It appears the breakout hit of the summer is pulling a reverseTrue Detectivefor its second season. The mind-bending psychological thriller/drama seriesMr. Robotdebuted on USA this summer to quiet acclaim, but quickly became an internet watercooler sensation as ratings rose and fan enthusiasm grew louder. Viewers delighted in followingRami Malek’s meek IT wiz as he fell further and further down a rabbit hole that pointed towards destruction on a massive scale. While there were many twists and turns throughout (some surprising, some quite obvious), the real joy of the show was delving deep into the psychologically troubled mind of Malek’s character.
And so it’s with great anticipation that we await Season 2, which it turns out will be undergoing a bit of a behind-the-scenes change. PerVariety, series creator/showrunnerSam Esmailplans to direct all 10 episodes of the show’s second season himself, following in the footsteps of other similar creative sojourns onTrue DetectiveSeason 1 (helmed byCary Fukunaga) and both seasons ofThe Knick(directed bySteven Soderbergh).
WhereMr. Robotdiffers from those other series, however, is that Esmail is the creator, showrunner, and principal writer on the show, meaning he’s going to beexhausted. Unless, of course, his plan is to have all 10 episodes written before the season goes into production, which could very well be the case. Regardless, Esmail helmed five of the first season’s 10 episodes, so he definitely has the experience down, and this plan is yet another extension ofMr. Robot’s auteur approach that ensures Season 2 will be even more creatively cohesive.
As a big fan of the series I am very much looking forward to seeing the second season, especially with Esmail at the helm of every installment. While USA hasn’t announced a premiere date yet, it’s expected to return in Summer 2016 or possibly a bit later, no doubt due to the longer production schedule on account of Esmail’s decision to direct every installment.
Who’d have thought the breakout series of 2015 would come not from an online streaming service or pay-cable channel, but the USA network?
