Mr. Robot showcases some of the darker sides of technology and the power of big corporations. The story is told from the perspective of the main character and our unreliable narrator, Elliot Alderson, who has a mental health issue that causes him to occasionally become his father, Mr. Robot.
Mr. Robot is rife with social commentary, drama, and suspense. So here are five shows with the same theme or general style as Mr. Robot that fans of the series will love.
Orphan Black
If you are interested in a show where one actor plays multiple characters, look no further than Orphan Black. The Canadian BBC America series tells the story of Sarah Manning (Tatiana Maslany), a woman who discovers that there are others who look strikingly similar to her – so much so that they are clones.
Sarah Manning’s clones band together against Neolution, an organization that wants to take control of human evolution through human cloning. This element of Orphan Black is strikingly similar to the way Elliot becomes Mr. Robot whenever his fight against E-Corp reaches a tipping point.
Like Mr. Robot, Orphan Black is laden with conspiracies, ethical questions, and a boatload of drama.
Sherlock
Imagine Elliot with a few doses of casual arrogance and you’ll end up at Sherlock Holmes. According to Sherlock, he is a “high-functioning sociopath,” which means he is antisocial but also very intelligent.
Elliot and Sherlock are both detectives of sorts. The chief difference between them is technology – Elliot hacks computers while Sherlock observes and deduces. While Elliot is motivated by creating a better, fairer world, Holmes is driven by the satisfaction of solving challenging mysteries. And just as Elliot’s narration and unique direction takes us through his fears and motivations, Sherlock uses impressive cinematography to take us through the complicated mind of Sherlock Holmes.
Dexter
Mr. Robot is as if someone thought, “what if Dexter were a hacker instead of a serial killer?” Similar to Elliot, Dexter suffers from a serious social disorder and lives by a strict code of ethics. Unlike Elliot, however, he can put on masks and adapt to certain social situations. Both characters’ codes include making society a better place, but unlike Elliot, Dexter’s does not include “do not kill people.”
Fans of the two shows have pointed out similarities between Dexter and Elliot. For instance, both characters keep trophies of their victims. For Dexter, it’s the blood slides, whereas, for Elliot, it’s a digital record of the information he has gathered from his investigation of his victims.
Dexter will provide a blanket of familiarity if you are missing Mr. Robot. Just don’t read about how it ends.
Person of Interest
If you are into the hacking and technology themes of Mr. Robot, Person of Interest might interest you. It is a pre-Snowden series about wide-scale government surveillance on American citizens.
Like Mr. Robot, the show tries to present a realistic view of the technology industry. Consequently, it may not come as a surprise when some of the events portrayed in the show started to happen in reality. Admittedly, the science-fiction tone of the series was turned up a few notches after Edward Snowden’s leaks.
Person of Interest is packed with conspiracy theories and discussions about bitcoin, the rise of artificial intelligence and other deeper tech-related philosophical elements; all familiar themes from Mr. Robot.
Black Mirror
Black Mirror is a near-future sci-fi series dealing with the darker sides of technology. Similar to the Twilight Zone, it is an anthology of social commentaries directed towards the pros and cons of the rise of certain technologies. It delves into topics like social status through “likes” and hyper-realistic games that prey on a person’s deepest fears.
The British Netflix series has the same general feel as Mr. Robot, especially in its dark tone and social commentaries. However, there are a few icky episodes; like one where hackers blackmail a political figure to humiliate himself on live television. If you can get through the ickiness, you will find a show, like Mr. Robot, that causes you to reevaluate your life and the world around you.
