The Strange Feeling of Liking Terrible People (on Television)

Warning: Light spoilers for the TV show Mr. Robot follow.

Recently, in a fear-driven attempt to push the upcoming school year out of my mind, I have aggressively binge-watched the TV show Mr. Robot. Mr. Robot stars Rami Malek as Elliot, a brilliant but troubled computer hacker trying to take down the world’s most powerful corporation. Altogether, it’s a pretty great show. Gripping, well-written, funny, powerful.

And it has some terrific villains.

First, there’s Fernando Vera. Vera is a murderous, meth-addicted drug lord untroubled by killing members of his own family.

Fernando Vera…likable drug lord.

Then, there’s Phillip Price. Price is the head of E-Corp, the aforementioned evil company. He’s cold, power-hungry and ruthless. To him, people are less people than they are nails to be hammered down.

Phillip Price: Ruthless titan of industry…but honest!

Finally, there’s Leon. Leon’s a hitman, and will kill anyone for the right price. At one point in the story, Leon stabs and murders five people in the span of about 30 seconds, and feels no guilt doing it.

Leon…the chillest hitman ever

These three awful people?

I’m a huge fan.

Vera might be a drug-addled narcissist, but he’s also insightful, perceptive and eloquent. He is able to read people and connect with them through a sort of weird, twisted empathy. He’s also willing to be vulnerable, and shares things about himself that would not be expected of a drug kingpin.

Price, meanwhile, sees most humans as disposable, as assets or liabilities to be discarded as the situation demands. But he is also forthright about his motivations and desires. When asked why E-Corp’s never-ending growth is all he seems to care about, he simply admits, “I must always be the most powerful man in the room.” He does not excuse or rationalize his own misdeeds. He knows he’s bad, accepts it, and carries on. There is something to appreciate about that.

And Leon? Sure, he might have no compunction about abducting, stabbing and shooting people…but he’s just so chill about it! He doesn’t get mad. He’s actually pretty friendly most of the time. If he didn’t have to kill you, he’d be rooting for you, hoping you have a great day. It’s just that he does have to kill you. So yeah.

Basically, all three of these characters are awful people, but they have appealing qualities. There are aspects of them worth admiring, which is why I’m a fan.

But it still feels weird.

And I’m not sure it’s okay.

I’m now nearing the series finale of Mr. Robot, and Vera has destroyed multiple people’s lives. Phillip Price has reacted to the deaths of thousands with little more than a shrug. Leon has murdered at least 10 people.

Such faults would seem to demand loathing. The level of villainy here is off the charts. These characters should be reviled. But I don’t hate any of these guys. Instead, I actually like them. Vera’s charisma, Price’s pragmatism and Leon’s geniality have nudged me toward their side.

Which makes me wonder what the hell is wrong with me? Am I really willing to overlook objectively monstrous behavior just because someone can turn a phrase or tell it like it is? It would seem so. And that’s concerning.

But I must also remind myself that I am probably not alone here. I imagine every single person reading this blog post has at some point found themselves watching a TV show or reading a book and realized that they really, really love the villain. It’s not an uncommon feeling.

But should we love the villain? Is that okay? For the time being, I am going to tell myself “yes.” It’s not a big deal. But when I really stop and think about it, the true answer probably isn’t so simple.