Summary: Elliot prepares to cover up what he has done. Mr. Robot appears and discourages Elliot who won't listen. Elliot is busted by police officer Dom and runs away to the subway where he goes to Coney Island where he's going to marry Angela. However, she is not there. Mr. Robot tries to explain to Elliot that this is not a parallel universe, rather a prison where Elliot keeps the "real Elliot" imprisoned so he can keep control. The Elliot we have been following is another personality called "The Mastermind". Elliot runs after Angela, who suddenly appears, and after a dream-like sequence, he finds himself in a room with Krista. Krista explains all of Elliot's personalities to him and tells him that it's time to let go and allow the real Elliot to take back control. Elliot refuses and wakes up in the hospital with Darlene and gradually accepts that he's just a personality. Darlene always knew but finally had a chance to be close with Elliot so she didn't bring it up. In the end, Elliot relinquishes control and the real Elliot wakes up to Darlene.
The Good: This was a highly effective finale. In this final episode, Sam Esmail revealed his final hand and finally divulged one final enormous twist which had very clearly been planned out since the start of the show. Even if you did predict the twist, it's still effective, emotional, and completely changes our perspective of the entire show. I am of course talking about the reveal of "The Mastermind", telling us that the character we had been following all along was never the real Elliot, but another personality who had been put in control for the past while to create a better world for the real Elliot. To avoid things getting too complicated, I will dub "The Mastermind" simply as "Elliot" and the other Elliot as "the real Elliot". This twist is really impressive. I did not see it coming, and having watched some earlier scenes of the show, it makes perfect sense and aligns with what we have seen in the show. A few notes I can specifically bring up is the importance this put on Elliot's morphine addiction, which is what caused him to forget that he is not the real Elliot, and it also explains why he forgot so many things, including Darlene. Furthermore, this also explains why Angela was always inexplicably distant from Elliot and why it was always so hard for me to understand how they were such close friends for so long. In the end, Angela was interacting with somebody who was completely different from the Elliot that she knew for the entire duration of the show. I really love what this twist does to the show on rewatch. It's going to be a completely different experience to rewatch this show with all of the new knowledge we have about Elliot and who he actually is. Overall, I think that this twist works so well because it has layers to it, it makes sense, it changes how we can view the show, and perhaps most importantly, it has an emotional impact within this episode. The emotional aspect of this twist fits in so well with the themes of the show. One of those central themes is what it means to be in control. I haven't discussed it as much as I should have since I never realized how central this idea was to the story of the show. But "Mr. Robot" has always been about the illusion of control and what it means to have agency over your life. It makes perfect sense that this final episode hinges on who is in control in the head of Elliot Alderson. The Elliot that is in control was a fake all along, and the emotion of this episode comes from Elliot having to accept that he is a fake and needs to relinquish his own control to let the real Elliot, the one who belongs in this body, return to his own life. I became invested in this plight, and there were a lot of powerful scenes that explored this idea. Elliot's scene with "Krista" is very effective at giving up all of the necessary exposition, and Elliot's difficulty in accepting these harsh truths was wonderfully acted and so human. But after waking up to Darlene, Elliot feels immense guilt now that he is living a life that he knows he doesn't belong in. After a heartfelt and beautiful scene with Darlene, he finally lets go, and I found myself with a sad smile as the real Elliot was finally allowed back into the world and Elliot took his place in the real Elliot's mind alongside all of his other personalities. That scene with Darlene was wonderfully effective. The bond she has with Elliot is the best character relationship in the series. We've always known that Elliot and Darlene weren't particularly close before fsociety, so there is some beautiful honesty in Darlene being unable to tell Elliot about the nature of his existence because she simply wanted the chance to repair her relationship with her brother, and she was able to do that easier with Elliot compared to the real Elliot who she ran away from before. But of course knowing somebody who is only a part of Elliot isn't enough for Darlene, and part of her did crave to have her real brother back. It's such a sad scenario, which gives the episode's conclusion a heartwarming sense of happiness as Darlene is finally able to reunite with her brother - her real brother. I did like the twist that this parallel universe ended up being a fake world that Elliot created in his head. It had its flaws (see: The Bad), but it was a subversion that nicely set up the much bigger twist by explaining where the real Elliot had been all along (living in this loop over and over again). It was great to see "Mr. Robot" include some final filmmaking delights in this episode, especially with that trippy sequence where Elliot is running around Coney Island as reality seemingly collapses all around him. Mr. Robot's face is everywhere, Krista appears, we hear Angela say that iconic "you're not Elliot, you're The Mastermind" line, and even Tyrell shows up to shoot Elliot. This sequence was a lot of fun to watch, and did a magnificent job of confusing reality for us. The Bad: Parts of this episode felt a bit cheap. For example, we were misled into believing that this world was a parallel universe only for it to have been a delusion inside of Elliot's head the whole time. The reveal made sense and it was an effective twist, but it does feel cheap considering that we spent 3 episodes inside of this world only to be told that it was fake all along. Especially considering that this is the final storyline of the series, it doesn't feel right that we spend so much of it in a separate world inside Elliot's head. Furthermore, the idea that this world exists is too strong of a metaphor for me to accept. The mind is such an abstract concept, and I've usually appreciated how this show attempts to create some literal meaning out of such an abstract concept, but this was a step so far. To have such a realistic and well-developed world in Elliot's head where he sends his real consciousness away was a step too far for me to easily accept without question. I was also disappointed that we never got answers to what Whiterose showed Angela. "eXit" teased heavily that we would understand the nature of Whiterose's machine and how she manipulated Angela so heavily. But we never got those answers, and I'm left frustrated as to why the show would tease something that it had no intention of answering. I'm fine with the idea of leaving these things unanswered, but don't tease answers if they are not coming! It's the same mistake that "Lost" made when marketing the final season. The Unknown: Not too many questions of substance. I think that this finale resolved everything nicely. However, I do have a lot of questions to pay attention to for when I inevitaly revisit this show. When did The Mastermind first emerge? How much did this affect the people in his life? When did Darlene realize that Elliot was not who she remembered? How did The Mastermind forget that he was not the real Elliot? Did Mr. Robot always treat Elliot differently, knowing that he was not the real Elliot? So was there really nothing to Whiterose's machine? What exactly did she show Angela? I suppose we will never know. Best Moment: Elliot speaking with Darlene and coming to peace with the fact that he needs to relinquish control. I've said time and time again that their bond is the heart of the show and that remained true here. Character of the Episode: Elliot/The Mastermind. Conclusion: This was a beautiful, powerful series finale. It had some flaws for sure, but overall this was an excellent way to conclude the series, providing a thematic and resonant conclusion. Score: 75
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Summary: Elliot wakes up in the alternate universe and finds out things are different. His dad is alive, and his so is his mother, who is know very loving. Elliot learns he's supposed to marry Angela and tries to go see her. He runs into her parents, including Price, at her apartment. They get a call from the other Elliot and Elliot picks up. This causes an Earthquake. Elliot runs out and goes to his apartment where he hacks the other Elliot. He learns that the other Elliot created drawings of fsociety, including of our Elliot and Darlene. The other Elliot returns and meets Elliot. Both of the Elliots speak and learn what is happening, but an Earthquake happens and the other Elliot cracks his head and is knocked out. After calling with Angela, Elliot decides to kill the other Elliot and take over his life.
The Good: This episode is divided into two halves. The first takes place during the events at the end of the last episode, catching us up to what our Elliot has been doing in this other world. Then the second half moves the story forward in a dark new direction. Starting on the first half, I thought this was very satisfying to watch. It's engaging to see Elliot slowly realize the truth about the world that he is in, and there are a few delights along the way to make this even better. Elliot encountering his living father and running away from "his monster" is the first of such delights. It's a great reminder of Elliot's fear of his father, despite him being so seemingly kind and spirited. We also get some other delightful scenes with characters from Elliot's past. Elliot interacting with his mother was a blast, especially with how unexpectedly kind she was with him. I also enjoyed seeing Price again, acting as a jovial father-in-law, which is a curious contrast to the villain that he has been throughout the show. I enjoyed this first half for its intentional whiplash effect with how different things are. Additionally, I found it immensely satisfying how several little details tied this into the sequence at the end of "eXit". We get to see what happened to Elliot's father's phone, and what happened to Angela's parents when other Elliot went to visit them. The second half of this episode gets more intense, exploring what this world is and what that means for Elliot. Elliot breaks into his own apartment using his own key and ends up hacking his other self. It's a lot of fun to see another hacking sequence, and the editing and cinematic flair is as magnificent as ever. I've always loved how this show portrays the activity of hacking, dramatizing it while still remaining realistic. Elliot's hacks lead into a startling truth that makes us question the nature of this world: the other Elliot has personal drawings of our Elliot, Darlene, and fsociety. Suddenly it became a realistic possibility that this world is reality and the world we have been following all along has been false. I have my gripes with this idea (see: The Bad and The Unknown), but it was a big twist that completely uprooted my understanding of what was going on, opening up further possibilities about how this series will wrap up. This was an exciting change that raised the drama of the episode. Then we get into the big moments at the end of the episode. The two Elliots meet and their interactions are fun to watch. Rami Malek does well at playing two slightly different versions of himself, and it's exciting to see how these two different characters slowly come to the same conclusion about the reality of who they are. Our Elliot faces the possibility of him being a fake, while the other Elliot has to comprehend that a fake character has somehow sprung to life in front of his own eyes. Both of these characters' plights are engaging and add an emotional element to the episode. Then out of nowhere, the episode takes a massively dark turn as other Elliot gets knocked out in an Earthquake and our Elliot decides to murder him to take over his life. The moment is a shocker, as Elliot has gone against his own morals just for the chance to spend his life with Angela. He's accepting the possibility that Whiterose was right, and decides to murder his other self for personal gain. This was shockingly dark, and I wonder if there will be consequences for Elliot making this unexpectedly bleak decision. I loved the return of Elliot's narration. It has been missing this entire season, so it feels monumental to have it back. Getting back into Elliot's head is fitting for this finale, and emphasizes that this show has always been about him and his experiences. I couldn't think of a better time to reintroduce Elliot's narration. The Bad: As I had feared in the last episode, I'm struggling to fully invest in this finale because this is a different world than the one we have spent the whole story in. Even if this is all in Elliot's head (see: The Unknown), it feels so disjointed from the rest of the series. We are spending an absurd amount of time in this world without enough emotion-driven storytelling to make it feel worth it. It's cool to see alternate versions of characters who have already died, and events that would never happen in the real world, but I don't have enough of an emotional connection to all of this for it to hit me hard. Perhaps all of that is being saved for the final episode and this episode is purely set-up. I certainly hope so. I really hope that Mr. Robot isn't about to jump the shark in its final act, but there is a chance that this happens. There are a lot of ways that this final episode can go, but some of the suggested ideas in this episode, like the entire plot of the show being fake, feel immensely cheap and unsatisfying. While I enjoyed much of the content in this episode, it didn't quite gel with me for some reason. I haven't fully connected with the direction that the show has gone in since "eXit" and I'm not entirely sure why. But a lot of the drama here never sniffed great for me, despite it all being logically sound and enjoyable to watch. Perhaps after the finale I will be able to better articulate why this parallel universe storyline hasn't been "Mr. Robot" at its best. The Unknown: What is this alternate world? Did Whiterose's machine work, or is this something else entirely? Is this all some sort of fever dream in Elliot's head? Was Elliot created by this other Elliot? What does this mean? Does this mean that much of the story we have seen so far has been fabricated? If so, I can't help but feel that this is a bit of a cheap ending. I hope that there's more to the story than that. Will Elliot be able to find peace in this world? Will he be able to seamlessly replace the other Elliot or will there be problems? Where is Mr. Robot? Why is he not in this world? Or is he hiding for some reason? Best Moment: I was horrified by Elliot opting to murder his alternate self. Character of the Episode: Elliot. Conclusion: What a curious way to kick off the series finale. I'm not sure about what to feel about most of this, but it was certainly interesting to watch. This was well written with some good emotional scenes, and I suspect that the more impactful stuff has been saved for the final episode. Score: 67 Summary: Whiterose is attacked in a raid but her men kill all of the attackers. Whiterose heads to the Washington Township Plant. Elliot says his goodbye to Darlene and also goes to the plant where he finds everyone has been killed. He uploads his malware to destroy Whiterose's machine but is found by sandwich guy who takes him to see Whiterose. The two talk about their contrasting views and Whiterose kills herself, activating the machine and leaving Elliot with the choice of whether to let it activate or not. Elliot tries to stop it by playing a game but is engulfed in a flash. The episode resumes in a parallel universe where Elliot is the confident CEO of Allsafe and is slated to marry Angela tomorrow. He lands F Corp as a major client after a meeting with Tyrell. Elliot plans a surprise gift for Angela with his father. Upon returning home, Elliot encounters the hooded Elliot from the main universe.
The Good: This episode had an air of finality to it. It felt like we were building up to the final confrontation and closing out the story of the whole show in this episode. This started from early in the episode. We got to see the rest of Darlene and Elliot's conversation from the last episode, and their goodbye is as sweet as you would expect. I maintain that their relationship is the emotional crux of this show, and I've adored seeing how close they have become since season 1. After this moment, the episode delves into long music sequences as Elliot goes to the Washington Township Plant. These scenes are not strictly necessary, but they add to the atmosphere and sense of finality, creating a sense of spectacle. There are plenty more long, slow-paced scenes in this episode, and while they aren't the most dramatic, they create a unique feeling for this episode that I appreciate. This all built up to a meeting between Elliot and Whiterose. Whiterose did not go down in that final scene in "409 Conflict", and the cold open showed us that she was still prepared enough to murder every cop that raided her compound. The title drop in this episode is as gorgeous as ever, overlaid on top of the massacre in Whiterose's mansion. She ends up heading to the Plant where she leaves even more carnage in her wake. This episode has an interesting motif of dead bodies, as we have multiple wordless sequences where we see bodies everywhere. Once in the nuclear plant, Elliot finds everyone to be dead, and after he installs his malware, he's finally taken to meet Whiterose. Now this meeting is one I have been waiting to see for a long time. They have not interacted since season 1, and with their second meeting finally happening after such a long time, this feels monumental. The dialogue in this meeting does not disappoint. The scene goes for 11 minutes and this fateful confrontation is a highly satisfying philosophical debate that highlights the differences between these two characters. Elliot perfectly gets to showcase his development from season 1. From once having such a pessimistic worldview, Elliot has learned to appreciate the good in this world, and this is what he argues about to oppose Whiterose. Meanwhile, Whiterose fully believes that she's doing her best for humanity and that she's sacrificed everything for the betterment of the world. Evidently, this is not true, but she has deluded herself into believing it, and BD Wong's unhinged, emotional performance completely sells it. Whiterose is so passionate about her project that she quite literally gives up her own life for her cause. Her delusions are far too strong to be reasoned with, and it's quite tragic to see that this character who rose so high and accomplished so much did it for such a ridiculous cause that could never be true. But the ending of this episode turns that all on its head. Whiterose kills herself and we get a tense sequence as Elliot plays eXit to shutdown the machine (see: The Unknown). This is a typical suspense-heavy scene and it's very good, but what surprised me was the result. The machine seemingly does go off and we're thrust into a parallel universe where Elliot is living a happy "normal" life and everything is different. A few examples include Tyrell being a hoodie-wearing visionary, E Corp being replaced by F Corp, Elliot's father is still around, Angela is alive and slated to marry Elliot, and Darlene doesn't seem to exist. These final scenes are curious to watch, and they raise a ton of questions. They aren't very emotionally effective, but they have moved the story in a bold new direction that I wasn't expecting. I presume that the emotional impact will be coming in the two-part series finale, and I'm interested to find out what's going on and what this all means for Elliot. I was pleased to see the sandwich guy one final time. He's managed to become a fun character through a few sporadic experiences where he eats a sandwich, having no dialogue. This is how to make a memorable minor character. It was pleasantly surprising to get some answers on what Whiterose did when she spoke with Angela back in season 2. While I don't remember quite enough to fully understand every little detail of what was answered, I'm certain that the answers were there, and I'm excited to rewatch this show to see what I can put together about Whiterose. It was cool to see a lot of repeated elements in Elliot's meeting with Whiterose. A blank room with a fish swimming in the background, blocked faces, pieces of the character's childhood, and that mysterious eXit game all called back to Whiterose's meeting with Angela. The Bad: For all that this episode does right, it's not a next-level episode. I enjoyed seeing the parallel universe, but the sequence is more intriguing and mysterious than it is suspenseful and emotionally engaging. It's good set-up for whatever is going to happen in the final two episodes, but it isn't enough to stand out on its own in this episode. As of right now, all I have is a whole barrage of questions about the final sequence of the episode. I'm also concerned about how this parallel universe will affect my emotional engagement in the story. Having alternate versions of characters is always difficult because they do not feel like the same characters we know and love, and that can completely throw off emotional engagement by creating an uncanny valley effect. These characters look the same, yet they feel different. The final season of "Lost" was bogged down for similar reasons, and I am concerned that the series finale of "Mr. Robot" may suffer from spending too much time in a world that I am not invested in. The Unknown: What happened at the power plant? What was that flash? Was it Whiterose's machine activating? What did it do? Did it send Elliot to a different universe? Did it send everyone to a different universe? Did it even work? Why is the alternate universe Elliot so disoriented? Is this the same Elliot that we know, or is he a different one? Why is he getting these headaches? Why isn't anyone else getting the same feeling? What was that Earthquake? Was the hooded Elliot at the end of the episode our Elliot? How is he in this world? What will result from this interaction? Does Darlene not exist in this parallel universe? What did Whiterose show Angela? Did she put her in this alternate universe too? Or did she do something else with Angela? I recall the kid asking Angela similar questions from the eXit game. How does that all add up? Why did Whiterose kill herself and leave Elliot with the choice? Was she that confident that her machine would work? Was she that desperate after being defeated in "409 Conflict"? What did that eXit game accomplish? What was its purpose? Did Elliot shut down the machine by choosing to stay, or did he fail? Best Moment: Elliot and Whiterose's conversation was outstanding. Character of the Episode: Elliot. Conclusion: This was a bold, risky episode that pushed the final act of "Mr. Robot" in a direction that I was not expecting. It works very well, and I'm excited to see how the series finale resolves everything. Score: 70 Summary: Dom is not allowed to see her family since she has not been cleared. Terrified of the Dark Army, Dom forcefully checks out of the hospital and returns to her apartment. Darlene finds her and convinces her to go with her on a road trip. Darlene meets with Elliot who says he isn't going and will instead head to the Washington Township Plant. Darlene leaves with Dom, and Leon drives them. Along the way, Darlene releases the money from the Deus Group to everyone else in the world and convinces Dom to celebrate it. Dom reluctantly does. Dom agrees to go to Budapest with Darlene to escape the Dark army, but at the airport she runs into Irving who reveals that the Dark Army are not after them. Dom tells Darlene to believe in herself and go anyways, and heads back to see her family. Dom has a change of heart and runs back to the flight, but Darlene has a panic attack and goes to the bathroom. Darlene chooses not to get on the flight and Dom leaves for Budapest in a peaceful sleep.
The Good: Poor Dom has still found herself in a nightmare of a situation after all she's been through. The episode opens in a brutal scenario as Dom is isolated from her family, not trusted by the FBI, and still hunted by the Darm Army. It's a horrible nightmare for her, and the episode is smart to open on such a downer note to remind us that despite getting away safely, Dom still has to navigate the fallout of being a Dark Army mole. Starting on such a negative note allows the episode to stand out when it transforms into something much more uplifting. Darlene arrives to meet Dom, and with her she completely changes the tone of the episode. Darlene's appearance is a reminder that despite all of Dom's problems, they did win and that means that there is something to be happy about. Sure, Dom is on the run, but she gets to enjoy a roadtrip with Darlene and Leon after Darlene convinces her to join her and overcome her personal problems with commitment and loneliness. Darlene gets her to open up again in a good way, and it feels like Darlene is trying to atone for what she caused in Dom's life. Seeing them bond again over the course of this episode is lovely and heart-warming, and I was grinning ear to ear in the great scene where Darlene redistributes the Deus Group's money to the entire world. Sure, it's illegal and it definitely won't solve every problem in the world, but it's a moment of triumph where the top 1% of the top 1% were finally taken down a peg. Darlene realizes this and celebrates, and eventually Dom comes around to it too. These two characters also have their own personal journeys in this episode which are mirrored beautifully in an ending that parodies typical romcoms with the use of a Carly Rae Jepson song as Dom and Darlene both nearly have a cliche reunion at the airport. Having them barely miss each other and swap roles was a funny twist on the idea, but it also fit their own personal journeys. Darlene's journey was about learning to be happy with herself. She's always been one to be concerned about other people as we learned back in "404 Not Found", and that has had a great detriment on her mental health. But Darlene doesn't know what it's like to live for herself and she breaks down in the bathroom when dealing with the idea. But ultimately, she gets in control and makes a decision for her future, maintaining her own agency. On the other side we have Dom who has always been too afraid of making life-changing decisions and she always keeps a tight hold on what little she has in life without ever reaching for more. This has left her feeling lonely and unfulfilled, and she opens up in this episode about the insomnia she has as a result. This is why it's so beautiful to see Dom finally take a risk and go to Budapest. Even if Darlene is not going to come, Dom commits to forging a new life, and in doing this she finally reaches inner peace and she has what we can only assume is a deep and restful sleep during her flight. The tragic element of this ending is that both Darlene and Dom do not have each other in the end. But it is bittersweet because without each other they never would have been able to reach the level of self-actualization that they have at the end of the episode. They may not have each other in the end, but they still managed to forge a healthy future for themselves. I enjoyed the cameos of Leon and Irving greatly and how their interactions with Dom contrasted. Leon has totally forgotten about the barn and shrugs it off entirely. Meanwhile Irving immediately recognizes Dom and reflects on the incident with Santiago as "fun". These two are amusing to watch once more, and I thoroughly enjoyed what I can only assume will be their farewells. Leon's random insights are as enjoyable as ever, and Irving's quirkiness is a lot of fun. I'm glad that Irving finally finished his book, even though it's likely terrible. Who the hell names a book "Beach Towel"? The Bad: This episode feels too cheesy to an extent. While I get that parodying a romcom road trip was very much an intentional choice, it is too much of a departure from the norm for "Mr. Robot". The style, lighting, tone, and emotions are all starkly different in this episode. I usually like it when shows do this, but it felt like a step too far in this case because of how jarring it was. Following the biggest episode of the show that resolved most of the main plot, it was strange to halt the plot for a romcom story, especially when so close to the end of the show. I enjoyed the story that was told, but the eccentric choice did not entirely work for me. Furthermore, this episode felt like a come-down episode after 4 sublime intense episodes in a row. It told a nice story, but it felt like a rest-stop on the way to the real conclusion of the show. Irving's appearance at the airport was a bit too convenient for my liking. I'm surprised that he still knows so much about the Dark Army and that they aren't after Dom or Darlene. Furthermore, I'm confused that Dom would simply take his word for it. She should have no reason to trust Irving. Irving is here as a contrived way to get Dom to want to go back to her life at the airport, and it's such an unbelievable coincidence that I find it nearly impossible to buy. The Unknown: Is the Dark Army really not after Dom or Darlene? What are they doing then? Are they all protecting Whiterose? What is Elliot going to do at the Washington Township Plant? Is that it for Dom? Will she come back or is she going to start a new life? What is Darlene's next move? Will she reconnect with Elliot or go her own way? Best Moment: The ending sequence was beautifully done. It's such a cliché that Dom would run back and likely encounter Darlene, but I was really pleased with the twist that they missed each other and still ended up tragically alone in opposite positions of what they wanted. And despite being tragic, it's hopeful because in doing this both characters found their peace. I appreciate the subtlety in conveying Darlene and Dom's peace of mind through them both overcoming the personal problems they discussed (panic attacks and insomnia respectively). This ending was a wash of emotions that went through me, and it was a gorgeous experience. Character of the Episode: Darlene. Conclusion: This was an interesting episode. It's a great self-contained story that resolves the Dom/Darlene story perfectly, yet it feels so different and out-of-place compared to the rest of the show, so I have my reservations about it. All in all, it's a pretty good experience, but not quite the masterful standalone episode that it was trying to be. Score: 68 Summary: Mr. Robot speaks with young Elliot and Elliot's mother in Elliot's mind. In the real world, Mr. Robot meets with Darlene to prepare the hack since Elliot is unable. Mr. Robot speaks with price who gives him instructions to destroy Whiterose's machine afterwards. Price goes to the meet but Whiterose is the only one there and she has figured out he is working with Elliot. Darlene and Mr. Robot determine the real location of the meet and Darlene goes there to pull off the hack. Elliot remains near Price's location, suspecting that Whiterose is inside. Darlene records an fsociety video, doxxing the Deus Group meeting which results in all of them using their phones and getting their accounts compromised by Darlene. Price and Whiterose taunt each other until Mr. Robot calls. Mr. Robot speaks with Whiterose who tries to coerce him to her side. Elliot emerges after Angela is mentioned but he rejects Whiterose. Ellito manages to hack a satellite tower on top of the building and gets Whiterose's account. Darlene executes the hack and the Deus Group lose all their money. Whiterose is furious and Price taunts her. Whiterose kills him openly and has to go into hiding.
The Good: I loved so much about this episode. "Mr. Robot" always nails the hacking scenes, and this episode was the most enormous and satisfying hack so far as Elliot and Darlene bring about the destruction of the Deus Group. Since the first episode, Elliot has wanted to bring down "the top 1% of the top 1%" and he's never successfully been able to do it. Even the 5/9 attacks all played into the hands of the rich, and screwed over the lower class people, making it all a waste for Elliot. But now, Elliot has finally achieved his primary goal, and it is so satisfying to see it all happen. This moment is what we have been waiting for since the very first episode, and that long road filled with countless failures and defeats made this success feel so so sweet. I was actively cheering alongside Elliot and Darlene, a sign that this show completely invested me in its story and characters. I've been eager to see Whiterose taken down ever since the E Corp bombings and the moment did not disappoint. Whiterose was so pompous and overconfident as always, but the cracks started to show early in the episode, and were quickly exploited by Elliot and Darlene to bring about her downfall. It was immensely satisfying to see Whiterose taken down and I was grinning from ear to ear. BD Wong has quietly been brilliant in this role, but he outdid himself here in portraying Whiterose's almost childish rage when she realizes she has been defeated. Finally seeing her so scared, angry, and vulnerable was cathartic and it contributed a lot to this episode feeling so satisfying. Price was the star of this episode. Despite his aspirations to be the most powerful man in the room, the past couple of seasons have made it explicitly clear that Whiterose is a step above him. Despite his best efforts, Price is always going to be second to Whiterose and there's nothing he can do. Understanding this makes it unbelievably satisfying when Price eventually turns the tables on Whiterose. Throughout the episode, Price is a total blast as he gets drunk and taunts and trashes Whiterose whenever possible, taking advantage of her volatile nature. I especially got a good laugh at his "bad management" comment when Whiterose's assistant quit. Price has nothing to lose here and he decided to go down swinging at Whiterose to give himself some satisfaction. Their scenes throughout the episode are thoroughly enjoyable, well-acted, and well-written. Whiterose is still in charge as always, but Price does well to enjoy himself and get in whatever jabs he can. By the end, Price does die at Whiterose's hand, but true to what he had said back in season 2, he lost but ensured that he made Whiterose lose in the process. After Whiterose loses her money, Price's speech to rub everything in Whiterose's face and honour Angela was outstanding and one of the most satisfying monologues in the show. And as an added bonus, Price's scathing comments provoked Whiterose enough to kill him in public, condemning herself to her fate and ensuring that Price has the last laugh in the end. The character of Price received a perfect conclusion as he got to extract sweet vengeance on Whiterose while advocating for the ideals of his dead daughter in his final speech. I'll miss Michael Cristofer's brilliant voice and line delivery, but this was the perfect ending for Price. Elliot and Darlene are our heroes here and they have terrific moments throughout. Starting with Elliot, it's notable that he's absent for a sizeable portion of this episode. It's Mr. Robot in his shoes for much of this hack because Elliot is too emotionally damaged to do this hack. Mr. Robot does well and I enjoyed his interactions with Darlene greatly. But it's when Elliot returns that I really got emotionally invested. There's an excellent moment where Mr. Robot gets on a call with Whiterose and she attempts to manipulate him the same way that she did with Angela. And the moment she mentions Angela, there's a terrific cut to reveal that Elliot is suddenly there. He's not going to sit by idly as Whiterose talks about Angela. For a moment it seems like Elliot might go along with Whiterose's manipulations, but he rejects everything that she proposes, damning her ideals and everything she stands for. It's a moment of tremendous resolve for Elliot which feels natural after all that he's been through this season. Darlene having a major role in this hack was a brilliant decision. Darlene has wanted this even more than Elliot so it makes perfect sense that she gets to play such a significant role in gathering the details that Elliot needed for the hack. I was overjoyed by the return of fsociety in this episode, especially since the group has been absent for so long. Darlene's plan was genius, and it made perfect sense for her to do it to ensure that the Deus Group members all got on their phones to ensure that Darlene could get all of their account information. To end this section, I have to give a special mention to Mac Quayle's soundtrack in this episode. The music here was spectacular, utilizing a more retro 1980s style to create a truly cinematic experience with soundtracks that had never been used elsewhere in the show. The music elevated every single scene, raising the stakes, increasing the suspense, and contributing to the charismatic nature of this episode. Even in some of the most heated moments of drama, I found myself remarking at how incredible these tracks were. Mac Quayle has always done terrific work on this show but he outdid himself with this one and deserves a lot of credit. The Bad: I suppose it is a bit silly that the Deus Group people were all comically mean-spirited assholes. That was a bit much. Other than that, I have no issues with this. The Unknown: Interesting opening scene. Clearly Mr. Robot is hiding something from Elliot. What? How will Elliot destroy Whiterose's machine? What will Whiterose do now? Can she survive being doxxed? Where is she now? Is she going to die in this place? How is the world going to change now that the Deus Group has been revealed? Best Moment: The plan being a success is easily the most satisfying moment in the whole show. Whiterose has always been a step ahead and this is the first time that she's been outsmarted. Having the good guys finally score a real victory after 4 seasons of failures delivered the emotional highs that you would expect. Character of the Episode: Price Conclusion: This was another fantastic episode. The cinematic style, suspense, and thematic significance made it clear that this was the climax of the entire series and it was tremendously satisfying and gripping to watch. "Mr. Robot" continues to impress in its final stretch of episodes. Score: 81 Summary: Janice ties up Dom and Darlene. Darlene refuses to give up Elliot so Janice stabs Dom and leaves her to bleed out in 15 minutes if Darlene doesn't cooperate. Janice threatens to murder Dom's family and has her men round them up, so Darlene gives up Elliot's location. However, it only leads to his phone so Janice continues her threats. Janice is unable to reach her men and Dom reveals that she had contacted Deegan and allied with them. Janice calls Deegan and learns that her men died and he has Dom's family safe. Dom pulls out the knife and kills the guard next to her, and she shoots Janice. Darlene frees herself and runs away as per Dom's instructions as Dom places a phone call for help. Krista helps Elliot process the situation and they escape the apartment. Krista gives Elliot some advice and heads to a police station. Elliot processes what has happened and realizes that he was fighting back against his father and didn't simply hide from him. Mr. Robot returns with Elliot an hour away from the Deus Group meeting. Mr. Robot apologizes and helps Elliot deal with his trauma. Elliot hugs Mr. Robot and tells him he can't do the hack.
The Good: This episode focused on two different stories, one methodical and emotional, the other urgent and suspenseful. Both worked very well. The first is Elliot's story in the wake of the harsh truth he realized in the previous episode. I'm very pleased that "Mr. Robot" is exploring Elliot's struggle to deal with this instead of simply brushing past this reveal for more dramatic plot. This was a pivotal moment in Elliot's life, and the show is treating it as such. I appreciated that Elliot was so out of it that Krista had to be the one to step up and get Elliot out of the apartment after she had killed Vera. Elliot is so lost that he doesn't know what to do with himself anymore. It's sad to see, and I like that Krista was able to connect with this and assure Elliot that she will continue to be there for him as his therapist. After going through such an intense and emotional experience together, it's sensible that Krista would prefer to keep in touch with him in spite of their rough history. That's some good awareness of how real people act. The rest of Elliot's story continued to be a great exploration of Elliot's difficulty to move forward with his life. His visions of his younger self were mysterious (see: The Unknown), but are symbolic of his regret for letting the younger Elliot down, allowing his father to abuse him so significantly. You can tell that this is the hardest part for Elliot to come to terms with: he is angered that he didn't fight back and simply let his father have his way with him. But then Elliot learns that he wasn't just a victim and that he did fight back, taking his father's key and hiding it. The flashback at the start of the episode shows this nicely, and also connects nicely to the past. We have heard Elliot and Angela reminisce about running away from home before, but now we have a better idea of why Elliot was so eager to run from home. It wasn't that he wanted to explore, it was that he was terrified of staying at home. Anyways, Elliot is able to learn from his younger self that he did fight back, and this brings immediate relief to him. Enough relief that Elliot decides to get back to work on the hack, which is coming up rapidly. The episode could have simply had him move on here, and I'm sure that most people would not complain. But this episode goes the extra mile and shows that even after making his peace, it's still not enough for Elliot to handle this kind of trauma. Elliot brings back Mr. Robot at the end of the episode because he realizes that he won't be able to handle things alone. Their bond is stronger than ever in this final scene, and I really felt the emotion with Mr. Robot apologizing for what he's done after seeing Elliot in this condition, cementing that he really just wanted to be there for Elliot and that he's not another monster like Elliot's father was. The bond between the two feels emotional here on a level that we haven't seen since "eps2.4_m4ster-s1ave.aes". This allows Elliot to really open up and reveal that he finds himself unable to even do the hack because of what happened, which is a sad and realistic scene that explores the extent that trauma effects your day to day life. There is another fascinating layer to this conversation. Elliot remarks that if he hadn't gone through all of this pain, he wouldn't be the person he is, and he wouldn't have Mr. Robot. He doesn't know it, but Elliot has directly opposed Whiterose's entire worldview with this statement, a great reminder of why Elliot is our protagonist and Whiterose our antagonist, and what makes them so different from each other. Whereas Elliot's story is emotional and reflective, Dom and Darlene are wrapped up in an intense experience that had me at the edge of my seat. The main reason that this works so well is Janice. I have my concerns about her (see: The Bad), but as a whole I thought that she was fantastic in this role. She's such a despicable, capable, and evil villain that her presence raises the stakes enormously. She stabs Dom so suddenly and ruthlessly that my jaw dropped, and I fully believed that she would kill Dom's family in a heartbeat because that's just the kind of heartless person that she is. There was a really effective monologue by Janice which reflects how shockingly normal her sadism is. It was unsettling, it was creepy, and it certainly raised the stakes. Darlene's choice was fantastic to watch. She says she will never give up Elliot no matter what Janice does, and it is easy to believe that. But Janice's methods are so shockingly brutal and unexpected. I never expected that she would sacrifice her big asset Dom to get Darlene to cooperate, but Janice takes the gamble and it is horrifying when you realize that she would actually let Dom die. Having to force Darlene to choose between Elliot, who she loves, and Dom, who she feels immense guilt for hurting so badly, is brutal. It's a terrible situation and it is easy to relate to Darlene as she struggles through this. The most heartless moment happens when Darlene's information ends up being useless and Janice decides to murder Dom's family anyways. It's a hopeless moment that only works because of how bleak "406 Not Acceptable" was. I fully bought that Dom might suffer the ultimate price and even die brutally here because "Mr. Robot" has done that good of a job of raising the stakes and establishing that consequences happen in this world. I think that's what made me love the reveal that Dom had concocted a back-up plan to save her family all along. It was a much-needed injection of hope in an otherwise bleak episode, and the realization that Janice had been outsmarted, coupled with Dom's brutal and spectacular escape had me almost jumping out of me seat. This all felt so satisfying and cathartic, a just reward for Dom who has been suffering all season and had to use her resourcefulness to successfully break free. Ordinarily Deegan would feel like a plot device, a cheap way to solve Dom's problems, and I would be unsatisfied with skipping over how he magically killed so many men. But I actually think it was the right decision to save this moment as a surprise. If we had seen any more than the small hints we had received in previous episodes, the elation of Dom turning the tables on Janice wouldn't have been anywhere near as satisfying. I love the decision to keep Dom's plan under wraps, and I think that it significantly elevated the drama of this episode. The fallout of Vera's death was well done. Elliot and Krista managed to escape in a realistic way, and I greatly enjoyed how the goons reacted to Vera's death. Their insistence to come back inside anyways was sensible and human, and I got a laugh out of them deciding to steal Vera's cash before leaving the scene. Someone like Vera was never going to inspire much loyalty from his goons. The Bad: Nothing outright bad, I just have a few small gripes and thoughts. Janice was a great villain, but I can't help but feel that she was used simply to plug in the hole that Irving left due to Bobby Cannavale's unavailability. That's not a bad thing necessarily; I think that she filled his role well and managed to stand out as her own character. But I can't help but lose my immersion a bit when Janice is on screen since I view her as a replacement to Irving. Dom surviving for so long after being stabbed is a bit unrealistic. The 15 minute time limit seems very loosely adhered to. Are you telling me that Darlene was able to correct her phone, track down Elliot, and wait for Janice's men to find his phone and report back in less than 15 minutes? These little details did not quite add up. While Janice being so ruthless with Dom did add to the intensity, it wasn't the most efficient move in actuality to leave Dom to die in a way that nobody would be able to help her. The Unknown: Will the key have another role in the show outside of helping Elliot cope with what happened? Is the kid Elliot vision just a vision or artistic choice? Or is there something more to Elliot hallucinating a kid version of himself? Will Dom survive? She was looking in rough shape and surely it had been 15 minutes by the time she called for help. I hope that she does. How will Darlene feel about leaving Dom? I'm sure she won't be happy about it, but will it cause her further grief? I expect that we will see Darlene follow up on Dom at some point because there is certainly a conclusion to their relationship that we will need to see. Will Elliot be able to do the hack or is he going to back out? How will this affect Price during the meeting? What is going to happen during the meeting? Best Moment: Dom turning the tables on Janice was immensely satisfying, and a great end to that storyline. It feels good to see the good guys finally get something to go their way. Character of the Episode: Dom. Conclusion: To follow up on the show's best episode so far, we get a surprisingly intense and emotional episode that delivers in every way I had hoped it would. This wasn't exceptional like the last one by any means, but it's still an excellent episode. Score: 72 Summary: Vera brings Elliot into Krista's apartment and tells him why he came back and his proposition, but Elliot forces him to prove to her that Krista is alive. Vera takes him to Krista and tells him that he wants to talk with Mr. Robot. Vera threatens to rape Krista and Mr. Robot comes out. Mr. Robot negotiates with Vera and breaks down his business plan, forcing Vera to prove why Mr. Robot should help him. Mr. Robot agrees that if Vera lets Krista go, he will do a hack that results in Vera getting a lot of money. Elliot shows Vera the plan and tries to kill Vera with the gun in his bag, but the gun was emptied by Vera. Vera brings in Krista and threatens to kill her, but Elliot tells him he needs her. Vera realizes Krista helps Elliot and so he sits them down and forces a therapy session to happen. During this session, Krista helps Elliot remember the truth about the day he jumped out the window, with Elliot realizing that he created Mr. Robot to process that his dad molested him when he was a kid. Vera exploits Elliot's fragile mental state and tries to convince him that he's there to help him. It almost works but then Krista comes up behind Vera and stabs him, killing him.
The Good: This episode feels like a movie. More than that, it feels like an exceptionally well produced stage play set to film. Everything surrounding the production and presentation of this episode was superb, making this feel like a unique and special experience. The five act structure makes this feel like an old school play, and it's creative how the lighting, main ideas, and character dynamics shift significantly in every act. The five act structure isn't the only unique bit of direction that makes this feel like a play. The only time we switch scenes is in between acts, with no jump cuts to different rooms throughout the episode. Furthermore, this episode never shows us the fourth wall in the room. We only ever see three walls, making this feel like it was a stage production. For a show like Mr. Robot which is so often flamboyant with its camera movement, this is a major change in filmmaking style which is immediately noticeable. The technical aspects of this episode are truly astounding. On top of this, the episode utilizes music tremendously well to elevate its scenes, and the thunder sound effects create a really intense atmosphere. It's a bit cheesy, but somehow it works and fits perfectly with this episode. Lastly, I greatly enjoyed the extended credits sequence to start the episode, making things feel even more cinematic. Each of the five acts are impactful and enjoyable in different ways. The first act is much more brightly lit, and lighter in intensity compared to the rest of the episode. The colours pop, and the lighting doesn't yet create a sense of unease. This feels like a typical situation that Elliot has to work his way out of, and while the episode sets up the story, we get to enjoy his interactions with Vera. Vera is a blast in these scenes. Elliot Villar plays him to perfection, injecting humour, suspense, and unpredictability into every scene. I thoroughly enjoyed his story about why he came back to New York and his connection with his shaman. The story is both engrossing and funny due to Vera's eccentricity. The whole thing is somewhat ridiculous, but it fits in nicely with Vera's pretentious nature, and it works as a believable transformative experience for him. Elliot's cold reactions to Vera are in-line with how he should be reacting. Vera killed Shayla, and Elliot has not forgotten that. He's not trusting at all, and he makes it explicitly clear that he is concerned about Krista. These interactions are fun to watch, and they introduce the main concept of the episode nicely; Elliot's priority is to save Krista and get out of there, while Vera wants to recruit Elliot as his partner at any cost. The second act escalates things as Krista comes into the picture, and so does Mr. Robot. The highlight of this act is Mr. Robot negotiating with Vera, and systematically tearing down the absurdity of his "plan" which is just another pretentious and unrealistic vision. Mr. Robot identifies this, and you can tell that he relishes in using his logic and confidence to steal control of the conversation from Vera. Every line of dialogue adds to the scene, making it so fun to watch these two verbally spar with each other. Mr. Robot's obvious disdain for Vera, who he views as beneath him, is superb as he personally trashes Vera at every opportunity. His line about getting Vera into real estate is especially dismissive and funny. But while Mr. Robot is accurate about Vera being pretentious and short-sighted, he still has common sense, and that is enough for him to prevent Mr. Robot from walking all over him. Mr. Robot paints a picture for Vera, showcasing a reality where he has all the money in the world. This is Mr. Robot manipulating Vera based on his love for visionary storytelling. But Vera sees what Mr. Robot is doing, and he is not willing to let Krista go, recognizing that this means that Mr. Robot would have no reason to cooperate after that. Despite Mr. Robot's best efforts, it won't be this easy to defeat Vera. This leads into the brief third act, which sees Elliot actively try to kill Vera to get out of the situation. This sequence is tense and it ratchets up the tension continuously to build up to the enormous fourth act. The lighting has progressively gotten darker up until this point, and this feels like the breaking point in the story. Elliot draws his gun after a tense wait, and you get the sense that he might turn things around here. But the reveal that the bullets have been taken out was fantastic. Better yet, this proves that Vera is smarter than you would expect, because he predicted that Elliot would still try to kill him. This still ends up being a turning point, but not for the reasons we expected. Elliot's actions ramp up the risk of Vera losing faith in him, and Vera becomes capable of manipulating Elliot into cooperating with him and doing the climactic therapy with Krista that dominates act four. The way this act amps up the suspense and shifts the focus of the episode to its most important act was perfect. Act four was phenomenal television. This act sees the show at its darkest and most emotionally focused. The use of wide shots and frequent cutting early in the act reminds us of Vera's presence at every turn. Krista and Elliot try to engage in a session, but there is always the reminder of the situation which makes things feel fake. It is intentionally difficult to get into. But once Vera brings up what he read about Krista's suspicions, things take a darker turn. Suddenly, the situation does not matter, and all that matters is to find out what secret Krista and Mr. Robot are hiding about Elliot's upbringing. After four seasons, learning that there is still such a major secret that is being kept from Elliot feels like a betrayal, and the emotional significance of that overpowers the significance of Vera's threat. The episode knows this too. Once Elliot starts demanding answers, the shooting of the episode changes. This is as dark as the episode gets, and the camera starts to fixate on the faces of the characters, pulling away from the usual bombastic filming style. This style helps make things feel entirely personal. Vera is hardly focused on now, because we are a stand-in for him in this scene, mere bystanders to watch as Elliot realizes the horrifying truth about his father. The slow-burn nature of this sequence is astonishing and perfect. We realize the truth well before Elliot does, and we needed to. That Elliot is the last one to accept what happened to him is really important in making this realization so gutwrenching and heartbreaking. It took him a long time to accept this enormous change in how he viewed his father, and why wouldn't it? All this time Elliot, much like us, viewed his father as a rare shining light in his childhood. Revealing that to be a lie is devastating, and it hits hard. Rami Malek does an unbelievable job here, and his shock, horror, and despair is conveyed to perfection, allowing the horror of this reveal to land to full effect. Furthermore, this twist is so effective because it makes perfect sense. Previous scenes involving Elliot's father align perfectly with this reveal, as does Elliot's discomfort with physical touch. Not only is this a shocking twist as you go through the story, but the way that this twist recontextualizes past scenes improves the rewatchability of "Mr. Robot". The fifth act concludes this story, and it is completely unique from the rest. After a dark and chilling fourth act, the light starts to return for the fifth act. Elliot is suitably horrified and I'm impressed at how realistically this episode portrayed a character learning a truth that shatters their world. Nothing is important to Elliot anymore, and all he can think about is what just happened. Krista does not matter. Vera does not matter. The Dark Army does not matter. The only thing that matters is the intense struggle to handle this trauma that he just uncovered. And who is there to connect with Elliot and exploit his fragile mental state to further his own goals? Vera. Vera's speech to Elliot is both sweet and beautiful, yet terrifying and disgusting. He connects with Elliot perfectly, and it feels like he genuinely wants Elliot to process this trauma and get past it. Elliot Villar is fantastic here as he empathizes with Elliot and genuinely attempts to get Elliot through this. But then you remember that Vera is exploiting Elliot, and while he may be genuine, he's using Elliot's deeply buried pain for his own gain. It's pure emotional manipulation and it is uncomfortable to watch once you remember this. Vera's manipulations provide a wash of emotions, and the episode succeeds in making you think that he is about to succeed. But in a surprising and thankful twist, this is the end for Vera. Vera has finally connected with Elliot and gotten everything he wanted, but now he's dead. In a terrific twist, Krista takes her chance and chooses to stab Vera, poetically killing him with the same knife that killed Shayla. The moment is sudden and shocking, and it feels like a Pyrrhic victory as Krista has killed Vera, but at tremendous cost to Elliot's mental health. There is also a nice bit of irony in this moment. Vera has proven to be so street-smart at every turn. But his biggest flaw has been his obsession with spirituality and it costs him here. Vera gets so lost in his connection with Elliot that he forgets the basics. He is so quick to speak with Elliot that he forgets that he untied Krista, and he forgets that he sent his goons out of the apartment. Krista is allowed to roam free, and it's completely sensible that she murders Vera, being unable to stomach any more from this psychopath as he manipulates one of her clients. It's a brutal and effective ending to the show's most perfect episode. The Bad: Nothing. The Unknown: What will be the consequences of Elliot learning about his past trauma? How will this affect him going forward? Mr. Robot told him that he can't protect him anymore. Is this just temporary or is he going to be gone for good? Best Moment: Elliot finally realizing the truth about his past was fantastic. Rami Malek gave an astonishing performance that felt so real and made this moment hit incredibly hard. Character of the Episode: Elliot. Conclusion: This was incredible. A highly focused and personal experience that featured nail-biting suspense, top-notch acting, heavy emotional weight, and a stunning reveal that completely changes how we perceive Elliot, Mr. Robot, and this show as a whole. Simply outstanding television, and one of the greatest TV episodes that I have ever seen. Score: 89 Summary: Elliot and Darlene make up and prep for their next plans. Elliot meets with Leon and goes to see Olivia. He drugs her and blackmails her with sending in a drug test to get her to lose custody of her child if she doesn't comply with him and make a phone call. Olivia is horrified and eventually tries to kill herself, but Elliot gets her to make the phone call anyways. Olivia is disgusted by Elliot's actions. Vera is holding Krista and after threatening to kill Jason, he gets her to give up Elliot's personal file. Later, Krista calls Elliot telling him that she was kidnapped. Elliot decides to spring the trap and agrees to meet her, getting picked up by Vera's men in the process. Darlene is found by Dom but refuses to give up Elliot. Dom reports this to Janice who tells Dom to kill Darlene. Dom is unable to do it and knocks her out. When Darlene wakes up, Dom tells her to kill her but Darlene can't do it. Janice walks in and sees what Dom was trying to do.
The Good: This was a brutal episode. There were 3 storylines, and all dealt with characters in dark situations being forced to do terrible things to get what they want. The episode was a ruthless barrage of emotions and it was difficult to watch at a number of points. This is far from being a fun episode to watch, but it is remarkably good at showing us the overwhelming brutality in this world, which is what the episode was going for. Elliot's story is difficult to watch. Back in "403 Forbidden", the show did a terrific job of showing us the connection that formed between Olivia and Elliot. It was sweet, it was real, and it was exactly what Elliot needed. I totally bought into it. And now we get to see Elliot give up his soul as he goes back to Olivia's place, exploits her weakness by forcibly drugging her against her will, blackmailing her, and revealing that the connection they had was never real and that she meant absolutely nothing to him. This is a brutal gutpunch as Elliot takes this genuine connection and steps all over it, using it to accomplish his own personal goals with no regards to Olivia's wellbeing. He has sacrificed her life (almost literally) to further his agenda in the same way that the main villains of the show would, and it is deeply uncomfortable to watch. I want to root for Elliot. I've followed him for 4 seasons and I do like him. But what he has done here is so undeniably evil. We know it. Mr. Robot knows it, and is powerless to stop Elliot. Elliot knows it too, as he shoots us a brief sad look as he goes into Olivia's apartment, knowing full well that he's about to ruin this woman's life. This is the most evil we have seen Elliot, and Olivia saying he's an even scarier monster than those he is fighting is hard to dispute. We see Elliot consider it for a little bit too, realizing that he has undeniably gone too far in his quest for revenge, but struggles to face up to it. This was uncomfortable to watch, but stunningly effective at what it sets out to do. Dom and Darlene encounter one another for the first time since season 3, and their reunion lives up to its high stakes. Both characters are given fantastic moral conflicts to deal with. Dom is forced to contend with if she is able to murder Darlene for the sake of her family, with there also being the added possibility of her killing herself to be rid of all of this. Grace Gummer is phenomenal here, and she does a magnificent job of making us connect with Dom's struggle, understanding why this is such an agonizing choice for her. Darlene is fantastic too as she has to contemplate giving up Elliot to save her own life and to help Dom out, someone who Darlene has already screwed over in the past and feels guilty about. But she finds it impossible to give up her only family, and is left begging to try to stop Dom from killing her. Again, the performance by Carly Chaikin is incredible, and it adds so much to the drama. The constant swings as Darlene and Dom both struggle to come to terms with killing the other was effective and intense, adding to this episode's dark and brutal tone. Vera's return has been excellent so far. At this point in the story, it's clear that Vera has a role to play and I'm excited to see what that is. I've greatly enjoyed his return so far. Vera is intimidating, scary, and unpredictable; the perfect wildcard. He plays that role perfectly here as he works on Krista to help get information on Elliot. He terrifies her, intimidates her, makes her understand the situation, and gets her to open up a little bit as part of his own plan to get to Elliot. It's magnificent to watch, and the dialogue is written and acted to perfection. Vera carries a lot of personal emotional stakes for Elliot (he killed Shayla), so I am very excited to see how Elliot interacts with him and where this story goes. What really sold these three storylines was the acting. Everyone involved delivers outstanding performances to make us feel every little emotion that the characters are going through. All of the actors playing Elliot, Olivia, Dom, Darlene, Vera, and Krista are at the top of their game, elevating the experience of this episode. The Bad: Whiterose being so blindly obsessed with Elliot is the one bit of poor writing here. There is literally no reason that Elliot is allowed to live, considering the risk involved, but the show needs Whiterose to make a mistake so that she can be defeated. Hubris bringing about the villain's downfall is a trope as old as time, and it doesn't feel like it is being utilized in an organic way here. The Unknown: What is Janice going to do with Dom and Darlene now? Will they be able to get away from her? What does this mean for Dom's family? What will Vera find in Elliot's file? How will this affect his interactions with Elliot? How does Krista actually feel about Elliot? Surely Leon isn't only going to be used in this single scene. I'm certain that he's going to be showing up again in the future. When will he show up again, and why? Will Elliot call for his help when dealing with Vera? Best Moment: Again we are spoiled for choice. I'll give it to Dom trying to will herself to shoot Darlene. The conflict that both characters went through was compelling, and the performances were tremendous. Character of the Episode: Dom. Conclusion: This episode is dark, difficult to watch, and unstoppable in its brutality. Despite how uncomfortable it can be to watch, I can't deny that this was effective television that made me feel exactly what it was trying to make me feel. I felt for all of the characters involved and was horrified by much of what I saw. Because of that, I can say for certain that this is excellent television, certainly the best of the season so far. Score: 73 Summary: Tyrell knocks out the guy in the van, thinking that he's killed him. Elliot and Tyrell drive the van to a distant gas station to dispose of the body, but when they go inside, the man in the van drives away. Elliot and Tyrell walk through the forest as a shortcut, get lost, and face the reality that they are doomed. Elliot and Tyrell argue and then have a heart to heart. Tyrell agrees to help Elliot get back so he can at least warn Darlene to get away. Darlene goes to Elliot's apartment and sees that he's missing. She tracks his coordinates and tires to hotwire a car but is caught by a drunken man named Tobias. Darlene agrees to drive him home on the way. Darlene is frustrated by him but ends up opening up to him about her frustrations. Dom is lonely on Christmas Eve and tries to hook up with her online friend "HardOnHarry" and finds out she is a girl. Dom invites her over but she ends up being a Dark Army agent and tries to drown her. Dom wakes up, it was all a dream.
The Good: I usually really enjoy episodes like these. While this one had a lot of flaws (see: The Bad), there was a lot that it did right. "Mr. Robot" is a plot-heavy show, but its heart lies in its characters. Thus, an episode that puts away all of the plot to focus on every character's quest to find purpose and find their own happiness will be a memorable experience. Elliot, Tyrell, Darlene, and Dom all get a thorough exploration in this episode as they try to deal with the many struggles in their life. Elliot and Tyrell's trip to the woods was a lot of fun. There was some ridiculousness here (see: The Bad), but the episode has a good premise to send them out into the wild. It starts off as humorous with Tyrell immediately knocking out the man in the van, and remains humourous with the poor talkative lady at the gas station who strikes up conversation with the wrong people. I really got a lot of laughs out of this lady and Elliot and Tyrell's continued frustration with her. Following this, Elliot and Tyrell go on their trip through the woods which served as a perfect setting to explore their relationship with each other. Their interactions are enjoyable to watch and well-acted. Their argument was sad and powerful, especially for Tyrell who is forced to understand and accept that Elliot will never feel much more than contempt for him. But there is a part of Elliot that does care about Tyrell, and that part is Mr. Robot. A lovely touch is how Elliot walks away from Tyrell, but Mr. Robot is unable to leave him. Elliot may not care for Tyrell, but Mr. Robot has a strange sort of bond with him after their many interactions over the past few seasons. And Elliot recognizes that part of him, and finds himself unable to leave Tyrell behind to die. Tyrell is annoying, he's sloppy, he's dangerous. But Elliot has that spot of fondness for him because, as he says, Tyrell is about the only person in the world that actually likes Elliot, and that little bit of human connection means that Elliot cannot leave him behind. This was a beautiful exploration of their relationship and why its been such a compelling part of the show. Another key emotional aspect of this storyline is Tyrell finding peace in his failure of a life and ultimately dying. Tyrell is the star of this episode for sure. While the past few episodes have done a poor job of showing his struggles (see: The Bad), this episode makes it clear what Tyrell has been going through without his family. He fought hard against his own insecurity to rise to power, but the cost was everything that he loved. He has the power, but he no longer has the family that motivated him to get power to begin with. Tyrell is adrift, he's lost his purpose, and he doesn't know what to do with his life. Elliot is all he has left now, and Tyrell has to make peace with the fact that despite all that he does, he's never going to have anything more than a passive friendship with Elliot anyways. On this walk, Tyrell comes to terms with his life, how little it has amounted to, and how little he has left to live for. It's depressing, it's powerful, and it's relatable. And all the while the wolves/coyotes howl in the background, telling Tyrell that death is calling for him. Tyrell knows he is doomed, and that's why he spends so much time in this episode contemplating life and his own worth. Tyrell's mind is explored beautifully, and when he decides to give up, you understand exactly why. But surprisingly, Elliot is able to pull Tyrell back. Elliot has always been one to shut himself off from reality, but in hearing Tyrell's plight, he accepts that they are more than likely going to die. But Elliot wants to do just one thing; not destroy E Corp or pull off any crazy hack, but to warn his sister so that she can get away. And it's in this task that Tyrell finds one last purpose in his life. He's no longer being a selfish, insecure, power-hungry prick, and in this one moment he decides to keep going for a purely selfless reason: to help Elliot call his sister. It's a great moment of redemption for Tyrell, and though he ends up going to his death, there is a sense of acceptance in Tyrell's actions. His death is sad, but the way that the character is written in this episode makes the death fit him. He could have tried to prolong his own life, but he tells Elliot to go, and ends up taking a short, peaceful walk through the forest to meet his fate. There's a lot of beauty to this sequence, and it feels like Tyrell did become fulfilled as a person in his final moments. Darlene's inner conflict is also explored nicely here. The first scene with her is a lot of fun as she viciously rants at Elliot in a way that only she can. It's a nice touch that she deletes the voicemail because of course she doesn't wish that Elliot is dead. That's a nice way to highlight that Darlene is mad at Elliot, but she still loves him because he is all that she has. The rest of the episode explores this idea further as Darlene manages to form a hilarious connection with the drunken Tobias. Tobias was terrific in the role, and I got some good laughs out of him. I laughed at the reveal that Tobias' dark backstory with his dead wife, morbid statements, and addiction problems was a misdirection and that everything was totally fine. It was just that Darlene was in such pain that she easily read Tobias' problems as more serious than they are. Tobias served as a wonderful way for Darlene to let out her fears, pains, and guilt, and his final words for Darlene were an affecting way to conclude her story for the episode. Dom's story is short and flawed, but it's an effective way to show us how broken she feels. She's as lonely as ever, masturbating to Darlene's interrogation, which tells us that she did actually connect with Darlene in spite of all that has happened. She spends her Christmas Eve alone in her room, hiding from the family that she can no longer protect. Even her dreams aren't safe anymore as she finds her own sense of freedom and happiness attacked by the Dark Army. The Bad: This episode is very similar to "eps3.7_dont-delete-me.ko", but this one fails to have that same impact. I don't think that stalling the plot to have this character-based experience was necessary like it was in season 3. Season 3 had to show how Elliot would cope with the E Corp bombings and "eps3.7_dont-delete-me.ko" was dedicated to showing that. This episode doesn't have that same sense of purpose and necessity that demanded it exist. Because of that, no matter how artful or emotional this episode is, it will not hit the same level of exceptional television. And unfortunately for this episode, it is very imperfect. The entire premise of this episode is based off of characters making incompetent decisions, and coincidences. Having 1 or 2 of these bits of sloppiness can be overlooked, but when it's repeated then it becomes a major problem. And it is repeated over and over in this episode. Tyrell's inexplicable inability to shut up at the end of the episode is followed up by Tyrell and Elliot's laughable refusal to check if the man in the van was dead. That should be the first thing they do! And if he's not dead, then tie him up. Then after that, the two of them both go into the gas station for some reason, allowing the other man in the van plenty of time to drive away. There are two of them, why not have someone wait in the van? Especially when Tyrell is so easily recognizable, wouldn't you want to keep him away from unnecessary interactions with people as much as possible? As for coincidences, isn't it lucky that the guy in the van just happened to smash into a deer? That was a convenient solution to Elliot and Tyrell's problems. Furthermore, he conveniently manages to shoot Tyrell from an angle where he never would have hit him, allowing the show to write off the character with ease (more on this later). And in other storylines, Darlene happens to steal the one car that is exactly like Tobias', and he happens to be the one person who lives upstate which is where Darlene is heading. Furthermore, why was Tobias on his own anyways? Surely he had arranged for someone to drive him home rather than Darlene. As mentioned above, Tyrell's death was emotionally satisfying from a character writing perspective. But it can't help but feel like an enormous anticlimax. Tyrell was presented as a major, important character in season 1 and I can't help but feel that he has been misused since then, and his death here feels completely underwhelming. The end of season 3 set up an interesting storyline for Tyrell with him being in that higher-up position that he always dreamed of. This was a good idea because it gave us a prime opportunity to explore Tyrell's character and to see how he adapts to life following the loss of his family, also allowing him a good way to keep working with Elliot. But this season hardly showed Tyrell at all and we got no sense of how he was adapting and what his role in the show was. That's a huge underutilization of one of the most interesting characters. And now the show decides to finally give him some time to express himself only to rush his story arc by giving him sudden closure that has zero relevance to the plot, and then he dies. What a waste of a potentially interesting storyline for Tyrell. It feels like the writers did not know what to do with Tyrell, so instead of concluding his character arc meaningfully, they gave him a send off and killed him off. This show really struggles with killing characters. Tyrell joins Joanna and Angela as another major character who still had much left to offer the story, but was given a rushed and unsatisfying end that left an awful taste in my mouth. Tyrell deserved a better and more significant ending than this. Dom's dream reveal felt cheap. Her dream scenes were intercut with the rest of the episode, so it feels like the show was lying to us specifically to misdirect us. The Unknown: Did the man get around to sending Elliot and Tyrell's conversation to the Dark Army? What did Tyrell see in the forest at the end? Was it something important or was it just a visualization of death? Best Moment: Elliot and Tyrell's argument in the snow was powerful and effective. Character of the Episode: Tyrell. Conclusion: Episodes like these are where my scoring system is never entirely accurate. For me, this was the single most polarizing episode of the show. There were aspects that I loved and aspects that I hated. It's difficult because I got more enjoyment out of this episode than any other this season, but also more frustration. Mixed feelings would be putting it lightly. As for my thoughts on season 4 so far, I've enjoyed it but the grievous mishandling of Angela and Tyrell has left a bad taste in my mouth. Score: 65 Summary: Flashbacks show Whiterose trying to become ambassador to USA. He is with a lover who wants to live in USA where their relationship will be allowed. Whiterose gets a higher promotion instead but this means that they have to remain in China. Distraught, his lover kills himself. In the present, Whiterose suspects Elliot and Price are working together but arranges the Deus meeting anyways, intending on making Tyrell the next CEO. Darlene tells Elliot that Susan's contact is Olivia, but after getting this information they fight when Elliot doesn't let her work with him. Elliot breaks into her house and discovers that he needs her USB key that she has on her. Elliot tracks her down to a bar where she has been stood up and tries to sweet-talk her to get the USB, but they end up forming a genuine emotional connection. Elliot texts the USB code to Darlene and heads home but notes he is being followed. He gets home where Tyrell is waiting for him with news that he is going to be CEO. Vera is watching Elliot and takes note when he visits Krista.
The Good: Mr. Robot and Elliot remain the beating heart of this show. I thoroughly enjoy seeing how their dynamic alters every season. After a 3-season rollercoaster ride of situations for these two, we now find ourselves at a place where Elliot and Mr. Robot's roles are reversed. Now it's Mr. Robot who is talking to us and who is trying to pull Elliot back from executing a ruthless plan. The story has developed organically to get to this point, and I'm enjoying this new dynamic where Mr. Robot intervenes to ensure that Elliot does not go too far in his quest for revenge. And Mr. Robot's intervention led to Elliot finally making another meaningful human connection with Olivia. They connect at a bar in hilarious fashion (see: Best Moment) with Elliot being his socially awkward self, and Olivia connects with a lot of what he feels and struggles with. Their heart to heart near the end of the episode was a terrific scene, helping Elliot feel less alone and reminding him of his own humanity. Some nice touches included Elliot mentioning his promise to Mohammed, and Olivia revealing that her bottle of oxycontin is just a reminder. The latter especially was nice because it meant that Elliot's brutal plan of blackmailing Olivia actually would not have worked, and that Elliot making this connection was the only way that his plan would have worked. It's nice to see that in a cruel world, sometimes it is still the right move to do the more humane thing. Elliot's moment with Krista was sad. Elliot has been reliant on her for much of the show's run and they had developed to have a good relationship last season. But now that she knows what she knows about him, their relationship has been fractured, and it is brutal to see Krista shouting so viciously at Elliot, who had just wanted to thank her. This scene hurts, but it also appears to have significant plot relevance as it ties back in with Vera. Vera's scene was a good catch-up to see what he's been up to. He isn't a threat (yet) but he is setting up his own goals which I bet will interfere with Elliot's plan at the most inconvenient time. I enjoyed the scene where Vera murders his guy for being incompetent in terms of reading people. Vera is a wonderful, unpredictable personality and I'm happy that he's back in the show. I really like how this season has been visually conveying the Elliot/Mr. Robot dynamic. With both of them on screen together at all times (often 1 in the foreground and the other in the background), you never know when the other is going to intervene and take over. Sure, it might not logistically make sense when Elliot and Mr. Robot are doing different things, but I'm reading this as an artistic liberty, not an actual depiction of what is happening. Obviously Elliot would be doing both tasks in his own time. I think the small suspension of disbelief is worth it to get such creative filmmaking. Whiterose's backstory opened the episode. I had my problems with it (see: The Bad), but it was nicely visualized. The sequence was stylistic and it told a sensible story that explained some of Whiterose's behaviours. She is likely looking to make a parallel world where she would be able to spend all of her life with her lover, a man that she likely projected onto her many other paramours that she has had over the years. Further, this sudden death is likely why Whiterose picked up her obsession with time (an obsession that her lover also had), understanding that every second she has is precious. The funeral flowers Whiterose picked out for her lover was a cool origin for the Whiterose name. The Bad: While I liked Whiterose's backstory and I think it makes sense, it can't help but feel anticlimactic and underdeveloped. Whiterose isn't just some villain with a sob story, she is a massive powerful world figure, and surely there is more to the creation of this urban legend than just the story of a lover killing himself. I wish that Whiterose's backstory had spent more time on the struggles that a transgender person in China would have to endure. That would have been much more illuminating on her character than what we actually got. Plus it's much more original than the story of a loved one dying causing a character to become evil, which is an overused trope. Tyrell looked like such an idiot at the end of the episode. Sure he isn't the smartest character in the show, but he's certainly intelligent enough to understand that Elliot shushing him means that something is up and that he should not reveal his confidential plan. If this moment is how Elliot's plan gets busted by the Dark Army, I will be very frustrated. Tyrell is unhinged with a god complex, he has never been written as this stupid. The Unknown: Is Vera turning his eyes onto Krista now? That can't be good. What is he going to do with her? He wants to partner up with Elliot. How does he plan to get Elliot to accept? Will Elliot accept? Why did the episode spend so much time on Olivia? I imagine that he role in the show is far from over considering how important she was here. Now that Elliot has a connection with her, will he endanger his plan by remaining close to her? Will he be able to screw her over, knowing that the Dark Army will likely kill her if he does? Who is following Elliot? Is it actually the Dark Army or is it someone else? Have they bugged the apartment? Did they hear what Tyrell told him? What does this mean for Tyrell's new position and Elliot's plan? Best Moment: Elliot being incredibly awkward while talking with Olivia in the bar was hilarious. The best part was that I somehow did buy into it actually being enough to charm her despite how ridiculous it all was. Character of the Episode: Elliot. Conclusion: Another solid episode as season 4 lays its foundations. Score: 66 Summary: Price tells Elliot how Whiterose rose to power. Elliot makes a deal with Price and asks him to arrange a meeting between the Deus group members. Price tells Elliot he had a contact named Susan Jacobs. Price leaves but Mr. Robot is confident that he will work with them. Price meets with Whiterose and announces he is going to resign. The Deus group will meet to assign a successor. Elliot looks into Susan Jacobs but is interrupted when Darlene calls him to say their mother died. Elliot wants to move on quickly but Darlene wants to process her guilt. Darlene and Elliot argue but eventually they make peace with each other and also process Angela's death together. Darlene tells Elliot that she killed Susan Jacobs and forces herself into Elliot's plan to take down the Dark Army. Darlene tells Elliot about Vera, and he realizes that since both he and Mr. Robot didn't know, that he must have a third personality somewhere. Dom tells the FBI that Santiago was a cartel double agent. She tells Janice that she's 99.9% sure that the agent interviewing her bought the story, but Janice kills him to be safe anyways.
The Good: It's great to see Price and Elliot team up against Whiterose. Price seemed like he was going to be a major villain for much of the series, but in the end he's become something of a good guy simply by comparison to Whiterose. Sure, he's despicable and corrupt, but he's the lesser evil when compared to Whiterose. We get a great expositional speech that was artfully directed, which revealed Whiterose's rise to power. This was a good way to start the episode, emphasizing the importance of taking down Whiterose and how difficult that would be. The following scenes between Elliot/Price and Price/Whiterose were well written and well acted, setting up Elliot's plan to take down Whiterose. Much of the meat of the episode came from Elliot and Darlene's relationship. As Mr. Robot has said, Elliot's been very detached in his hunt for vengeance and nobody notices that more than Darlene. When their mother dies, neither of them really care, but Darlene is upset because Elliot no longer seems to be there for her. We know he's trying to protect her, but shutting himself off from her is not good for either of them and I'm glad that the episode slowly built towards Darlene getting Elliot to open up to her again. These two have a great relationship and I want to see them on good terms with each other. Unfortunately for Elliot, by opening up to Darlene he has endangered her once again, but putting Darlene in danger was never his call. Elliot is forced to accept that he can't fight this battle alone, and that he needs to let go of his instinct to protect Darlene. Furthermore, there is a lovely message about grief in this episode. The death of Elliot and Darlene's mother is used to parallel Angela's death, giving them the chance to grieve and be there to help each other through such a difficult time. The episode's biggest surprise came towards the end when we learn that Elliot has a third personality that is completely unaccounted for. This reveal came out of nowhere and was absolutely effective. It changes the story and adds a new exciting mystery and sense of uncertainty in Elliot. I wonder how much we have seen this third personality in the past (see: The Unknown). This twist is exciting and I'm curious to see where it goes. Dom's story continues to advance in an interesting way. Her interview with Agent Horton was engaging. For a little bit I was concerned that she was about to turn on the Dark Army and face the consequences, but the show faked me out by revealing that Dom was following the plan all along. The drama worked here, and I completely fell for it, only to be delighted at how good Dom's acting was with her family's lives on the line. But despite all of her hard work, she ends up facing a bitter realization when Janice murders Horton anyways all because Dom was only 99.9% sure, a sad moment. The Dark Army are proving to be extremely despicable, and things like this make it much easier to root for their downfall. The Bad: Elliot hunting for Susan Jacobs isn't as interesting as the show thinks it is because we know she is dead. It's hard to care too much about the drama of Elliot finding out that Darlene killed her because Elliot has already done far worse things than what Darlene did here. This episode feels like set-up and there isn't a whole lot going on here. Even the big twist doesn't really have much impact on the characters, and it feels like it is setting up for an exciting reveal down the line. Elliot and Mr. Robot discerning a third personality is surprising, but it doesn't impact the story too much. I have no problem with slow set-up episodes like this one, but set-up episodes aren't going to score as highly due to their nature. The Unknown: What was in Elliot's mother's safe deposit box? Will that be important? Will Whiterose realize that Price is working with Elliot? Why is it such a big deal that Price is resigning? Wasn't his career supposed to be finished by the E Corp bombings? Or did he have a bit more time before being sacked? I can't quite remember the details. Very interesting ending scene. That's the same room where Tyrell extended his offer to Elliot. Is this meant to be a visualization of Elliot's mind? Is that a younger Elliot and his mother? Why are they there? What does this mean? This was a trippy, confusing ending to the episode. I'm intrigued to learn more about what exactly is going on here. Who is Elliot's third personality? Have we seen them before? I imagine we must have, or this will feel like too convenient of a plot twist. I'm sure that Sam Esmail has laid hints in previous episodes about this. Best Moment: Elliot and Darlene listening to the walkman tape together. Such a sad moment of bonding between these two. Elliot and Darlene have the best relationship in the show by far. Character of the Episode: Elliot. Conclusion: This was a much better effort. This episode nicely examined both Elliot and Darlene, and gave us an effective twist to conclude the episode on top of that. This is solid set-up for the rest of the season. Score: 66 Summary: Angela says she will go after Whiterose to Price's dismay. The Dark Army executes her. A several month timeskip happens. Elliot hacks Freddie, who is an attorney for the Dark Army and he learns about the bank that funds them. He investigates John Garcin, Fred's contact, but it's a honeypot. Elliot is captured by the Dark Army and left for dead but Price saves him. Darlene has turned to cocaine to process her grief over Angela, but she is in denial about her death. Dom is a mess living with her mother. Dom is set up with Janice but it turns out that Janice works for the Dark Army and threatens Dom to finish the Santiago case or she will kill her mother. Tyrell works as E Corp's CTO but gets no joy out of it.
The Good: I enjoyed everything involving Elliot in this episode. We got a neat reference to "eps1.0_hellofriend.mov" as we open with Elliot hacking someone who has done some very bad things, and hangs the threat over them while getting them to cooperate. But where Elliot was simply following his internal justice in the series pilot, now he is actively working to bring down the Dark Army. Elliot's hack of Freddie is dramatic and exciting to watch, since we know the stakes are high and that Elliot needs whatever victory he can. The sequence is tense and reminiscent of season 1, only this time it ends with Elliot slipping up by allowing Freddie to realize that he has literally no reason to help Elliot and so he kills himself. It's a bleak ending, highlighting the darkness that has taken over this how. The rest of Elliot's story is solid. He's revenge-driven now, and he has stopped talking to us and Mr. Robot to push forwards in his revenge. But he's so driven that he's no longer listening to common sense. Mr. Robot warns him time and time again of the risks, but Elliot no longer cares about them, and his recklessness leads him into a honeypot and almost to his death. The scenes at the hotel were very engaging. From the lobby alone, something doesn't feel right, and the episode wonderfully builds that tension when Mr. Robot points out the quiet. Except for us it isn't quiet; there's a noticeable ticking noise that goes and goes, telling us that something is about to happen. The whole sequence masterfully builds tension up until the honeypot reveal, and the pay-off is brilliant as Elliot gets kidnapped to Bob Marley. It works surprisingly well. Dom has some good scenes too. She has moved in with her mother and is terrified and paranoid that the Dark Army may be coming for her and her family. It's a shock to see Dom like this when she was so cool and collected in previous seasons. The scene with Janice is superb. She seemed so innocuous that I was completely caught off guard when she ended up being a Dark Army worker. Dom is not just paranoid, the walls really are closing in around her. I'm excited to see what's next for her. Darlene is another character who is falling apart. Following Dom's brutal speech to her and Angela's death, she is a total mess. It's painful to see Darlene like this, and her inability to process Angela's death is very sad. Elliot trying to protect her in his own misguided way is sad, and it hurts to see so many of the main characters starting this season in such a place of pain. Tyrell gets the short end of the stick here, but his scene does well to convey how empty his lifestyle is. I'm curious to find out how he's working with Elliot and what their plan is. The Bad: This episode had one enormous misstep and that was killing Angela off in the opening scene. First off, what the hell was that? This is one of the main characters of the whole series, someone we have followed for 3 seasons through good and bad storylines, someone who had important relationships with other characters, and someone who had an engaging character arc going on. And she just dies in an incredibly unceremonious way, her death only serving to further the character arcs of other characters. Hell, the moment where she dies doesn't even belong to her, it's focused on Price. So again I have to say, what the hell was that? That was incredibly underwhelming and it feels like Joanna's death come again, only far worse because we have spent far more time with Angela, and there have been multiple seasons of somewhat frustrating storytelling with her character to get to this point. I was curious to see what the pay-off was to justify all of the time we have spent with her, and we get absolutely nothing. What a disappointment. Not only was her death completely flat and lacking emotion and finality, but it was an anticlimax that made me question her entire existence. Was she even necessary? I struggle to believe that killing Angela here was the plan. If it was, why not do it in the previous episode? It's so abrupt to have her die at the start of this episode, and it was clearly retconned. Price's conversation with her was never motivated by trying to save her from Whiterose, it was from a father intervening to help her daughter recover, changing the dynamics of a key relationship. There wasn't a hint of finality to it! What's worse is that Angela and Elliot's relationship never went anywhere in the end. I can't believe that after their terrific scene in "eps3.7_dont-delete-me.ko", there was nothing planned to follow up on it. I have so many reasons to despise Angela's death, and I find it appalling that a main character was given such a sloppy send-off. I do wonder if there was some backstage trouble that led to Portia Doubleday leaving the show, because there's no way that this was part of the main plan. I'll miss Angela, and I'm disheartened by how terrible her conclusion was. I've always been vocal that I do not like timeskips. They feel like a cheap way to avoid showing us the consequences of major events, and that makes the ensuing story less enjoyable to catch up with. That was very much the case here. All of the events that ended last season had exciting potential to have some interesting after-effects. This includes Angela recovering with Price (so much for that), Elliot undoing the hack causing huge changes in society, and Dom returning to her job and covering up what happened to her and Santiago. None of these stories were addressed adequately in this episode, and that was very disappointing. The Unknown: Why wasn't Price able to save Angela? Couldn't he have intervened further to prevent Whiterose from killing her? Why did Price save Elliot? Why was he with the three men who left Elliot for dead? Was this all planned in advance? Why drug Elliot if they were just going to save him immediately afterwards? Is Price here on Whiterose's terms or is he here on his own to ally with Elliot? Why is he here? Where is Darlene's story heading? What will be the result of her meltdowns? What happened when she met Vera last season? We don't get any follow-up to that. Who is Janice? How will Dom contend with her? What does Dom have to do to resolve the Santiago case? Best Moment: Not too much stands out. I'll give it to the reveal that Janice was Dark Army, and her chilling threats to Dom. It caught me entirely off guard. Character of the Episode: Elliot. Conclusion: For the most part, this was a decent premiere that set the stage for season 4. It's just that there was one huge problem in the handling of Angela's character, which was the same thing that was done with Joanna in the last season, only way, way worse. This one problem hurts this episode significantly. Hopefully this is just a single mistake, and the rest of the season won't make any other big mistakes. Score: 57 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
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