is up there with Barry for my favourite shows honestly
The series finale of the personalities in the theater and M83 playing in the background resulted in me having one of the most intense emotional responses I have ever felt in my life. The show had its problems (I still think "The Machine" didn't really work well even as a multifaceted plot device. I felt that it didn't belong in a show like this, both narratively and tonally) But God damn the amount of introspection and audio/visual bliss really culminated in a wonderful show.
I like to put Mr.Robot in the same vein as Legion, both shows do so well taking us on a journey with a Unreliable Narrator. Spoiler: - The final scene of Angela Moss not being able to accept what she has done sitting on a park bench having her father plead for her to come with him knowing full well that if he doesn't she will die and as he walks away some people walk up and casually take her out. That scene still gets me after all these years, such a psychologically brutal scene with an estranged father and daughter.
@raymondsims7042 lol, the wire was my no.1 until my most recent rewatch of both... black sails is the only other show I consider a start to finish masterpiece and that's a distant 3rd.
So I took a screen grab of the QR code he sketched in his journal, cleaned it up in photohsop and then scanned it with my phone and it took me to an fsociety recruitment site. The detail within this series was insane. One of the best ever.
Back when the show was on they did this really cool hackery website thing that would be different every week and have funky little Cicada 3301 style riddles. Best show ever for that kind of stuff.
They marketed the show in a lot of really innovative ways. Prior to the premiere/show reveal they also had fsociety Twitch streams were people in fsociety masks were building weird stuff, it was all super cryptic and followed in the wake of Anonymous going mainstream, so the mystery drew people in.
It had an ARG feel. If you liked this, definitely check out the ARG community
Omg
There’s one episode, first season, where 2 characters wait to steal a vehicle, a minivan iirc. They get in and proceed to sniff the CAN bus, not only was the tool used correct but the hexadecimal vendorid code on screen was correct for the vehicle manufacturer.
The best use of M83's "Outro" in the history of film or television.
A cherry on top of an excellent show, a perfect ending!
100% agree. The perfect ending to a near perfect show (In my opinion)
They also used m⁸³ 's "Intro" for the intro
They use it in the movie "the gambler" with Mark Wahlberg, it was very fitting in that movie aswell.
Indeed my friend couldn’t agree more
Mr Robot has got to be one of the best series I’ve ever experienced. And I wish so much that more people kept watching after season 1; I am glad that we actually got an ending to the series, as I’m sure it would’ve been cancelled like plenty of other good shows that dropped off in viewership after the first couple of seasons. It is such a beautiful show, so much depth and so much creativity.
Top five tv show for me it’s a masterpiece
I loved season 1, it's an amazing thriller series with the most realistic cyber warfare and hacking in cinema to this day.
I watched season 2, or at least part of it, I don't know how much because I couldn't follow it anymore. It was like a fever dream.
These psychological horror shows and movies piss me off with their fundamentally inconsistent stories. You're following one plot line, and suddenly, it never happened.
Like, how can you enjoy being so brutally unaware of what's happening in a show so bleak and gray? They make these good philosophical statements, then invalidate them.
I appreciate that it's probably a decently accurate depiction of certain forms of mental illness, but come on. The show just hurts to watch after a while of going on like this.
@@100dead @100dead you should really force yourself to sit through the hard parts and watch the rest of it. I admit that there's some episodes that seem to take you on a needless foray into a surrealist dreamscape, but in the end I would put this up there with Breaking Bad, Deadwood, Better Call Saul... ugh...I wish David Milch had been given the same opportunity to finish Deadwood that Sam Esmail was with Mr. Robot. Anyway, if nothing else, just watch the rest of the series for the cinematography and artistic direction. It's in a league if its own in that respect. At the very least watch through season 3 episode 5 (eps3.4_runtime-error.r00) which is a masterpiece. If you make it that far I doubt you will be able to stop.
@@100deadafter the halfway point of season 2 it really picks up and the last 2 seasons are great. I’m not sure what you found fundamentally inconsistent but the first half of season 2 definitely is a grind to get through.
Utopia UK original version. Highly recommended
No other TV show has ever captivated me as much as Mr. Robot. I watched it live as it aired. I rewatched it mutiple times before it even ended. I participated in Reddit threads trying to figure out what was going on. I don't think there's anything that can come close to the impact Elliot Alderson's story had on me.
severance has a promising premise/conspiracy
I was the same. We probably spoke on reddit at some point. What I'd give to experience it for the first time again.
@@MadawaDAWilsonYes Severance is looking amazing so far. I don’t think it will be in the same level of epic, but it’s creating almost its own genre and carries a unique tone as well.
Same. It is amazing and then the last seen when we look into source consciousness and realize we are part of it has me balling every time. It then went to 1st of all shows of all time.
Right there with you.
This show actually changed my life, the amount of mental shit Elliot goes through yet still keeps going inspired me to keep on trucking with my own mental difficulties with autism and depression. No matter how bad it gets I source strength from knowing I can keep walking forward towards a better world, even if sometimes my steps are slow and far apart I'm not just going to give up and give in to darkness, darkness can have me when I'm cold in the ground and not a moment sooner.
Amazing show.
Same, but life keeps beating me down
@@Whocareslol420 It kinda feels the same to me, though I don't give up for one simple reason: living is infinitely more interesting than not living. No matter how shitty my life is at any given moment, I always remember that even if things get even worse, I still could die any day and not experience anything at all for eternity. I am a junkie that way: even if my life will become 99% shit, I will still cling to that 1% of good. Even If I fail to make the world a better place or become happy, whatever that means, at least I tried. Also, even though I feel less joy than when I was a kid with no real responsibilities and hardships, I am stronger and more capable now. The harder life beats me, the harder I become. It may not be a good thing, but it is something. I would rather have that than nothing at all.
@@Whocareslol420 Life isn't measured by how many times you get beat down. It's about how many times you keep getting back up again.
Well that’s the dumbest shit you could ever do seeing as this was a TV show and there isn’t actually a guy out there who handles his mental illness this way and gets away with it so you are just setting yourself up for failure
Dang Mr Robot, Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, and Community. All we need is Barry and you have done my top 5 favorite TV shows of all time. Thx for covering my #1 favorite TV show of all time. Amazing video.
No "The Wire"?
Watched "the wire." I loved seasons 1 - 4 they are masterpices of television. But I really really didn't like season 5. The series finale kept everything back on track and Omar part of season 5 was tragic but amazing. I just really didn't like the fake serial killer plot.( If it was real I would of liked it more. but that would require rewriting season 5 and it's message.) If the wire ended at season 3 or season 4 it would definitely be in my top 5.
Fargo is amazing too :)
@@erdem-tx3tu ngl i still think season 1 is its best season, some say s2 but it was nothing how s1 described it wasnt madness it was a mob war more or less
@@username.exenotfound2943 s2 had such a unique and captivating style; whether it was the artstyle, the cool setting in the late 70s, the absolutely fantastic music choices and so on; but s1 was such a great story in a sort of straightforward way... amazing actors and actresses, and the writing was fantastic, definitely became one of my fav shows of all time :)
I don’t know if that was planned, but I got an ad as soon as Mr Robot said “But first, a word from our corporate overlords!” Really struck me for a sec. Bravo. What a brilliant video. IMO the best show of all time.
I had the same thing happen, and it was a political ad about the upcoming election. could not have been more fitting.
Its because youtube has a set of tools that transcribe a video, algorithmically decide the most exciting parts (change in motion between 5s blocks and spikes or luls in audio), check the transcript with an AI to decide if there are any conceptual breaks or good phrases, and then adds advertisement markers in.@@taviamemories3087
I can’t call this “another video about Mr. Robot” because I liked it, I could even stand an hour of English. The most reliable retelling.
Even 3 hours is not enough to tell all the intricacies of the series.
8:30 😂
fsociety: "but first, a word from our corporate overlords"
**ad plays**
😂😂😂
that was AMAZING :D
Wouldnt know. Adblock, baby!
Best part
@@KillerLettuce Which one you use. RUclips caught up to me and decided to screw me over. So I'm trying to fuck them over by switching my ad blocker to new ones they haven't found yet.
Just finish the entire series today and wow! It was quite a rollercoaster. Only bad thing is we didn't have more of Tyrell. Bonsoir, Tyrell!
It makes me so happy as a fan of the show to see other people discovering and enjoying it. Such a fun watch and enjoyable rewatch
Pardon your French
I would have liked to have seen more of Leon
but I suppose the fact that he's not in it much
gives his appearances more impact.
Tyrell got sidelined so hard, he was one of the most interesting characters in season 1 and then he was literally absent for most of season 2 and was mostly unimportant in seasons 3 and 4
The bad and dated thing is the writers obvious TDS.
Wow. You summarized the entire show. What an immense task. And you did it perfectly. You may have inspired me to do another rewatch of this wonderful show.
Mr. Robot is easily on the same level as breaking bad but gets a tenth of the attention. Hopefully it has a popularity explosion at some point just like breaking bad did.
To be very honest, I think the complexity of MR made it not as approachable as BB. Breaking Bad can be easily understood by 9/10 viewers. But I can guess not as many people even finished or fully understood the plot.
Anyways loved both shows. Was missing MR so came back here 😅
Having recently watched it, it's ok, but simply not on the same level as breaking bad or other great shows like the sopranos. It's highly unoriginal with its' story, creates plot twists that simply don't make sense, and establishes its' themes in the most over-the-top ways, like they literally named the big bad company "Evil Corp" like cmon. The cinematography and music is really good, and the story does have quite a few interesting moments, but that's about it.
@@johngrizis What plot twists don’t make sense? I think it’s the only show that’s given a genuine representation of DID even though it’s inspired partially by fight club. Also, E Corp isn’t actually called Evil Corp. Because the show is told from Elliot’ perspective, everyone else calls it Evil Corp in the show because that’s the way he views it.
@@johngrizis I feel bad that you couldn’t comprehend such a great show.
@@johngrizisthis is why MR Robot had less viewership. Because it is too complex for the masses to understand and appreciate. It needs more than a bowl of popcorn and 5 neurons.
Whiterose is a determinist who believes that their reality takes place in a simulation. And if that's the case, it would mean that reality is governed by fate and not individuals' free will. This would make control an illusion. It's why she doesn't believe in coincidences and it's why she "listens when time speaks". She's liberating everyone "from the horrific and brutal past we've been shackled to for so long". This is why she tells Angela "I guess it all depends on what your definition of real is" in 2x11. She wins over Angela's belief by proving her theory right. That's the procedure she does in that type of room. Whiterose is trying to prove this to Elliot in 4x11. "This procedure has never been about brainwashing. It is about helping you come to an understanding". That reality isn't as real as we think it is. This is also why Dark Army members are perfectly fine with offing themselves.
The scene where Angela asks Irving about whether Whiterose ever "showed him" the project is even a direct homage to the scene from The Matrix where Cypher talks about the steak not being real with Agent Smith. Her machine is basically a super computer and its purpose is to fully reboot their simulated reality into a utopia. Whiterose is trying to play God without permission by rewriting the code behind reality. Now whether she's right about reality being a simulation is all up for debate. We'll never know for sure since Elliot turns the machine off before it can do anything. But Tyrell seeing a mysterious blue light as he dies does potentially give credence to that theory.
Estoy de acuerdo
The baldurs dice roll had me giggling more then I want to admit
Thank you. It feels like there’s barely any Mr robot videos
wait til you see future man
its just promotional content and random clips + the chair scene
theres literally 1 video essay about it
Man you are such a good writer, wish more video essayists tried as hard as you. Love your content brother.
I am truly impressed by this retrospective. You are able to catch the subtle nuances of the show that many doing this miss or undermine in their review that make the series shine. Thank you. Amazing work. I have found your channel today and I am rather surprised you have not done a video on Neil Gaiman's American Gods.
Is it just me, or is Mr. Robot enjoying a bit of a renaissance recently?
u might be on to something, i went down a mr robot rabbit hole on youtube like two days ago🤣🤣
definitely deserved
I started and finished it myself in the past few months. Incredible show in every way
Agreed!
Mr Robot is my favorite TV show because it trusts itself to toe the line between sticking to the rules and breaking them. Character's disappear for entire seasons only to come back for crucial functions later. We feel the effects of actions that aren't revealed until seasons later but it never feels like a retcon because they're planned out. SPECTACULAR music selections. A character will show up for an episode and still be captivating (Wallace Shawn!!!). I've rewatched it at least once a year, every year, since I first watched it. My only regret is that I didn't watch it live as it aired.
I was there every week to watch Elliott spiral into madness only to find the light and come out in the end... fucking love this show.
It's genuinely one of the best TV shows I have ever watched.
this series is such a wild ride from start to finish, im shocked you manage to cover all of it
I think one thing you overlooked is the heavy details they put into every episode. There's hints it's an alternate universe with a shazam/Mandela effect Easter egg or two. There's little bread crumbs they sprinkle throughout episodes in the form of hyperlinks, qr codes, or some of the coding languages we see them typing. Honestly, the show was brilliant.
Comment to say thanks for the content. Never was able to stick it out for this while it was airing
I love how the more TV shows evolved, when they do have a more serialized and focused narrative, it's almost like each season follows the structure of a film. It's crazy to think how a story can have so much more substance if you extended it. Makes me think what if some of my favorite films were TV shows as good and with the same cinematic standard as Mr.Robot, Succession, Breaking Bad, etc.
yes and also BARRY
Love the video! I've been watching you for a long time, and this is the first time I've caught a video on a show I've watched being released. Only 2 critiques, 1. I feel like maybe the idea that a Patrick Bateman couldn't exist is only exemplified by how much of a fish out of water Tyrell is, and I always thought that maybe had something to do with the insinuation he is one of the few who rose up the ranks at E Corp who didn't come from old money. 2nd, the needle drop of Mr. Robot should've been mentioned also! As a fan of the song I waited for the song to be dropped the entire series and the discipline to wait until the end felt so great because it felt like the bow on top of the series as a whole. Anyway, keep up the amazing work!
Hmm I think it’s time for a Mr. Robot binge! Thanks for reminding me how good a show it is!
My favorite show of all time
I’ve been following these retrospectives for a while and to see you cover one of my favourite shows is a Monday TREAT for me here in Mumbai!
Okay this is getting freaky.
I actually watched Mr Robot last week for the first time based on the recommendations I picked up from watching your retros. Then I finished and have been looking for a good retrospective to find additional context since then and not found even one i like.
I haven’t watched the review yet, but I want to say that I love this show and appreciate your analysis and humour. The scene where Elliot decides to fix everything made me bawl my eyes out.
Great video! Finished this show a few weeks ago and really wished for more analysis on it online! Got yourself a new loyal sub👍🏼
this whole series felt like a potluck dish that tasted familiar at first but has aboslutely morphed into something that is an indescribable flavor you dont know if youre enjoying it or not i dont even know if the taste is sour bitter good or not I dont even know if i am enjoying it or not
This is a perfect description of how I feel about it. Total fever dream of a show. I had to stop during season 2 because I wasn't enjoying it. I was just lost. Felt sick.
@@100deadmost people dropped it during s2. It all gets resolved and transcends into one of the best tv episodes ever made in history (4x07)
One of my favorite shows of all time, it was a glimpse into the future and an invisible world of online back and forth with multiple highly intelligent groups. I’m saying the premise and story was fantastic for me and on top of it they nailed the execution for me
The smile that dawned on my face seeing you pop up on my recommended covering my favorite drama of the 2010s was massive
I loved Mr. Robot and it is nothing like Dexter.
I can't believe you didn't say anything about the "A way out of loneliness" scene that Elliot has with his therapist Krista. I think its easily one of the best scenes of the series. Granted it doesn't do much as far as moving the plot, perhaps. And thats why it wasn't really focused on in this video. But the scene is just so damn good though. lol
One of the best shows I've ever seen
Top five easily 🤝
Great video as always Slip, hoping we get a Billions and a MadMen retrospective in 2024
I like how the symbol for "Evil Corp." was the "E" from Enron.
Nice I heard that line from "Peep Show".
My brother and I just finished season 4 last week! Awesome to see you upload this retrospective. Absolutely fantastic show
Best Tv i have seen in my live. It did something for me that nothing else has done for me and in the last season it makes sense when we discover the root of his pain and all the power he has to produce to keep himself from seeing it. It's like 20 years of therapy, for me, being a male SA victim myself, i cried and broke down. All the worries about meta-data, Cyber-Security, Shadow Governments, China, Rothschild, Empty consumerism, Anarchy and the richest 1 %, that Bernie Sanders talked so much about. This had the Zeitgeizt and was somehow the Zeitgeizt for me also. Of what was changing and alternative realities. Cicada Mindfunk Games before Q-Anon and the January 6 and that madness, but in reverse in our reality because they attacked because of a misunderstanding that Trump cared and is here to fulfill many prophesies. Mr Robot hit that nerve, for me. I don't think it did that for that many people but this will always be a Cult show
Im so sorry that you went through that. I also am a victim of CSA and sadly relate to elliot a lot. Love this show for tackling topics such as these in such an interesting way
Been watching your channel consistently since Fargo retrospective, your insights are so good - definitely one of my favorite RUclipsrs. Would've loved to hear your thoughts on Fargo S5! Keep up the great work.
I was looking for a SitC or Oz retrospective and couldn't find anything decent. You have spoiled us.
FUCK YEAH A MR ROBOT VIDEO ESSAY IVE BEEN WAITING FOR ONE OF THESE FOR A WHILE
I am astounded that you haven’t already covered it, but you really ought to cover AMC’s *Halt and Catch Fire*. There’s an appalling lack of material covering this series, but having only recently finished it, the “greatest show that nobody watched” reputation, turns out, is 100% deserved.
Another show which was just as amazing as this, which was also no one had heard of - 'Halt and catch fire'
The quality content produced for this channel exceeds its subscriber count by at least one order of magnitude.
Fun video, thanks for making it. My theory is that White Rose's "Machine" is nothing! She is just crazy, it would never work, she just could not forget her beloved one and her mind just snapped and crated the machine illusion.
man this vid dropping made my day. adding some engagement for the algorithm!
I only watched like first 3 eps and never bothered to go farther. But I like your retrospective, thanks.
I wish someone would do a long form documentary on the Mr. Robot ARG & Red Wheelbarrow puzzle book.
It was all super intricate, extremely challenging and pivotal to the story in a whole. That ARG was like an additional season in-between each season. The subreddit dedicated to it was awesome to follow as it all unfolded.
I would love to see slip do a deep dive on burn notice. Maybe it's just a pipe dream
Omg you aren’t dreaming alone, here 😆🤞🤞🤞🤞💯
weeeeeee neeeeeeed it
its a must
Oh neat, I just recently started rewatching Mr Robot
Young Ma trying to act was comedic relief in itself
I DID not see that coming
The cackle you made after that legendary pun that probably went over most people's heads, kudos lol
Perfect Timing was about to start my yearly rewatch of this show. Every time I rewatch I find something new and that what keeps me coming back and the fact that it’s what got my into learning Ethical Hacking and working towards getting a cybersecurity job
One thing I feel like you could’ve added was the fact that due to real life situations the finale of season one was pushed back and how the show stayed scarily close to real life events and situations making it a hard watch in real time
Oh man, this show was truly amazing
I still get chills when I hear “take me home” by Phil Collins
I’ll remember that scene for eternity
Season two had Joey Bada$$ though, I thought it was fun.
Best tv show of all time
Top five at least imo
I’ve had “Basket Case” by Green Day stuck in my head for months and just realized this video is the reason why
Amazing breakdown. I think my only addition is that "the machine" being the very literal "deus ex machina" like it also is in fringe.
We could get into exactly how the machine works and how it will do it's business, but ultimately its just a bit of reminder that all of this is science fiction, and the machine is just the drama device to bring about the end. The literal deus ex machina.
Patiently waiting for The Wire retrospective
I genuinely never knew Mr. Robot went past Season 2, I remember a YTbr who wrote a really good video essay on Season 1, but He never followed up or posted any videos for like 3-5 years now; in the end thoug, I'm extremely happy to know it wasn't canceled and that it ended with the same weird and depth vibe that made it so unique and captivating to me when i 1st watched it.
Also I genuinely never found anything wrong with Season 1 and always saw Tyrell as a foil to Elliot, but I'm sad to think with a rewatch including the other 2 seasons, I'll lose the love I had for it and see now those flaws ; GR8 VIDEO!!!!
Shoutouts to the opening music. Ratchet - Deadlocked(PS2) multiplayer waiting room lobby. Not the video I was expecting to hear this track in today but VERY welcomed. Instant sub.
THERE'S MORE RATCHET AND CLANK DAVID BERGEAUD SOUNDTRACK IN THE VIDEO YESSSSS
Mr. Robot is such a great series and amazing video Slip Maker :]
LMAO with rolling that natural 20 bit. Bravo!
Excellent summary. Great work
41:36 nice In The Loop reference! I hope you get to cover The Thick of It at some point
38:38 - feels really weird watching this scene right after finishing your Breaking Bad video with Walt bluffing about not being stupid enough to do something stupid in public where it can be seen! :’)
ah fuck I just discovered you and after finishing this great video and letting me re-experience Mr Robot while acquiring new insight, I see you've retrospective'd many things I've seen, so I know what I'll be doing with my next few days, you get a sub good sir, great vid
I secretly hoped you'd make this video but didn't wanna press, so I'm absolutely hyped as FUCK to watch this
Elliot and Mohammad's episode is such a sweet thing, and it is refreshing to have a child actor hired for their acting
Nothing has topped it this show. Watching it makes me sad for modern shows.
Hannibal, Mr Robot, Daredevil and breaking bad are probably the best written shows ive ever read, I'd include Moral Orel but it isn't live action, but still an AMAZING show I'd highly recommend watching, it gets very very dark by the end of season 2, so it's definitely not for everyone
Ah, a RUclipsr after mine own heart. I'll get the popcorn
“We Stan Domleen” in season 4 is one of my favourite episodes of any series ever… it’s beautiful.
S4 SPOILERS
actually... I think Angela's death happens exactly when her character completes her own arc
it is complete, it's just abrupt and brutal
but still think about it. she starts off as a childhood friend to Elliot sharing history regarding their parents, then we get to S1 where they are co-workers, working for a company they despise. Elliot goes the vigilante anarchist way while Angela goes the legal way. in S2 while Elliot is staying offline trying to boycott Mr robot she becomes a full e corp employee and then an fsociety agent, only to get brainwashed by white rose herself, leading the dynamic into S3, where the first season's dynamic is repeated but inverted: Elliot goes legit and becomes e corp's best employee while angela goes full cold dark army mode. following events in S3 and entering S4 she begins to regret everything realizing what she's done and after some grief she opens her eyes to the truth and becomes 100% determined to act against white rose and deus grous
I mean yes, she does get killed instantly after that but her arc had finished riiiiight there.
Angela is one of the most dynamic and fleshed out characters in the history of television, she goes through many changes of heart and twisted victory moments which lead to her untimely demise, and also acting as a strange opposing force to Elliot though she's not a villain (actually his love interest and friend)
even further, her death can also be read as more character development to her as Elliot and we the audience grief on her.
did she die too soon to redeem herself? did she redeem herself and for that did she get killed?
I personally think the latter honestly, brutal death tho it really hurt me.
33:00 The 'Grander Stage 2' was not unknown by Tyrell, it was Tyrell's idea. He told Irving that he needed the full force of the Dark Army to pull it off and Angela was privy to it, that's why she was tripping because she blamed herself but she wholeheartedly believed White Rose's plan could 'bring them back'.
Soz for being nitpicky, this is my legit favourite show of all time and it takes away from Angela's breakdown and Tyrell's full excusal when they're both fully culpable in the greatest Terror Attack on American soil.
Mr Robot, however, was completely kept out of the loop on that one. That's what makes that so heartbreaking, Elliot spends the whole episode risking his life, fighting against Mr Robot, and his message of like 'You've been played, there's no records here' which breaks the back and forth and does save the lives of everyone in the 72nd building.
48:58 Proxy Authentication Required is the best single episode of TV imo
I'm surprised you didnt mention "Leave the World Behind" movie. It might be small easter eggs, but there was an Evil corp logo, and some quick reference to the finale's white rose machine melting down.
Been watching these for a while and I've loved every one I've seen. Seriously hope you do a video for The Sopranos
Top five favorite TV shows of all time. Up there with Mad Men, twin peaks, fleabag and better Call Saul
Great top five! My five would be
1. The wire
2. Game of thrones
3. Six feet under
4. Mr robot
5. Dark
this show hit me emotionally so hard and Like... it may be one of my favorite shows of all time, and the hot episodes are some of the best ever, like 4x7 is insane
No joke, it had one of the characters say, "but first, a word from our corporate overlords," and then immediately cut to a youtube ad. Did anyone else get this?
While it was interesting to see someone else’s perspective on the show i think you’re looking at it from the wrong lens. The show isn’t about saving the world, and it’s not about the plot, the twists or even the hacks. It’s about broken people finding purpose in a broken world and “elliot”s psychological journey. Tyrell, mirrors his alienation of the modern world, but instead of rejecting it, he doubles down. Abandoning morality and diving head first into the corporate system only to find himself in a position to destroy it. Dom attempts the same thing without compromising her morality but the corrupt nature of the world forces her to question her morality. Angela succumbs to the allure of corporate success, only to be used as a tool and pay the ultimate price. (No pun intended) To me, its more about the character arcs, everything else is just b plot that guides them on that journey.
Loved Mr. Robot. My one critique is how convoluted it makes itself. "The machine" and "Elliot's true identity" just feel too sudden and weird. Breaking Bad had an amazing payoff, where Mr Robot has amazing concepts, but fumbles it a bit - writing itself into corners without being clear on the end goal. Elliot's identity is a nice twist, but feels like they thought of it on the day, and had to retcon.
I definitely get why you say this and it’s a totally fair point to raise, but personally, I disagree. I found the machine plot line and True Identity twist more than fitting and I think they greatly benefit the show narrative wise and thematically (I can explain this more at depth if you’d like). That being said, that’s just my own take and I can definitely understand the “Convoluted” aspect of it being an issue for someone even if I’d personally argue that actually benefits the show. Lastly, while I get why a lot of people say something along these lines, I would not call the last twist a retcon because on rewatch, at least for me personally, that last twist feels more than appropriate and supported. But that’s just my take.
s2's smart-house scene was and is still goated
There are shows you only watch once, shows you can watch over and over again, and then there's Mr Robot: The show you watch exactly twice. A second time to have the benefit of hindsight, but not a third because it's devastating to watch likeable characters die horribly.
Fantastic first season okay second season great 3rd season and honestly really loved the last season, I think mr robot is up there with Barry for my favourite shows honestly
Mr. Robot is one of those shows you must watch a second time.
The series finale of the personalities in the theater and M83 playing in the background resulted in me having one of the most intense emotional responses I have ever felt in my life.
The show had its problems (I still think "The Machine" didn't really work well even as a multifaceted plot device. I felt that it didn't belong in a show like this, both narratively and tonally)
But God damn the amount of introspection and audio/visual bliss really culminated in a wonderful show.
❤ thank you for this series
I cannot believe this perfect show was made by USA.
I like to put Mr.Robot in the same vein as Legion, both shows do so well taking us on a journey with a Unreliable Narrator.
Spoiler:
- The final scene of Angela Moss not being able to accept what she has done sitting on a park bench having her father plead for her to come with him knowing full well that if he doesn't she will die and as he walks away some people walk up and casually take her out. That scene still gets me after all these years, such a psychologically brutal scene with an estranged father and daughter.
Wow this show really goes off the rails
I perked up at kingdom hearts. I haven't forgotten, Slip. I'm still waiting.
My personal choice for greatest TV series of all time...
Not a bad pick at all. I’d go with the wire, but mr robot is definitely one of the best shows ever made. (Top five)
@raymondsims7042 lol, the wire was my no.1 until my most recent rewatch of both... black sails is the only other show I consider a start to finish masterpiece and that's a distant 3rd.
Please do a mad men retrospective next!! Love this video