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Warsaw said:
But that's kind of the whole point of her character.
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I know but I just find it hard to engage with her when she's got such a grating personality. I totally get the parallel with Elliot but with Elliot his awkwardness is more shy/quiet rather than flat out rude/unprofessional and it is much easier to get past that and engage with him when he's speaking directly to us as an audience because we have such an intimate connection with him. Dom doesn't have that luxury so I just really find her character irritating.

Agreed with your comments about the quality of that episode though. Esmail's direction and attention to detail this season has been phenomenal, hopefully he continues to direct all of next season too.
 
Dom wasn't the target of either of the Dark Army attacks. Her Boss is working for the Dark Army, he keeps attempting to block her investigation at every point despite solid evidence.
 


I've been hanging in there for most of the season despite there being plenty of times where I considered pulling the pin then and there, but unless next week is the greatest episode of TV ever made, I can't see myself watching next season. There's only so many cliff hangers and drawn out, 'intense' one-on-one scenes (Esmail going all Lynchian with Angela tonight was, IMO, pure w***ery) that I can take without anything actually happening.

I really do think the problem is that Esmail believes himself and his show to be a lot smarter than they actually are, which has pushed this season to the edge of being straight parody at times. Which is a shame because this is/was a great story and has some great performances in it, but it just keeps getting in its own way because it's not being told by a great storyteller.

Long rant I know, but I've been holding back all season and need to vent a little.
 
Richard Cranium said:


I've been hanging in there for most of the season despite there being plenty of times where I considered pulling the pin then and there, but unless next week is the greatest episode of TV ever made, I can't see myself watching next season. There's only so many cliff hangers and drawn out, 'intense' one-on-one scenes (Esmail going all Lynchian with Angela tonight was, IMO, pure ******y) that I can take without anything actually happening.

I really do think the problem is that Esmail believes himself and his show to be a lot smarter than they actually are, which has pushed this season to the edge of being straight parody at times. Which is a shame because this is/was a great story and has some great performances in it, but it just keeps getting in its own way because it's not being told by a great storyteller.

Long rant I know, but I've been holding back all season and need to vent a little.
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Felt the same way. The difference between good and bad episodes this season has been as much of a mixed bag as Collingwood games this year.

That episode was all style no substance. Can't stand Angela's storyline - the character just makes no sense and all of her dialogue and interactions feel forced. Her and Dom have been such lowlights for this season taking away valuable screen time from Elliot and Mr. Robot.

Starting to feel like if Esmail's goal was to confuse the audience through boredom that he's succeeding.
 

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I came across this post on reddit that is relevant to the above couple of posts. I don't want to sound ungrateful as I've absolutely loved this season despite how frustrating its been at times but it really is hard to disagree with any of this:

I feel like, if this show is going to relentlessly tease the audience with pseudo-reveals all season, you need to either make due on that, or just let those questions exist in the viewers' minds instead of constantly baiting them. They have literally been dragging out the main S1 questions for all of season 2, whilst constantly making us think we're about to get an answer. (The phone calls. The gifts. The knocking. Etc.) When you do that enough, viewers stop expecting answers at all, and tension drops.

This isn't me not appreciating the show's depth - or even the amount of questions it poses and leaves unanswered. This is me not being fond of the extent to which they employ this bait-and-switch writing.

Even if we get all the answers we ever wanted next episode, that doesn't change the fact that this particular aspect of the season (the constant teases) became underwhelming.

It's like the boy who cried wolf. You tease answers enough, pretty soon nobody's gonna believe you anymore, and the tension dissipates because you now know that the anticipated event has a much higher chance of NOT happening than actually coming to pass. This isn't a matter of not wanting to "think" enough, or being a shallow viewer. It's a mechanic of writing and pacing.

I saw this coming since the early episodes of this season. I still love this show and there is so much I want to praise about it, but that's for a different topic. I just hope that Esmail and writers take note of the things that maybe DIDN'T work so well this season, as well as the things that did. Because I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.

The inherent value in promising answers isn't just in asking the questions. It's in actually providing an answer - not too soon that it's too easy on viewers, but not soooo far away that you stop anticipating it all together.

So many scenes that fill up with tension, and then pull up short RIGHT before their peak. RIGHT before the time that would have been perfect for a reveal, only for it to fall flat and make me lose even more trust for the narrative. I could live with that, if they didn't constantly try to trick us into thinking we were about to get that reveal. If we're supposed to be theorizing and thinking deep, let us do that, but don't trick us for no other reason than to build up fake tension.

Like, I know we have an unreliable narrator here, but this is not just Elliot. I feel like I am seeing the writers through the show at this point. The times they're trying to tease us with answers are too noticeable, and it takes me out of the moment enough to remember I'm watching a show.

I honestly say all this out of a place of love for the show. I want it to keep being good. It's so unique and the people are so human. Elliot is a gift of a character. The hacking is great and the psychological drama is captivating. But I truly, truly hope the wonderful folks behind this show take into account what fans are saying about the teases and the bait-and-switches.

I know Esmail and crew are the masterminds behind all this, and I'm just one single viewer. I write, too, but that's beside the point. At the end of the day, show writers are writing for the viewers - not for writers. People don't need to be experts to be able to say, "Okay, I don't think this is working out for you." And, well, I don't think this particular method of "building" tension is working out for them.
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Buckleys Jocks said:
I came across this post on reddit that is relevant to the above couple of posts. I don't want to sound ungrateful as I've absolutely loved this season despite how frustrating its been at times but it really is hard to disagree with any of this:
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Yep. People bag say... Game of Thrones for being slow paced. Perfect example was the recent season which was pretty straightforward but we got the payoff of 2 amazing episodes that will be remembered for a long time.

We haven't got that with Mr Robot, and even when they reveal things they don't. Like, is Tyrell a real thing or what? Next week better be a big payoff otherwise a lot of viewers will be gone.
 
offtherails9 said:
Yep. People bag say... Game of Thrones for being slow paced. Perfect example was the recent season which was pretty straightforward but we got the payoff of 2 amazing episodes that will be remembered for a long time.
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Both shows have horrendous writing.

Mr. Robot's ratings have plummeted since S1 and it was lucky to be renewed again for S3. Unless things change (and I don't see how they could after this trainwreck of a season), S3 may be the last.
 
I don't know why teases on this show don't bother me, but they just don't. Esmail has said from the start that this was a 3 act show and it'll go for 4 or 5 seasons (which it will - this is quite easily the best show USA has ever had, ratings be damned).

So perhaps I'm latching onto that and know that there's much more to be played here, and why I see a lot of the show as captivating rather than annoying. The fact that this season has been much more of a psychological game that's dabbling in weirdness, where as the first was more of a straight up heist thriller, is probably contributing to some of the angst people are having- re expectations for the show. But like that whole set-up in the room, unlike anything the show's done, was pretty damn pulsating. Helps that Whiterose is such a terrific/terrifying character.

Not looking for some massive ball to drop next week, but at least something significant to come out of Tyrell. There's way more weight in that storyline than there ever was with the 'fight club' of s1, because that shit was known quite early and was played off as such.

Also USA are a bit to blame here, because that was part 1 of a 2-part finale that they decided to split. At least if you didn't like that episode.
 
The long scenes with not a lot happening then later information dumps about interesting things that happened offscreen are getting annoying.
 
Richard Cranium said:
I really do think the problem is that Esmail believes himself and his show to be a lot smarter than they actually are, which has pushed this season to the edge of being straight parody at times.
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I think they know exactly what they're doing and are fully aware they're not making the greatest show ever. It has a very deliberate style and tone overshadowing everything.
 
Godchin said:
Mr. Robot's ratings have plummeted since S1 and it was lucky to be renewed again for S3. Unless things change (and I don't see how they could after this trainwreck of a season), S3 may be the last.
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It won't get cancelled, not now. It's winning Emmys and Golden Globes; that's gold for a cable network previously known for pissweak comedy-dramas and wrestling. As a cable network they don't have the immediate "We need to beat the average ratings" pressure either. They can announce the final season a year in advance.
 

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Gee what a waste of time the first 8 eps were or however long it was that it took for them to reveal he was in jail. Should have wrapped that up in 4 eps max and actually focused on the main story in the back half of the season instead of getting this half baked ending.

It seems Esmail cant help but to indulge himself in everything he thinks would be cool to put on screen probably because he doesnt know where overall story is going yet.

Such a shame fbi girl didnt get much of her mothers talent she might have been able to do something with the crappy dialogue she is given. I skipped most of her scene couldnt listen to her anymore.

While I have enjoyed parts of it and the show has some great positives its been a disapointing season.
 

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Holding out on Tyrell for so long made it a bit a jarring to come around on what was happening there. Similarly, when you get beyond what I found to be an amazing moment - Angela getting the phone call from Tyrell (gonna be thinking about that one for a while) - could be taken as a bit of a cheat, because we didn't see the rest of Whiterose and Angela's conversation.

But whilst I probably did want to see that conversation, the reason that it works and it has this ****ing almost eerie feel to it, is because we didn't see it. Which get to the whole point about questions and answers, which is summed up pretty easily in that questions will always be more interesting than answers (see Lost).

That being said...

vast said:
It seems Esmail cant help but to indulge himself in everything he thinks would be cool to put on screen probably because he doesnt know where overall story is going yet.
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Esmail knows exactly where this is all going, this was a feature film script before it was a TV show with the first season act 1, or at least part 1 of act 1. So its had to elongate things, bring up supporting characters into greater focus, add new story-lines to fit the television length. But ultimately the major beats that he wants to hit would have been known well in advance, whether or not they are satisfying beats is up for the viewer to decide.

vast said:
Such a shame fbi girl didnt get much of her mothers talent she might have been able to do something with the crappy dialogue she is given. I skipped most of her scene couldnt listen to her anymore.
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:unamused:

Anyway, Season 1 was damn near perfect. This season didn't have that same structure, but it also wasn't the same show. I think some of the heights it hit was pretty special, but it being deliberately opaque isn't always particularly inviting. The Burn Notice rip was on point.
 
vast said:
Such a shame fbi girl didnt get much of her mothers talent she might have been able to do something with the crappy dialogue she is given. I skipped most of her scene couldnt listen to her anymore.
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I actually don't mind Meryl's daughter in the role - I think she does about as well as anyone could with the writing - but I rolled my eyes (genuinely) at least twice at some of the stuff she was saying ("we're gonna be best friends." "I know her. I am her." **** me...). Early in the season I thought she was supposed to be a bit of a dork who put too much effort into her work, but nope, she just gets given horrible lines. 'Crappy dialogue' is probably being kind.

Anyway... I don't know, I'm probably done with the show. Its highs are really high, but there were too many lows to feel like it'll be worth spending another 20-30 hours to see how things turn out.
 
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I thought the finale was incredible. It wasn't "explosive", but that's beside the point. A key indicator of how f*cked they all are is that damn FBI wall. Look at all the connections they've made. Not as dumb as we may have thought.

Glad Tyrell is real.
 
Two stand outs this season was the big reveal of the FBI wall and the fact that Tyrell's wife planned the whole friendship with the bar tender to manipulate him into being a witness to CTEO plot line. Good stuff


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Finally got round to watching the finale. A little bit confusing, but I liked it. Relative lack of Angela was disappointing. Thought Whiterose might have popped their head in as well.

I wonder what the deal is with the post credit scene. Trenton and Mobley appear to be assuming new identities with new jobs, so does Leon know something?
 

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