Mr. Robot: Season 2/ Episode 2 "eps2.0_unm4sk-pt2.tc." – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

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Trigger Warning(s):
BDSM | Gun Violence

Major Characters
Angela | Elliot | Mr. Robot

Main Plot (with Commentary)

Topic 1: Fallout (Scott Knowles)
What would Darlene do with 5.9 million dollars? She could buy an HQ, a permanent one, and hide who the owner is. They could also get better equipment, hire some hackers, and a slew of other things. However, that isn’t the plan nor probably ever was. But before you start thinking, “Oh, she is going to have him give it away.” WRONG! What she has him do is burn the money. Now, why? Well, public embarrassment I guess? The news is all over the act and it is causing such a headache for E Corp’s new PR Manager.

 

Topic 2: ‘What kind of woman do you think I am?’ Guy says, ‘We already figured that out, now we’re just negotiating.’ (Angela)

With Mr. Knowles actions comes a lot of press outlets wondering how badly does FSociety got a hold on E Corp? They nearly bricked their servers, get them to send a CTO to a public area and light money on fire, what is next? Well, while Angela isn’t doing interviews, she is trying to orchestrate them to give as much information as the company allows. Problem is, she seems slightly green at her job and the girls seem to hate her.

 

Hold up, my bad, “seems” should be italicized for she punks a Bloomberg representative and gets the questions she doesn’t want to be asked marked off. Yet, this isn’t Angela’s only battle. One she has with the lawyer who was helping her with that case, that she no longer wants to participate in, and the other seems to be Angela trying to be a better Angela. For reasons I can’t remember, Angela’s confidence is somewhere shot. I mean, she can talk a good game, as she does with this girl at her job and the lawyer, but as tough as she seems, as assured as she can be, that is but a mask. One hiding this still slightly insecure girl. However, as noted in Elliot’s portion, perhaps the mask eventually will become her?

 

Topic 3: Everybody Has To Have Friends [End To The Analog Nightmare] (Elliot & Mr. Robot)

The loop, so Elliot thinks, is still in effect. He is avoiding Mr. Robot’s calls for action, staying away from computers, and thinks everything is fine. Well, it actually isn’t. It seems those gun shots to the head have begun working for now while Elliot sleeps, Mr. Robot takes over. Thus leading to an unlikely friendship with this guy named Ray (Craig Robinson). Someone who comes off as knowing a bit too much about Elliot when he first introduces himself, to the point you have to really wonder who is this guy?

 

Yet, Mr. Robot takes a liking to him. Heck, maybe Mr. Robot found him and is just trying to get the boy to go along with his plans rather than fight him every step of the way. I mean, all things considered, Ray seems socially adjusted. He walks his dog, claims to have a wife, and likes watching basketball. At the same time, though, he does talk like Elliot does when it comes to mask and things of that nature. But, despite Ray seeming more on Elliot’s level than Leon, he doesn’t want to be friends.

 

So, from what it seems, Mr. Robot forces the boy’s hand. How exactly we have yet to discover, but it seems as Elliot begins to have gaps, so comes the realization Mr. Robot is filling them. But still, a few hours of control can’t compare to a cooperative effort. One which requires information about Tyrell Wellick for this seems to be of major interest to Elliot. Alas, Mr. Robot isn’t too keen about giving him up. Well, at least yet.

Things To Note

1. Gideon gets murdered in the episode for being the “patsy” for the whole E Corp thing.
2. Agent DiPierro (Grace Gummer) is introduced but doesn’t do anything really noteworthy yet.
3. We see Tyrell’s wife having an affair. A quite kinky one at that.
4. E-Corp has a storyline, playing off the banks getting a bailout, dealing with the government assisting them, presenting false confidence that things are ok. Problem is, the 900 billion dollars floating about is considered a lot of money and the government wants results. They don’t want the excuses of weeks and perhaps months, to rebuild the database. No, in order to rebuild trust, and continue to fund E Corp further, they want Mr. Price to resign. Which, naturally, isn’t an option for him. So he reminds them the con America sells is his business, and if that is the best idea they can come up with, him resigning to regain the confidence of the American people, maybe they should be the ones resigning.

Collected Quote(s)

A guy walks up to a woman at a bar. He flirts with her. He makes small talk, but the woman insists she isn’t gonna go home with him. Guy says, ‘What if I offer you a million dollars to sleep with me? The woman’s never had a million dollars in her life. She stops and considers the offer very seriously. The guy changes his mind, says, “What if I change my offer to a dollar instead?’ Woman is aghast. ‘What kind of woman do you think I am?’ Guy says, ‘We already figured that out, now we’re just negotiating.’

— “eps2.0_unm4sk-pt2.tc.” Mr. Robot

Review Summary

Highlights

• You know, Mr. Robot has to be one of the few shows I feel that almost every episode there is something quotable. But with the inclusion Craig Robinson saying some Elliot-esque lines, I realize it is pretty much Rami Malek’s voice that does it. Something about the way he does his monologues is just enchanting and makes what others make sound pompous, interesting.
• Is it wrong to say I was ok with Gideon getting murdered?

 

On The Fence

• A part of me wonders, being that I’m not a huge fan of hers, how will Angela be handled in this new position? Granted, she fits the whole mask thing Elliot is going on about to a T but is that all she will be? An example for an analogy, some girl who is part of Elliot’s past and may end up facing off against him in the future?
• Honestly, while I like how the diversity is kicking up this season, I’m sort of iffy on Ray. Not necessarily because of Craig Robinson, but because I don’t see him as a longtime cast member. Plus, at this point, I feel whoever doesn’t have some sort of hacking ability isn’t written for in a way which is inherently compelling. Those who aren’t hackers are given cheap thrills and things to attempt to keep them interesting. See the sex acts, implied or otherwise, for Angela and Tyrell’s wife.