I am the kind of person who usually watches TV shows after they come out on air. I don't pay for cable, so most of my exposure to popular television comes through Netflix. Lately though, I've really gotten into some shows that are still airing, and I'm starting to wish I could watch them in real time. For my adoration of the cartoon Rick and Morty, I found a loophole in that I can watch the latest episodes on [adultswim]'s app on my phone. It glitches out constantly, but I'd much rather have to deal with a few glitches than have to wait a year to be able to get the next season out from the library. However, Mr. Robot is a show I'm considering paying some kind of money for so I can see the third season, because I am desperately invested at this point, to some degree against my better judgment.

When I first started watching it, I liked it because it was techy and geeky, with an interesting plot and stellar actors. As I got further into it, however, and it got darker, it stopped being the show I watch for a fun escape and every episode became a psychological, philosophic experience. The constant inner battle that rages in Elliot, the main character, was almost too intense, and yet for some reason, it made me feel better. His perseverance and dogged determination to escape from himself, or better yet to come to an inner agreement strengthened and encouraged me. It felt as though we were fighting together, through a screen, and the constantly cracked fourth wall facilitated those feelings even more. His narration directed completely at the viewer includes us in a way that a show hasn't done properly in a long time.

Though it is usually just suspenseful and holds you on the edge through an ingenious plot, there are moments in it that push me to the edge of tolerance. Some disgusting, some terrifying, some very sad, but somehow it doesn't make me want to watch the show any less. It just keeps pulling me in, again and again. One of the things that really keeps me motivated to watch is the fact that Elliot is an entirely untrustworthy narrator. You never know what is about to happen, or if what you've been watching for the past six episodes is even what is really happening. Sometimes the episode is just what Elliot wants you to see and not what is really happening, whether it's because he's hiding something or because he's trying to protect himself - and you as an extension of him.

There has never been an episode during which I was bored, or didn't find something to think about for the next few days. The alternate future presented, the script that probes into the corners of human existence and meaning, the personalities the show presents, all combine to create an experience rather than a television show. In every way, Mr. Robot is a contrast to the reality television world that seems to be so popular, and if you think you'll be able to hold on to your seat long enough to become totally immersed, like I have, the upcoming third season is sure to be mind-blowing at the very least.