'Mr. Robot' season 3 news, season 2 spoilers: USA confirms S3 renewal; series creator talks big S2 twist

USA Network has given the green light to a third season of its critically acclaimed techno-drama/thriller "Mr. Robot."

The Emmy-nominated series, which is currently airing the back half of its second season, has given USA a major boost, becoming its most buzzed-about original show to date.

"We couldn't be more proud of 'Mr. Robot,' a series that has pushed boundaries, captured the cultural zeitgeist, and been honored as one of the best dramas on television," NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment's President for Entertainment Networks Chris McCumber said in a statement.

"Being the home studio for this wonderful, completely original show is an exhilarating experience," NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Chief Content Officer and UCP President Jeff Wachtel said. "Sam [Esmail] and company just keep taking it to another level."

While it received six Emmy nominations, including one for Outstanding Drama Series, the show's season 3 renewal was reportedly not guaranteed. Though its first season received much praise, the current season of "Mr. Robot" has seen mixed reviews and a decline in viewership.

Meanwhile, Esmail, who serves as showrunner and sole director for season 2, recently spoke to HitFix about the second season's major revelation — a twist that, while brilliant, was not entirely unexpected.

In the latest episode of "Mr. Robot," it was revealed that Elliot (Rami Malek), the show's protagonist, isn't in his mother's Jersey basement. The vigilante hacker is, in fact, locked up in prison. The series had been showing an Elliot-created version of reality. His "mother" was really a female prison guard, the diner was the prison cafeteria, the basketball court was the prison yard, and so on.

According to Esmail, the decision to put Elliot in prison and show things from his altered perspective came from a "two-prong approach."

"We're always trying to stay as authentic to Elliot as possible, what he's going through," the "Mr. Robot" boss said. "Knowing Elliot, from the very first episode, he definitely has interesting coping mechanisms."

"The other approach was his relationship to us — to his 'friend,'" he added. By the end of season 1, Esmail explained, Elliot didn't trust anyone and felt that everyone was keeping things from him. This, he said, was a relationship they wanted to explore.

"Mr. Robot" season 2 airs every Wednesday at 10 p.m. EDT on USA Network.