Eps2.4 m4ster-s1ave.aes
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| "eps2.4_m4ster-s1ave.aes" | |
|---|---|
| Mr. Robot episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 6 |
| Directed by | Sam Esmail |
| Written by | Adam Penn |
| Cinematography by | Tod Campbell |
| Editing by | Philip Harrison |
| Original release date | August 10, 2016 |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"eps2.4_m4ster-s1ave.aes" is the sixth episode of the second season of the American drama thriller television series Mr. Robot. It is the sixteenth overall episode of the series and was written by co-producer Adam Penn and directed by series creator Sam Esmail. It originally aired on USA Network on August 10, 2016.
The series follows Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity engineer and hacker with social anxiety disorder, who is recruited by an insurrectionary anarchist known as "Mr. Robot" to join a group of hacktivists called "fsociety". In the episode, Elliot experiences a new dream scenario, while Angela prepares to aid Darlene in the FBI hack.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.572 million household viewers and gained a 0.2 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received extremely positive reviews from critics, praising the opening sitcom section of the episode, although some criticized the pacing and lack of progress.
Elliot (Rami Malek) finds himself part of a 1990s family sitcom, where Edward (Christian Slater) is taking him, Darlene (Carly Chaikin) and Magda (Vaishnavi Sharma) on a road trip. Elliot is confused, as he can hear a laugh track and a person trapped in the car's trunk.
Arriving at a gas station, Magda knocks Darlene unconscious when she complains and Elliot finds that Tyrell (Martin Wallström) is the man locked in the trunk. He enters the gas station, running into ALF and meeting Angela (Portia Doubleday), who works as the manager. As they talk, Magda pepper-sprays Angela and she and Edward rob the store before fleeing. When the car gets a flat tire, Elliot demands to know what is happening, but the conversation is interrupted when an officer, Gideon (Michel Gill), arrives. Before he can investigate any further, he is killed when ALF drives over him in a hit and run. Tyrell escapes from the trunk but crashes with the sitcom's background, after which he is killed by Edward. As Elliot continues questioning, Edward tells him to keep his eyes on the road. He then takes Elliot to a hospital.
Back in reality, Elliot wakes up in a hospital, with Ray (Craig Robinson) by his side. Ray makes it clear that he is Elliot's master and warns him to maintain their partnership. Having survived, Dominique wants to investigate the shooting, as the killers committed suicide, but her boss downplays the shooters as Uyghur separatists. Price (Michael Cristofer) is also notified that the United States Congress has rejected his bailout plan to borrow from China, as four FBI agents died in the shooting.
Angela is introduced to hacking by Mobley (Azhar Khan), even if the recent FBI shooting in Beijing will complicate the mission. Cisco (Michael Drayer) provides them with equipment from the Dark Army, although he had his hypodermic needle removed for asking too many questions. Angela gains access to the network at her office, and calls Mobley and Darlene when the network script is not working. She evades an agent’s suspicion and tries to complete the hack from her cubicle, but Dominique appears before she can finish.
Elliot is kidnapped by Lone Star (Michael Maize), who places him on a room. There, Mr. Robot consoles Elliot, claiming he only wanted to help him. In a flashback, Edward converses with a young Elliot, telling him that he got fired for getting sick, asking him to keep this from his mother and sister. He then shows him a new computer store he is opening, and asks him to choose a name. As they pull up in front of the store, Edward tells him to think of the first thing he can come up with.
Production
Development
In August 2016, USA Network announced that the sixth episode of the season would be titled "eps2.4_m4ster-s1ave.aes". The episode was written by co-producer Adam Penn and directed by series creator Sam Esmail. This was Penn's second writing credit, and Esmail's ninth directing credit.[1]
Writing
For the opening sequence, Sam Esmail explained, "I remember being envious of the families on those sitcoms because even if they had their minor conflict every week, they always resolved it. Everyone always loved each other. Life was a lot simpler. Every house looked totally nice, and you had everything you needed. So Elliot goes to that place."[2]