Five things I learned from "Mr Robot" Season 2, Episode 8

• The show is still great without Malek and Slater (but I am missing B D Wong as White Rose and that cute Scandi couple, the wacky Wellicks).
• Darlene must stop wearing short shorts, she is going to freeze in New York.
• "Danse Macabre" is still a great symphonic poem.
• Angela does great karaoke with Tears for Fears' "Everybody wants to rule the world".
• Dom's obsession with "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion"

"Mr Robot" Season 2, Episode 7 highlights

• Joanna's colour motif is definitely stark white and scarlet.
• Sam Esmail playing with the audience (Elliot's prison switcheroo)
• "Maybe next year..." (Phillip's response to Angela's birthday rebuff)
• "Can you let go of me please?" (Elliot being hugged by the Christian counsellor)
• Don't mess with Leon.

"Mr Robot" Season 2, Episode 6, review

Despite "The Guardian" TV critic's theory about the demise of second seasons of critically acclaimed shows*, this episode proves that Sam Esmail is still full of surprises and "Mr Robot" is still one of the smartest things on television.
The "family road trip" 80's sitcom was inspired, complete with video-format, cheesy credits, laugh track, commercial breaks, back projection and a cameo by Alf.
Things get darker as the sitcom-from-Hell continues.
The middle part of the episode - Angela junior hacker - is more like a caper movie.
Getting a bit sick of Ray. Do we need this subplot?
The final scene with young Elliot and his dad in family car (a nice bookend for this episode) is satisfying as well as quite poignant.



*Anyway, I liked Season 2 of "True Detective". Season 1 was brilliant but got a bit wanky toward the end. Season 2 of "Fargo" maintained the quality of the first season, so the above theory doesn't hold up.

5 Things I liked about "Mr Robot" Season 2, Episode 5

• Elliot's recount of his hacking of the public library at 11 years old.
• B.D. Wong (TV's go-to actor for Asian supervillains, see Hugo Strange in "Gotham") has a terrific scene with Dom showing her his treasured wardrobe collection (and clocks).
• Love Dipierro's Kojak-inspired Chupa Chups (she is now my favourite character, certainly the most sympathetic).
• Mrs Wellick (Stephanie Corneliussen) gets even weirder in this episode (the bit about drugging the underling so he knows the reason for his death, while cradling her baby).
• Creator Sam Esmail demonstrates his directorial prowess with the final shootout scene.