What I’m Watching: Mr. Robot

Mr. Robot: Season 2, Episode 8 “eps2.6_succ3ss0r.p12” (B+)

It shouldn’t be a surprise that this show could pull off an episode that doesn’t feature its eccentric protagonist, but that doesn’t mean it’s not one hell of a gamble. I remember that “Better Call Saul” had an episode last season that barely had Jimmy in it, and it too worked marvelously in part because of its focus on a strong female character. We have two of those here who really got to shine as they made bold decisions about where they wanted to go with irreversible power plays. Angela got started on the wrong foot after she encountered one of her father’s friends at the bar and he insulted her after pretending to greet her warmly. Ripping apart his life choices was cruel but hardly unwarranted. I wonder if we’ll see Mark Moses’ grandfather again soon since he’s a solid actor who was likely contracted for more than just a one-scene appearance. Mobley and Trenton weren’t pleased to see Darlene instead of Elliot when they met and traded OS barbs, and it’s great to see her in action at the head of things since she’s far more aware of what she’s doing and infinitely more calculating. Shocking Susan into the pool after she told her about what she wanted to do to her was very deliberate, and it shows just how far she’s willing to go to protect herself and Fsociety. Coming at Cisco with a bat when she realized that he had exposed her was intense, and she’s likely going to be on her own going forward. Mobley getting picked up and interrogated by Dom was not good since he was so uncooperative in the room with her and then so panicked after the fact.