When Sam Esmail spoke at the Television Critics Association winter press tour earlier this year, he let slip a certain spoiler, namely that “there’s a reason why [Darlene is] not in the Times Square sequence.” And while HNGN is pointing out that Esmail has distanced himself from Fight Club style twists for Season 2 of Mr. Robot, this one almost seems to be writing itself.
Mr. Robot Season 1 revealed that Elliot’s father (Christian Slater) died of leukemia when Elliot was still young, leaving him in the care of his mother. While one fan theory switches the roles and suggests that Elliot is subconsciously replacing his father with his mother, Season 1 did have various flashbacks showing Elliot’s mother forcing him to eat his pet goldfish and verbally dressing him down by comparing him to his father, whom she called “a coward” and “pathetic.”
Coupled with the sort of language Elliot’s mother used to describe his father (i.e., a pack-your-bags-and-leave manner), it doesn’t take a stretch of imagination to consider the possibility that Elliot’s mother abandoned him, leaving him an orphan. Just to give you an idea, in 2005, 62.8 percent of all abused children — the trope Esmail is touching upon — suffered solely from neglect, according to the American Humane Association, with the statistics getting more and more depressing the worse the abuse.
This theory would allow Darlene to be Elliot’s sister, while giving her a reason to not appear in the Times Square sequence. Elliot has mentioned that he and Darlene used to sleep in the same bed when a motherly figure was being abusive. Considering that only 49 percent of states met the federal standard for stopping abuse in foster homes, if Elliot and Darlene were indeed foster siblings, Elliot would also have a reason to run away a lot as a child, especially with Angela and more importantly around his old neighborhood. It would have been a place that reminded him of when he still had his father and relative stability.
It would also explain how Angela and Darlene both knew about Elliot’s condition, and why Angela, who was raised by a loving father, is so concerned with Elliot as a pity case. It could also explain why Angela and Darlene seemed so distant toward each other in the graveyard episode and during small talk at ballet practice, even though they both play a critical role in Elliot's life.
The two things that are known for sure is that Mr. Robot Season 2 will thematically focus on reconciling Elliot’s understanding of himself, meaning the past will need to be explored (there’s a reason Christian Slater is filming), and consequences, mainly through the new vector (and actress) of law enforcement.
Mr. Robot is currently filming in a tight schedule out of a Brooklyn-based studio in New York City. The writing for the season has already been completed and Esmail is currently directing & editing 3-4 episodes a week himself to make a July 13 release date for the first episode of Mr. Robot Season 2.
Check out the rest of iDigitalTimes Mr. Robot coverage here.
