When the first season of Mr. Robot debuted, it caught everyone off guard in a few different ways. Firstly, it was a completely unexpected and serious series for USA, who had previously stocked their lineup of original series with easy, breezy, summer-y shows. Mr. Robot debuted in the summer, but it didn't look like it. It was dark, tortured, twisted, but the choice to debut it away from the mad rush of the fall and even the spring meant that critics and viewers alike had time to actually pay attention to it. And we did.
It made sense that USA would want production of Season 2 to go into effect right away -- this was their biggest show with huge critical acclaim -- but that coupled with creator Sam Esmail's decision to direct every episode gave the series something of True Detective Season 2 syndrome (or UnREAL Season 2 syndrome, or any other number of shows exhibiting a sophomore slump). Don't get me wrong, Mr. Robot's second season had some moments of absolute brilliance (like ALF!) and introduced a great new character to the already strong ensemble in Grace Gummer's Dom, while also giving more time to its female leads. But the story was, overall, a bit of a mess, and many of the episodes dragged out in a way that wasn't anywhere close to as exciting as the first season had been.
USA announced today it that the series' third season is starting production in April and will debut in October, so all of this is to say that while it's disappointing that Mr. Robot won't be back this summer, well, it could be a good thing. Presumably it's a chance for Esmail to give some more time to the scripts and the third season's overall strategy, one that maybe doesn't have to rely on more unreliable narrator twists. And even though it will be premiering during Peak TV's peakest season, the wait might be well worth it.
It was also announced today that Bobby Cannavale will be joining Rami Malek, Christian Slater, Portia Doubleday, and Carly Chaikin as series regular Irving, a "laconic, no-nonsense used car salesman." Further, BD Wong has also been elevated to a series regular, so we'll be seeing a lot more of Whiterose. The season will again run for 10 episodes, with Esmail directing all of them as previously mentioned. We'll update you with more as we know it, but in the meantime, what are you hoping to see in Season 3? And how devastated are you by the wait? (Scale of 1 to Dom's Alexa conversations).
