Mr. Robot: eps2.1_k3rnel-pan1c.ksd (Season 2 Episode 3)
As season two of Mr. Robot continues, more questions are raised with no answers in sight.
I know that on a show like Mr. Robot, which has such a strong mythology, origin stories are important. But the cold open of “eps2.1_k3rnel-pan1c.ksd” goes on for far too long. It loses me about half-way through.
Furthermore, what secret society would give itself a name that could be found prominently displayed on the outside of a building?!
Or is the name so obvious that it’s brilliant?
I see comments from reviews of Mr. Robot stating that Rami Malek is the best actor on television.
I don’t know if I agree, but the mixture of shock, terror, and anguish he so easily displays when he hears Tyrell’s voice on the phone is something you just can’t teach. It’s masterful.
Speaking of great acting, Mr. Robot is the best role of Christian Slater’s career. Period.
I’ve never seen him act this well. As a matter of fact, I thought he was a complete joke in everything else I’ve ever seen him in.
Slater does an incredible job personifying the voice we all have in our head that’s our harshest critic. The voice that makes you feel small. The voice that will ruin your life if you let it.
Shockingly, someone shoots Romero. What is going on?! It’s only the third episode of the season! At this rate, no one will be left to appear in season 3.
Where do those white drops of paint on Romero’s body and the ground come from? Are they a clue as to who shot him?
I have to say that the special effects department does a terrible job with the bloodstain. It looks ridiculously fake, like someone rubbed a bunch of red dirt on the ground.
On a show about paranoia and fear, the blood needs to look real.
The people who worked on Elliot’s gunshot wound last week must have been on vacation.
Just like that, Mr. Robot takes it to another level. I have such a visceral reaction to the show, that sometimes I think I’m the one that’s on drugs, not Elliott.
I almost vomit when it looks like strange men in black suits are pouring cement down Elliot’s throat.
When we realize he’s making himself vomit, I immediately think about Rami Malek, not Elliot. How many times does he have to do this scene? What are they using to simulate the vomit? Does he actually vomit when he’s filming this?
When Elliot is so desperate to silence his hallucination that he digs through his fresh vomit to re-swallow the Adderall he took, I really think I’m going to lose my lunch.
I love this show because it never lets up. It never gives the audience the chance to just sit back, relax, open a beer, and watch mindless entertainment.
If you had a stressful Wednesday, you might want to save Mr. Robot for Thursday night.
Elliot: I will not be owned.
Wow. This statement is so powerful.
Not being owned is the essence of fsociety. They demolished the financial system so no one would be owned by a corporation or a bank, but how do you demolish something that seeks to own you when it lives in your own mind?
Exceptional editing communicates in a matter of seconds what different worlds Elliot and Angela are living in.
We go from watching Elliot, covered in vomit, to the stark, sterile office of Angela’s boss, taking in her perfectly coiffed hair and chic attire.
Focusing even more on editing, Mr. Price talks about how a man can change the world with a well-placed bullet, and then we see Dominique reading an article about Gideon’s murder.
Did Mr. Price have Gideon killed?
Also, this Dominique scene is so reminiscent of many adult, single people’s lives: lying in bed reading articles on your phone (something I do almost every morning), talking to a device so you don’t feel so alone.
Sometimes life can be so empty.
Mr. Robot is so engaging, in part, because it reflects back to us all of the ugly parts of life we don’t want to see.
I also love the scene where the image of the show reduces to pixels, making us momentarily question if something is wrong with our televisions, then code displays.
This scene seems to be reminding us that everything, even the technology we’re all so dependent on, is fragile. It can stop working at any point, without any notice.
As Angela walks toward her table inside of the beautiful restaurant where she’s meeting Mr. Price, the signs of protesters are visible behind her. One of them says, ‘Die, Die, Die.’
Angela continues, unfazed, to her table.
Now that she’s working for Evil Corp, she appears so insulated from the grittiness of the real world. The worst part is, she doesn’t seem to mind. She’s forgotten who she once was.
Or is she just waiting for the opportunity to strike?
Mr. Price gives Angela the aforementioned opportunity, but why should she take it? He obviously wants to get rid of these men, so why should she do his dirty work?
Other Random Thoughts:
- I love the way the beginning credits are shown on Mr. Robot. It makes the show seem more like a movie you’re watching in the theater instead of a television show you’re watching on USA.
- So Ray talks to someone who isn’t really there as well. Is there anyone sane in this town?!
- Ok, I really want an Alexa now.
I enjoyed “eps2.1_k3rnel-pan1c.ksd,” but I’m ready for the questions this episode poses to be answered.
What did you think of this episode of Mr. Robot? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Mr. Robot airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on USA.
Sheena Bosket
Sheena is an attorney, writer, and Black feminist living and working in Atlanta. She can be found searching for an opportunity to date Jake Gyllenhaal and renovating her condo in Shondaland. She watches all of the Real Housewives franchises, and she's not ashamed. Sheena also occasionally writes about pop culture, politics, and feminism for Donatidaily.com.