Mr. Robot Review: eps2.7_init_5.fve (Season 2 Episode 9)
On “eps2.7_init_5.fve,” Mr. Robot gives us the old bait-and-switch once again as we realize Elliot is arrested for hacking Krista’s ex-boyfriend, Lenny Shannon, and stealing his dog, not hacking Evil Corp.
This would explain why his arrest is so tame. There are no loud sirens, SWAT team, or overzealous officers.
Furthermore, Elliot is only sentenced to eighteen months in jail, which seems lenient to me. The judge may have mercy on him because he chooses not to go to trial and doesn’t have a criminal history, but as an attorney I find this sentence somewhat unrealistic.
Elliot is convicted of three charges, one of which is a felony, meaning it carries a sentence of over a year in jail. The other two charges seem to be misdemeanors (they carry up to a year in jail).
Realistically, a prosecutor would likely recommend he serve three years, and the judge could cut that down to two and a half, but it’s unlikely Elliot’s sentence would be cut to eighteen months.
Also, when someone is sentenced to serve a term longer than a year, he’s usually sent to prison, not the county jail. The county jail is for people awaiting trial and people serving sentences of up to a year.
Clearly, Mr. Robot doesn’t have a legal consultant.
It’s possible that Elliot’s sentences for the two misdemeanors are running concurrently, but if so this should have been stated. Additionally, such a lenient sentence doesn’t serve as a deterrent.
What’s to stop Elliot from immediately jumping on a computer and hacking someone else the second he gets out of prison? We all know the answer to this question: nothing.
Here’s a better question: why does Elliot want to go to jail? Does he think he deserves to be punished for hacking Evil Corp? Does he think he can get drugs in jail that will get rid of Mr. Robot?
Moreover, how in the hell does Lenny Shannon have the audacity to call Elliot a son of a bitch?!
Lenny, you’re the one who was caught cheating on your wife with multiple women and using several aliases last season. Elliot exposing you by illegal means does not cleanse you of your sins.
Moving on, Whiterose is the most bad-ass character on television. She kills someone for getting in her way and, because that’s not enough punishment, pisses on his grave. I want to be her when I grow up.
Phillip Price: Order will not protect you anymore, my friend. I will rain chaos. Even if it hurts me. ‘Cause I would rather see you lose than win myself.
As powerful as Whiterose is, she may have met her match in Phillip Price.
Price is determined and will become vindictive if he doesn’t get what he wants. Once Price is willing to hurt Whiterose at the expense of himself, he truly has nothing left to lose.
Someone with nothing to lose is extremely dangerous because he can’t be controlled, and he has no fear. If I were Whiterose, I’d give Phillip Price what he wants.
Going back to Elliot, why is he suddenly seeing himself as Mr. Robot? It’s as if he’s becoming closer to Mr. Robot and more removed from himself. What would cause this?
We now know Stage 2 is Elliot’s plan, but if the Dark Army knows that and Darlene doesn’t, does this mean Elliot is working with the Dark Army or that he has in the past? When are we going to find out what Stage 2 is?!
“eps2.7_init_5.fve” isn’t very exciting. I’m ready for another big reveal of some kind, like what the point was of Elliot going to jail for hacking Lenny Shannon.
Other Random Thoughts:
- Leon adds such a great philosophical element to Mr. Robot, and I’m really going to miss it. I’ve only seen a couple of episodes of Mad About You but I do remember thinking the show was pretty smart. And yes, Paul Reiser doesn’t get the respect he deserves. His comedic timing is excellent. Where is Paul Reiser now anyway?
- It is so offensive that people who are transgender are assigned to jails based on the sex they were assigned at birth. This needs to change!
- Elliot didn’t even serve three months in jail! It’s clever that hacking sends him to jail but also gets him released.
- I love Mr. Robot’s constant attention to detail. When Darlene picks Elliot up from jail and hugs him, it’s clear her nails need a fresh coat of paint. I love this because Darlene is obviously not a woman who pays a lot of attention to her nails.
- Well look at Ms. Moss, doing a mini hack all by herself! Nicely done, Angela!
- Does Elliot and Darlene’s mom have dementia? She seems too young to be in a nursing home otherwise.
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.