Dexter: Original Sin (Season 1)

Creator: Clyde Phillips
Starring: Patrick Gibson, Christian Slater, Molly Brown, Christina Milian, James Martinez, Alex Shimizu, Reno Wilson, Patrick Dempsey, Michael C. Hall, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Brittany Allen, Raquel Justice, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Sarah Kinsey, Jasper Lewis, Aaron Jennings, Roberto Sanchez, Randy Gonzalez, Isaac Gonzalez Rossi, Amanda Brooks, Roby Attal, Joe Pantoliano
Original Airdate: 2025

★★★ (out of ★★★★)    

For those still keeping track, Showtime's Dexter ended its eight season run in 2013 with a much maligned finale before returning nine years later for its continuation, New Blood, which fans still rejected despite getting the ending they supposedly clamored for. But when plans for subsequent seasons were scrapped after Michael C. Hall's title character seemingly met his demise, it appeared we were done. That is until creator and showrunner Clyde Phillips realized the best way to ward off complaints was to ensure the series never ends again, resulting in this prequel, Dexter: Original Sin.

Taking place fifteen years prior to the start of its first season, the new series opens with the shocking revelation that our favorite serial killer/blood spatter analyst Dexter Morgan may have survived the shooting in New Blood. And now with Hall back to narrate the character's past from his death bed, there's still a direct sequel ahead with Dexter: Resurrection, as well as the proposed Trinity Killer prequel spin-off focusing on John Lithgow's murderous psychopath. 

Returning us to the show's comfortably familiar Miami surroundings for a period piece that delves deeper into how this complicated anti-hero came to embrace his "Dark Passenger," Original Sin has promise. And while the central mystery is its weakest aspect, casting and performances pick up the slack, especially one from a lead who expertly channels Dexter in all the ways you'd want from an actor playing Hall's younger counterpart. Filled with easter eggs, wonky creative choices and even some occasional retconning, it's not perfect, but builds a solid enough foundation that viewers will want to stick around.

It's 1991 and eccentric, socially awkward 20-year-old Dexter Morgan (Patrick Gibson) is hired as the newest forensic intern at the Miami Metro Police Department, where his adoptive father Harry (Christian Slater) works as a homicide detective. Keeping an eye on Dexter in hopes of curbing his increasingly dark and violent impulses, Harry also has his hands full with angry, rebellious daughter Deb (Molly Brown), who's still coping with the recent death of her mom and Harry's wife, Doris (Jasper Lewis).

Learning the ropes from unshakeable forensics chief Tanya Martin (Sarah Michelle Gellar), wise cracking analyst Vince Masuka (Alex Shimizu), fedora wearing detective Angel Batista (James Martinez) and his dad's partner Bobby Watt (Reno Wilson), Dexter joins a squad rocked by a series of child kidnappings. As Captain Aaron Spencer (Patrick Dempsey) explores a possible cartel link, he assigns Harry to keep an eye on the first female Miami PD homicide detective, María LaGuerta (Christina Milian), who's investigating a string of murders she suspects is the work of a serial killer. 

Meanwhile, Dexter's applying Harry's "code" to satiate his worst urges, targeting only society's worst criminals as he builds confidence with each new kill. But his youthful hubris and inexperience also leads to some major rookie mistakes that could get him caught, or worse. Haunted by past trauma and guilt, Harry fears losing control of his adopted son, continuing to shield Dexter from the grisliest details of a childhood he's subconsciously blocked out.

With the exception of New Blood, the original series always followed a certain formula that usually ended with the big bad on Dexter's table by season's end. And in showing how this all started, these ten episodes don't necessarily stray from that template.While remaining emotionally detached from Morgan family problems, Dexter sloppily navigates his way around as a killer, still searching for a system that works as he implements the tactics he'll later hone. 

Whether it's how Dexter chooses his victims, the first use of an Etorphine injection, the origination of his kill room, or solving the body disposal problem, this is him still figuring everything out. A few missteps alarm an already stressed Harry, who harbors major secrets of his own about Dexter's upbringing. And the childhood backstory we only heard about or saw brief glimpses of now gets a full fleshing out with '70's set flashbacks of Harry's affair with his cartel drug mole Laura Moser (Brittany Allen), mother of Dexter and older brother Brian. 

While we know how Dexter witnessing his mom's murder in that shipping container shaped him and future "Ice Truck Killer" Brian, the entire unfiltered experience is laid bare here. But the biggest revelations concern Harry, who's presented as being far more responsible for Laura's death and the brothers' evolution than we previously suspected. He's also heavily flawed and careless as a detective, developing a savior complex as his attempts to protect Laura go awry, putting her in harms way and nearly destroying his own marriage.

Since James Remar's version of Harry only appeared in brief flashbacks and as an apparition during the classic series, it's unfair to compare his take to Slater's since both serve entirely different purposes. But Slater's tremendous, making few attempts at directly imitating what Remar did as a father and cop torn apart by the guilt of failing his family. Though the writers have Harry make unbelievably incompetent mistakes, Slater's has it covered, shedding light on why he's so protective of Dexter and obsessed with shielding him from the truth about his past. In this sense, Harry's "code" to curb Dexter's darkest urges is also an effort to shield his own shortcomings, rationalizing that if he couldn't save Laura, there's still hope for her son. Or at least one of them.

Learning what not to do as Harry breathes down his neck, Dexter fumbles his way through the killings of a murderous nurse (Tanya Clarke), loan shark (Roberto Sanchez) and mob hitman (Joe Pantoliano), all of whom have left innocent victims in their wake. As Dexter, Patrick Gibson's brilliant, adapting portions of Hall's detached approach while simultaneously providing a blueprint for what we know will follow. 

With Dexter still lacking a full understanding of himself or his capabilities, it's all about not screwing up as a skeptical Harry hovers over him. But Gibson's even better at depicting Dexter's awkwardness in social situations, displaying some great comedic timing as he navigates a relationship with Deb's best friend Sofia (Raquel Justice) or clumsily attempts to endear himself to co-workers.

Because Jennifer Carpenter was so physically distinctive as Deb, they were never going to fill that part with her doppelganger, leaving Molly Brown to turn the volume up in incorporating the character's various personality quirks. Reeling from her mom's death, the anger and swearing is off the charts as she seethes at all the attention Harry gives Dexter. And with the two now suddenly working together, she's never felt more invisible, causing her to rebel by dating the older Gio (Isaac Gonzalez Rossi), who talks a smooth game, but might be trouble.

Unfortunately, Deb's subplot with Gio amounts to less than expected, sort of fading away without any concrete resolution. Despite that, Brown brings sass to the part, excelling most in the moments she vulnerably displays concern and affection for her "weirdo brother." It's through this, her strained bond with Harry and a series of personal roadblocks, that the seeds are planted for a future career in Miami homicide. 

The rest of the cast is uniformly strong, as Shimizu and Martinez are dead ringers for younger incarnations of Masuka and Batista, while Christina Milian gives the season's most underrated turn as the no-nonsense LaGuerta, eerily capturing previous actress Lauren Vélez's demeanor and inflection. Her feud with Dempsey's Captain Spencer is an ongoing thread, with him thoroughly insulted someone so publicly critical of the department would be brought in to undermine him. Besides helping to explain how LaGuerta became the hardheaded boss we know, it also sheds some light on her noticeably different treatment of the Morgan siblings.

Whenever any character pops up in a prequel who wasn't in the original there's wild speculation about why they weren't. And the more recognizable the star, the crazier these theories get. So as much as the writers try to distract us from it, it's impossible to ignore the presence of billed guest star Sarah Michelle Gellar as Tanya Martin, or stop wondering what her overall purpose is. 

Unfortunately, they do so little with Gellar it's almost as if whatever plans were in place for her character got completely scrapped. As a result, we're left wondering what could have been, especially since she steals every scene she's in as a dry, sarcastic forensics expert who actually shares a lot in common with Dexter. The possibilities seemed endless, so while Tanya's influence is still felt in some choice scenes, it's a missed opportunity they won't get back since Gellar's now attached to a Buffy reboot.    

It's somewhat ironic that everything involving Dexter perfecting Harry's code and finding his sea legs as a vigilante is more engaging than the season's big arc involving the murdered and kidnapped kids. Once the perpetrator is revealed, you'll start counting down the minutes until Dexter closes in, but not before the writers jump through hoops to avoid explaining too many details of the killer's convoluted plan.

When it's all over, there are lingering questions you're forced to kind of just let slide, mainly because Harry and LaGuerta's side hunt for the NIH killer so quickly overtakes the main case in interest. More directly tied to what Dexter was and who he'll eventually be, it also provides a further glimpse into Harry's motivations with a surprising twist that skillfully sets the stage for forthcoming seasons. 

Despite some messiness getting there, this does finish on a strong note, with the added benefit of an early 90's milieu and soundtrack that really captures the period's specificity. Narratively and stylistically faithful to its predecessor, it also updates the show's iconic opening title sequence by cleverly incorporating the supporting players into Dexter's superficially tedious, but sinister morning routine.

The advantage of Dexter's origin story being this heavily expanded upon can be a handicap when loyal viewers pick apart every detail, carefully hunting for inconsistencies. But with so many clever callbacks, it's a real trip seeing the his formative years depicted in such detail, prompting us to rethink popular theories. And if this is any indication, the Dexter franchise shows no signs of slowing down, evolving into a full blown multiverse with a shelf life as long as the character himself.            

Blink Twice

Director: Zoë Kravitz
Starring: Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Christian Slater, Alia Shawkat, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Haley Joel Osment, Liz Carabel, Levon Hawke, Trew Mullen, Geena Davis, Kyle MacLachlan
Running Time: 102 min.
Rating: R

★★½ (out of ★★★★)   

If Knives Out and Jordan Peele had a baby, the result might come close to resembling Zoë Kravitz's Blink Twice, which some might remember had the original working title of Pussy Island. But once the Motion Picture Association got involved and likely told Kravitz her directorial debut would only play in theaters with three X's on the marquee, she gave in. But that's apparently where the compromise ended since its new generic title implies a blandness that couldn't be further from what unfolds onscreen, for better or worse. 

You know you're in for a wild ride when this opens with a trigger warning, but Kravitz definitely takes her time in setting up a premise with enough stylistic flourishes and debauchery to double as Saltburn's distant cousin. Attempting to explore themes of memory and misogyny, the execution is all over the map, complete with a reveal that still somehow feels off despite all the enticing groundwork laid.

When nail artist and cocktail waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie) and her friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) work an event thrown by billionaire tech entrepreneur Slater King (Channing Tatum), Frida strikes up a conversation with the mogul, who invites them both to his private island. Having recently stepped down as his company's CEO amidst an unspecified scandal, Slater has publicly apologized and turned over a new leaf, now dedicating his time to self-help therapy sessions and philanthropic endeavors. 

Upon their arrival, Frida and Jess meet Slater's entourage consisting of photographer Vic (Christian Slater), chef Cody (Simon Rex), personal assistant Stacy (Geena Davis), security head Stan (Chris Costa), DJ Tom (Haley Joel Osment) and hanger-on Lucas (Levon Hawke). Other women joining Frida and Jess as guests are former Survivor contestant Sarah (Adria Arjona), vapid app developer Camilla (Liz Caribel) and stoned out lawyer Heather (Trew Mullen). 

All of them are treated to a relaxing paradise where they're showered with lavish gift bags, expensive perfumes, gourmet meals and hallucinogenics. But while Slater takes a special interest in Frida, Jess  notices mysterious lapses in her memory, suspecting this beautiful getaway is more controlled and cult-like than they initially assumed, Before long, Frida will also become wary of the island's secrets and Slater's intentions, eventually realizing that leaving on her own free will won't be an option.

There are sinister clues and bread crumbs dropped throughout that hint at something darker, but for a good portion of the running time, it's just non-stop partying, eating and doing drugs. When Kravitz does pull the trigger on this plot after much build-up, it comes hard and fast, as if the film's length doesn't give her nearly enough runway to fully explore all the script's ideas.

Spending time with such an eclectic cast isn't exactly a chore, even if their characters are really just pawns in a larger game rather than multi-dimensional personalities to be invested in. Naomi Ackie's versatile performance as Frida is the major exception, as the actress sensitively portrays the insecurity and frustration of someone sick of being invisible. Just Slater acknowledging Frida's existence is a huge deal for her, as the invite and extra attention override the weirdness, obscuring any red flags and Jess's desperate pleas to leave. 

While we know this is all his dangerous power play, Tatum keeps Slater consistent, showing no noticeable changes in either his cool demeanor or oddly detached hospitality. That those outside his inner circle don't look like total idiots for getting sucked into his vortex is a plus, even if the story relies on a clumsily conceived sci-fi device to do it. 

The rest of the performances entertain to varying degrees, with Christian Slater, Simon Rex and Geena Davis leaving strong impressions as King's employees. And after early concerns Hit Man breakout Adria Arjona would be underutilized, her supporting role gains importance as this wears on, further solidifying the actress's rising status with a very different kind of turn here.

Audiences may start to wonder if Slater King stole a copy of Elon Musk's vacation itinerary when  Kravitz tries her hand at a Quentin Tarantino-style female revenge fantasy at the end. She's not half bad at it, though a plot twist involving Frida's connection to the island hardly makes a lick of sense in retrospect. 

Messy and overindulgent, Blink Twice is hard to look away from, but difficult getting a handle on, often coming across as a dark satire that provides only a surface level examination of heavier issues involving gender dynamics, abuse and rape. Luckily, Kravitz is a more compelling director than writer, so even when the narrative gets sloppy, the visuals, editing and performances help its cause. She emerges unscathed, showing the potential to easily surpass this with whatever comes next.               

Unfrosted

Director: Jerry Seinfeld
Starring: Jerry Seinfeld, Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Max Greenfield, Hugh Grant, Amy Schumer, Peter Dinklage, Christian Slater, Bill Burr, Dan Levy, James Marsden, Jack McBrayer, Thomas Lennon, Bobby Moynihan, Adrian Martinez, Sarah Cooper, Mikey Day, Kyle Mooney, Drew Tarver, Tony Hale, Felix Solis, Maria Bakalova, Dean Norris, Kyle Dunnigan, Sebastian Maniscalco, Cedric the Entertainer, Fred Armisen, Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Andy Daly
Running Time: 93 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★★ (out of ★★★★) 

While it's almost impossible to believe it took Jerry Seinfeld until now to write, star in and direct his own feature film, he gives us Unfrosted, a comedy about the creation of Pop-Tarts. And in doing it he's unfortunately become sort of the critics' punching bag, as if attempting to tackle a biopic of America's most famous pastry treat were a crime.

Hardly anyone's typical dream project on paper, you can still see how the comedian famous for a "show about nothing" would be drawn to material this unapologetically silly. But even in falling considerably short of his TV benchmark, there's a refreshing simplicity to the premise that grows more humorous and absurd with each passing development.

In spinning nonfictional details into his own goofy version of events, Seinfeld even bookends the movie with a scene that shows him doing exactly that. Though the biggest surprise is how he's practically an afterthought amidst a packed cast of big name comedy stars. Anchored by vibrant, colorfully retro production design and some standout supporting turns, he actually does a lot right in his first outing behind the camera, or at least more than he's gotten credit for. 

After encountering  a young runaway ordering Pop-Tarts at a diner, Kellogg's head of development, Bob Cardona (Seinfeld) tells him the true story of how America's favorite breakfast snack came to be. It's 1963 when CEO Edsel Kellogg (Jim Gaffigan) and his corporate rival and ex-lover Marjorie Post (Amy Schumer) fight for brand supremacy in Battle Creek, Michigan, with Kellogg's again sweeping all competition at the annual Bowl and Spoon Awards. With Edsel basking in victory, Bob accidentally discovers that Marjorie's team is working on a new product initially created by his former colleague Donna "Stan" Stankowski (Melissa McCarthy).

As the conniving Marjorie makes plans to develop this treat and launch it into stores, Bob and Edsel bring Stan back to Kellogg's to help develop their own version, recruiting eccentric business innovators Jack LaLanne (James Marsden), Steve Schwinn (Jack McBrayer), Harold von Braunhut (Thomas Lennon), Chef Boy Ardee (Bobby Moynihan) and Tom Carvel (Adrian Martinez) to serve as "taste pilots." With both companies' tactics getting uglier and the feud soon carrying political ramifications, this big showdown will ultimately be decided by hungry customers when both products hit supermarket shelves.

Most of the pleasure comes in these speculative sub-plots involving real life public figures, some of whom probably had only tangential involvement in the actual founding of Pop-Tarts. But working with morsels of truth and a few obscure facts, co-writer Seinfeld is smart enough to know a script about the discovery of this famous treat will have to take extensive liberties in order to entertain. 

Under normal circumstances, the mere suggestion this material is even loosely based on historical events would induce groans, but Seinfeld's pretty upfront with what he's trying to do. It's an ongoing a game of "spot the star" until the wacky origin story kicks in and these cameos start taking shape, with many well known comic actors proving their worth with the screen time they're given. 

Whether it's Max Greenfield's hapless, abused Post assistant, Christian Slater's diabolical milkman, Bill Burr as JFK, or Kyle Dunnigan playing both Walter Kronkite and Johnny Carson, most of the appearances are cleverly incorporated into the narrative. And this doesn't even cover half of them, including a really memorable scene involving Jon Hamm and John Slattery as two very familiar fictional ad execs of the era. 

All this rests on Seinfeld's acting performance about as much as his sitcom did, which is to say not at all. Hardly known as a master thespian, he's rarely needed to be since the writing and supporting players always carried much of the load throughout that series. Now he's again playing the straight man who mugs for the camera and it works just fine, especially with McCarthy's timing and droll line deliveries selling even the corniest of jokes alongside an equally effective Gaffigan.

Amy Schumer also understands the assignment as Marjorie Post, losing herself in the film's hammiest, most over-the-top character. And you can't really come down too hard on any film featuring Hugh Grant as a snobby, disgruntled Shakespearean actor playing Tony the Tiger and leading a January 6th-like mascot mob through Kellogg's headquarters. Or a funeral where Snap, Crackle and Pop honor the deceased by pouring cereal and milk onto their casket. 

Much like recent product biopics Air, Tetris, The Beanie Bubble and Flamin' Hot, this does seem on the joke, taking twice as much creative license when reimagining material originally based on some semblance of reality. In this sense, the decidingly uncontroversial Seinfeld acquits himself well in a tough spot, delivering the type of fun, throwback comedy that's gone missing of late.  

Mr. Robot (Season 1)

 

Creator: Sam Esmail
Starring: Rami Malek, Carly Chaikin, Portia Doubleday, Martin Wallström, Christian Slater, Michael Cristofer, Stephanie Corneliussen, Michel Gill, Gloria Reuben, Ben Rappaport, BD Wong, Sakina Jaffrey
Original Airdate: 2015

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)

                                                **Spoiler Warning: This Review Reveals Some Plot Points**

There's this myth that there are only about five or six stories capable of being told and the rest are just variations on them. I rarely thought about that theory until watching USA network's award-winning drama, Mr. Robot, which doesn't necessarily give us a something new as much as it takes what we already know and ties it in knots. But it's in how writer/creator Sam Esmail executes it and the techniques he employs that further push the boundaries of what we thought was possible on cable television.

Mr. Robot  Title card

While it's easy to categorize it as the most ambitious drama to hit the air since Breaking Bad's final episode and a hyperkinetic thrill ride from start to finish, expounding any more on the details is a tricky proposition. On paper, it had to be a tough sell and there are still unquestionably a few kinks that need working out, but it's satisfying just to know that its best season may still be ahead. Ten episodes are built on a foundation and premise that could have completely collapsed had Esmail and his terrific cast not sidestepped nearly all of the potential pitfalls to deliver a TV season so timely and prescient that it's scary.

The series wears its influences on its sleeve, causing detractors to slam it as being derivative of other works, which is somewhat missing the point. The best way to think of it is as a pop culture mixed media project, throwing such jarringly contemporary works as Fight Club, V For Vendetta, Dexter, The Matrix, American Psycho, A Clockwork Orange, Eyes Wide Shut, House of Cards, Black Swan, Star Wars and Hackers in a blender and emerging with this kind of bizarre Kubrick/Fincher hybrid that still holds its own in the originality department. And this, somehow, made it to the USA Network. Visually, it breaks new ground for the medium and as off-putting as it seems that I'd reference so many other pop culture staples, Esmail's debt to them is more often felt than conciously seen, as you're too invested in his story to care much about influences.

If 2015 had a time capsule, this series would be a good candidate to go in it, not necessarily because it's the best or will hold up exceptionally well years down the road (reliance on current technology may harm those prospects), but because it reveals the most about where we're at now. Conformity, social media, the economy, corporate malfeseance, wealth distribution, corruption, capitalism, the 1%. At this point, I'm just throwing out words, which is all that can really be done with Mr. Robot without revealing the plot and overall sensory experience accompanying it. Is it perfect? Absolutely not, as the season's arc loses a bit of steam in the last third, an almost necessary consequence to the twists and turns that proceed it.  There's probably one or two of those too many, nearly beating the audience into submission long before its finale. But in retrospect it provides an adrenaline-filled experience that's gone unrivaled in entertainment over the past year.

Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek)

Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek) is a depressed, anxiety-ridden twenty something security engineer living in New York City and working for the cybersecurity firm, Allsafe, with his childhood friend, Angela Moss (Portia Doubleday). Uncomfortable in nearly all social situations and constantly in need of legal and illegal drugs to even make it through the day, his only connection to people is through computer hacking, using his technological instincts to gain access to their sordid pasts, which frequently reveals criminal activity. A cyber vigilante of sorts, he doesn't hesitate in using that information to blackmail them, especially if he feels it's deserved.

The game changes when Elliot's approached by a mysterious hacker named Mr. Robot (Christian Slater) who wants his help in taking down Allsafe's most valuable client, the Enron-like E Corp (complete with a crooked E logo), one of the most powerful and corrupt companies in the world, headed up by Machiavellian CEO, Phillip Price (Michael Cristofer). Only Mr. Robot isn't just a hacker, but an anarchist recruiting Elliot for an underground group of hacktivists known simply as "fsociety," which includes the grungy, rebellious Darlene (Carly Chaikin), who seems immediately suspicious of the newbie.  Riling up the public with threatening viral underground videos, its public face is a mask that looks like a cross between infamous Gunpowder Plot member and V for Vendetta/Anonymous inspiration Guy Fawkes and Monopoly's Uncle Pennybags.

Bringing a whole new meaning and intimacy to the idea of an unreliable narrator, the pilot (eps1.0_hellofriend.mov) brings us deep inside the fragile psyche of Elliot, for whom the simplest of human interactions, both at home and at work, are becoming a near-impossible challenge. He's more open with us, the audience, than his therapist, Kristen (Gloria Reuben) or boss, Gideon (Michael Gill), perhaps the only two truly moral characters this show will have. Ranting about society's ills and his failure to fit in with Fight Club-esque interior monologues, he's psychologically weakened and ripe for the picking by the time Slater's repairman-looking Mr. Robot gets to him.

E Corp's creepy Tyrell Wellick

With Robot in need of a brilliant hacker to help execute his grand plan of deleting all debt records to incite a digital revolution, Elliot seems to fit the bill perfectly. But as his commitment to fsociety grows, so too does his anxiety and drug use, blurring the lines between what's real and imagined for both him and the viewer. Resistance comes in the form of E Corp's interim CTO, Tyrell Wellick (Martin Wallström), a Patrick Bateman clone and sociopathic corporate climber who takes a sudden interest in Elliot's activities, while leading a secret life of his own with his even more deranged and controlling wife, Joanna (Stephanie Corneliussen). There's also a third party involved in all this known as the Dark Army, led by a mysterious transgender named whiterose (BD Wong), whose allegiance isn't completely clear.

If there's an episode where we first discover what Mr. Robot is as a series it would be the hallucinatory fourth (eps1.3_da3m0ns.mp4) during which fsociety's plans escalate just as Elliot is suffering from severe drug withdrawal. Taking place mostly in his mind, it's important in establishing not only the severity of his problems, but the notion that we can never be sure whether to believe what we're seeing or hearing in this show, especially if it's coming from Elliot. Torn between just crawling into a cave to disappear and being actively involved in real social disruption at the highest level, there's this internal battle going on that's best represented by his desire to help strung-out neighbor and sort of girlfriend, Shayla (Frankie Shaw).

Of course, the more Elliot tries to help, the worse things get, as his past and relationship to Angela and Mr. Robot, inform a lot of this, as details are frequently revealed through flashbacks and even passing dialogue. But most of just trickles out, with Esmail's writing and Malek's manic, wide-eyed performance rewarding viewers' attentiveness. Minute-to-minute, we're never quite sure whether the character's crusading actions are doing far more harm then good, such as in episode six (eps1.5_br4ve-trave1er.asf) when his hacking eventually carries tragic consequences for someone close to him. Without Malek's pitch-perfect portrayal of Elliot's crippling loneliness and isolation, it's easy to imagine him being an impossible character to root for considering the morally questionable actions he takes to achieve his goals.

Mr. Robot lectures Elliot

After years of false starts and stops, Christian Slater's finally made the comeback he's been gunning for, this time with quality material supporting him and bringing out the best of his talents. What's so fun about the performance is how it needs to be re-evaluated and viewed through a new lens after the season's conclusion, calling into question everything you thought you understood about his acting choices and the character himself. The same is true for Portia Doubleday's Angela, who begins the season headed firmly in one direction, seemingly as obsessed with ridding society of Evil Corp as Elliot due to their shared personal history. Where she ends up by the final episode is a far different place, and while Doubleday sells this transformation as well as possible, it's abrupt, leaving some needed room for further explanation in Season 2.

Coming out of nowhere, with only two previous credits to his name, Esmail doesn't believe in explanations, at least not yet. Visually staggering, with actors unusually positioned in the frame and hypnotic work from cinematographer Tim Ives that rivals anything on the big screen, the images in Mr. Robot tend to linger even longer in the mind than its twisty narrative machinations. Even the show's 80's arcade-style title card (randomly popping up during its cold open) is a thrill to behold, as you're never quite sure when during the scene it'll appear. And music supervisor Mac Quayle's throwback electronic synth score and the frequently off-kilter song selections serve to only reinforce the show's unsettling, paranoid atmosphere.

There comes a point in this season where a major reveal is made. Some will see it coming from the jump. Others won't. But from that episode on, it's clear Mr. Robot becomes a radically different series than when it began. It's a risky decision to essentially erase so much of the mystery accompanying the first half of the season and completely change the game. While I'm still not yet sure the gamble pays off, it now places viewers in a position where they're constantly doubting whether certain events or characters are even real. That's a dangerous creative move to make unless there's a solid long term plan in place.

Fsociety puts its best face on

Esmail pulls the rug out not just once, but twice, over the course of these ten episodes, expecting audiences to trust him and go along for the ride, even as one of those moves marginalizes one of the best performances on the show. And yet all of it is so skillfully laid out that you really want to take him at his word when he states that this season was only the prologue of the first act of his feature-length screenplay. Having been burned so many times before with claims like these, it's easy to be skeptical.

As Vince Gilligan proved with Breaking Bad, adjusting on the fly isn't necessarily a weakness when it comes to creating great dramatic TV. But for every one of those there's also a Lost or The X-Files, alienating fans who believe the showrunners are literally making things up as they go along. While there are definitely indications of the latter at work, you can just as easily imagine Esmail delivering on his promise since this truly is like nothing currently on TV right now.

While the last few episodes of Mr. Robot don't necessarily come to a pulse-pounding crescendo, it still delivers on a payoff many would have deemed unlikely, if not impossible at, the season's start. And a cliffhanger. The question now becomes: Where can it possibly go from here? Topping this while still satisfyingly forging forward will be the biggest challenge ahead. As the first few episodes of Season 2 have already proven, this series, like its protagonist, has no designs on making any compromises for mainstream acceptance.

Bobby

Director: Emilio Estevez
Starring: Anthony Hokins, Demi Moore, Christian Slater, Martin Sheen, Helen Hunt, Emilio Estevez, William H. Macy, Laurence Fishburne, Sharon Stone, Lindsay Lohan, Elijah Wood, Ashton Kutcher, Heather Graham
Running Time: 120 min.
Rating: R

**1/2 (out of ****)

Emilio Estevez's Bobby is a misfire that fails so fascinatingly I couldn't turn away from the screen. It was like watching a train wreck. In that sense, I would recommend everyone see it. The movie is all at once mind-numbingly boring, unintentionally hilarious, and at times emotionally moving. The film features some career worst performances from major stars and some brilliant ones from lesser known actors. Major mistakes are made tackling a sensitive subject that borders on being downright offensive. Yet strangely, the movie is unforgettable and nearly redeems itself in the emotionally powerful last half hour.

The cast you see listed above is perhaps the most star-studded ever assembled in a film and given the liberal leanings of Hollywood and the connections of Estevez (who concieved, wrote and directed this himself), it's not exactly a surprise that major A-list stars were foaming at the mouth to be a part of it. What is a surprise is that someone thought it was a good idea for many of them to be in the film in the parts they were cast. It was definitely time for a movie about the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. This is supposed to be about what he stood for and how he affected the lives of a myriad of fictional characters who were present in Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel in 1968, the day the 42 year-old senator was gunned down after winning the California primary. Only it doesn't completely succeed where it needs to. Estevez has his heart in the right place and the movie does succeed as something: Being one of the most unforgettably bizarre movie experiences I've had this year.

I cannnot possibly overstate how loaded this cast is, nor how sometimes it distracts unbelievably from the important issue at the center of the film. There are so many subplots and storylines (some good, a lot bad) going on I had to remind myself at times that Kennedy was going to be shot. It becomes almost an afterthought in the midst of what is essentially a nearly two hour soap opera.

We have William H. Macy as the hotel's manager who's married to manacurist Sharon Stone, but having an affair with switchboard operator Heather Graham. Macy just fired the restaurant manager Christian Slater because he's a racist who won't let Hispanics leave work to vote. Freddy Rodriguez is a busboy with tickets to see Don Drysdale's sixth consecutive shutout but can't go because he has to work a double shift. He gives the tickets to the Ambassador's chef, played by Lawrence Fishbourne. Martin Sheen and Helen Hunt are a married couple battling his depression and her superficiality. Lindsay Lohan and Elijah Wood play childhood friends getting married so he doesn't have to go to Vietnam. Anthony Hopkins is the retired doorman of the Ambassador who now just hangs around in the lobby and plays chess with Harry Belafonte. Demi Moore plays washed up alcoholic lounge singer Virginia Fallon, who's set to introduce Kennedy that night and is stuck in a loveless marriage to Emilio Estevez. Joshua Jackson and Nick Cannon are young Kennedy campaign workers who send Shia LeBouf and Brian Geraghty out into the field to get votes, but they instead hit on flirty waitress Mary Elizabeth Winstead and drop acid with hippie drug dealer Ashton Kutcher. And on and on.

There isn't enough space in this review to list all the ridiculous choices Estevez makes in this film but I'm going to attempt to try. First, there's the casting. I don't know who thought it would be a good idea to put Lindsay Lohan and Ashton Kutcher in major roles in a movie about the legacy of Robert F. Kennedy. Unfortunately for both, they're involved in the two worst storyline threads in the entire film further accentuating their unwelcome presence. I'm not saying this as a shot at their acting abilty, though neither are very good (Lohan's performance is merely adequate, while Kutcher is just plain awful), but more at the decision to cast them in these roles.

The second Lohan appears on screen it's distracting and I was taken completely out of the movie. It's not her fault she's such a huge celebrity (well, it kind of is) but how could she top anyone's list of who they'd want to see playing this role? If it's a movie about the day Bobby Kennedy was shot, wouldn't you want it to seem as authentic as humanly possible? I know this is a fictional account, but why not avoid a potential problem by casting a relative unknown instead of making Lohan have to act beyond her reach to overcome preconcieved notions. She's not up for it.

As for Kutcher, his appearance actually drew unintentional laughter from the audience. Bobby's probably rolling over in his grave. Even worse, his character serves no purpose other than as an excuse to show us there was drug use in the 60's. It's forced and unnecessary. This is representative of another larger problem with the film. This whole drug scene excursion with the campaign workers is funny, but not for the reasons Estevez wants it to be. The scenes are so stupid and ridiculous that it becomes hysterical for all the wrong reasons. Helping with this is Estevez blasting Donovan's "Season of the Witch" over the sound track because well, you know, it's 1968. There's even the mandatory appearance of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence." Estevez also has the characters in the film have arbitrary conversations about The Graduate and Planet of the Apes just to make sure we don't suffer from time dislocation. There's also an annoying Czech reporter (cartoonishly played by Svetlana Metkina) determined to interview Senator Kennedy. Of course, she's in the film only so they can mention Communism and deliver the cruel irony of her never getting the interview. I'll give it to Estevez, though. He jams as many 60's social issues as he can into the picture. In just the first hour we witness infidelity, racism, mental illness, Communism, materialism and the anti-war movement.

The wisest decision Estevez makes is to not cast any actor in the role of Bobby. He instead intersperses real footage of Kennedy into the fictional story. Even though I felt uncomfortable seeing footage of the real man intercut with these storylines, Estevez at least knew the movie should be about the hope Bobby represented and any actor would have a rough time trying to convey that. The way this movie was cast I suppose I should just be grateful Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes weren't playing Robert and Ethel Kennedy.

With this many big names you are bound to have a number of different and interesting performances. Some actors come out of this circus unscathed while others don't. Anthony Hopkins has maybe the most useless role of his entire career as the former doorman. He hangs out in the lobby. That's it. Is Estevez trying to show how time can has passed these people by? I'm sure, but why is Anthony Hopkins in the role? It makes no sense to have an Academy Award winning actor to do nothing for two hours.

I did some research and found out none of these characters are based on real people. I'm glad because if lounge singer Virginia Fallon really existed her family would have to sue Demi Moore for slander. She gives an unbelievably campy performance, easily the worst in the film. I don't know whether to be relieved the character is ficticious or insulted it was actually written and conceived for the the screen. The saving grace of her performance is that she does her own singing and her voice is actually very good. Moore and Sharon Stone have an interesting scene together in the salon where they confide in one another the problems facing older women. This is clearly meant to draw parallels with the actresses' own lives, but what's more fascinating is watching Stone completely out act her.

Despite the trivial nature of the adultery storyline, Stone, Macy, and most surprisingly, Heather Graham, all give really solid performances. Christian Slater does career-high work as the bigoted kitchen manager who clashes with Macy. That Slater and Graham are such standouts amidst the names billed along side them should give you an idea how strange this movie is. With a small role, Mary Elizabeth Winstead also does a great job as the aspiring actress waiting tables. In just the few minutes of screen time she's given she seems authentic and real, acting how you imagine a waitress would in 1968. Why couldn't she have Lohan's role?

Nick Cannon and Joshua Jackson are also very good and they have much larger parts than you'd expect. Even though Estevez addresses the issue of racism heavy handedly, the performances of Laurence Fishburne and Freddy Rodriguez reach way beyond it. Fishburne especially. He gives a speech about race and society that forces you to sit up and pay attention. When he gets the tickets to the Dodgers game, he scribbles a message on the kichen wall and it's a heartbreaking moment because we know by the end of the night who's blood will be covering it. Rodriguez's performance is the heart and soul of the movie. His character is based on the famous photo of the busboy cradling Kennedy's lifeless body in his arms after the shooting. He makes us care about him so it becomes that much more emotional when that pivotal moment finally does come. Out of everyone, his character is the one that really connects.

A strange thing happens with the film when we finally see Sirhan Sirhan enter the Ambassador. It suddenly takes on an important meaning and everything ties together. There's almost justification for a lot of the ridiculousness we endured for the first hour and a half and I realized why we were introduced to all these people, even if at times they seemed like caricatures. I was even reminded of an important detail of the assassination that I had either forgotten or just pushed out of my mind during the film. This detail becomes important in realizing why the film was tracking so many random people in the hotel and their behavior. When he's shot the scene is scary, devestating and uncomfortable giving the rest of the film an eery brilliance, despite all it's flaws. It's kind of neat the way Estevez brings them all together at the end.

By the time the credits rolled, I felt film does pay tribute to Bobby Kennedy and the cold, hard impact his death had on the entire country and the world. There was a universal loss of hope you could argue we've never fully recovered from. What would have happened if he wasn't shot? He likely would have won the Presidency but how would that have affected things today? One of the things the movie does very well is draw a strong parallel between the turmoil and uncertainty of the 1960's and what's happening now. If you think about there isn't a huge difference and that may be the saddest message I walked out of this movie with. The last half hour to forty five minutes of this picture almost saves everything. Almost.

I just read a Roger Ebert interview with Nicolas Cage where Cage says he looks forward to getting mixed reactions to his films because it confirms he's working outside the box and evoking strong reactions. Even if they don't like it at least "they felt something." I thought about that comment after leaving the theater. I don't recall ever having such a strong reaction to a movie I felt was this flawed. Estevez at least had the creativity to fail interestingly and he gets credit for being a far superior director than writer. The movie is well-paced, beautifully shot and he deserves special props for being able to shoot some scenes in Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel before it was torn down.

With it's end of the year release date and all-star cast this movie is clearly being postioned as Oscar bait. It should be interesting to see whether the Academy overlooks the movie's flaws and probable low box office to give it any nominations. Like I said, Estevez clearly has his heart in the right place with this project. It's just his mind I'm not so sure about. Bobby may not necessarily be good, but it isn't easily forgettable.