S01.E01: EPS1.0_HELLOFRIEND.MOV

[Xenith22]

The first episode is now out on USA's website for viewing.   Has anyone watched it yet?   IWhen I saw the trailer I was really excited about the premise...but a little over ten minutes into the pilot and I am extremely bored. The monotone narration definitely does not help.  I saw the trailer and was really intrigued...so hoping it picks up very soon.

 

edit1:  Half an hour in and I've gone from bored to just thinking thinking this show is terrible.  So far the biggest action has been trying to defend a server DDOS complete with overly dramatic music to try to make you feel like this should be exciting.  Of course during this attack the female PROFESSIONAL IT SECURITY employee asked what a rootkit was as if she had never heard of one before. *headdesk*

 

In the aftermath of the hack attack he finds a text file on the server that says LEAVE ME HERE.  This sparks the following monologue

"This notice for me.  They've telling me to leave this here. <pause> but why? <pause>

Doesn't matter, time to shut them down <pause>

Why can't I delete it.  I don't want to delete it.  I want it to stay. What's wrong with me?"

 

No sign of Christian Slater yet...but currently ranking My Own Worst Enemy's pilot above this one.   PLEASE IMPROVE SHOW!  I had such expectations...

 

Edit2:  THANK YOU!  The show finally picked up and became interesting in the second half of the episode.  And the ending definitely ensured that I want to see at least the 2nd episode to find out what's going on with that cliffhanger.   I'm still worried that the incredibly slow start to the episode may cause far too many people to change channel and kill the show before it has a chance...

Edited May 28, 2015 by Xenith22

[JC65]

Actually Christian Slater showed up very early in the episode as the weirdo on the subway asking the kid what was up...

 

I came in expecting the worst ("Hack the planet", "this is unix, I know this", or Wolverine cracking a password while receiving a zj)   It wasn't nearly as bad as those examples.  Sure "what's a rootkit?" and "I see you're on gnome, I use kde myself" are cheesy lines, but it's still lightyears better than most previous attempts to depict "hackers" on TV.

 

I'll be back for a while.  At least until there are two other shows that are better in the timeslot.

[BooBear]

..Edit2:  THANK YOU!  The show finally picked up and became interesting in the second half of the episode.  And the ending definitely ensured that I want to see at least the 2nd episode to find out what's going on with that cliffhanger.   I'm still worried that the incredibly slow start to the episode may cause far too many people to change channel and kill the show before it has a chance...

 

I LOVED it. FIrst, I was shocked at how the writer nailed the disillusionment of modern life. And I enjoyed the main character who nails the social issues but has a heart of gold. He kind of reminded me of Dexter except he didn't kill people.  For me there was only two problems with it (1) Christan Slater and (2) his relationship with his friend Angela.

 

Christan Slater is miscast. He doesn't look like a hacker and has the dramatic range of a nat. He does the same quasi Jack Nicklesonesqe character every time and that really isn't helpful here.  I do feel the "lets get the E company" plot is a lame way to go with no consequences. I would have preferred a show that used his hacking skills to make efforts like at the start of the show with the child porn guy.  Secondly I can't tell why he is friends with Angela or her him. Perhaps that will be expanded on. I can't tell if he secretly loves her or if she is just a friend.  But if just a friend she doesn't seem like a person who would be friends with him.

 

Some parts were slow but I was most interested when it was just the main character talking to himself.

[shapeshifter]

Inspite of "rootkit?" and "too old to have a complicated password," I loved it. It reminded me of AMC's Rubicon, which means it probably won't last long. I thought Christian Slater was really good for this role and liked the other casting too.

So we don't really know what parts were real since they showed "Evil Corp" everywhere after making it clear that it's really just "E Corp."

The hug and the dog were just as emotionally manipulative as any chick flick, but they pulled it off successfully, so I'm okay with it. But does that mean he's going to walk the dog twice every day?

[TimetoShine]

I actually really liked it. Minus Christian Slater who's acting I haven't liked since his recent come back. Normally I hate voice overs but I liked this version.

 

I also love Flipper.

Edited May 31, 2015 by corinne

[crimsongrl]

The first episode is now out on USA's website for viewing.   Has anyone watched it yet?   IWhen I saw the trailer I was really excited about the premise...but a little over ten minutes into the pilot and I am extremely bored. The monotone narration definitely does not help.  I saw the trailer and was really intrigued...so hoping it picks up very soon.

That's so funny because the first half was my favorite part! The voice overs, the loneliness and the f-society stuff gave me serious Fight Club vibes, but I liked that movie so I'm in even though I hate the direction USA Network has gone in overall.

 

Like everyone else I think Christian Slater (and his hacker friends) have got to go! I'm hoping they're just in Elliot's head and that he's actually Mr. Robot. I'm guessing the men following him are real and were sent by the guy at the end who reminds me of an evil version of Ryder Strong.

[Minneapple]

Watched it and mostly enjoyed it. My biggest quibble is with the lead actor's BUGGY EYES. I'll have to watch another episode to see if I can get past that.

[shapeshifter]

Watched it and mostly enjoyed it. My biggest quibble is with the lead actor's BUGGY EYES. I'll have to watch another episode to see if I can get past that.

I thought he only did that in the first scene with the kiddie porn guy, no?

One other thing that bugged: There was a premise that wiping out everyone's debt would be good for the poor and the lower middle class.

But poor, honest, responsible people would not benefit from the scheme. Poor people who ran up a lot of debt to buy fancy cars and homes would. So would rich people who overspent.

Of course, there would also be some deserving souls in the middle, but I think not as many as in the other categories.

Edited June 1, 2015 by shapeshifter

[Snarkette]

 

But poor, honest, responsible people would not benefit from the scheme. Poor people who ran up a lot of debt to buy fancy cars and homes would. So would rich people who overspent.

Exactly. But fortunately, I have a limitless capacity to ignore stuff and enjoy the ride. And right now the ride is strange, gritty, and engaging. Looking forward to more.

[JodhaBai]

I thought it was excellent.  Hard to believe its a USA network show.  Felt more like a FX show

[shapeshifter]

Exactly. But fortunately, I have a limitless capacity to ignore stuff and enjoy the ride. And right now the ride is strange, gritty, and engaging. Looking forward to more.

Thanks for the confirmation. Good to know I didn't hallucinate the logic.

[formerlyfreedom]

PLEASE NOTE: This episode is now available via USA's website. Entering prior to airing on the television is AT YOUR OWN RISK. The episode will be discussed here! Thanks!

 

Elliot is a cyber-security engineer by day and vigilante hacker by night, is recruited by a mysterious underground group to destroy the firm he's paid to protect. Elliot must decide how far he'll go to expose the forces he believes are running (and ruining) the world.

 

 

[rho]

I agree, as much as I loved Christian Slater in other roles, he's totally miscast here. This is not a dark comedy, it's just dark. But I'm definitely on board for the ride. I just wish I hadn't jumped the gun because now I'm waiting a month for E2

[BooBear]

Exactly. But fortunately, I have a limitless capacity to ignore stuff and enjoy the ride. And right now the ride is strange, gritty, and engaging. Looking forward to more.

I have never understood this plot (even in fight club) but I think they were thinking that most young kids have student loans and most middle class have mortgages while the rich might buy their homes outright.  But I agree it would largely be good for the rich and irresponsible. I have never really understood the whole "lets get a company" plot either because if you get the company, another will just pop up in its place. But I do want more of the hacker helping his therapist (and other nice but non important people) via his skills. Elliot also reminded me a bit of Veronica Mars in the way he investigated eharmony guy.

[David T. Cole]

On the Fight Club tip: there seems to be some unreliable narrator stuff going on too. There's some weird stuff going on with the E-Corp / Evil Corp representation in the real world OR I wasn't paying full attention which is very very possible.

[shapeshifter]

On the Fight Club tip: there seems to be some unreliable narrator stuff going on too. There's some weird stuff going on with the E-Corp / Evil Corp representation in the real world OR I wasn't paying full attention which is very very possible.

I'm assuming that all of the scenes (so, most of the scenes) where we were either shown Evil Corp on a billboard on other signage, or where we heard a character say "Evil Corp" instead of "E-Corp" were all hallucinations by Elliot. An IMDb poster noted that the only characters who ever actually looked at Mr. Robot (other than Tyler/Elliot) were the Men In Black, which seems to indicate that they too are his hallucinations.

[Snarkette]

He says right near the start of the ep that even when people say "E", he hears "Evil"

[kat165]

Finally got around to watching this On Demand & I really liked it. Elliot is engaging. I can relate to his brand of "quirkiness" (for lack of a better word).  I didn't mind his voice overs at all. I actually enjoyed them. I like the darkness. I like the way NYC is being filmed. But I'm also not giving it a lot of deep thought (ie blowing the evil corp wide open and/or the purpose behind fsociety). This comes off almost more like a movie than a tv series, especially a tv series on USA.

 

I also appreciate the lack of loud noises, things blowing up & c actors engaging in Bruce Willis like actions.

 

Didn't know, however, that I had to wait for June 24 for ep 2. What a bummer.

Edited June 7, 2015 by kat165

[Cardie]

This definitely gave me a Fight Club/Beautiful Mind vibe. Elliot himself worries that he is a delusional schizophrenic and he probably is. If I had to guess, I'd say that he's a skilled hacker whose vigilante shenanigans are real. The big Christian Slater/evil corporate overlord plot is a fantasy he wants to believe he could be part of. The Linux-using tech exec is his Tyler Durden, an idea of who he might be if her were handsome and "normal."

The Amanda relationship plays all wrong. The actors don't have any chemistry. I assume from the brief flashback that his mother abused him and she was a childhood friend who protected him, so now he protects her.

I knew he would rescue that dog. (My dog was super upset at its squeals.) It's corny but I would have worried about poor Flipper forever more if left with that jerk.

USA has certainly left the blue skies far behind with its new crop of shows.

[AlwaysWatching]

Just finished watching and I am hooked.  I can overlook a lot of things if the show gives me a "mood" that engages me and keeps me engaged.  It only slipped a little for me when Christian Slater started talking.  I have the same feelings about him as an actor as a few others that have commented here.  It's possible that I might be one of those people that happens to like voice overs ( like on Dexter ),  because it helps me relate to a character right away instead of having to hear stilted exposition from conversations.  They will be able to get away with quite a bit of right or wrong tech speak with me.  At least they are selling it better than CSI Cyber. Definitely looking forward to this one.

[riverheightsnancy]

I FLOVED it! I was looking forward to it and it delivered. I like Elliot's inner monologue. This is definitely someone who is struggling with his own sense of reality and he knows that there is something wrong, yet he is brilliant and has ability to transcend his own social personal issues, when motivated by something bigger than himself. Like he had no issue talking to porn Ron and looking him in the eyes when confronting him about what he was doing. I thought that they were alluding that Elliot is on the spectrum or schizophrenic for sure. Loved all the computer stuff, not sure how accurate any of it is, but it sure feels interesting and timely for the things that are happening today. Interesting that Elliot and the Evil Corp all begin with and "e". He probably thinks that he really is a bad, evil person due to his mental health issues.  

[seamusk]

I loved this! I went in with low expectations since it was USA. But this is something I want to watch more of for sure. Did the pilot just get released early? It struck me that it says it's been out for two weeks but episode 2 isn't until July 1.

 

That's so funny because the first half was my favorite part! 

Same here. I was so disappointed when Christian Slater showed up. I just wanted more of that first 30 minutes and I worried the show would go to seed. Which it didn't, but the first half was the best part.

 

One other thing that bugged: There was a premise that wiping out everyone's debt would be good for the poor and the lower middle class.
But poor, honest, responsible people would not benefit from the scheme. Poor people who ran up a lot of debt to buy fancy cars and homes would. So would rich people who overspent.
Of course, there would also be some deserving souls in the middle, but I think not as many as in the other categories.

Why wouldn't poor/middle class, honest, responsible people benefit? Most in that group have car loans, mortgages, student loans, small business loans, and even credit cards that are well managed, etc... And many struggle to pay those off, even when responsible. Will some wealthy benefit too? Perhaps, but not nearly on the same scale that poor to middle class would.

[Cardie]

USA posted the pilot online and on demand very early to stir up buzz. They also showed it at several festivals. Because it is not what one expects from USA, they probably wanted for word to get out to the sorts of cyberpunk/sf fans who never tune into that network.

[cardigirl]

Loved it!!!! Can't wait for more, and I hope it keeps up the level of writing it has shown so far.  

[kat165]

I guess I'm one of the rare ones who likes Christian Slater. I was already in by the tone of the ads, but seeing him - I love a wiseass - just sealed it for me. I like that he will probably fuck with Elliot's head. Christian is a master head fucker. And I like how he was introduced, lurking in the background.

[jaytee1812]

I liked the story but I absolutely hated the lead character, especially they way he treated women. His colleague and his therapist were treated like children who didn't know how to lead their lives, he has to do it for them, while he treats women like crap. 

 

I like the hacker side but I'm not watching this misogynist crap. 

[seamusk]

That's interesting. I know that he is definitely a bit patronizing towards the therapist in how he controls her life when she hasn't asked for his intervention. Really, the one thing I found creepy was how he snooped into everyone's lives. It's sort of explained as him being a sort of urban hermit/introvert but it's still extremely inappropriate, no matter his intentions. That's definitely a very paternal attitude that he thinks he has a right to snoop on others and fix their lives for them. So I agree that that is quite misogynistic. 

 

Edited to fix typo.

Edited June 21, 2015 by seamusk

[cardigirl]

I don't know if it's misogynistic or just how he tries to connect with people.  His friend even called him on trying to "fix" things for her, I think he knew as soon as he said anything in the meeting that he had not helped her in an appropriate way.  He had social anxiety disorder or something, correct?

 

It's very creepy how easy it is to find out about people through their online footprint.  I think that's part of the show, to show how embedded our online lives are and yet how easily we'll give up our privacy without even knowing it.

 

Also, he's kind of an anti-hero, so he may not understand women.  Although, he did understand online porn was hurting someone and he 'rescued' the dog from his abusive owner.   So he's not without empathy.  

 

So he may be misogynistic, but I don't think the show is, per se.   That might be part of his journey, also, learning that he doesn't have the right to hack someone, just because he can.

[Cardie]

I think he sees himself as a rescuer and buys into the old stereotype of the damsel in distress, making the leap to all women being damsels in distress. That isn't feminist but it isn't exactly misogynistic either. Misogynists hate women. Also, the guy is seriously mentally ill, so there's that.

[xaxat]

 I loved it. It reminded me of AMC's Rubicon, which means it probably won't last long. 

 

I was thinking the same thing about a half hour in. I really enjoyed this. 

 

I thought, by far, the weakest part was Christian Slater and his "plan". Hopefully that was just a decoy for something else that he wants to accomplish. Wiping out debt like that would doom the economy. For example, hundreds of billions of dollars of student debt is held or backed by federal government. Not evil corporations.

 

I don't think Elliot is misogynistic. He just has a very unhealthy way of engaging in what he considers to be relationships with women. 

 

Gloria Reuben is back on my TV! She must drink from the same fountain of youth as Ming Na Wen.

[jjjmoss]

Mmm, after the great reviews, I'm let down.

Slater and his little friend, whatever.

All the tech/cyber speak and plot, I don't give an eff.

I don't see what Krista adds to the show unless he just keeps interfering with her life.

Tyrell is the villain or something? Found him boring.

I do like Elliot and Angela's friendship or whatever, but overall the plotline seems to be something that correlates very little with my interests, and the most exciting part was when the main actor was shirtless, so I don't think I'll watch this weekly. Maybe I'll catch up at the end of the season if it's sustained buzz or whatnot.

[Primetimer]

A too-powerful corporation faces hackers' attacks in USA's conspiracy drama. Should you get in your home position and engage?

Read the story

[derriere]

I really enjoyed it, though the sociopolitical commentary is the sort of puerile nonsense you' d hear from a college freshman as he passes the joint.

[EricJ]

I'm going to watch this assuming that Mr. Robot is the same character Slater played in "Pump Up the Volume" 25 years later.

[dargosmydaddy]

I have loved Rami Malek since The Pacific, and I really enjoyed the pilot.

 

Though between this and Hannibal, "bonsoir" has become the most ominous phrase on earth...

[edhopper]

Moved to spec thread.

Edited June 25, 2015 by edhopper

[formerlyfreedom]

Without ruining it for anyone. Anybody else have a suspicion of Slaters real identity.

First rule is not to talk about it.

 

Feel free to take discussion of Spoilers and Speculation over here!

[edhopper]

Thanks, I'll move it.

[Shriekingeel]

I liked a lot of it but the moments when it drifted into dopey heavy-handedness made it less special. We KNOW the Evil Corporation is Evil--they didn't need to give them the Enron logo. We KNOW the boyfriend is a jerk--we didn't need to see him hurting a dog. The best television trusts that the audience can follow along, they don't need to lead it by the nose.

But Rami Malek is a really interesting actor, so I'll try it for a while.

[AlliMo]

While I agree that his actions towards Krista and Angela were paternalistic and patronizing, I don't think it's because they're women. I think it's because they're two people he feels even a little bit connected to who happen to be women. I think he'd probably do the same for someone he felt a connection regardless of gender simply because in his mind, almost everyone else is blind to how the world really is and he's one of the only people who can do anything to change things.

[Jamoche]

I don't know if it's misogynistic or just how he tries to connect with people.  His friend even called him on trying to "fix" things for her, I think he knew as soon as he said anything in the meeting that he had not helped her in an appropriate way.  He had social anxiety disorder or something, correct?

To me, as a female software engineer, the problem with his backup wasn't the way he did it - my co-workers and I bounce explanations around like that all the time. The problem was the target audience - you could just see the point where he was thinking "oh good, there's a man I can talk to instead."

[Gwen-Stacys]

I liked the story but I absolutely hated the lead character, especially they way he treated women. His colleague and his therapist were treated like children who didn't know how to lead their lives, he has to do it for them, while he treats women like crap. 

 

I like the hacker side but I'm not watching this misogynist crap. 

 

I don't he's mysogonystic (like other posters have already said, mysogonists hate women. Elliot doesn't hate either of these women.) I think that he just sees most people as being fooled and not as smart as him, and therefore they need his protection. He's kind of like a tech version of Sheldon Cooper (does that make sense?). I think him doing what he's doing is his way of connecting with them.

 

I actually really liked the show! Unlike most shows where I watch from behind my laptop, or while I'm doing chores, I sat down and watched this one.

[Julie23]

As a techy geek myself, I loved this show. I think the inner comments of Elliott  were the best. Loved the comment (don't remember exact quote)about the head tech guy at Evil corp not knowing anything about tech because he was wearing a blackberry. Also loved that he rescued the dog!

[riverheightsnancy]

Is it true that Blackberrys are a sign of low tech skills? I know that they are on the decline, but I thought that a lot of business people still preferred them.  What do techies prefer, iPhones? Just curious. I have a Windows phone, so I know nothing!  I watched it again last night and saw some little things here and there that I missed on first view. Loved his take down of Ron-porn guy. Personally, I think the therapist (is she a psychiatrist, Elliott alluded to prescribed medications), either way, I think that her competence is at a minimal level at this time. She should have enough training to understand that he was giving her therapy in that moment. I find her approach much too directive and think that she would be much better served with a Rogerian approach. Elliott must trust before he can reveal. That will take time. Pushing him or "where he goes" when he zones out is stupid. He is thinking and he is not going to tell you yet. You need to wait him out. The Robin Williams (RIP) character in Good Will Hunting, I think, is a better approach for this type of client. With that said, she does seem to know a lot about him, and maybe he has been going to her for a while. So maybe I am just being harsh as we tend to be when we actually work in the same field. I am sure people who work in tech will make comments about how accurate some of the premises are as well.  Still loving the show, can't wait to see where it all goes. 

[Chaos Theory]

So he may be misogynistic, but I don't think the show is, per se. That might be part of his journey, also, learning that he doesn't have the right to hack someone, just because he can.

I did not read misognistic at all. This is a guy with zero social skills who tries to fix things for his friends with his hacking skills instead of face to face. My question is, would he do the same for a male friend and I think he would. This is how he relates to people. Edited June 25, 2015 by Chaos Theory

[redsox7819]

I am on the fence about this show. It was bored and the monotone voice of Elliot drove me crazy. I am going to have to give it a few more episodes before I stay or bail.

[jaytee1812]

The problem is that the show only has him belittling and fixing women. Belittling women to a point where you control their lives because you think you know better is misogyny, it's not just about pure hatred of women.

It didn't help both women were shown as professionally incompetent and the only other women on screen was the lead male's fuck toy.

[ToastnBacon]

I liked it.

The narration reminded me of Fight Club for several reasons. The monotone style of the voice, plus the disillusionment with society. I think it also drew from the philosophy of True Detective' s Rust Cohle.

I'll stick around for a few more episodes.

[ToastnBacon]

I had too much speculation in this post, so I moved it...

Edited June 25, 2015 by ToastnBacon

[ToastnBacon]

The problem is that the show only has him belittling and fixing women. Belittling women to a point where you control their lives because you think you know better is misogyny, it's not just about pure hatred of women.

It didn't help both women were shown as professionally incompetent and the only other women on screen was the lead male's fuck toy.

I agree, we need to send someone from the women studies department to educate the writers on the importance creating only strong female characters with zero flaws.

Seriously, every character I saw in the show had some type of flaw. Besides, I wouldn't be so quick to brand Angela as an incompetent just because she had a bad meeting and was treated unfairly by some asshole executive.

As for fuck toys, what if Elliot is the drug dealer's fuck toy?

You seem a little too quick with the misogyny label if you ask me.

Edited June 25, 2015 by ToastnBacon