Before it even aired its first episode, new TV series "Mr. Robot" already received a second season order from USA Network. Critics are raving about this cyberpunk thriller starring Rami Malek and Christian Slater.
"Mr. Robot" review on Rotten Tomatoes is overwhelmingly positive with 97% of the critics giving it an 8.1 out of 10 score. Some commend it for its timely stories while others applaud the performance of Malek and Slater.
While the general "Mr. Robot" review is good, how about its content and the technical parts of the show? This new USA Network series tells the story of Elliot Alderson (Malek) who works as cyber-security engineer in a private New York firm at day and turns into a vigilante hacker at night.
Hacking is one of the biggest issues of this generation with government agencies in the United States and some parts of the world being accused of breaching the public's rights for privacy, "Mr. Robot" instantly become a compelling show to watch. But how accurate it is in portraying the lives of hackers?
Are critics right in stating in their "Mr. Robot" reviews that this is one of the most accurate displays of hacking in TV or movies? Michael Bazzell, a cyber expert who worked with the FBI, said creator Sam Esmail got it 100%.
"When I first saw the early version of the pilot-which I had no influence on whatsoever-I knew that Sam not only understood hacking but had a very good grasp on it. Instead of showing hackers typing frantically and bypassing every firewall in a system, he focused right away on social engineering, email phishing and the more realistic ways that criminals will get to your information," Bazzell said in an interview with Forbes.
"Then there is all of the computer code. We make any computer code shown on the screen accurate. We don't need to fake it. There is no reason to put random characters up to please the audience. We want that code to be accurate so that even the most sophisticated hacker or technical person out there will not roll their eyes at a scene."
When asked if "Mr. Robot" cast's Malek portrayal of Elliot is the perfect realization of a hacker, the FBI expert said it is completely accurate.
"Hackers are not just misfits that live off of stolen credit card money. They have real jobs and real lives, but they also have a desire to make change and do the right thing-even if that does mean breaking the law. I don't think that the real world has a true understanding of these people. I think many think of them as these evil, dark criminals that just sit and laugh at the evil that they are doing. In reality, a lot of the hackers are real people, with real feelings and are relatable."
For more about "Mr. Robot" review and Bazell's interview, click here.
