Mr. Robot: Season_2.0 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Mr. Robot: Season_2.0 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 10, 2017

This review avoids spoilers beyond the episode summaries, but it's nevertheless critical that newcomers begin with season one before even thinking about season two.

There may not be a more timely and perhaps even prescient show on television today than Mr. Robot, Sam Esmail's wonderful and very dark story of personal turmoil set against the cutting-edge dangers of and battles against the ever-entangling "system" in the digital age. In a world where newscasts and dark-corner conspiracy sites alike are alive with chatter of digital vulnerabilities in everything from the banking system to nuclear power plants, the digital realm is not only the new battlefield in the ongoing global digital war but also the front lines for activists who finally find themselves with the power to change the world at finger's length. It's a brave new world, and a scary one, too. Mr. Robot seamlessly and mesmerizingly blends the collision of 21st century humanity and the fight against the massive corporate digital boot and footprint that's crushing the real world beneath it not with bombs and bullets but rather ones and zeros.

Official synopsis: Winner of the Gloden Globe for Best TV Drama, 'Mr. Robot' follows Elliot Alderson (Golden Globe nominee and Primetime Emmy Award winner Rami Malek), a young cyber-security engineer who becomes involved in the underground hacker group fsociety, after being recruited by their mysterious leader (Golden Globe winner Christian Slater). Following the events of fsociety's 5/9 hack on multi-national company Evil Corp, the second season explores the consequences of that attack as well as the illusion of control.

Mr. Robot is a show of distinguished intelligence in terms of how well-versed it appears to be in its habitation within and depiction of the complex dueling worlds of underground digital hackers and the counterbalance in the corporate towers. The show, as was the case with season one and here in season two, takes its time to assemble a carefully constructed narrative, a tale that's thematically complex on multiple fronts, including the digital world and the human psyche alike. It's a fascinating clash of systems that's challenging and complex but undeniably engrossing. The show never shovels out crude cyber fluff or meaningless character descriptors, instead choosing the more difficult path of intelligently entering a territory not often traversed by the traditional entertainment sector. The show is very gritty and real-world, not particularly relatable but engrossing for its amazing realization of cold digital maneuverings and the innermost workings of the human mind, centered on a young man caught up in a fog of reality, inner turmoil, distance from others, and intimacy with and sophisticated understanding of the world's digital footprint, not only how it works but what it does and what it means outside of the computer screen and beyond Wall Street. The show amazes with its balance; ability to prove accessible even through the challenges of its unabashedly complex ideas, themes, and characters; and thoughtful in how it's all interconnected on a number of levels.

Season two doesn't miss a beat following up on its predecessor. More than before, though, there's an organic electricity to the show, a sense that it never really starts or stops and its episode breaks are merely format-necessary pauses in the journey. Though not based on a book, it comes as close to feeling like a book as anything on the screen ever has. Creator Sam Esmail, who directed three season one episodes, returns to helm each episode in season two. The sense of continuity is clear, never a problem in season one but there's a clarity of vision that, along with the tight narrative and stunning performances, becomes clear very early on. Season two expands significantly on character depth, maintaining a dichotomy of worlds and within the individual mind while expanding on the base narrative that advances the story while focusing on what truly propels it. Season two additionally maintains a unique sense of photographic perspective, using off-center shots and lingering scenes to allow the script and the actors to shine and, often, using some sort of subtle juxtaposition to reinforce an idea or theme. It's great stuff, too spoiler-heavy to explore in much more detail for this sort of review, but needless to say it's a revelation for the television format and one of the best things going today, and maybe by the time it's all said and done, in television history.

The following episodes comprise season two. Summaries are courtesy of the Blu-ray insert, and maintain their appearance as they're printed on the page (i.e. punctuation and grammatical liberties for effect). Some spoilers follow.

Disc One:

• eps2.0_unm4sk-pt1.tc: one month later and omfg, five/nine changed the world. elliot in seclusion. darlene takes the lead. fsociety delivers malicious payload. TANGO DOWN? tbc.
• eps2.0_unm4sk-pt2.tc: angela happy at evil corp. tyrell MIA and joanna has a new bf? wtf? dom leads fbi investigation into five/nine. elliot demands answers from mr. robot
• eps2.1_k3rnel-pan1c.ksd: elliot vows to beat mr. robot but it aint easy, smh. angela sees behind the scenes at evil corp. sh*t.
• eps2.2_init_1.asec: elliot friends ray. hopes he can help finally delete mr. robot. dom makes a big discovery. darlene wonders whos the bigger threat -- fbi or dark army?

Disc Two:

• eps2.3_logic-b0mb.hc: elliot cant quit the game but tbh it proves bigger than expected. dom and fbi go to china to investigate five/nine. joanna is haunted -- or hunted? darlene calls on angela for help.
• eps2.4_m4ster-s1ave.aes: mr. robot attempts to show elliot that he can be useful. darlene and angelas plan doesnt go as expected.
• eps2.5_h4ndshake.sme: happy 4th. mr. robot and elliot try to make nice. fsociety releases a holiday video in honor of uncle sam. fsociety FTW. darlene acts on a desire from long ago.
• eps2.6_succ3ss0r.p12: elliot realizes the repercussions of a power vacuum. fsociety begins to fracture and darlene is forced to make hard decisions.

Disc Three:

• eps2.7_init_5.fve: angela wants more from evil corp than they want to give her. unsure if dark army is working w/ or against them, elliot and darlene seek answers. the truth is out there.
• eps2.8_h1dden-pr0cess.axx: elliot starts to wonder if mr. robot has been lying to him. darlene tries to do the right thing. dom and fbi get closer.
• eps2.9_pyth0n-pt1.p7z: angela makes an unexpected acquaintance. elliot does the same. dom engages in an interesting ama.
• eps2.9_pyth0n-pt2.p7z: fsociety is in too deep rn. an old friend reveals all to elliot. sh*t gets real af.

Mr. Robot: Season_2.0 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Mr. Robot: The Complete Second Season's digital photography translates well to Blu-ray. Source noise is apparent in lower light shots, but it's nothing to fret about. The show is drained of color, not substantially, but primaries are held in check and the show has a somewhat dreary look about it. Color saturation is fine within its context, and some of the punchiest shades do manage to stand out; they just rarely get a chance to sparkle. Detailing is fine, a bit unremarkable at this stage of the format's lifespan but it has plenty of good, intimate facial features on tap. Clothing textures are nicely revealing and various city environments are appropriately dense and detailed up-close and even at some distance. Black levels raise no alarms and flesh tones appear accurate within the show's slightly dreary look. Universal's 1080p transfer doesn't stand apart, but it serves the material as it is very well.

Mr. Robot: Season_2.0 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Mr. Robot's second season makes sound a propelling force in its narrative structure and, sometimes, delivery, punctuating various moments or offering some sort of counterpoint or covers for a scene. The included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack handles the show's needs exquisitely. Even limited to the traditional layout and not incorporating a 7.1 or even Atmos/DTS:X presentation, which could have certainly enriched the experience, the 5.1 track is no slouch in coverage or clarity. Indeed, clarity is superb, width and depth through the stage near seamless, and positioning and imagining flawless. Whether any number of hyper-real sounds, transitions between styles or elements or volumes, cut-ins and cut-outs, or any sort of nontraditional delivery is handled with care and effortlessness, all through the range and around the entire stage. Big effects are robust, smaller ones nuanced. Music of any style proves texturally rich. Atmospherics are filling and realistic. Dialogue is well prioritized and smartly positioned. The track is anything but straightforward, but like much of the video's composition some of the off-kilter sound elements work in harmony with everything else to tell the story. It's often a mesmerizing track and certainly one of the most unique on the market.

Mr. Robot: Season_2.0 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Mr. Robot: The Complete Second Season contains supplements on all three Blu-ray discs. A UV digital copy code is included with purchase.

Disc One:

• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 3:12): Scenes from "EPS2.1_K3RNEL-PAN1C.KSD."
• CAREFUL.MASSACRE.OF.THE.BOURGEOISIE.1984-VHSRIP.MP4 (1080p, 8:41): Made to resemble a wavy VHS tape presentation, this is the beginnings of an 80s-style low-budget Slasher film.

Disc Two:

• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Scenes from "EPS2.3_LOGIC-BOMB.HC" (2:17) and EPS2.6_SUCC3SSOR.P12 (1:35).

Disc Three:

• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 3:46): Scenes from "EPS2.7_INIT_5.FVE"
• BEHIND_THE_MASK_MR_ROBOT_2.0.MOV (1080p, 11:03): A look back at the positive reaction to season one, the show's appeal and timeliness, show construction and themes, Sam Esmail's direction and his unique approach to crafting the entire season, the season's tone, character progression, story details, performances, and more. It also offers some interesting behind-the-scenes footage interwoven with show clips and interviews.

Mr. Robot: Season_2.0 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mr. Robot's second season is every bit as spectacular as its first. Amazing character construction and exploration, fantastic depth and narrative expansion, timely storylines and engrossing drama: this is easily one of the top shows on TV, and arguably the smartest and most engaging, most finely crafted and developed. A few may be more purely entertaining, but this is really hard to top considering it from all angles. Mr. Robot: The Complete Second Season delivers a quality Blu-ray release, headlined by a fantastic lossless soundtrack. Very highly recommended.