What I’m Watching: Mr. Robot

Mr. Robot: Season 4, Episode 2 “402 Payment Required” (B+)

It’s simply stunning how this show manages to rewrite history by inserting Whiterose and Ecorp into it, having them be behind everything as world leaders and the internet conspire to rob everyday citizens of any element of privacy. That’s one of the reasons the pilot was so terrific, and this opening felt a lot like that. It’s fascinating to me how characters shift sides, with Angela first and now Philip coming over to be one of the good guys, as much as he can be. The fact that Susan Jacobs was his only contact is bad news, but Elliot may still be able to find a way to salvage that now that he knows what Darlene did. It’s interesting to watch the two siblings as they opt not to mourn their late mother but instead focus on the loss of someone they valued much more, Angela. Mr. Robot was trying to push Elliot to take a moment to deal with his mother’s death, but that not the issue that Elliot needs to address. Mr. Robot was insistent that he wasn’t keeping information he knew from Elliot, and now there’s a third personality buried somewhere within his mind which in all likelihood isn’t on the same side of things, and, by the looks of it, may well be much more in charge. I was shocked that Dom told the FBI agent questioning her that Santiago was a double agent, which made more sense when she pinned it on a drug cartel. As if she’s not isolated and miserable enough, Dom now knows that she holds the lives of others in her control, and asserting 99.9% certainty was enough to get someone killed instantly. Let’s hope she reaches back out to Darlene and somehow helps them take down this seemingly omniscient Dark Army.