Christian Slater looks like a kid on Christmas, even though its an overcast March morning.
He couldnt sleep the night before.
The gift hes eagerly anticipating?
Credit: FINLAY MACKAY for EW; GRAPHICS by YOSHI SODEOKA
His costars seem a bit more reticent, possibly nervous.
In some cases its the first time theyre finding out.
Rami Malek,Mr.
FINLAY MACKAY for EW
Robots team of myriad hackers.
My friends and I would meet up and watch every episode ofLosttogether, he remembers.
But not that long ago,Mr.
By whatever rubric development execs use to vet TV series, its first season shouldnt have worked.
Robot, played by Slater.
That, of course, didnt happen.
I asked him if hed consider doing anything in season 3, and he didnt rule it out.
For Esmail, the road toMr.
As the credits rolled, the tot walked out thinking he could do better.
I was an arrogant 5-year-old, Esmail says with a laugh.
LikeLostwasnt just the story of people stranded on an island,Mr.
Robotwas never going to be just a hacker show.
Films and TV shows ignore technology, he says.
The character would be just as socially anxious and pissed off, but his cyber-breaking-and-entering would have a purpose.
As Elliot explains near the end of season 1, he wants to save the world.
I loved that show, he says.
The look of it was very cinematic.
It felt like a feature, in all honesty.
Fortunately for Esmail, networks were hungry for prestige dramas Emmy darlings likeMad MenorBreaking Bad and USA snapped upMr.
Robotbased on the pilot script and series bible.
Esmail the filmmaker unexpectedly found himself in the world of TV.
Robotpremiered, Malek became more recognizable than ever before.
Ive never been the guy who gets stopped on the street, the 35-year-old says.
Its shocking to see your face up on a billboard or a bus stop.
Elliot doesnt look like, sound like, or think like anyone else on TV.
I just consider him a co-creator.
Away from set, Malek only resembles Elliot in his husky voice and wide-eyed stare.
Its no wonder that hes become the target of cast and crew members sniffing around for future story details.
**For all those who havent watched season 1 ofMr.
Robot, we recommend treading carefully past this point.
I remember saying to my agent, I dont know if this guy is really there.'
It was never clear whether other fsociety members acknowledged their supposed leader.
His relationship with Elliot oscillated between adviser and abuser, depending on the episode.
By the time episodes 8 and 9 revealed in a seismic one-two punch that, yes,Mr.
For Slater, the big reveal meant finally sharing what thrilled him about his role in the first place.
This wasnt going to be in any shape or form a paint-by-numbers experience.
Once season 1 wrapped up, plenty had changed.
During the attack, theMr.
Robotpart of Elliot took control, and now the sane half cant account for three days.
If the Evil Corp hack and the truth aboutMr.
Robotmade anything certain for season 2, it was that Esmail & Co. couldnt repeat themselves.
[I thought] Maybe we should attempt to retain those elements for the second season.
Thats when I knew that kind of thing would get us in trouble.
Hes pretty psychologically fed when we start, Malek says gleefully.
Robot can be disorienting.
The trade-off is that Esmail is always around to answer (most) questions.
Because I forgot what this means,' says Portia Doubleday, who plays Elliots best friend, Angela.
And hed be like, I dont know.
Just ask Sam.'
Though the scheduling gymnastics may require an adjustment period, the effects are already apparent.
This is where youre going with this?
I think hes going to shock a lot of people.
Its as intelligent and risky as the first season.
Perhaps the biggest change between seasons 1 and 2 ofMr.
Robotis the evolving landscape of television at large.
A lot of the shows have a tinge ofMr.
Robotin them, he says.
Me and Christian were like, Wait, is that our score?…
Theyre making a girl Elliot, arent they?
Look, shes got huge eyes.
You cant tell what ethnicity she is, and shes trying to save the world in a flawed way.
Is this going to be the recipe?
From underdog to top dog in less than a year?
Even for fsociety, thats quite a coup.
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