‘Mr. Robot’ season 2 spoilers: Show boss on Elliot’s new strategy

When the second season of “Mr. Robot” picks up on USA on July 13, there will have been a small time jump since the end of the first season but, there will be a pretty significant change in the way in which Elliot is thinking and acting. He’s more aware of who Mr. Robot is and what he represents, and with that in mind comes an added element of fear. He wants to protect others from him, and maybe even himself, to a certain extent, and he may think that the best way to do that is to steer clear of others.

This sentiment is something that show creator Sam Esmail describes further in an interview with USA Today, as he details why this character will be acting the way that he is:

“[He’s] ostracized himself so that he can keep Mr. Robot at bay as much as possible … He thinks that by controlling every aspect of his life, and exiling himself from anyone he cares about, this is the path to curing this very serious mental illness.”

Now that we’ve said that, is this sort of isolation really going to work (not only for him, but also as a viewer)? There’s a reason to doubt that, given that Christian Slater notes “I don’t necessarily know that Mr. Robot being gone equals Elliot being well.” It’s a tough question to answer, since there are so many other demons and issues plaguing him beyond just what he experiences with the ghost of his father turning up. One way or another, it’ll be fascinating to see his next move.