‘Mr. Robot’ season 2 premiere reactions: On Angela’s positive affirmations

We’re not entirely sure that everyone’s favorite part of the “Mr. Robot” two-part premiere on USA Wednesday night was Angela listening to positive affirmations, but there was oddly something incredibly compelling about it. Maybe some of that stems from the fact that it was her saying them; were it a character with a different journey and less backstory, maybe we’d feel differently about the moment and think of it as almost a weird, sitcom-like convention.

As for what Portia Doubleday, who plays the character, felt about this scene and the attempt by Angela to put on a new face in the premiere, she told Entertainment Weekly the following:

“I love this aspect of her that’s constantly trying to be in control of her mind and the toll that takes on your soul … You actually need to confirm to yourself that you have power and are confident and that you trust yourself. She’s constantly trying to manipulate herself into being able to make these decisions.”

In some ways we’d say that “Mr. Robot” is a show about presentation, and about trying to keep that steady for as long as you can. For Elliot Alderson, he is trying to avoid that voice in his head to the extent he wants it to go away. What does Angela want? We imagine that in her new position, that will become a little more clear … while at the same time the struggle deepens and the story becomes more twisted and complicated. If you appreciate “Mr. Robot,” would you really have it any other way?