It's a strange coincidence, hearing two different cast members of Mr. Robot describe Sam Esmail in these near-identically enigmatic terms. As the show's creator, showrunner, and — as of season two, debuting in two weeks — director of its every episode, he exercises a degree of control over the series that's almost wholly unprecedented in television. That degree of engagement calls for a superhuman level of commitment. And it's also a vote of confidence from USA Network, which utilized the show's massive critical buzz to cut itself loose from its light "blue skies" reputation and enter the prestige-drama big leagues.

Mr. Robot's content only makes it riskier. A twist-filled tale of conflict between corporate cybersecurity and a hacker underground led by a mentally ill morphine addict, the show uses bold, almost alienating shot compositions and edge-of-sanity performances to plumb the depths of depression, isolation, and rage generated by omnipresent technology and late-capitalist inequality. It's not afraid to name names, either, whether taking shots at beloved geek-culture properties like The Hunger Games and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or calling out secular saint Steve Jobs for sweatshop labor in its very first episode. ("I think there's a couple of things we've gotten in trouble for," Doubleday says of the Jobs swipe.)