10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Mr. Robot
6. Real Life Inspirations
One of the most notable things about Mr. Robot is that it just feels so real. Not necessarily in every single way, but more like in how the stakes are believable and the narrative focuses on real world issues.
This sense of uncomfortable reality that the show grounds itself in is actually by design. Esmail cites several major real life inspirations for the show that affected the world in major ways. The two primary inspirations he makes sure to note are the 2008 financial crisis and the Arab Spring.
For those unaware, the 2008 financial crisis was when the housing market crashed in 2008 causing the economy in the U.S. to hit a recession. The Arab Spring on the other hand makes reference to the series of uprisings, protests, and rebellions that went on in the Middle East during the 2010s.
When keeping these in mind, it's apparent just how much influence they had on the story as a whole. The entire series is essentially about rebelling against an economic system that's failed more than it's helped, proving that Esmail isn't shy about wearing his inspirations on his sleeve.