So. Did you see that Mr. Robot two-parter? Let me rephrase that — how many times did you scream “WTF” during Season Two’s first two episodes? Mr. Robot returned this week for its second season in a big and violent way. There’s a lot we can dissect about the show’s Season Two premiere — what’s going on between Elliot and Tyrell? Are we seeing the collapse of society? Is it possible for Elliot to be even less mentally stable? However, there is one revolutionary hero that hasn’t been given much attention — Darlene’s voice. Mild Season One spoilers ahead.

Played by the striking Carly Chaikin, Darlene is Elliot’s (Rami Malek) sister and one of the best hackers in the hacking collective FSociety. She rarely smiles, is highly sarcastic, and dominates every project she tackles. Darlene as a character is refreshing. She’s a hacker surrounded by men who is rarely trivialized by her peers for being a woman, and she’s a vulgar asshole to boot. There’s an almost Daria-like quality to Darlene, and it’s as amazing of a character to watch in live action as it was to watch on MTV. Couple that with the fact Chaikin herself gives a spotlight-stealing performance in every scene she’s in, and Darlene is by far one of the most interesting and lovable characters on a show packed with compelling performances. Also, Darlene’s (and Chaikin’s) voice has a fair amount of vocal fry.

For the uninitiated, vocal fry is the world’s latest most hated speaking pattern. It’s best described as speaking with a vocal creak or croak (The Kardashian sisters are the best mainstream examples of this speaking pattern). Much, like, overusing the word “like,” it’s a trend that’s associated with young women, and it’s ruthlessly mocked. Most of the time, if characters on TV speak with a vocal fry, it’s to indicate that they’re some combination of immature, unintelligent, self-obsessed, or any other typical complaint about teenagers you can imagine. One of the running jokes surrounding Chaikin’s delightfully memorable Suburgatory character, Dalia, was her vocal fry and typical teenage apathy and insanity. However, Darlene’s vocal fry indicates none of these things. And that’s a really good thing.

It’s fun to mock “young people” trends, but criticizing the way young women speak is just another way of policing women’s voices. There has been a lot of debate on the issue with some saying speaking in this manner sounds unintelligent and is limiting young women’s opportunities and others saying criticism about how women speak detracts from what they’re saying (It should be noted that men have been criticized for vocal fry as well, but it’s predominantly a woman-focused criticism). Sure, Chaikin’s Darlene has vocal fry, but she also breaks all of the stereotypes associated with this speaking pattern.

Darlene is far from unintelligent or incompetent. In fact, I would argue anyone who is able to cause an economic upheaval is likely too intelligent and competent for society’s good. Having this highly accomplished and likable character speak in this manner legitimizes this speaking pattern. We don’t focus on how Darlene speaks (except for right now). We focus on what she’s saying and what she’s accomplished. This character proves that the “vocal fry” doesn’t have to be seen as compartmentalizing or indicative of a character trait. It’s just the way some people speak, and the speaking pattern actually adds to her character.

I love the way Darlene speaks. It helps that Chaikin has a great natural speaking voice, but Darlene’s vocal rhythms and word choices remind me of my friends and peers. She’s an authentic, believable character, and she speaks in a way that reflects her cool girl vibe and her largely apathetic nature, but these aspects never feel forced. That believability gives the character a disturbing edge. Part of what makes Mr. Robot so interesting is how these seemingly normal people have the ability to destroy the world from the inside of a computer. Almost everything about Darlene makes her seem like a typical young woman, but she’s anything but that. I’m not saying that ever young woman speaks with with a vocal fry, but it is an incredibly common speaking trend and rebuking it off feels dismissive to a lot of people. Darlene’s existence proves you can accurately portray a competent, intelligent, and interesting young woman on TV without constantly pausing to mock her. Please keep stealing the scene, Carly Chaikin. The more we see of Darlene, the better off FSociety and a small part of our society are.

New episodes of Mr. Robot premiere Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on USA or on USA NOW. You can also watch Season Two episodes on Mr. Robot’s site.

[Where to watch Mr. Robot]

Photos: USA, Prime Video