Mr. Robot: Season 1

Rami Malek, who has delivered impressive performances in small film roles for years, takes the lead in this cable conspiracy series as Elliot, an intense, socially awkward computer hacker who works for a computer security outfit by day and metes out justice by night. That might make him sound like a superhero, but Elliot is emotionally troubled and unstable, self-medicating to maintain his equilibrium, while also spying on everyone to discover their secrets. Elliot is recruited by a cabal of revolutionary hackers led by an enigmatic anarchist known as "Mr. Robot" (Golden Globe-winner Christian Slater) to hack a powerful corporation known as Evil Corp and erase the debts of millions of citizens. Mr. Robot has an element of sci-fi but it's more of a conspiracy thriller seen through the perspective of a schizophrenic hero, whose dryly witty narration reveals a tormented mind: Elliot is paranoid and has hallucinations, so he must sort out what's real from what's in his head. The series, created by Sam Esmail, borrows from Fight Club and V for Vendetta, but takes its portrait of corporate power, cyber-crime, and grassroots-activists-as-anarchist-hackers into unexpected directions. Presenting all 10 episodes from the Golden Globe-winning 2015 debut season, extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette, deleted scenes, and a gag reel. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)