Note: This is an advance, fairly spoiler-free review of the first episode of Mr. Robot . It's available to watch on YouTube now before its June 24th airing on USA.

Loading

Loading

When you've seen a particular subject depicted over and over again and maybe not in the best or most inventive ways, it's easy to feel fatigued. But just when you're about to raise your eyebrow in weary skepticism, a show comes along and surprises you. It happened with zombies in iZombie, and based on a single episode, it looks like it's happening with hackers in Mr. Robot. The new drama from USA doesn't make hacking look like a magical, solve every problem skill learned at Hogwarts and doesn't include glitzy and unnecessary shots of the camera traveling through the inner workings of laptops. It's grounded and fits better with my perception of hacking (not that I can say I have any real world experience).The series stars Rami Malek (A Night at the Museum) as Elliot. He's a cybersecurity tech by day, a hacker vigilante by night - sort of a Batman of the web. He breaks a number of rules, but he does so with good intentions. Elliot walks a dangerous line. His job requires him to protect the assets of a company he can't stand -- E Corp or "Evil Corp", as Elliot calls them -- but when he meets a mysterious figure called Mr. Robot (Christian Slater) and his super secret hacking group and E Corp is hit with a massive cyber attack, his world changes.On the surface, Mr. Robot might look stereotypical. Elliot is a loner and not so great with social interactions. He seemingly suffers from a dissociative disorder and has a disjointed inner monologue. Though they veer into Tyler Durden territory, Elliot's incredibly likable. All the more so because you don't expect to connect with him. His actual beliefs and view of the world (not the bull he feeds to his therapist) are extreme but relatable. He's written in such a way that you're on his side in a hurry.Elliot is skilled, and the pilot shows us his talents rather than explaining it to us. In fact, one of the best parts about the introduction to this world is that there's no hand-holding. You're thrown in and shown around, but the show trusts you're smart enough to keep up. And yes, there is some jargon because it would be unrealistic if a cybersecurity company ran day-to-day operations without it. A couple uses felt silly and out of place, but overall, it flowed as a natural part of the conversation. Being tech savvy isn't necessary to understand what's happening and to be aware of the high stakes.The pacing is snappy without the usual act beats. I lost track of time while viewing the pilot and was pleased with how far the story progressed in an hour. The focus is on Elliot and his motivations and practices, but you get enough of the primary cast to pull you in further. It starts with Malek -- he's sharp and commands attention each scene he's in -- but Slater, Portia Doubleday ("Angela"), and Michael Gill ("Gideon") all make a splash. The human interactions driving the technology and computer aspects of the show aren't put to the side.With a combination of smart writing, interesting characters, a strong lead, and a gripping set-up, Mr. Robot is definitely worth checking out. I'm not sold on whether Mr. Robot's endgame is actually feasible, but I'm more than willing to stick around for the ride.