by Daniel J. Solove
I’ve really been enjoying the new TV series Mr. Robot on USA. Network. It presents highly-engaging depictions of hacking and social engineering, and it is great entertainment for privacy and security geeks.
The protagonist is Elliot Alderson (played by Rami Malek), a tech who works at a cybersecurity firm in New York City. The show is narrated with voiceover by Elliot, and we get a glimpse into the mind of this reclusive and quiet person. Voiceover can often falter as a technique, but here it works wonderfully — and all the more impressive because Elliot speaks softly, often in monotone. But Elliot is such a fascinating character and Malek delivers Elliot’s monologue so effectively, that it becomes surprisingly engaging.
Elliot is very smart and clever, and he sees many around him as idiots. He suffers from severe bouts of depression, is a recluse who wants to be invisible, and he is very awkward around other people. He lives most of his life inside his head. The show presents the stark contrast between what he says to others and what he is thinking. In one scene, we see him speaking to his psychiatrist, telling her hardly anything. But we hear his thoughts and know that he is pondering quite a lot.
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