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Why Mr. Robot Succeeds Where True Detective Fails

This week on “The Vulture TV Podcast,” we discuss two shows — True Detective and Mr. Robot — that, on first glance, appear to be of a similar ilk. They’re both prestige shows, they can be difficult to follow, and they’re both considered “cinematic.” So why does one succeed where the other fails? And, er, what does a cinematic TV show mean, anyway?

This episode contains spoilers in the following discussions:

9:08–31:22: The second season of True Detective

Further reading: Matt on what went wrong this season on True Detective; Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail on the show’s film and TV influences.

Tune in to “The Vulture TV Podcast,” produced by the Slate Group’s Panoply, every Tuesday, on iTunes or SoundCloudAnd please send us your burning TV questions! Tweet us @Vulture or email tvquestions@vulture.com. Vulture Insiders can exclusively submit audio questions to “The Vulture TV Podcast.” Click here to apply.

Why Mr. Robot Succeeds Where True D Fails