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
0 Comments
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 Summary: Santiago grabs Darlene and tries to take her away. Dom confronts him so he knocks her out and takes her too. Santiago takes them to a barn where they are kept under Leon's watch. Elliot panics when he realizes Darlene has been captured and connects with Mr. Robot for help. He's found by Irving who also takes him back to the barn. Irving takes Dom and Santiago. Irving murders Santiago with an axe and threatens Dom's family to ensure that she is the new Dark Army FBI mole. Dom returns to the barn and Grant arrives. Grant hears Elliot out and Elliot offers to get Whiterose's project transported in a day. Grant doesn't believe him and orders Darlene to die but Leon kills everyone else and puts the gun on Grant. Grant kills himself and Elliot has a deal with Whiterose. Leon gets Elliot to do it and then he is let go. Dom holds a grudge against Darlene for everything that happened. Elliot learns from Darlene that his father never pushed him out of the window. Elliot gets Mr. Robot's help and learns that the encryption keys were saved by him. Together, they undo the 5/9 hack. Meanwhile, Price has kept Angela locked away. He goes to talk to her and reveals that he is her father. He informs her that Whiterose manipulated her and encourages her to accept it and move on. In a post-credits scene, Vera returns and meets Darlene.
The Good: The drama at the barn was exciting to follow. I was genuinely concerned that Darlene or Dom might end up dying at some point, so I was at the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen. We were treated to some great scenes here. Elliot's showdown with Grant was dramatic, and Rami Malek delivered another lovely performance in conveying Elliot's desperation to cut a deal with Whiterose. Unfortunately for him, Grant has never liked him and you feel that Grant is looking forward to killing Elliot and Darlene. Leon's ensuing betrayal is an excellent twist, and it makes sense considering his fondness for Elliot and because the last time he let Grant take over, Mobley and Trenton ended up dead. So this time, Leon takes things into his own hands and delivers a great twist to conclude the barn sequence. But perhaps the best part of this storyline came from Irving. Irving has been around a lot this season and he seemed to be a kind-hearted free spirit that simply does his job. That all changed here. In a tremendous callback to "chopping logs" with Tyrell, Irving dons his axe and ruthlessly massacres Santiago, letting out all of his frustrations with simultaneously threatening Dom into cooperation in a terrifying manner as he casually reads names off of his hand while chopping up Santiago. This scene was brutally affecting and it landed perfectly. Irving leaving for Barbados suggests to me that he may not be coming back for the next season, which is a shame because I greatly enjoyed his performance. He at least went out in style by talking down to Grant and reminding him that Whiterose is simply using him, setting up nicely for Grant to be sacrificed by Whiterose. You can't help but feel for Dom in this episode. She hasn't done anything wrong. She did her job the best way that she could to get to the bottom of everything, and she tried her hardest to create some sort of a happy ending for Darlene. And as a reward for her troubles, Dom has her loneliness exploited and manipulated by Darlene, and she is forced to abandon all of her virtues and values under threat of torture for her family. That is absolutely brutal, and you have to feel for Dom here. Her rage-filled rant towards Darlene is powerful and affecting, even if it is misdirected in her direction. It's a brutal moment for Darlene too, adding yet another thing on her already guilty conscience to contend with. The acting from both Grace Gummer and Carly Chaikin is superb and that makes this scene work really well. It is a terrific pay-off for this season's Dom/Darlene storyline. Elliot has a great episode with a lot of big moments. His breakdown upon realizing that Darlene's life was in danger felt real, and it was conveyed perfectly. This show does a terrific job of making us feel the anxiety that the characters feel. Another big moment was Elliot finally forcing a direct conversation with Mr. Robot again, for the first time this season. I liked the callback to season 1 with the discussion taking place on a ferris wheel. It's nice to see them talking again, and instead of any kind of conflict, it feels like there is a mutual understanding between them now. Mr. Robot is addressing that there is a part of Elliot inside of him, and that is key for Elliot feeling like he can trust him again. I liked the reveal that it was Mr. Robot who left a way to undo the 5/9 hack, not Romero. There is much more significance to it being Mr. Robot, and you can sense that this reveal has allowed Elliot to trust his alter ego once more, accepting that Elliot needs Mr. Robot to fight back against the Dark Army. The conversations between these two towards the end of the episode were rich and filled with emotion. The dialogue is written so well, and it's good to see Elliot accept that he has to undo 5/9 to help him contend with the guilt he feels for causing the complete mess that was his misguided "revolution". We're treated to a couple of big reveals in this episode. The first is that Price is Angela's father. I'm surprised that I never picked up on this one (the hints were definitely there), but it was an effective twist that clears up why Price was always so invested in Angela. I don't think it's that big of a moment, but it takes place in a great scene as Price gets to play the father and help Angela recover from her deluded state. Combining the twist with the emotions of Angela accepting what happened to her strengthened the moment significantly. It was good to humanize Price a bit by seeing him put in some effort to help Angela move forwards. The second twist is the reveal that Elliot's father never threw him out of the window. I predicted this back in season 1 (and for a while I thought it was actually confirmed), so this one did not surprise me much. However, it was an effective character moment so I'm grateful for its inclusion. Elliot had spent much of this season trying to cut Darlene out, thinking that she was bad for him. But now Elliot understands more than ever that he needs her, and that she is his connection to a past that he cannot seem to properly remember. This reveal is also more consistent with what we have seen from Elliot's father in previous episodes, showing him as a kind and gentle soul, certainly not the type of man to push someone out of a window. The Bad: There were a few minor things that lowered the episode's quality. The two twists didn't amount to very much in the end, so they don't feel like the monumental moments that the episode is trying to tell us they are. This episode used the rapid intercutting trick that was used back in "eps2.8_h1dden-pr0cess.axx" and "eps3.5_kill-pr0cess.inc" to build tension. Since we have seen it multiple times before, it was less effective this time and didn't carry as much suspense with it. It even used the exact same music as the first time, so it felt repetitive. Leon's betrayal and Grant's death are good dramatic moments, but they can't help but feel a little bit underdeveloped compared to most other storylines. Usually we see more depth and care put into storylines than this. This show usually portrays hacking with thorough detail and care, but that didn't happen in these final few episodes. Elliot hacks the Dark Army with no issues whatsoever. I thought they had set a trap, but apparently not. Furthermore, he simply solves Whiterose's shipping problem without batting an eye, which was underwhelming due to its simplicity. Again, we usually see more depth in storylines like this. I have a few final quibbles. Dom looks like an idiot for allowing herself to be knocked out so easily. Cameras or not, she is smart enough to keep her guard up against Santiago. Lastly, I was disappointed that we didn't check in with Tyrell. He is a major character and I feel like he wasn't quite used to his fullest this season, though what we got from him was very good. The Unknown: Why did Leon betray Grant for Elliot? Was it just because he liked Elliot and didn't want to see him needlessly suffer? Is Whiterose okay with this? She claims that she loves Grant, but I don't buy it. Irving clearly suggested that Grant was expendable. Why did Elliot jump out of the window himself? Why doesn't he remember this? Did Mr. Robot remember this? We know that Mr. Robot didn't come into existence until after Elliot's father died, or could he have existed before? Are there still further secrets about Elliot that we don't know about? What will be the fallout of undoing 5/9? It definitely won't make everything better. Will it cause more problems in the world? I suspect it will. What problems? How is Dom going to handle being a mole? I suspect that it's only a matter of time before she actively starts fighting against the Dark Army. Vera has returned! The post-credits scene was done in one long take as always, but I was hugely surprised by this reveal. Vera hasn't even been mentioned since season 1 I believe. Where has he been? Why is he back? What does he want from Elliot? Best Moment: The final few minutes between Elliot and Mr. Robot. It's great to see them back together again. Character of the Episode: Elliot. Conclusion: This finale was consistently good with a few flashes of brilliance. There was quality storytelling with tense scenes, memorable performances, and engaging dialogue that set up season 4 superbly. Season 3 was exceptional. I had a lot of concerns about this series following season 2, but its immediate improvement surprised me, and season 3 ended up being a fantastic season. The storytelling was easier to understand and that resulted in more memorable and effective character arcs. Every character had their best season yet, and I was engaged in everyone's storylines. The only major flaws come from Angela's story (again), but her story is still watchable as Portia Doubleday offers up a good performance and she was involved in some intense moments throughout the season. Outside of the characters, this season was still superb. The production value was as good as ever, and we had some of the biggest events in the whole series happen in this season, providing major twists, dramatic moments, and loads of pay-off for two seasons of build-up. Furthermore, this season provided a deeper and more insightful look at the show's themes, and it challenged us by changing what we believed to be true about the show. There are certainly still flaws here but they are much less abrasive than they were in previous seasons. I loved this season, and in my opinion, it's up there as one of the all-time great TV seasons. Score: 70 Summary: A flashback shows E Corp hiring Allstate. Price takes notice of Angela, and while Allsafe weren't very impressive, Price hires them anyways. In the present, Tyrell returns to his house and grieves his losses. He is visited by Mr. Robot and the two argue. Tyrell starts beating him up but the doorbell rings. It's Price and he promotes Tyrell to CTO but tells Tyrell he will be a pawn. Tyrell is frustrated and allies with Mr. Robot again. Mr. Robot learns that the Dark Army control the FBI and leaves a message for Elliot. Elliot arranges a meet with Whiterose for "stage 3". He tasks Darlene with getting access to Romero's old files which are possessed by the FBI. Darlene attempts this through seducing Dom but she is caught and taken in for interrogation where she reveals Elliot's plan to undo 5/9. Santiago shuts it down and takes Dom off the case. Elliot meets with Grant, Whiterose's right hand, and they take Elliot's files on stage 3. Whiterose is frustrated that her project shipping to Congo has been delayed. Grant informs her about Elliot and they have determined that he is laying a trap for them. Angela continues to spiral and loses faith in Elliot. She wanders the streets and is picked up in a white van.
The Good: It isn't "Mr. Robot" if the show doesn't mess with the chronology a little bit. We start with Elliot disoriented and reading a message from Mr. Robot about the FBI, and we spend the rest of the episode catching up on what Mr. Robot did while Elliot executes his plan. I'm not sure that messing with the chronology was necessary here, but I did enjoy the way that the episode was put together. The story catching up with Mr. Robot was the most interesting to me. He goes to visit the grieving Tyrell in his house, and their confrontation is excellent. With Tyrell unleashing a mass terrorist attack against Mr. Robot's will, tensions were high between them, and I loved how the scene slowly escalated into Tyrell pulling out the gloves (a lovely nod to season 1) and beating down Mr. Robot. But their conflict was interrupted by the arrival of Price, who installs Tyrell as a pawn at E Corp. The moment is an excellent revelation for Tyrell who finally gets everything he has been fighting for since season 1, but is faced with the cold realization that he's only being used by people with more power. There's an excellent moment when Tyrell thinks he has found some leverage but Price breaks down that Tyrell is nothing, saying "I'm not out of moves, you're not worth one". Mr. Robot also gets some lip from Price who gives him a reality check about how sloppy his revolution was since he didn't take any control or lead in any way. The dissection of Mr. Robot and Elliot is superb, and I really enjoyed what was accomplished in these scenes. Elliot's attempt to get through to the Dark Army involves a plan with himself meeting Whiterose, and Darlene getting access into the FBI via Dom. Both plans are engaging to watch. Elliot's work gets him into contact with Leon again (fun cameo as always), and he ends up meeting Grant instead of Whiterose. His plan is a success and there's a bit of hopeful optimism when Elliot succeeds. Or at least there would have been, but Darlene's failure tips off the Dark Army and they are after Elliot now. Darlene's failure is certainly disappointing, but she tried her level best to outsmart Dom. Unfortunately, Dom is too good and while her loneliness does allow Darlene to seduce here, it also results in Dom being highly paranoid and suspicious of her. It is both personally and professionally disappointing for Dom that Darlene tried to use her, and you can't help but feel bad for both parties. Darlene's failure leads to her admitting to what she's doing in front of the compromised agent Santiago, which is a sad bit of irony. Elliot had Darlene not confide in Dom because he didn't trust the FBI, but Dom was the one person that Darlene could have safely gone to. But now that chance has been wasted, and Darlene has screwed up enormously. Let's hope that she hasn't gotten Elliot killed with her weak plan. Whiterose melting down was a surprising scene, but it's great to see that "Mr. Robot" isn't beyond making its most successful characters face consequences. Whiterose executed her plan sublimely, but the plan itself interfered with Whiterose's personal goals. It's great to see her frustrated by the delays as she falls victim to time once more. The last scene provided an interesting dynamic for her relationship with Grant that I'm curious to learn more about. I love that the opening flashback helped explain why a massive corporation like E Corp was with a company like Allsafe which always seemed to be slightly incompetent. It has nothing to do with Gideon or the company's abilities, instead it was all because one person in power had a hunch (see: The Unknown). It's very fitting with the themes of the show. The Bad: Angela has been frustrating in the last few episodes. She seems to have fully descended into madness and it does not feel earned at all. This goes all the way back to my frustrations with season 2 because we never knew what Whiterose told Angela that led to her becoming such a firm believer. To add to the irritation, Angela herself also refuses to reveal anything, which continues to frustrate. After last episodes terrific Elliot/Angela scene, I had expected that the character could have started to recover by reconnecting with Elliot. But she immediately goes back to not trusting him, which was a disappointing follow-up to such an emotionally powerful scene. The Unknown: It seems that Price bought Allsafe specifically because of Angela. Why? How did he know about her beforehand? Why has he been so interested in her? There are a lot of questions here. Perhaps he knew about her through her mother? Was he aware of her similarly to how Whiterose has been aware of Elliot for a long time? What is Price's plan for Tyrell? Will it work out for him? How will Mr. Robot and Tyrell try to turn things around on Price? Why did the Dark Army allow Elliot to hack them? Have they laid a trap for him? How are they going to try to kill him? Did Darlene really betray Elliot by trusting the FBI? Or has this been planned? Is Dom going to go after Santiago now? Surely she knows about him. How will Irving handle the situation with Darlene? Is he going to try to kill her? Where is Angela being taken? Who picked her up? Whiterose? Price? Why was her dad calling her? Best Moment: Price speaking with Mr. Robot and Tyrell was engaging. It was very well-written with lots of interesting details, and all three characters were given a thorough examination by each other. Character of the Episode: Mr. Robot. Conclusion: This was a good episode of table-setting before the season finale. There were some good storylines and interesting scenes which furthered the plot and character arcs. This is certainly a step down from the last four incredible episodes, but it's still good stuff. Score: 66 Summary: Nacho leaves his truck and hides from The Twins in an abandoned oil tanker. He hides out until night and makes his way to a friendly mechanic's shop where he cleans up and calls his father for a goodbye. He then cuts a deal with Gus that he is willing to die and say what is necessary under the condition that his father remains protected. Mike agrees to protect him. Nacho is smuggled across the border in a truck and is prepared for a meeting. Mike is sent to a sniper position and Gus presents a bound Nacho to Bolsa, Hector, and The Twins. Nacho tells them he was hired by Alvarez and that Gus wasn't involved before going into a rage-filled speech telling Hector he put him in the chair. Nacho breaks out of his restraints and pulls a gun on Bolsa before shooting himself in the head. Jimmy prepares for another con against Howard. He has Huell get Howard's keys through his valet and quickly make a copy key before leaving the original keys on the ground to be picked up. Kim is met by Suzanne who has connected that Jorge De Guzman is Lalo Salamanca and asks her to persuade Jimmy to give up some information if he was forced to work for Lalo. Kim tells Jimmy this and tells him he can either be a friend of the cartel or a rat.
The Good: This episode is all about providing Nacho with an emotional and memorable farewell, and it succeeds with flying colours. From start to finish, Michael Mando delivers an astonishing performance as Nacho faces the reality of his death and accepts it under his own terms. What makes it work so well is that we are still hoping against hope that Nacho finds a way out of this alive. While death has always been likely for Nacho, you can't help but hope that maybe he can somehow get out of this alive, perhaps disappearing at a certain vacuum repair store. There's the hope early in the episode that if Nacho gets away from The Twins, he could survive. And there's even hope when Nacho is restrained that maybe he and Mike hatched a plan to help him escape. But of course, it's inevitable that Nacho isn't going to get away from this, and what makes the character shine is that he understands this while the rest of us watching are still hopeful of a last-minute escape. If he did hatch a plan with Mike, it wasn't to escape; it was to have his own death rather than dying at someone else's hands. As a result, when the episode ends it is very tragic that Nacho has died after all he's been through, but there's also a distinct sense of triumph and respect that Nacho managed to give himself perhaps the best death he could have possibly had. He sacrificed his life to protect his father, and he got to go out on his own terms while lashing out some delicious revenge on all of the people that made his life such a living hell. He lashes out hard on Hector, the person who started this whole thing for Nacho (see: Best Moment), and he also had a couple of delightful moments where he put the fear of god into Gus' heart by making him think that he was about to turn on him. Last episode's cliffhanger gave us hope that Nacho would find a way out of his situation, but the early scenes of the episode make it blatantly clear that Nacho has no chance. The episode isn't short on thrills as Nacho chooses to hide in an abandoned oil tanker and even dunks himself completely in black oil to remain hidden. It's disgusting, it's brutal, and it's indicative of Nacho's resolve to get out of there. He even stays in there until nightfall, covered in oil, breathing in low-quality air all the while. It's a horrid situation for him, but he is finally able to get away and clean up at a mechanic's shop. This mechanic was a beautiful side character that the show didn't need to include, but it's all the better for including. He's kindhearted and generous towards Nacho, providing a clear parallel to the type of man Nacho's father is. A nice character detail is when Nacho decides to leave all of his money with the mechanic, showing some respect for how generous this man was. Nacho's phone call with his father is heartbreaking. Nacho knows it will be the last time he talks with him and can't help but be emotional. By this point it's clear that Nacho has made up his mind and decided to give up his life to protect his father. His call with Gus is as dramatic and effective as you would expect. Nacho has all the power in this scenario and he refuses to show an ounce of respect for Gus, only ever respecting and trusting Mike. Nacho's relationship with Mike is a key component of this episode. They were never very close. They certainly aren't best friends, and they don't talk much in this episode. But what they do have is mutual respect for each other, one older veteran who holds morality close to his heart, and the other a young man in over his head, yet still a reasonable and smart man who understands how the world works. The connection they have developed is beautiful, and they have a number of nice moments here. I appreciate Mike choosing to hurt Nacho himself, being disgusted that Victor even suggests doing it himself. Mike has long been angry at how Gus has treated Nacho, so he allows himself some final moments to share a drink with Nacho and give him all of the time that he needs to prepare. Another lovely touch here is that Mike does not do any toast, he simply drinks from the glass understanding that in such dire times there is nothing to toast about. Mike is capable of recognizing the good in people, and he certainly admires Nacho's courage to give up his own life for the father he idolizes, perhaps even reminded a bit of his own dead son. You get the sense that Mike never doubted that Nacho was going to go through with his plan, and that his decision to watch everything with a sniper was less to ensure Nacho goes through with it, but more because Mike wanted to witness Nacho's final moments and pay his respects. Jonathan Banks is terrific here, silently communicating the connection he had with Nacho. One standout moment is Mike and Nacho's final nod in the van. It's not often that you can say that Mike is the more emotional one when interacting with someone else but he certainly was here, giving a melancholy last look at Nacho who offers Mike a resolved expression of gratitude in his nod. Mike is also terrific in watching Nacho's death, offering up a little bit of emotion on his face as he watches Nacho take control of his final moments, and thankfully killing himself so that Mike doesn't have to be the one to pull the trigger. Nacho's death has some beautiful added touches to it. The opening sequence of the episode sets up a melancholy atmosphere for the whole episode, and it features the added beauty of showing us a bright blue lily growing at the place where Nacho died. It's a sad symbol of hope to symbolize a grave for a man who managed to find some hope before he died. I love the added touch of Hector getting The Twins to carry him to Nacho's body so that he could shoot him. It's a petty, pathetic move by Hector in an attempt to get some sort of satisfaction upon the realization that Nacho is responsible for his condition. But there is no satisfaction to get from shooting a dead body, and Nacho has already robbed Hector of any sort of vengeance. Kim and Jimmy take the backseat in this episode, but there is still good stuff happening in their story. Jimmy is continuing to work on the Howard con, and we get another entertaining, well-edited escapade as Huell works with a fellow criminal to copy Howard's key for Jimmy to access. The sequence is fun, and I'm interested to see what Jimmy plans to do with Howard's car. As is typical with "Better Call Saul", it's not all about the exciting sequences. We follow this up with a nice scene as Huell asks Jimmy why he's doing what he does, and as Jimmy echoes that he's doing it for the bigger picture, it can't help but feel hollow. This show always nails the smaller character moments. Kim has some great scenes in this episode. Once again we are reminded by how excited she gets while conning through a passionate kiss with Jimmy. Just like him, she has become addicted to the game. Which is what makes it completely unsurprising that Kim doesn't want Jimmy to turn on Lalo. She's even more committed to Jimmy's colourful side than he is by this point in the series, and she is already leading Jimmy away from doing the right thing and turning on Lalo. There are so many lovely little moments in her conversation with Suzanne, from her insistence that Suzanne call him "Saul" to all-but ignoring the fact that there is a "good side" to Jimmy because she doesn't want to face the reality that what they're doing may actually be problematic. Kim has developed really well over the last few seasons, and it's both gripping and terrifying to see her be so cold and ruthless. The Bad: The one flaw that this episode has is that everyone in that final scene outside of Nacho is completely protected since we know that they make it to "Breaking Bad" alive, and we know that Nacho is not going to betray Gus here. Even though the sequence already has lots of tension because of concern over Nacho's fate, it could have been way better if we didn't know about the fate of the other characters. This sequence is tense and exciting, but the prequel problem rears its head and prevents this from being the incredible next-level sequence that it could have been. It's still an outstanding sequence, but there was potential for it to be even better if we didn't know the fates of all these other characters. The Unknown: Did Nacho plan out his death with Mike in some way? Or was Mike as surprised as everyone else with Nacho's actions? Will the Salamancas reply to Nacho's death in any way? Will they go after his father? Will there be any action taken against Alvarez? What are Jimmy and Kim planning to do with Howard's car? What is their next move? Will Jimmy divulge information about Lalo? Kim is leaning towards him not doing that, but does Jimmy agree? Best Moment: Nacho's hate-filled speech to Hector was spectacular, one of the very best pieces of acting I've ever seen. Nacho has had to subdue his emotions for so long, and now he finally has a chance to let it all out and he really unleashes. Michael Mando puts such vitriol in Nacho's voice, and there was a perfect use of a swear in this scene to give Nacho's speech the impact it deserved. I got chills listening to him, and capping it off with a magnificent moment where Nacho got to take control one last time and go out on his own terms was a sad, yet beautiful conclusion for the character. Character of the Episode: Nacho. What a farewell that was. Conclusion: Losing Nacho so early in season 6 was unexpected, but it was done sublimely well. I can't think of a better conclusion for this character, and he was given a suspenseful, exciting, and powerful exit that allowed Michael Mando one final time to shine. This was one of the very best episodes of the show. Score: 83 Summary: A flashback shows Elliot's father dying at the movie theatre. Elliot goes to watch the movie anyways and creates Mr. Robot. In the present, Elliot despairs in his apartment for weeks and ultimately wipes down everything and gets rid of the Mr. Robot jacket. Darlene visits and tells him that Angela is breaking down but he doesn't care. Darlene wants to help him but Elliot says he needs time. Elliot buys a ton of morphine from a drug dealer, intending to kill himself. He tries to pay respects to Mobley but his brother isn't doing anything for Mobley. Elliot visits Trenton's family, pays his respects and then goes to Coney island to die. But Trenton's brother Mohammed has followed him and won't leave him alone, so Elliot tries to take care of him. Elliot ends up taking him to the movies, but Mohammed leaves partway through. Elliot finds him at a mosque and they argue with each other. But after, Elliot sits next to him and they talk about Trenton and Mohammed reveals his guilt over Trenton leaving. Elliot says it is his fault. Elliot takes Mohammed home and Mohammed gives him a lollipop. Elliot finds his resolve renewed and goes back to Mobley's brother, demanding that he hold a funeral for Mobley. He also gets rid of his morphine. Elliot then visits Angela and they share a moment together. Elliot goes back home, retrieves the Mr. Robot jacket and gets back to his computer where he sees an email from Trenton.
The Good: Themes of suicide are always a tricky topic to hit in a TV show, but this episode nailed it. The topic was given respect, and the narration connecting it to deletion of a file provided an interesting simplification of the theme. I appreciated the way that depression was examined in this episode, realistically showcasing what it is like for people when they lose the will to live, making it feel like they have nothing. Elliot was in this state, and Rami Malek portrayed it fantastically. Perhaps even better than how this episode conveyed depression was how effectively this episode conveyed what it feels like to come back from depression. That sense of triumph, satisfaction, and self-belief is overpowering after it has been absent for so long, and the end of the episode perfectly captured this feeling and has mentally prepared Elliot to keep fighting even after his latest failures. The episode starts with another interesting flashback to fill in Elliot's childhood. This one is really important as it showcases two huge events that were surprisingly linked: Elliot's father's death, and the origin of Mr. Robot. The death of Elliot's father is an impactful moment, especially because Elliot's final words to him are telling him that he does not forgive him. The scene is brutal and sad, and the way Elliot processed his father's death was equally heartbreaking. Rather than stick around or express any emotions, Elliot simply went to watch the movie anyways, and created Mr. Robot to help cure himself of the loneliness he feels without his father around. It seems that Elliot's disorder stemmed from his struggle to process the death of his father. In the present, Elliot is similarly lost when processing his role in the execution of stage 2. He's locked himself away in his apartment, but this time he can't rely on Mr. Robot to help him handle his loneliness. Darlene visits him early in the episode, Elliot's most meaningful connection. But even Darlene can't save Elliot from himself. Their scene is touching and their relationship is one of the strong points of the show, but Elliot is closed off here. He refuses Darlene at every turn, continues to hold Angela accountable, and is unable to find any sense of purpose for himself. Darlene sees it but she is powerless to stop him. Even the ones closest to Elliot are unable to pull him out of despair. And so Elliot decides he is going to kill himself. The episode takes a somber and melancholy turn and the directing reflects it. Elliot's choice feels final, helped by little details like him getting rid of the Mr. Robot jacket, and the inclusion of a gorgeous piece of music that captures Elliot's mental state perfectly. There is some magnificent filmmaking here, making this episode feel much more cinematic and emotional. Elliot's final hours sees him try to pay respects to the families of Mobley and Trenton with mixed results. It's sad to see how much the Dark Army's actions have affected these families. Mobley's family hates him now and views him as irredeemable, while Trenton's family is lost and confused, ready to move away and leave behind the country that has been so terrible to them. After paying his respects and being once again reminded of the cruel nature of the world, Elliot decides that it's time to end it all. But what stops him is surprising. Trenton's brother Mohammed heard Elliot talking about his sister, and so he followed him, looking to find someone else who might understand how he feels. It's unexpected, and Elliot's put off by now having this annoying kid to watch over. Their interactions are funny, but they feel realistic. Mohammed acts like a kid would typically act when dealing with Elliot. He lies to get his way, asks questions over and over again, and refuses to cooperate. It's delightful to watch Elliot bond with this kid as he slowly rediscovers his will to live. A nice touch is that this story takes place on Back to the Future day, a day that Elliot would doubtless have always looked forward to, but he forgot it was even happening. By taking Mohammed to the movies, Elliot is reminded of some of the smaller delights in life, and he gets some enjoyment out of discussing his passions with this kid. Finally, after lots of stalling, Elliot and Mohammed are able to open up to each other when they get to the mosque. They briefly argue to let out their frustrations, but right after they are able to come clean about everything. Mohammed brings up his guilt, and Elliot consoles him by revealing his own role in Trenton's death. They both open up to each other, and in doing this, Elliot forms an unexpected meaningful connection that reminds him of the virtues of life. Mohammed certainly doesn't know it, but he saved Elliot's life by simply caring enough to show him some attention. The moment near the end of the episode when Mohammed gives a lollipop to an emotional Elliot is a beautiful climax to this storyline, perfectly conveying the emotions of coming back from depression. This story was beautifully written, beautifully executed, and ends up being one of the most emotional parts of the series so far. The end of the episode shows us what Elliot can do now that he is coming back from the brink. There is another terrific music choice with "In Time" to herald Elliot's return as he goes around doing the things that we expect Elliot to do. He addresses the disrespect by Mobley's brother by hacking him to ensure that he gives Mobley the funeral that he deserves. This is reminiscent of the very first time we see Elliot when he hacks a pedophile to do justice, and it's symbolic of a rebirth of sorts for Elliot. It's great to see him taking actions to make a difference in the world once more. Furthermore, we get an outstanding moment between Elliot and Angela. Elliot's choice to forgive her is one that you can't help but feel happy about. Angela has made bad decisions, but so has Elliot. They are both down and hurting, and they needed each other more than ever so I was very happy to see Elliot decide to stay by her door and talk to her, especially since Angela wasn't ready to see him just yet. Their moment together is incredibly sad, hopeful, and, again, beautiful. Beautiful really is the way to describe this episode. The Bad: Nothing I would call bad. I suppose that a little kid helping an adult overcome their problems is a trope, but its usage is warranted here, and a powerful message is told through this story. It's not an issue for me. The Unknown: How is Elliot going to work to undo the hack? I took a look at Trenton's email thoroughly, but I certainly don't have the computer knowledge to know exactly what she's talking about. What's Elliot's next move going to be? Best Moment: Again we are spoiled for choice. Mohammed giving Elliot that lollipop probably clinches it for me. So emotionally powerful, and it perfectly conveys the idea that all it takes to be saved from yourself is an act of kindness and connection from anyone out there in the world. You can find purpose and meaning from the most unexpected of places. Character of the Episode: Elliot. Conclusion: A beautiful experience. This episode didn't do much for the plot, but it provided a tremendous examination of depression and suicide while examining the character of Elliot as he handles the despair of everything that just happened in the world. This was such an emotionally charged and powerful episode, and it succeeded at everything that it tried to do. Score: 83 Summary: Barry has returned to hired killing but isn't fulfilled. His home life with Sally has little spark as she is busy producing her own show which she stars in. Hank is interrogated by the police about the Chechen pin and what happened at the monastery and he frames Fuches who is currently in Chechnya. Hank has engaged in a relationship with Cristobal. Barry goes to Hank to find work, but Hank turns him away, annoyed that Barry framed him. Gene is told by the police that they have no evidence on Barry and that Fuches was the man responsible. Gene doesn't believe it and meets with Barry. He tells him what he knows and threatens to kill him but his gun falls apart and Barry kidnaps him and takes him to the desert to kill him. Gene tells Barry to earn his forgiveness and Barry decides not to kill him.
The Good: This show has come back as strong as ever, and I'm happy to have it back. First of all, I'm pleased to say that the tonal issues weren't anywhere as bad in this episode as they were in season 2. The show seems to be carrying a lighter tone overall and it doesn't take its serious scenes too seriously. There is some darker character work, but it isn't as overbearing as it used to be, allowing the show to hit a finer balance with its tone. Barry remains a compelling character to watch. He slid deeper into his depression and we can see that in both his appearance and the way he acts. He now visualizes bullet wounds in the people he is close to, and he is much more emotionally detached than he was last season. His relationship with Sally is surprisingly cold as he continues to do his work while Sally dives into her new job in producing a TV show (which features a beautiful long take of Sally walking through the sets). Barry is in a rut here, likely struggling because he is unable to forgive himself and doesn't feel like he deserves to be forgiven. Forgiveness is a major theme of this episode, established early on in a terrific (and funny) opening scene, before coming back in Barry's scenes with Hank and Gene, letting us know that Barry has much to atone for. The scenes with Gene are all very strong. I'm pleased that the show didn't tease us with Gene knowing about Barry for a long time, and the storyline was immediately propelled forwards. Gene quickly confronts Barry, which makes sense because Gene has lost everything, Janice, his acting class, his career, so he has nothing to lose in going for revenge. Gene knows what Barry has done. It doesn't take a detective because Gene has known Barry and all of his oddities get explained once Gene is able to connect the dots. Thus, it makes sense that Gene would go for revenge and his confrontation with Barry is tense and exciting. The scene builds and builds all the way to a superb climax where Gene's unused gun falls apart in hilarious fashion, allowing Barry to turn the tables on him. It's a classic "Barry" moment that really got me to laugh. Once Barry and Gene end up in the desert, it seems unlikely that Barry is going to kill him, but the tension is there. From there, we got a pleasing development as the old optimistic Barry comes out again when he realizes that he can work to earn forgiveness from Gene, giving him purpose and giving him hope. Hank is as much of a joy as ever and he's the highlight of this episode. His operation has become much tamer than it was before due to a lack of "baddies". The obvious heroin front store (PLANTS!) is hilarious, and I love seeing the Chechens being as incompetent as ever. Hank nails the interrogation, and he's such a funny personality to watch. Him dubbing Fuches "The Raven", his funny reaction to being shown the Chechen pin which he absurdly reads with glasses, and that glorious image with his foot up on the SUV are just a few examples of the many many laughs I had during the entire scene. Hank is written so well and is such a blast to watch. I'm happy to see that his relationship with Cristobal has been confirmed since it was all but confirmed last season. They are a lot of fun together, and it's remarkably easy to root for everything Hank-related because the character is so funny and likeable. The episode also features a great scene between him and Barry. Hank is understandably frustrated with Barry and his rejection is justified, but even with this anger it's still a joy to see these two interacting with each other. I'm excited to see where their relationship goes this season. The Bad: It's not necessarily a bad thing, but I'm sad that the acting class has ended. The group was always reliable for good jokes, and I'm sad that we won't be getting them anymore. Wasn't Mae investigating Fuches back in season 2? Surely she should know who he is by now. Perhaps it's intentional that the cops aren't revealing what they know about him, but I suspect that this was an oversight in the writing. The Unknown: What will Fuches do this season? It's strange that he is starting this season far away from everyone else in Chechnya. Is Hank going to forgive Barry eventually? If so, then why? How will Cristobal feel about that? What are the police going to do to attempt to find Fuches? What is Barry's plan to earn forgiveness from Gene? Will Gene go along with it or is he going to plot against Barry? Natalie has become Sally's assistant and Sally is as selfish as ever when dealing with her. I wonder if Natalie's frustrations are going to lead somewhere in this story. If so, where is it heading? Best Moment: Hank's interrogation really made me laugh. Character of the Episode: NoHo Hank. Because of course it is. Conclusion: There was nothing mind-blowing here, but this was a solid return for "Barry". Enjoyable drama and enjoyable comedy, it's all that you could want. Score: 65 Summary: Leon has killed Mobley's friend and is holding Mobley and Trenton hostage. He takes them out into the desert to bury him and Mobley and Trenton try to escape but crash. Leon takes them to a house where Whiterose's right hand man awaits them. He sets up a scenario to make it look like Trenton and Mobley were the leaders of fsociety, and he promptly kills them to make it look like suicide. The FBI has captured Tyrell who offers a deal to lead them to 2 fsociety operatives who kept him captive. Dom doesn't buy it but Santiago makes it happen. He also informs Tyrell of Joanna's death and threatens him into sticking to the plan. The FBI get the names of Mobley and Trenton from Tyrell and they track them to a house where they find them dead. Elliot panics upon seeing the news and goes to Krista but can't bring himself to face what happened. Mr. Robot comes out and all but admits to Krista that he was the architect of 5/9 while venting. Krista is bound by confidentiality and is unable to tell anyone about this. Upset, Mr. Robot confronts Irving who shows him a rich party happening on the same day. He tells Mr. Robot that his revolution was only allowed to happen because it was paid for by the top 1%. Angela is shell-shocked about the explosions and tells herself that she can rewind time and everyone will be okay. Price is angry at Whiterose who has ensured that Price will be fired. She reveals that she lied to Angela to ensure she stops being a problem, and that she turned on Price because she has to ask him twice.
The Good: The three words that I will use to describe this episode are emotional, devastating, and terrific. This was a harrowing and bleak experience as every single character went through some sort of mental trauma and the fallout of the attacks made things worse for every single character. That is, every single character except Whiterose. Among a world filled with chaos where everything is terrible, one person reigns supreme and that is the single most evil and sadistic character in this universe. This is a dominating win from the bad guys, and the episode does not shy away from examining how terrible this is for everyone else involved. Let's start with Elliot who had just learned about the attacks at the end of the previous episode. Poor Elliot can't handle what he has learned. Even though he isn't directly responsible for what happened, he is wracked with guilt for the role he played. This is shown to us in a fantastic way through Elliot's breakdown at Krista's house, with Elliot being unable to say what he has done as the audio and video crackles and makes it clear how overwhelmed Elliot feels. This was outstanding stuff, brutally effective and scary. Then we get to see Mr. Robot come out and he takes over the rest of the episode from Elliot. Mr. Robot has always been the force that we root for Elliot to overcome and yet that changes here because he's been played every bit as much as Elliot has. His rant to Krista is great. In this moment, he loses the ability to control what he says because of his need to vent. He was the mastermind behind fsociety, but now he has to watch as the organization and revolution he created gets morphed into something completely different, abandoning the morals that he followed. From being a noble revolution against the top 1%, fsociety is just another pawn for the top 1% committing terrorist attacks and murdering innocents. Mr. Robot is rightfully angry about this and goes straight to Irving to protest what's been done. And it's here that Irving tells him the sad, terrible truth: Elliot and Mr. Robot were always just pawns. He wasn't an architect for anything. The only reason his revolution happened was because the top 1% allowed it to happen and even funded it. This revelation is horrifying for Mr. Robot and it's horrifying for us. This is Irving bleakly telling us that it's all meaningless, because no matter what happens, you cannot take down the people sitting at the top. No economic crisis, dead bodies in the bathroom, or terrorist attacks around the country are capable of stopping them, so what can be done. Irving has the energy of somebody who has given up on changing society and has simply accepted his small, overlooked role in everything. But for Mr. Robot who was a revolutionary with enormous goals, this moment signifies a realization that he will never succeed in his goal, and that his entire purpose was doomed to only make things worse from the start. It's bleak, it's sad, it's hopeless, emotions that this episode does a fantastic job of making you feel. Another character thrown in a hopeless scenario is Tyrell. Tyrell has been strictly loyal to the Dark Army in spite of everything. We have seen the extent of his sacrifice. He avoided his family, he shot Elliot, he changed his plans accordingly, and now he's let himself be arrested and framed two innocent people for everything. Tyrell worked hard and loyally, and this episode we see how he is rewarded: a stoic FBI agent who doesn't even like him tells him that his wife died and was cheating on him, and threatens to ensure a terrible life for his son if Tyrell doesn't continue to comply with everything the Dark Army asks of him. This scene is outstanding and Martin Wallstrom's acting is unbelievable. He conveys Tyrell's pain so well that you can't help but feel for this sociopath as he realizes that he has lost everything to the Dark Army and now has to keep working for them while having nothing to live for. The scene is perhaps the most painful of the episode due to the extent of Tyrell's grief and the heartless brutality of Santiago's words. Speaking of Santiago, he had a pretty good episode. He continues to be humanized a little bit through his calls with his mother, and I'm curious to learn more about his personal situation and why he is working for the Dark Army. I'm pleased that the character is being expanded upon so that he is more than just a 2-dimensional villain. Revealing that Santiago is a double agent was a good call because all of his scenes with Dom contain more tension. We know that Santiago is working to further the Dark Army's agenda, so it's easy to root for Dom to overcome his influence, though she fails every time. This episode utilized their story perfectly as Santiago does just enough to remain credible despite actively sabotaging the FBI's operation. They end up capturing Mobley and Trenton at the end of the episode but naturally Dom doesn't believe it. She has interrogated Mobley and she knows that he is not leadership material. He has been framed, Dom knows it, Santiago knows it, and I suspect that Dom is starting to realize that Santiago's string of poor decisions is not just coincidence. The interplay between these characters and the slow realization that Dom is having is engaging to watch, and it leads to a tremendously satisfying moment at the end of the episode. Santiago congratulates Dom for a successful capture, but Dom isn't having it. She knows better, and she's not buying into Santiago's plan. She rushes off to investigate on her own and confirms that the Dark Army is responsible for this. The final moments of the episode are fantastic and perfectly sum up the purpose of this episode. Dom knows that Whiterose did this, but the entire world remains clueless. She is one person caught in a storm without anybody to trust. She feels powerless, and she faces the harsh realization that Whiterose is "actually going to get away with this". A bleak, depressing message to conclude the episode, letting us know that Whiterose has won and that she will not be facing repercussions from what she did. Whiterose's scenes with Price are thrilling in this episode. From being frustratingly vague in seasons 1 and 2, this relationship has evolved into being one of the most captivating and exciting things to watch. The show is also making an effort to explain what exactly was going on between the two characters in season 2. We get some nice reveals that Whiterose installed Price to obey her, that Price's only job was to take care of Angela, and that Whiterose lied to Angela to prevent her from interfering with his plans (more on this in a bit). It clears up a lot of mystery, while also reinforcing the villainy of Whiterose as she reveals her petty reasoning for screwing over Price entirely: she had to ask him twice. It's awful, it's frustrating and it ensures that we feel a sense of hopelessness as this terrible, terrible person continues to succeed without any sort of consequences. Michael Cristofer continues to be a stand-out performer in this show. His rage upon realizing that he was played by Whiterose is fantastic, and you can't help but feel for him as he has been screwed by a character who is proving to be the absolute worst in the entire show. We know that Price wants to be the most powerful man in the room, so being thoroughly outplayed by Whiterose must be an awful feeling for him. I wonder if "Mr. Robot" will attempt to humanize Price further and even get us to sympathize more with him. Angela did not have very many scenes in this episode, but you can't help but feel for her. She is in a deluded state, replaying the building collapses over and over again. Once more, she is echoing whatever belief that Whiterose instilled in her, hopeful that everything can be undone. But she sounds more and more insane with each thing she says. It only gets worse when we learn that Whiterose was likely lying about everything, and that the cause Angela is so invested in is likely nonexistent. It's a brutal reveal because we have seen how much Angela has been affected by everything. It's terrible to see Angela in an almost catatonic state as a result of all she has been through. She was once the optimistic moral compass of the show, and look where she is now. It's very sad. Mobley and Trenton's story is the main focus of the episode, and I enjoyed it a lot. Leon's presence thankfully injects some comedy into this bleak episode to ensure that it isn't an entirely miserable experience. Leon's constant TV show references are as fun as ever as he takes on "Frasier" and "Knight Rider" in this episode. I haven't seen either, but I appreciate that the episode's intro was done to the "Knight Rider" theme song, a funny reference. Leon continues to pull out some great lines like "that's no way to treat a caddy" and a funny reference to "eps2.5_h4ndshake.sme" when he refers to where his knife has been. While Leon is funny and charming, Mobley and Trenton feel very real in their efforts to escape. Their banter is a lot of fun, making me wish that we had seen more of them up until now. In the end, their fate ends up being a sad one. We are hopeful that they can at least get away safe in spite of all the horror that has happened in this episode. Even though they aren't the deepest characters, we understand that they simply wanted to get away and that they were in over their head. These emotions are relatable and it ensures that we are invested in their plight. In an episode where everything is going terribly, we would at least liek to see these two minor characters get out alive. But of course, the cherry on top is that it doesn't happen. The Dark Army lead Trenton and Mobley away and it slowly becomes clear that the plan is to murder them and frame them for everything, which is such a tragic fate considering that they weren't very invested in the revolution anyways. The FBI raid is intercut with the Dark Army preparing their deaths, and it leads us to hope against hope that somehow they can get there in time and save Trenton and Mobley, and perhaps uncover the truth about the Dark Army. But of course, in a clever editing trick, we are seeing two different timelines and by the time the FBI enter the building, it's much too late. Trenton and Mobley are dead, and framed for one of the world's biggest crimes, a crime that they weren't even involved in. One final gutpunch to conclude an episode filled with them. The Bad: It's mostly little things that detracted from some of this. I still find it tough to connect with Angela's delusions because we didn't see what made her like this. Whiterose and Price arguing loudly and openly in public should surely be a bad idea. They wouldn't want anyone else to hear what they are up to. Mobley and Trenton's deaths were sad and impactful, but they could have hit so much harder if these two were developed and explored properly in the previous seasons. They hardly felt like characters by the time of their deaths. The Unknown: Why did Leon kill Mobley's roommate? What will Krista do with her information about Elliot? How will her relationship with him change? Will Tyrell remain loyal to the Dark Army after what has happened? I'm sure it's only a matter of time before Dom finds some proof on Santiago. Does she already suspect that he's compromised? Why is Santiago so frustrated? Is he a double agent by choice or is he being forced by the Dark Army to be a double agent? What is on Trenton's email? Who did she send it to? Darlene? How long does Price have left at E Corp? Will he attempt to get back at Whiterose somehow? Who will he select to be his replacement? Is Angela proposing that Whiterose is attempting time travel? Judging by Whiterose's later conversation with Price, it sounds like everything she told Angela was a lie to manipulate her. How will Elliot process what happens when he emerges again? Best Moment: We are really spoiled for choice here. I'll go with Irving's speech to Mr. Robot for its thematic significance combined with that sense of bleakness that permeated the entire episode. Character of the Episode: Whiterose. This was her victory, through and through. Conclusion: Despite not being as intense as the last two episodes, this was even better. This episode examined Whiterose's victory to perfection, created a devastating and upsetting episode that makes it explicitly clear how hopeless everything is. These emotions were perfectly realized and this episode hits hard in a way that very few episodes of television can. Simply fantastic stuff as "Mr. Robot" continues to tell an incredible story in season 3. Score: 85 Summary: Flashbacks show Angela at a party for her mother who is going to die soon from cancer. Elliot's father speaks with her and she goes to talk with her mother. In the present, Elliot confronts Angela about what she did and Angela gets him to leave by reminding him that he's been fired and isn't allowed in the building. Elliot goes to the Recovery building to stop stage 2, but Mr. Robot fights him for control and forces him to backtrack whenever he takes over. Elliot continually fights Mr. Robot in an attempt to reach the battery room to prevent an explosion from happening. He is able to communicate that there aren't any paper records in the building and Mr. Robot ceases after realizing it's true. Elliot prevents an explosion and leaves satisfied, but he realizes that the Dark Army instead bombed the 71 other E Corp buildings where he distributed the records. Darlene tells Dom that Tyrell is in the Red Wheelbarrow, and she goes to Santiago to turn in Tyrell. Santiago says to be cautious and warns Irving they have been found. Dom and Norm go investigate the Red Wheelbarrow anyways but find nobody there. Irving gives Tyrell instructions on what to do next. When Dom goes outside, Tyrell runs around screaming to stop "the attack" and he is arrested. Angela returns home and finds Darlene who tries to convince her to stop what she's doing. They both receive notifications of the attack and are shocked. Whiterose and Price speak at a party and Price is later given news of the attack.
The Good: Angela's flashback was an effective way to start the episode. We haven't delved too far into her upbringing, so it's good to see how the events of the past have shaped who she is. To start, the casting choice for young Angela was picture perfect. I immediately knew I was looking at young Angela without needing a word of dialogue. The opening scene was interesting because it paralleled Angela's mother's words to her with Angela's current belief that she can prevent her death by following Whiterose. It's a curious connection that helps us understand why Angela would have been susceptible to whatever it was that Whiterose told her. There's also a great scene with Elliot's father, reminding us how capable of a parent he was as he sees Angela feeling sad and alone and goes over to help her out which simultaneously looking out for Elliot. I found these scenes to be surprisingly emotional and impactful, complete with an excellent soundtrack and memorable lighting scheme that helped give this scene an almost heavenly feel to symbolize that we are celebrating a character's death. But immediately after this lovely flashback, the episode launches into another thrilling and intense experience. We start in the midst of a terrific dramatic confrontation between a betrayed Elliot and Angela who is trying her best to defend her actions to ease her own inner conflict. Their argument is brilliantly written and the acting is top-notch. It's a huge turning point in their relationship that lives up to being a monumental moment. We don't even get to see a proper resolution because Angela runs away from their debate, retreating into her cold business personality to get Elliot away from her in an attempt to keep believing the illusion that she is doing the right thing for the betterment of the world. But the rest of the episode makes it clear that she doesn't believe this anymore. She's like a ghost as she echoes her belief that nobody will die when she faces down a thief with a gun later in the episode. Having just listened to how much the 5/9 hack has affected the lives of two senior ladies on the subway, Angela falls into guilt, so much so that in this moment you suspect that she may have even welcomed being shot to get away from the guilt she feels. Then in the final moments of the episode she is confronted by Darlene, who knows her well enough to want to give her another chance. But once again Angela hides away from the truth, until reality checks in for both of them with a simple phone notification. Angela has been handled much better this season, and once you get over how sudden her character change is, there is a great story being told with her. Elliot's efforts to stop stage 2 are highly dramatic. The episode makes it crystal clear what Elliot's goal is and why. He is going to stop stage 2 and save the lives of the many and prevent the Dark Army for blowing up society into being even worse than it has already been in the past couple seasons. It's easy to root for him, and the episode does a terrific job of giving him setbacks that originate within his own mind. It's dramatic to see him working hard at a solution that may work only to be forcibly shoved away by Mr. Robot who emerges to make him lose time. It's disorienting, and every time Mr. Robot takes over, you can feel the suspense rising as the explosion gets closed and closer to going off. We eventually make our way to one of the episode's most creative and most "Fight Club" sequences when Elliot is physically fighting himself while walking down a hallway. It's equal parts dramatic and hilarious, especially when a random worker walks past Elliot as he continues to harm himself while heading down that hallway. The build-up is suspenseful, the comedy is nicely integrated, and there's a nice bit of exploration of Elliot's relationship with Mr. Robot as he uses messages to try to talk some sense into him. All of it leads to a great climax where Mr. Robot realizes that his plan isn't going to work so he allows Elliot to save everyone in the building and stop the explosion. This worked pretty well, and it was a relief to realize that Elliot succeeded and stopped the attack. But the relief feels hollow and you can't help but escape that sense of dread that something is not quite right. Whether it's Tyrell screaming to stop the attack, or Angela and Darlene getting mysterious notifications, you get the sense that something big is about to happen. The dread comes from the fact that Elliot has not clued in and believes that he has won. It's a slow and scary moment when Elliot realizes that something has gone wrong and we are hit with a stunning reveal that Elliot's interventions ultimately made things worse as Tyrell attacked 71 different E Corp buildings instead, executing the plan flawlessly while murdering thousands. This moment is outstanding and the realization hits like a truck when you learn that Elliot failed and that the Dark Army may have just successfully ended E Corp. This is a monumental moment and it absolutely feels like it. Kudos to Sam Esmail for telling this story well enough that we understand the consequences of this scene. We also get a strong storyline as the FBI close in on Tyrell. Darlene relays intel from Elliot to Dom and they work on stopping the Dark Army. But unfortunately they have to go through Santiago, and knowing that he is a traitor raises the suspense massively. We know that Santiago is actively working against Dom and Norm and we hope that they can find a way to prove him wrong. This helps make them going rogue feel like such a satisfying moment. It's not just a bold and rash decision, it's the only move that can stop Tyrell and the Dark Army, so we can celebrate when Norm and Dom feign asking each other to go get food. The suspense picks up as Dom's investigation begins while we are shown scenes of Irving and Tyrell packing up to leave. There is a whole load of tension as we await to see if Dom can make it in time, and there's even some extra tension in Irving giving Tyrell the letter because we know that Tyrell learning about Joanna's death is a bomb that is waiting to drop on him. Cutting these scenes together added to the suspense, and it led to an interesting and exciting moment later in the episode as Tyrell is arrested, presumably on the Dark Army's orders (see: The Unknown), and Dom is still struggling to put the pieces together on how this all adds up. What made all of these storylines so effective and so intense was the choice to splice them together and frequently cut from scene to scene, creating an enormous sense of tension. It's a trick similar to "eps2.8_h1dden-pr0cess.axx" which made the ending of that episode so heart-poundingly thrilling. The tension rises exponentially through the episode, and all of the already exhilarating storylines that I discussed above were elevated to a whole new level of tension. Furthermore, the return to regular pacing when cutting between scenes at the end of the episode helped create that false sense of security that made the ending twist hit even harder. I appreciate that Santiago was humanized in this episode through an excellent call with his mother (see: The Unknown). It's great to see the minor characters in this show proving to us that they have some extra depth. The Bad: Nothing I would call outright bad, but I do have some reasons for not scoring this above an 80. Despite being an astonishingly intense experience, I did not feel personally invested with the characters as much as I would in a top-tier episode. A consequence of the rapid cutting between scenes is that each individual character feels more disconnected from myself, and that hurts my investment in the individual storylines even if the episode as a whole remains intense. I know it's a strange complaint, and it's tough to put into words why it affected me, but this problem meant that this episode did not hit the same highs as "eps3.4_runtime-err0r.roo". The Unknown: Who is Angela mother's anonymous benefactor? How will this character play a role in the story? Will Angela come to realize that she's fighting for the wrong cause here? It's hard to justify blowing up 71 buildings and killing thousands no matter what you believe. Did Mr. Robot do anything else while he was in control of Elliot's body? What were Tyrell's instructions? Is the Dark Army making it look like Tyrell was a hostage while someone else was doing this attack? Who are they going to blame if not Tyrell? Did Tyrell end up finding out that Joanna died? Why did Santiago tell his mother to stay home? Was it to make sure she doesn't get caught in the explosions? How much did he know about what was happening? How does he feel about it? How are these explosions going to affect the futures of E Corp and the world at large? How is Price going to handle what just happened? Best Moment: The twist reveal at the end completely caught me off guard. What a brilliant way to end the episode, sharply switching our emotional state from relief to dread as we realize the scope of what just happened. Even though we didn't see it happen ourselves, it's easy to understand that this is a monumental event that could potentially change everything. Character of the Episode: Elliot. Conclusion: Another fantastic and suspenseful episode that completely changed everything. The twist at the end was a brilliant piece of work and I'm excited to explore the fallout of stage 2's success. Season 3 has been firing on all cylinders so far, and it is well on its way to being a terrific season of television. Score: 78 Summary: Jimmy and Kim try to find someone to spread some word about Howard being a drug addict and Kim comes up with an idea. Jimmy goes to visit the Kettlemans and plants the idea that Craig can get exonerated because Howard is an addict. The Kettlemans refuse to work with Jimmy and go to 4 different places including Davis & Main about Howard's addiction. Cliff sends them away but is perturbed by their words. Jimmy returns to the Kettlemans with Kim and tries to give them money for their silence but they refuse. Kim then turns the tables, telling them that she will report them for tax preparer fraud if they don't cooperate. They agree and Kim gets them to not mention Howard ever again and to stop taking advantage of their clients. Mike replaces Nacho's safe, including a letter, also sending away the girls in Nacho's house. Bolsa's men invade his house and find the letter which connects them to the motel Nacho is staying in. At the motel, Nacho notices he's being spied on. He sneaks out of his room and pulls a gun on the man. He discerns that he's a spy for Gus and realizes Gus isn't going to help him. Nacho goes to a truck to escape, but suddenly The Twins pull up and start hunting down Nacho. Nacho hotwires the car and gets into a gunfight. He tries to drive off but The Twins shoot out his tires. Gus arranges a meeting with Hector for a peace offering, and he discerns that Lalo is alive from Hector's reactions. Gus prepares for Lalo but Mike tells him he's like going after Nacho. Gus asks Mike to bring Nacho's father, but Mike refuses. Nacho calls and asks to speak with Gus.
The Good: Jimmy and Kim's story was again an absolute blast. The return of the Kettlemans is such a fun idea to base this episode around, and it fits so naturally into the story that I can't imagine using any other characters for this specific con. Betsy and Craig are as fun as ever, and there were countless hilarious jokes as Jimmy and Kim set them up. From Betsy being horrified at the idea of her children in public school, to Craig claiming that Howard's addiction was the "talk of the yard", every joke involving these characters landed perfectly. I thoroughly enjoyed Cliff and Erin's befuddled reaction to these fools spouting some obviously invalid claims in a hopeful attempt to better their own lives. Jimmy had set them up perfectly to look like buffoons, and their scene was even better than expected. Plus, the plan looks like it is working since Cliff noticeably stops playing his guitar after the meeting, clearly contemplating the possibility that Howard is an addict after two separate events suggested it. Jimmy and Kim's plan is a delightful slowburn and I'm loving it. But even better is how the plot of this episode reflects on both Jimmy and Kim through the simple use of a carrot and stick dynamic. Jimmy obviously does not like these people, and Betsy is sure to remind Jimmy that she doesn't consider him to be a real lawyer over and over throughout the episode, just in case Jimmy forgets how much he is frustrated by them and how much he hates them. But a part of Jimmy feels bad about what they are doing to the Kettlemans. Perhaps part of him somewhat respects their attempted tax preparer fraud, so he is willing to work with them and offer them some money to help keep them quiet. But Kim on the other hand extends no such sympathy. We see her glance at a poor old lady, one of many that the Kettlemans have been scamming, and she decides immediately that these selfish, entitled upper-class idiots do not deserve any of her sympathy. These early episodes have done a great job of establishing Kim's distaste for the rich taking advantage of the poor, which is backed up with what we learned about her upbringing in the last season. Thus it makes perfect sense that she would happily work against the Kettlemans. What came completely out of the left field was how ruthless she was in tearing them down. Kim meant business, and she was intimidating, scary, and authoritative in her handling of the Kettlemans. She was a stone-cold businesswoman in this scene and Rhea Seehorn did a spectacular job of conveying Kim's distaste for them. Another beautiful touch comes at the end of the episode as Kim is disappointed that Jimmy still gave them their payday because he felt bad for them. Thinking on how far they have come together, Jimmy can only say "wolves and sheep", a lovely callback to a flashback in "Inflatable" back in season 2, which highlights that Kim has transformed into being even more of a wolf than he is. Nacho's story is spectacularly tense. Mike and Gus have to work against him and Gus is setting him up to be killed in order to simply tie up another loose end. The opening scene is a brilliant piece of filming as we see Mike plant evidence that Nacho is working for a gang within his personal safe. It's a classic "Better Call Saul" scene where you are left wondering what Mike is doing until the end of the sequence reveals that he's sneaking a letter into Nacho's safe, the contents of which only becoming clear when Bolsa breaks into Nacho's house later in the episode. There are some brilliant moments here that highlighted Mike's humanity, like his handling of the girls in Nacho's house, and hiding Nacho's father's identity to keep him protected. Mike's desire to keep Manuel safe comes into play in a big way late into the episode. We see the pressure building on Gus throughout the episode as he eventually realizes that Lalo is alive. He does so by meeting with Hector in a facade to arrange a peace deal, and it's a wonderful idea by Gus. Gus trusts his ability to read people to determine from Hector if Lalo is alive or not. But in a surprising moment, Hector doesn't let Gus read him and he openly makes a face to Gus, ensuring that he knows that Lalo is alive and that Lalo is coming for him. The moment is fantastic, so perfectly in character for Hector to risk letting Gus know about Lalo for the simple satisfaction of scaring Gus. And it works. Gus is paranoid, he's increasing his protection, and he's using every resource possible to wait for Lalo's arrival. In a beautiful touch, Gus's own anxiety leads to him breaking a glass, which he is forced to methodically clean up on his own, an indicator of the mental pressure he's under, and perhaps also symbolizing that Gus is in a mess of his own making that he now needs to clean up. It takes Mike telling Gus that Lalo will still be in Mexico going after Nacho for him to calm down, and his immediate reaction is troubling. Gus instinctively looks for leverage by bringing in Manuel, and Mike has had enough. Mike went along with framing Nacho and leaving him to die, but he will not endanger Manuel; he respects Nacho enough to not let this happen. Seeing Mike stand up to Gus and remain sturdy in his position even with Tyrus throwing a gun in his face is spectacular, and tells us everything we need to know about Mike and the bond he has developed with Nacho. Mike believes that he owes it to Nacho to keep his father safe, and we can bet that he's not going to let Gus get away with being an inhumane animal on the same level as the Salamancas. Nacho is once again responsible for the most intense, stressful, and heart-pounding scenes in the episode. His time in the motel room is filled with fear and anxiety, which Michael Mando conveys so well. Nacho is careful, he's smart, and he's perceptive. With his only ally Mike not picking up the phone (a decision that likely seems to be Mike's indirect way of telling Nacho that he's been betrayed by Gus), Nacho begins to fear for the worst in his motel room. He paces around restlessly, and the slightest sound of someone walking outside leads to Nacho raising his gun and fearing for the worst. But it's a good thing that Nacho is perceptive and smart, because his suspicion leads him to notice the tiniest of details: a functioning air conditioning unit in a tiny abandoned shack that has a slight hole perfectly angled to watch his room. Nacho takes a risk to step outside and confirms his biggest fear: someone is watching him. The realization is horrifying, and Nacho understands that if somebody is watching him, then death will be coming to him at any time. Nacho's frustration is perfectly conveyed, and it becomes imperative for him to leave that room immediately. The music amps up the stress and Nacho finally manages to get out. But it's Nacho's next moves that really shine. Rather than running away, Nacho confronts the man with his gun. Through a clever trick with Tyrus, Nacho determines that this man is working for Gus and that Gus has no intention of helping him; if he did, then this man would be driving Nacho back home rather than watching him in the motel. Nacho knocks the man out rather than shooting him, another smart move, and now the pressure is on. This leads us to a spectacular action setpiece at the end of the episode. Nacho knows that time is of the essence and that he needs to leave. But when trying to hotwire a truck, the worst happens and the Salamanca Twins pull up to the motel. Again, Michael Mando is spectacular in portraying Nacho's fear, and this becomes a battle for survival as Nacho tries to get this car going so he can escape. But Nacho is spotted, and caught in the middle of a gunfight before the Salamanca Twins stop it; Nacho needs to be captured alive. This gives Nacho an opening, and after a tense confrontation with The Twins, he just about manages to get away with a damaged and shot truck. Who knows how far he's going to get under his current conditions, but watching this escape was tremendously intense, a gripping and exciting setpiece to serve as a climax to this episode. The Bad: The one issue I had was actually with the fact that we had two back to back episodes with Kim making a plan and Jimmy executing it. That means that the show twice had to rely on the trope of cutting away from characters right before they discussed the details of a plan. It was noticeably repetitive. The Unknown: Who is following Jimmy and Kim? That looked like Lalo's car, but surely he is still in Mexico. Has Howard caught scent of their plan? Did Nacho get away from the Salamanca Twins? It looked like they shot out his tires, how far did he get? Why is he calling for Gus? Does he have a plan? How will Gus react to this? Will Mike be able to keep Nacho's father out of harm's way? Will the Salamancas go after him too? Surely he needs someone to protect him. Best Moment: As much as I loved Nacho's escape from the motel, I have to give it to Kim ruthlessly shutting down the Kettlemans. What a moment for a character who continues to surprise and impress me at every turn. Character of the Episode: Nacho. Conclusion: This was excellent stuff, even better than the last episode. The return of the Kettlemans was a blast in the next step of the Howard scheme, while Nacho's moves at the motel are a masterclass in suspense-filled action. The story is heating up, and there is a wonderful mix of fun, tension, action, and character work throughout this episode. Score: 74 Summary: A flashforward shows Saul's house getting repossessed. In the present, Jimmy and Kim go to the courthouse to work. They meet up at a diner at the end of the day and Kim begins to discuss her plan for Howard, suggesting that they attack Howard's reputation in Cliff's eyes. Jimmy is reluctant but ultimately goes along with the plan. Their first step sees Jimmy going to Howard's country club, and after an encounter with Kevin and making a distraction in the bathroom, he sneaks into the locker room and plants a bag of baby powder in Howard's locker, making it look like cocaine. Howard opens his locker and it falls out, which startles Cliff. Gus learns that the hit was a success but he's skeptical. Mike wants Gus to help Nacho but Gus has other ideas. Nacho is on the run in Mexico and Tyrus directs him via phone to a motel where he is told to stay. Lalo goes to a house where he has invested in someone to use as a body double. He kills him to help fake his death. The Twins see the burned fake body and go after revenge. Lalo prepares to head back across the border, but quickly calls Hector to let him know he's alive. Hector tells Lalo to find proof, and Lalo decides to remain in Mexico.
The Good: Season 6 opens up with a surprise from the start. What we expected would be a black and white Gene sequence quickly gains colour and transforms into a beautifully directed sequence of Saul's mansion being repossessed following the events of "Breaking Bad". The sequence is gorgeously shot to a rendition of "Wine and Roses" and filled with lovely little details as we get a grasp of what the home life of Saul Goodman looked like. The sequence flows along like a delightful dream up until a brilliant final moment that can't help but feel sad and ominous. Out from all of the boxes falls the iconic Zafiro Anejo bottle stopper, and the music stops as the camera zooms in to focus on it in silence. It's a memento of Saul's past, and another suggestion that there is not likely to be a happy ending for Jimmy and Kim (see: The Unknown). In the present, the show is quick to illustrate the change in Kim's demeanour and how Jimmy feels about it. Kim has a ruthless side to her now, and this is shown in a brilliant scene where Kim decides to throw away Jimmy's iconic mug. She does it impulsively without asking Jimmy, and the moment can't help but feel like Kim's rejection of Jimmy McGill for the flowery Saul Goodman, a sad indicator that Kim might actually be the final push that gets Jimmy to become Saul like he is in "Breaking Bad". Jimmy's clearly unsure on what to feel about Kim. He is lying there awake as she sleeps next to him when we first check in with them, and there's a lovely shot later in the episode where Jimmy tells Kim that he's feeling great, only for the show to cut to a shot of Jimmy in the elevator where he looks anything but. Jimmy is still torn up by everything and he gets caught with his pants down, accidentally name-dropping Lalo's name to the DA with a classic Freudian slip. It's evident that all is not right with Jimmy at the start of the season. And that takes us to Jimmy and Kim's scene at the diner. We know that Jimmy is not feeling good about himself, and that he is a bit offput by Kim's change. But we are given a great reminder of what it is about Kim that we love so much as she talks about the "best day of her professional life" that she spent helping her unfortunate clients get out of unwinnable positions. Jimmy sees this, and upon seeing how disheartened Kim is that her plan with Howard won't be going through, Jimmy reluctantly dips his toes in the water. And as it always is with him, it doesn't take very long before Jimmy is swept up by his excitement and is soon helping Kim execute the first step of her plan. The country club scheme is a blast to watch. True to form, we don't know what the plan is so a lot of suspense comes from us being unsure if things are working out or not. The case in point is a hilarious cameo from Kevin as he spots Jimmy in the country club and immediately makes a scene to have him removed. But in a brilliant twist, Jimmy turns it around on Kevin and accuses him of antisemitism, giving him some slack from the tour guide and ensuring that he will be able to get into the bathroom no questions asked. Another brilliant example of the fun that "Better Call Saul" extracts from these schemes is Jimmy getting naked to avoid being made by Howard. It's a delight and it neatly sets up the reveal of the little bag of "cocaine" in Howard's locker, right when you think that maybe Jimmy wasn't able to do what he needed to do with the locker. The set up is great and I'm excited to see where Jimmy and Kim's plan goes from here. The cartel half of the show remains detached from Jimmy and Kim in this episode, but that's probably for the better as we have a whole lot going on here. Lalo is on a path to vengeance following what happened to his house, and it is brutally compelling to see him turn a corner and embrace that hidden fury instead of maintaining his charm. The sequence with poor Sylvia and Mateo was brilliant. It quickly becomes apparent that Lalo has been preparing Mateo to be used as a body double in case he ever needed it. But what's brilliant is that the show dwells on how much killing these two effects Lalo. He remembers their names and he sees that they respect him, and we can tell that Lalo enjoys being a good leader to these people. But Gus's actions have forced his hand, and we can see remorse clear as day on Lalo's face as he does what he needs to. The next step for Lalo is to head back to Albuquerque and go after Gus, but before he goes he makes a call with Hector, which ends up being a fantastic scene. Mark Margolis is as brilliant as ever, conveying Hector's despair as it turns to glee and delight upon hearing Lalo's voice. And Lalo is spitting fire to Hector, furious that he has been attacked and readying himself for vengeance. His anger is beautifully brought to the forefront by Tony Dalton, and there's a lovely little scene as Lalo immediately flicks a switch to being charming when the lady working at Casa Tranquila briefly takes over the call. The scene is unnervingly effective, and we conclude with another perfect example of Lalo's brutality as he ruthlessly murders the people responsible for the transportation because they did not play nice. Lalo is ruthless and he's unflinching in the face of opposition. Nacho's scenes on the other hand are a stressful viewing experience. Every scene is tense as he's deep in hostile territory with no friends, understanding full well that if anybody sees him, he is as good as dead. His scenes are fraught with danger and that makes them quite the thrilling experience. Be it hiding from some farmers or openly checking into a motel, everything he does has me on the edge of my seat. What makes it worse is that Gus seems to have no intention of helping Nacho, and may be willing to sacrifice him for the cause. The only person we know that cares for Nacho's best interests is Mike, and while Mike does attempt to convince Gus to help the poor guy, it doesn't seem to work. Concerningly, Mike does not pick up Nacho's phone call either, and it seems like Nacho's last ally may be unable to help him in whatever is coming next. I really like the new intro. The intro has slowly been getting more and more glitchy across the seasons, and it is beautiful to watch in this final season. The Bad: Nothing I would call outright bad. The one thing working against this episode is that it is very clearly a set-up episode and a lot of time is spent on laying foundations for the season. There is definitely still some of the excellent character work that this show is known for, but more time is dedicated towards the plot and set-up than what we usually get in season premieres. I suppose that's a consequence of this season having more plot to get through. It's not something that I dislike about the episode, but it is something that prevents the episode from being top quality. The Unknown: That was an interesting opening scene. Why does Jimmy have Kim's bottle stopper? Did something happen to her or happen between them? Is it possible that she was living in that house? It seems unlikely because we don't see any sign of any others living there. What is Gus planning for Nacho? Will Mike go along with it? Is there somebody coming to save Nacho or is Gus setting him up? What will be the consequences of Jimmy accidentally mentioning Lalo's name to the DA? What is Kim's next step in her plan? How much of the country club stunt was planned? Was Jimmy always supposed to make a scene with Kevin or did he have to improvise to get to Howard's locker? What proof is Lalo going after? Is he going to hunt down Nacho? Best Moment: Lalo's phone call with Hector. It was amazingly acted and portrayed the change in Lalo's composure to perfection. Character of the Episode: Jimmy. Conclusion: A welcome return for "Better Call Saul" in its final season. As ever, this is a methodical and well thought out episode that sets up the season's story and explores the characters in unique ways. Score: 68 Summary: Elliot arrives to work but is confused and has no memory of the past few days. The news reveals that it is the day of the Congo vote. Elliot goes to log in and realizes his account has been locked. Samar tells him someone is going to be fired and Elliot realizes it's him. He realizes that stage 2 is happening and evades security in an attempt to find a terminal to work. He is found and escapes into an elevator. He accepts it is too late and changes focus to evacuating the building. After being escorted out through the mass protests, he is met by Darlene who reveals she has been working with the FBI and that Angela has been working with Mr. Robot. The protest turns into a riot and the mob attacks the E Corp building. Angela gets instructions from Irving to find Elliot, but in the chaos she knows she won't find him. Angela goes to the security room and does the hack herself. She is spotted there by Lydia and reports to Irving who says he will take care of her. Angela manages to escape from the rioters by wearing an fsociety mask. She returns to her office where Elliot is waiting for her.
The Good: It took me about 10 minutes to realize that this entire episode would be done in a single free-flowing camera shot. Or at least, with the illusion of a single shot, but whatever cuts there are were expertly hidden away to create a phenomenal, highly personalized real-time experience within the E Corp building. I can't understate how unbelievably impressive this episode is from a technical standpoint. The skill needed to execute something like this is unbelievable, and to even consider doing this requires some remarkable creativity and vision. I have to give points to this episode for pulling this off so perfectly. Not once did the style of this episode take away from the drama and the suspense, and it was a really inspired decision, contributing to this being such a brutally tense and suspenseful experience. And what a tense experience it was. From the opening minutes, things were suspenseful and I was on the edge of my seat. Elliot started the episode disoriented, but through a well placed bit of news we were told that it was the day of the Congo vote, meaning that it was the day of stage 2. Establishing this immediately ratcheted up the tension. Elliot was way behind on knowledge and so the first few minutes got their tension from us waiting for Elliot to catch up and realize what was happening. And from then on the episode grabbed on and never let go. From Elliot escaping security, to Darlene revealing the truth, to the pure chaos of the riot, and finally to Angela's suspenseful mission. This was non-stop suspense and I was on the very edge of my seat watching it the entire time. The episode is divided into three distinct parts, and all of them are great. The first focuses on Elliot getting his bearings and realizing what is happening. This sequence is terrific and highly engaging. Elliot is completely disoriented upon returning to his own consciousness and the episode does a splendid job of showing this through moments like the glitching effects and Elliot's brief rant to Samar, who provides lots of laughs early in the episode. But the entire sequence is shrouded in suspense because we know that it's the day of stage 2 and that Elliot's preparations have been overcome. It is a long and tense wait for Elliot to catch up with us and realize that stage 2 is underway, he has been fired, and that there is nothing he can do to stop it. The entire experience is fantastic and dripping with suspense once Elliot realizes what is going on. His attempts to escape are a joy. There's a brilliant moment where he tries to prey on an older lady only to discover that she's unexpectedly tech-savvy, forcing him to instead use intimidation to get a younger care-free guy off of his terminal. But the results are devastating for him, and his attempt to escape leads to him hiding and stalling within a conference room in a terrific scene that forces Elliot to confront his own social anxiety for self preservation. Rami Malek conveys this beautifully and elevates the scene further. Following this, we are treated to another excellent scene as Elliot's mind form a sort of "fake" Mr. Robot with almost perfect accuracy, which is sensible because Mr. Robot is part of him. And here we get a nice connection to "eps1.5_br4ve-trave1er..asf" as Mr. Robot plays the same role of telling Elliot that resistance is futile and that it is too late; he can't stop stage 2 no matter how he tries, so what he should focus on is minimizing the damage. The show portrays the gradual acceptance of defeat perfectly and it is impactful. With that, the episode shifts into the second part as Elliot steps outside and we are greeted to a protest far more intense than any we have seen in the show so far. I have to applaud the writers for turning these protests into a major plot point following a season and a half of them happening. Set-up that goes unnoticed followed by a pay-off is always so satisfying. Anyways, once we're outside we get greeted by Darlene who immediately changes everything by revealing all to Elliot. I was caught off guard by this, but I'm pleased that this wasn't stretched out. Elliot's entire world is turned upside down by Darlene's reveal, and suddenly he is unable to trust her and Angela, his two closest confidants. The moment lands well and works perfectly as an emotional hit in the midst of this chaotic episode. But the emotional slowdown is short-lived as we are immediately thrust back into chaos as the protest turns into a riot as several people invade and vandalize the E Corp building. It's a shocking moment that wonderfully pays off of the growing tensions in the community following 5/9, and the single-take is especially impressive here as we witness the sheer chaos in its full glory. At least that's what it seems at first until we get a fantastic reveal that the riot is a sham, just a distraction organized by the Dark Army to ensure that stage 2 goes through. This caught me completely off guard and did a terrific fob of reinforcing the themes of the show. Free will and power to the people is always an illusion; nothing can get done without somebody in the top 1% justifying it. This is further explored when you remember that all of this chaos and death does not actually have a greater purpose to it; Whiterose didn't need to execute stage 2, she did it only to punish Price because of a wounded ego. The middle and lower class people will always face the worst consequences while the top 1% indulge themselves in their petty power struggles. The riot also serves as a perfect transition to Angela, who now has the difficult task of executing the plan for stage 2 under enormous amounts of pressure as she endangers her life by walking around the destruction in the E Corp building. The scenes with Angela are ridiculously intense as she goes from bad situation to bad situation, relying on her resourcefulness and terrible lies to help get her through. She quickly realizes that using Elliot is not an option and that she will have to do it all herself. And accomplishing this task comes at the cost of her soul, and Angela knows it. She can remind Irving about the evacuation all she wants, but she knows deep down that he is doing nothing to save the people. I'm sure that a part of her is already accepting it. After all, in her scramble to make it out unscathed she gets lives put on her conscience. She calls over the rioters to the security guard, knowing full well that they will kill him, and she informs Irving about Lydia, knowing full well that "taking care of her" means that she is going to die. Angela's actions have a big cost, and we can see at the end of the episode that it weighs on her (see: Best Moment). There are some lovely little details in Angela's story. You can see that her deflecting skill is getting better, especially when she makes a joke to the security guard in the elevator. The pepperspray moment is intense and you can't help but feel the pain for Angela as she has to put on that mask covered in pepperspray to get out safely. Furthermore, Angela wearing the mask is a lovely bit of symbolism. Even though she isn't officially part of fsociety, she may as well be with all of the work she is doing to further their goals. The Bad: I have one problem with this and it is that I was unsure if I should be rooting for the success of stage 2 or not. I felt that I shouldn't because the Dark Army is surely bad news, but with so many characters on different sides I felt confused. When following Elliot, I was sure that I would be rooting for him to stop it. But then when the episode switched to Angela, I wanted to root for her to survive and succeed, but I was unsure if I should be supporting her because her actions were to promote stage 2's success. It was a strange change in my own morality to root for Angela, and that created some uncomfortable discontent within myself when I was watching, and I don't think that it was intentional and it did weaken the experience for me a bit. The Unknown: Who was the German man at the start? What did he say? What caused Elliot to glitch? Did Angela and Mr. Robot set this up somehow? What else happened on Elliot's missing weekend? What did he do to prepare stage 2? Did Angela execute everything correctly? Or did she miss something? Are there any loose ends that she may have left behind? What's in the package that Angela was given? Was it really just food, or did she receive something more important? What did Elliot do while Angela was working on stage 2? Did he successfully evacuate the building? I strongly doubt that Irving actually did evacuate the building, but maybe he was aware of Elliot's actions? Will stage 2 be successful? I suppose we're going to see in the next episode. What will Elliot say to Angela? How will their relationship be affected by what happened? How did Elliot get back into E Corp through all of the chaos? Best Moment: Angela completes her task and gives the package to the Dark Army operative who always seems to be eating something. In return she receives a package in a Red Wheelbarrow bag. What's in this package is anyone's guess, but I think it would be a wonderfully fitting twist if it really is just a meal. Angela has risked it all and potentially is now responsible for the deaths of dozens, even hundreds, of people. And all she gets is a fast food meal from the higher-ups, because this kind of carnage means nothing to them. Regardless of what's in the bag, what comes next is brilliant. In the final tracking shot of the episode, Angela heads back to her office and she starts to break down. She can't hold in her emotions anymore, and I can only assume that she is really contemplating the weight of what she's done. She has gone past every boundary and broken down every moral barrier, and for a cause that she is starting to feel increasingly uncertain about. Is it worth all the chaos and death for whatever it is that Whiterose has shown her? It's a fantastic moment that more than delivers. And at the end of her walk, Angela already seems to be facing her reckoning: Elliot is waiting for her, his anger and disappointment clear as day. It's a perfect place to conclude the episode. Character of the Episode: Angela. Conclusion: A magnificent episode. The technical prowess is what everyone will be talking about, and it is astonishingly impressive, but let's not let that hide the fact that this was an anxiety-inducing, tense experience as the ever-building plot of "Mr. Robot" reached a thrilling climax. I can't wait for the next episode. Score: 82 Summary: Darlene returns to her apartment and Dom informs her that Elliot is there. Darlene covers her tracks as a precaution rather than informing on him and Elliot believes it. Elliot gets close with her again and Darlene convinces him to work against stage 2. They make a deal that Darlene will follow him to Tyrell when he becomes Mr. Robot. Later that night, Mr. Robot meets with Angela and Darlene sees. They leave in a taxi and Darlene can't follow. They meet with Tyrell and they all realize that Elliot has been causing shipping delays and other problems. Tyrell is furious but Angela tries to calm him down. Mr. Robot glitches back to Elliot so Angela sedates him and moves him to her house. Angela calls Price to get Elliot fired from E Corp. Tyrell speaks with Irving about Elliot and their setback, and Irving tells him the deadline can't be moved and that Tyrell has to find a way. Irving eventually convinces Tyrell to keep working and take control himself. Darlene meets with Dom and tells her she has a plan, but has to proceed without a wire. The FBI bust the man who made the fsociety video, but they get nothing from him.
The Good: Darlene's guilt is a primary focus of this episode and it explored in a brilliant way. From the opening scene, the episode makes it clear that we are getting a personal look into Darlene's head. She comes off as almost tragic in her opening scene as she allows the pickpocket to steal from her because she feels such guilt for all that she has taken away from the middle and lower class people as a result of 5/9. The only thing that she believes is worth saving is a polaroid, the significance of which we don't find out until later. The rest of the episode plays up this idea of guilt with some lovely touches. Elliot lets her into Shayla's apartment, reminding us that both of them have a shared connection of losing a loved one too soon. It's clear that Darlene is thinking of Cisco here because of a subtle scene where we see her searching up Budapest trips, which is what Cisco wanted. Then, towards the end of the episode we finally pay off of the polaroid. It's not a picture of Cisco or anything like that, but it is a picture of her family, highlighting what Darlene values the most: her relationship with Elliot. This makes it even more heartbreaking when we learn about the extent of Darlene's situation in that final scene with Dom. She is desperate for some sort of ordinary social interaction without any guilt, but Dom can't even offer her that as even when they do talk Darlene is reminded of Cisco's death. With everything being so full of despair, Darlene opens up to Dom about everything and we realize the extent of her problems. If she doesn't help the FBI, she is going to jail and losing out on her whole life. But if she does help them, she's going to lose the one thing that's keeping her tethered, the one thing that she values most: her family. It's a truly awful situation to be put in, and it's no wonder that Darlene spends the episode so depressed when you consider the no-win scenario she is currently in. I can't imagine any way out for her right now where she gets a happy ending, and that is devastating. What makes it hurt all the more is that Darlene's scenes with Elliot are a great reflection of their relationship. All of their scenes share a warm sibling bond that is mostly unspoken but you can very much feel it when they are together. That little bit of care and love they have for each other is noticeable, no matter the situation. Even at the start of the episode when they are arguing, the main conflict is not about what happened and why. It's about their bond, about Elliot feeling betrayed that his own sister hacked him, and about Darlene being concerned about him cutting her out. Once they start opening up to each other afterwards, it feels like they genuinely want to help each other and be good familial support. It's very sweet and the emotion is there throughout the episode. Darlene feels genuine when she tries to get Elliot to turn against Tyrell and co. And that's because she is. She could easily turn Elliot in with everyone else, but she clearly wishes for him to join her so that the FBI would likely be lenient with him, like they have been with her. Meanwhile Elliot's anger against Darlene entirely dissipated when he is faced with the horrifying reveal that he hurt her when he was Mr. Robot, and his regret is immediately evident and it leads to the episode's best scene (see: Best Moment). The plot-oriented scenes with the other characters are good too. It's great to see how Tyrell's mental state has changed further following the reveal that Elliot has multiple personalities. His newfound faith was shaken and it results in more angry temper tantrums from one of the show's most unhinged characters. And once again, it's up to Irving to handle him and he gives him the brutal bit of reassurance that he will see his wife after his work in complete, knowing full well that it's a lie. This brings up some interesting questions (see: The Unknown), while simultaneously reminding us how remorseless and cruel Irving can be. Angela has a strong episode. It's honestly frightening how she changes from cold-hearted business to being sweet and friendly when Elliot began to emerge in place of Mr. Robot. She's become a cold operator under Whiterose's service and I am saddened to see her like this. She has also gotten better at hiding her emotions, like when she discovered that Elliot was up to something in E Corp, which by the way was a hilarious moment as Elliot cooked up an awful lie. The Bad: Elliot saying that he wanted to follow through with stage 2 deep down does make sense, but it feels like it came out of nowhere and is unsatisfying. If he wanted it to be followed through, then why would he work so hard on delaying shipments and everything? This seems like a hamfisted explanation to address the big plot hole of why Elliot wouldn't just go to the FBI with an anonymous tip to stop the plan, which seems like an easy solution. I feel like the show could have come up with a much more realistic and effective reason for Elliot to not do this but rearranging aspects of the story, like perhaps establishing that ratting to the FBI would almost certainly result in Elliot's death or something along those lines. The Unknown: Who is the guy on the inside that the Dark Army is going to use? What did Whiterose show Irving and Angela? We have seen how it changed Angela, but how did it effect Irving? Irving is a very strange character, and I wonder what his actual story is. Who is the man that the FBI busted for the fsociety video? He seemingly wanted to be busted, proven by him grabbing the mask and by how easy it was for the FBI to track him. Why did he want to be busted? What is he doing? Who is he working for? Is he Dark Army? He seemed to have a slight reaction when Dom mentioned Whiterose. Is Irving actually arranging an emergency evacuation of the building? I don't buy it. We saw him coldly lie to Tyrell about going to Ukraine with his family, so I suspect he was lying with Angela too. This also brings up the question of what the Dark Army will do with them once the work is done. Will all of Elliot, Tyrell, and Angela be killed after the plan is executed? Is Price aware the Angela is compromised and that Elliot is involved with her operation? Whiterose revealed to Price that he got through to Angela, so it's entirely possible that Price has figured that Angela is no longer his agent. Does this mean that Price will not fire Elliot? How much will Elliot remember when he wakes up? Will he realize that Angela has betrayed him? Will he even remember at all or think it was all a dream? Best Moment: Elliot saying "whatever he does, it's not me" to Darlene was really sad. This episode gorgeously examined this relationship and how much Elliot and Darlene mean to each other. Elliot's apology to her and his wistful acceptance that he may not be able to control her had power to it. But perhaps even more effective was Darlene's simple "I know". Even though we know Darlene is working against him and that Mr. Robot did manhandle her two episodes ago, Darlene absolving him felt like it came out of a place of true familial love. These two have a wonderful sibling relationship. Character of the Episode: Darlene. This was her episode. Conclusion: This was mostly simple set-up, but elevated by the emphasis on Darlene's internal struggle. Another good episode as the plot continues to heat up. Score: 66 Summary: Flashbacks show that Elliot tried to kill Tyrell in the arcade but the gun jammed. Tyrell takes it as a sign of fate and Elliot thinks he's crazy. Irving and the Dark Army show up while they work on stage 2, revealing that Tyrell has been exposed for the hack. Irving takes him to a safe location and Tyrell remains out of contact with Joanna and his son. Tyrell is questioned by the Dark Army and they determine him trustworthy due to his loyalty to Elliot. Tyrell stays there alone, waiting for Elliot to get out of prison, doing his job. After missing Joanna for some time, Tyrell tries to sneak out but is caught by a cop. The cop calls the FBI but is killed by Santiago, who is working for the Dark Army. Irving speaks with Tyrell and fakes a story to relate to him and restore his resolve. Eventually, Elliot is freed and Tyrell is taken to a hotel where he waits to meet with him. After Elliot is shot, Angela tells Tyrell about his multiple personalities. Another flashback shows Whiterose is allied with Frank Cody and intends to bring Trump into power.
The Good: I don't think that the story of what happened during the 3 days needed an entire flashback episode to be explained, but Sam Esmail ran with an idea and created a thorough and satisfying character exploration of Tyrell. I enjoyed Tyrell a lot in season 1 and was disappointed that he barely featured in season 2. But this episode satisfied the entirety of the time he was missing and explored the character's more emotional side, recontextualizing the events that we saw in season 2. Tyrell is such a loose cannon. He's insane, unpredictable, and unhinged, with a strange new religious side and an obsession with Elliot, whom he apparently loves. Martin Wallstrom brings these aspects of the character to life tremendously well, and he's thrilling to watch. Tyrell gets a lot of fantastic moments throughout the episode. His near-breakdown with Elliot during the hack did a terrific job of bringing his obsession with god, fate, and destiny to light, an aspect of his character that was suggested in prior episodes. It was an exciting scene that was acted to perfection. I also thoroughly enjoyed his interrogation (see: Best Moment), which dived into Tyrell's natural reflex to hide from the truth by lying. His relationship with Elliot is also recontextualized nicely by showing us Tyrell's perspective. Where we thought that Tyrell's scenes in Elliot from season 2 were from a man who knew everything, we now realize that Tyrell did not know everything and was simply excited to be back with Elliot again. His confidence, sleek persona, and charm is all just to make himself look more desirable to Elliot; in truth he did not know much more than Elliot about anything! This was a surprise, and I appreciate that Tyrell's plot-heavy scenes in season 2 have been given an emotional context, retroactively making them better. Tyrell's phone call with Elliot is turned into a moment of ecstasy as Tyrell finally reconnects with him, only to be disappointed that Elliot sounds so confused and different. Additionally, the events of the season 2 finale also have more emotion to them, as we can only imagine how heartbroken Tyrell is that Elliot doesn't seem to care for the plan they created together, the plan that Tyrell had waited so long to resume. Another aspect of Tyrell that gets explored is his family life. Tyrell is motivated by the idea of coming back to Joanna and his son, but as time goes on, he gets hurt by the distance and the troubling news that suggests that Joanna is divorcing him. It's clear how much this affects Tyrell, who we know wants nothing more than to return to her. His attempted escape makes unfortunate sense, and as expected, it goes badly almost immediately. This leads into a terrific scene where Irving decides to relate with Tyrell to keep his resolve going. Irving delivers a terrific speech about his own family life, which has such an air of tragedy to it. Irving tells a good story and connects to Tyrell's heart, making it clear that Tyrell is forcing himself through this to make his return all the more sweeter. But of course we know that Tyrell is not going to have a family to return to, which adds a strong sense of tragedy to the scene. Further, we also get a reveal that caught me almost entirely off guard: Irving was lying the entire time! This caught me totally off guard and further characterizes Irving nicely; he's a man who does and says what he needs to, no matter if it is true or not. He does his job, and it is as simple as that. Here's someone who has nothing other than the work he does, and I think that's a good set-up for a character to be expanded upon. I enjoyed how this episode pulled back the curtain on him. This episode did well to answer a lot of the questions we had about the 3 days, finally closing out the mystery and fully catching us up with the narrative and characters. Now instead of looking backwards, we can finally push forwards with a new story. So many loose ends were answered: the bullet in the arcade, what Elliot and Tyrell's arrangement with the Dark Army was, where Tyrell was all this time, what he was doing, what happened to the femtocell, how Tyrell's phone call to Elliot came to be, and confirming that it was Whiterose who arranged the shootout in China at the FBI hotel. There was a lot of ground covered, and a lot was cleared up. And for good measure, we also got a significant reveal that Santiago was a Dark Army agent. This caught me off guard, yet it makes so much sense with how difficult he was during Dom's investigation. It has now clicked with me that he knew about the impending shootout in China, and that he was likely the one who informed the Dark Army on Cisco's location so that they could kill him. That's great foresight by the writers, and I'm sure that rewatching season 2 will be much more rewarding now that we know more about Santiago. I enjoyed a lot of little things. We had some welcome cameos from Leon and Cisco. Leon is a free spirit and is fun to watch every time he appears. Meanwhile Cisco's scenes were more tragic in nature, furthering that he has long been doomed by his association with Darlene and the Dark Army. I also enjoyed the brief scene with Whiterose. Frank being a Dark Army associate is a good reveal, and I liked the small moment where Whiterose chuckles about Elliot stealing Michael's dog. The Trump scene is a fun connection to real world politics, and while it's a bit cheesy, I don't think it takes away from the episode. The intro sequence referencing the opening of "The Shining" was a nice touch. The Bad: The only issue I take with this episode is a question of its necessity. This was a good experience, and it was satisfying to finally catch up on everything. But did we need an entire episode dedicated to the past in a season that has been making such big moves to propel the plot forwards? I'm not entirely sure that we did. Perhaps there was a better way to tell this story, maybe even throughout season 2 to help make that season feel more satisfying. This episode feels like it is slowing the momentum of season 3 because it feels like it is much more connected with the plot of season 2. The Unknown: Why does Tyrell love Elliot so much? This is seeming like an obsession more than anything else. Why is Tyrell afraid of becoming his father? What was his father like? It seems that Angela told Tyrell about Elliot's multiple personalities. How will this affect their relationship and Tyrell's obsession? I suspect that Tyrell is "in love" with Mr. Robot rather than Elliot. Is Whiterose going to help Trump rise to power? How will this affect the story of the show? What will come from Frank Cody being a servant of the Dark Army? What happened when Elliot woke up with Tyrell and Angela? This was clearly Mr. Robot. What did he say? What was he told? Why is Santiago working with the Dark Army? What does he expect to get from them? Will he be found out by Dom? Best Moment: Mr. Williams questioning Tyrell. The editing was outstanding, and the show did a tremendous job of making us feel the intense pressure in Tyrell's mind that led to him breaking. Character of the Episode: Tyrell. Conclusion: This episode wasn't an essential experience, but it was a strong episode that filled in blanks, offered up some twists, and explored Tyrell in a unique way. Another great episode for season 3, which is off to a great start. Score: 69 Summary: Monica and Chandler don't want to hold Thanksgiving dinne rbut they are persuaded into it anyways. However, all of the others end up being late with Ross and Joey going to a Rangers game, and Rachel and Phoebe entering Emma into a beauty pageant.
The Good: I'm always happy to get episodes where all of the characters come together and this is no exception. The interactions are top-notch and there are lots of clever, funny running jokes that the writers maximize throughout the episode. Joey not letting Chandler guess, Rachel and Ross accepting beauty pageants after they hear about the money involved, the mugging, rock paper scissors, the cranberry sauce, and Joey's Rangers hand are all fantastic moments of dialogue that made me laugh. The characters are utilized to the maximum in producing good jokes and I was thrilled by it. Everyone being late felt like a natural development to lead into a fun little conflict, and I enjoyed how everything heated up before the four outside realized they needed to apologize. The floating heads saying sorry was a terrific visual, as was Joey's hilarious stare as he apologized. True to peak "Friends", they don't stop there and the comedy escalates with Joey's head getting stuck in the door, and the use of turkey grease leads to Joey desperately trying to lick it up. Joey is at his best in this episode and everything he did was hilarious. Then after all of the comedy, the episode has a sweet ending as Chandler and Monica finally get a baby, which was a satisfyingly sweet ending that does make you smile. The Bad: But there are still problems here. The one joke that completely fell flat was Monica's vein, mainly because you can clearly see that it is not there. The joke came back several times and every time it had the impact of a wet fart, especially considering how funny the other jokes were compared to it. The characters still carry some flaws. Monica's competitiveness being used to get the Thanksgiving dinner to happen is cheesy and it makes her look like a cartoon. Some small things like Rachel forgetting Emma's age and Joey and Ross deciding to get tickets on the day of the Thanksgiving dinner makes them look terrible. Best Moment: So many jokes to pick from, but I'll give it to the "mugging". Joey immediately destroying Ross's shirt was hilarious, made even better with Ross later saying that "I got mugged and they stole my pocket". Character of the Episode: Joey. Conclusion: Another excellent Thanksgiving episode. It's always a winning formula to put all of the friends together, and the jokes here were almost all superb. The problems that have plagued the recent seasons of "Friends" are made into almost a non-factor simply because of the quality of the laughs. Great stuff, certainly the best episode of the season so far. Score: 76 Summary: Elliot gets a job at E Corp and works on preventing stage 2. He appeals to the management to make digital records and works to sneakily move paper records across multiple facilities. He is successful but finds himself falling into loneliness and he opens up further to Krista. Darlene meets with Elliot and they spend a night together. However, Darlene is working for the FBI and puts something on his monitor. Mr. Robot notices this and harasses Darlene as she leaves. The next day, Elliot brings out Mr. Robot to speak with Krista, and from her he is able to discern some details about what Darlene did. At home, Elliot sends an email on his computer. The FBI notice this but it is a trap and Elliot traces them to Darlene's safehouse and he arrives there with Dom and another agent in the building. Scott has been charged for Sharon's murder and Joanna gets away from Derek now that she's done with him. But Derek isn't happy and he shoots Mr. Sutherland and kills Joanna. Mr. Sutherland kills him and passes out. Price is angry that China hasn't accepted Ecoin as currency and remains fixed on bitcoin. He speaks with Whiterose and tries to threaten her into working with him, but Whiterose reveals he has spoken to Angela and holds control. Whiterose tells one of her men to go through with stage 2 despite the Congo deal likely being a success specifically to get back at Price.
The Good: The opening sequence is everything that I love about this show and its ambitious filmmaking style. It's in times like these that Elliot's narration works wonders. His dialogue allows us to understand what he's doing and why, and with the exposition out of the way, the visuals can focus on showing the story in as aesthetically pleasing of a way as possible and it's glorious. The day-to-day repetition is executed to perfection with the use of visual motifs, and there's a lot of fun to be had as Elliot works and works before finally getting his plan through to management to make digital records of everything. It's a blast to see Elliot hacking regularly again, especially as he hilariously brings down one incompetent manager after the other. This sequence does a great job of showing how Elliot's opinion of E Corp has changed. He knows that there are villains in the company, but the company itself is misunderstood. The development is shown to us magnificently through Elliot no longer referring to it as "Evil Corp", a nice way to show us how he has grown. This sequence is used perfectly as a backdrop to explore Elliot's character in interesting ways. Surprisingly, Elliot's dedication to his new work has resulted in him falling back into the crushing loneliness that was ruling his life back in season 1. And with Mr. Robot gone, he's feeling it worse than ever. This is such a fascinating bit of character exploration. Elliot is working hard and doing big things for the world, but the constant repetition and the lack of socialization compared to when he was working with fsociety has resulted in him struggling to maintain his mental health. There is a lovely idea being explored here that no matter how important your work is, you will still feel that loneliness if you aren't interacting with other people. This leads to Elliot finding that interaction in surprising places. He opens up with Krista essentially for the first time, and tells her about his father shoving him out of the window for the first time. It's a major bit of trust that Elliot is putting into Krista, showing us that he is looking to satiate his loneliness by talking with her. Elliot sharing the snowman story is really sweet, and it's something that we know he would not have done back in season 1. It feels good to see Elliot taking steps to open up and take care of his own mental health, and I can't help but smile. The episode's big conflict comes from Darlene. Elliot's loneliness leads to him meeting with Darlene and inviting her over for the night. Darlene is ready to leave and ditch the FBI, but she gets a final chance here to get information from Elliot. And unfortunately, she has to betray his trust to do so, and it is a sad moment when she realizes that she's preying on him to get what she needs. But the sadness is short-lived and the tension ratchets up when Mr. Robot wakes up and confronts Darlene, threatening her and scaring her. It's a great scene and creates a unique bit of tension as Mr. Robot knows something and can't tell Elliot, and the suspense comes from us wondering if Elliot can somehow find out about what Darlene did. The solution that the show comes up with is genius. Elliot manually brings out Mr. Robot, and he has Krista speak with him to get information to pass on to Elliot. Their scene is fantastic, the sudden change in demeanour to Mr. Robot is unsettling and you can only imagine what Krista is thinking as she interacts with this presence that is in every way the complete opposite of Elliot. The scenes with Price and Whiterose are much better than what we got in season 2 because now we have a clearer idea of who they are and what they are after. They are playing a power game with each other, and while they are technically working together, each man is operating with the intent of besting the other and gaining more power. Their dealings are gripping to watch in this episode, and I enjoyed the veiled threats that they threw at each other in an attempt to get what they want. Right now it appears that Whiterose has the advantage as Price needs her more than she needs Price. Price tried his best to turn the tables on her, but it was never going to work and it resulted in Whiterose revealing that she has taken Angela to her own side as a bit of extra leverage. It's a terrific moment that puts Price in his place. He has much more work to do if he is to be the more powerful person in the room with Whiterose. Unfortunately it seems that Price's play in this episode completely backfired, as Whiterose's pride was wounded and she now wants to teach him a lesson through stage 2. I'm excited to see where this power struggle goes next. I enjoyed some little things in this episode. The ending cliffhanger is really good, and the twist that Elliot tracked down the FBI makes perfect sense and is a terrific dramatic reveal. I always like seeing the FBI be competent, so I was happy that they tapped into Elliot's phone call with Tyrell from early in season 2. Flipper's return was welcome. I'm happy to see her and I'm sure that she's going to play a role in helping Elliot with his loneliness. I was also pleased to see Michael's frustration at Elliot somehow managing to get out of jail, which is in character. The Bad: Joanna's death was a total disappointment and a misuse of one of the show's most intriguing characters. Joanna grabbed my interest in season 1 with her chilling ability to stay calm and read people, but we never saw her do much after that, and we did not learn much about her. This made her storyline in season 2 quite tedious and uninteresting, and I never got into it. But surely there was a plan in place for her right? Nope. She returns this just to be given perhaps the most underwhelming and stupid deaths of a main character in a TV show, cementing that all of the time spent on this character was useless. Derek was always meant to be a stepping stone for her; the characters never took her seriously and neither did I. It sends a cool message that he is the one to kill her, but it's also one of the most anticlimactic and underwhelming ways to conclude this character's story. Surely he knew too much to be left alive. Mr. Sutherland should have killed him on the spot, and it's ridiculous that they would not think that he would try to go after Joanna. Furthermore, it's hard to understand why Joanna's major role in the story was so necessary. She got Scott fired from his position and immediately died. Was that her only purpose? To remove Scott who is not an important character? It's not like Tyrell, the most wanted man on the planet, is going to be going for Scott's position. So what was the point of it all? I can't seem to think of any reason that we needed this Joanna storyline, so I have to look back on her entire arc as a waste of time that failed to capitalize on any of the potential it had. What a waste of a character who I was looking forward to seeing more of. Darlene says that she only ever did fsociety to be closer with Elliot, which is clearly a major retcon. If she was only doing this for Elliot, why has she been so fanatical about fsociety's goals in previous seasons? Why did she keep the group going last season with such passion when Elliot was in prison? Nothing adds up when the explanation is that she only did everything to be close to Elliot. I get what the writers are trying to do in building up this relationship, but this statement from Darlene is outright untrue, a rare piece of sloppy writing. The Unknown: What made Elliot think of the snowman story and tell it to Krista? Was it his underlying loneliness or something else? Who made the new fsociety video? Is it real or is it misleading in some way? Did Elliot make it? Why is the Congo vote so important for Whiterose? What does she get out of it? Why would its success be sufficient for her to back out of the attack on E Corp? How will this currency war be resolved? Will Whiterose wait to help Price until after she succeeds? Or will she allow things to get worse for him? What is Elliot going to find by reverse tracing the FBI? Will the FBI meet with him or bring him in? Will he meet Dom? How will this change things going forwards? How will Tyrell react to Joanna's death? What will happen with his son? Best Moment: The opening montage was masterful. I was delighted watching the whole thing. Character of the Episode: Elliot. Conclusion: Season 3 is picking up the pace and the drama and I'm loving it. Much of this episode continued what I liked about the season premiere, with the only thing holding it back being the awful ending to Joanna's storyline. That hurts the score, but otherwise this was another great episode. Score: 67 Summary: Irving is a fixer who works for the Dark Army. He is called by Tyrell and saves Elliot. Power goes out in the city. Later, Elliot wakes up with Angela who confirms everything that happened to him. Elliot goes back to his apartment and meets with Darlene. He tells her about stage 2 and tells her that he wants to stop it by blocking the backdoor. Darlene takes Elliot to a hacker tournament to use the internet there, since the city is blacked out. Elliot closes the backdoor, but he and Darlene are picked up by the Dark Army who take them to Irving. Elliot tells him he is backing out of the deal and Irving accepts. Elliot returns to Angela and asks for a job at E Corp. He also asks Angela to watch him and make sure he isn't Mr. Robot. He kisses her again but Angela says it is a mistake. Elliot stays the night. Mr. Robot wakes up at night and Angela meets with him, taking him to Irving to get stage 2 back underway. Mr. Robot is taken to where Tyrell is being kept. Later, Mr. Robot speaks with Angela who reveals why she is okay to betray Elliot like this. Power returns to the city.
The Good: This was an immediate improvement on season 2. The biggest notable change for me was the removal of the frustrating teasing that made season 2 so convoluted. This episode was very open with us about everything, and that immediately played dividends, in ways that I will describe below. Where season 2 left us in the dark and created drama from us questioning what was happening, season 3 returns to more conventional storytelling and it works wonderfully. Every character's motivations are immediately cleared up. Elliot gets a lengthy speech to establish that he has taken a completely 180 from his viewpoint in the pilot; he no longer believes in the revolution he created. We finally understand what Angela is doing for once and why: she's now working with Whiterose and the Dark Army in order to create a reality where her mother never died, a natural change in direction from the revenge she was seeking in season 1. Now these sound like very basic ways to tell a story, and they are. But you have to understand that in season 2, the reveal of this information would have been teased for episodes and it would never be told to us outright. Seeing the show step back to basics and address character motivations, relationships, and plot details is so refreshing and it's a sign that Sam Esmail's ambition can now work alongside the story rather than working against it. I'm overjoyed that season 3 is immediately correcting the biggest problem I had with season 2. Now let's dive into more specifics, because it is much more exciting to talk about "Mr. Robot" now that I have substance to appreciate instead of simply grasping at straws in the hopes that I am comprehending the story. I loved the opening sequence of the episode. We start at The Red Wheelbarrow, which was mentioned on a flyer in the season 2 finale, and we soon learn that it's a meeting hub of sorts for the Dark Army. Here we meet Irving, played wonderfully by Bobby Cannavale. Unlike with Dom in season 2, "Mr. Robot" nails the introduction of this character. He charms us immediately, and through a clever interaction at the restaurant we know everything we need to know about his personality, and we immediately also figure out that he's a fixer working for the Dark Army because he is called by Tyrell to help save Elliot. And that's it, no smoke and mirrors, no needless mystery, no needless confusion. We are introduced to a new character, we learn who he is and what he does, and we learn why he is essential to the plot in quick time. It's perfectly paced, entertaining to watch, and makes the most out of Sam Esmail's unique directorial style without falling into the trappings of season 2. I hate to keep harping on season 2 over and over again since it's not like I utterly hated the season, but I feel that it is necessary to properly convey what a step up this episode felt like. Whiterose is another character who gets a fantastic bit of clearing up to start the season. She's only here in one scene, but the scene does a terrific job of finally clearing up that messy mystery that season 2 introduced and completely failed to turn into a compelling narrative. This single scene completely cleans up the mess that was left behind and tells us exactly what is important. It would seem that Whiterose's project at the Washington Township Plant will have something to do with time or even a parallel universe (see: The Unknown), and that is a much more fascinating bit of detail to ponder on than simply thinking "oh I wonder what Whiterose is doing". The mystery has been streamlined in a way that it is now far more effective. Furthermore, Whiterose even goes as far as to connect this to Elliot and his father, letting us know why we should care about this - it is directly linked with the main character! Plus, we get another added detail that Whiterose will be looking to kill Elliot when she is done with him, adding in a sense of danger as well. The sense of danger is important because it creates a level of suspense that makes it much more interesting to explore this story. Again, it's so great to see "Mr. Robot" adhering to the basic rules of writing a story, and the show thrives as a result. As for Elliot, I really enjoyed his story in this episode. Upon waking up, season 3 is quick to resolve the messiness of season 2 and push forwards, which I think is the right decision. Elliot starts to ponder the existential questions of last season in terms of being in control and whether Tyrell is real or not. But Angela immediately confirms what's what for Elliot, and from there, there's no looking back. We finally get to see Elliot on a mission, fully understanding himself and what he wants. There's an excellent sequence in the middle of the episode that sees Elliot launch into a rant in his own head about what he needs to do. The scene is shot masterfully, and it conveys what this character feels with perfection. Elliot's opinions have changed sharply since his hate-filled rant in the pilot, and season 3 needed to address just how much he has grown after the 5/9 hack. He still hates the rich people at the top, but he no longer believes that his revolution accomplished anything. The only thing he did was create a world of chaos that is incredibly hard on the average person, but is a world of opportunity for the high-ranking businesses. I appreciate the show addressing this idea and I think that the question of if 5/9 was a good idea or not is a brilliant one to explore this season. It's wonderful to see Elliot spend time with Angela and Darlene in this episode since we haven't seen a whole lot of developing character relationships last season. This has immediately changed and we are given some exciting stuff to start off with. Elliot and Darlene catch up and he takes her along to help him stop stage 2. Their interactions are a lot of fun, and I like that Darlene is grateful for him and willing to help, but still cold and angry since Elliot, in his haste, ends up ignoring her emotions following Cisco's death at several points in the episode. There's also the added intrigue of if Darlene is an FBI informant and if Elliot knows this, which added another layer to their interactions (see: The Unknown). Things with Angela are just as interesting. Finally the show is pulling the trigger on bringing Elliot and Angela closer together and it is working so far. Their friendship is beautiful and effective, and it's nice to see it develop further. It's sensible that Elliot trusts Angela to keep him in check to help them reverse 5/9. What I was not expecting was the fantastic twist that Angela is betraying Elliot by working directly for Whiterose, and she is willing to lie to him and deceive him to accomplish her goals. Her scenes with Mr. Robot are terrific. Vulnerable and emotional Angela is gone, and the hardened businesswoman Angela emerges when she deals with Mr. Robot. I love this added depth to Angela, and it makes good use of the different aspects of her personality that were developed, albeit messily, throughout season 2. More than the plot reveals and the set-up, I loved Angela's conversation with Mr. Robot on the way back home. I'm sure I'm sounding like a broken record by now, but it feels so good that this episode didn't leave us with mystery as to why Angela is working with Whiterose and why she is willing to turn on Elliot. We get a lengthy bit of conversation as Angela reveals what she is fighting for, why she is fighting for it, and why she is willing to work with Mr. Robot and betray Elliot. It's a bit expository, but it just feels so good to know for certain what is going on inside of Angela's head for once. Furthermore, I thought that this scene did a terrific job of explaining why Angela was hesitant to get together with Elliot. Elliot's explanation of Angela not wanting to be with people who love her reeked of typical poor writing of female characters at first. But that's not the case, and I was pleased to realize that this was just Elliot's incorrect interpretation, which makes sense considering his poor social skills. Instead we are shown that Angela is likely hesitant and crying because she would feel awful getting emotionally involved in a relationship with someone who she is openly stabbing in the back. I feel for her conflict here, and I found this to be very compelling. Some small things were also great. I enjoyed the idea that the entire episode took place in New York with power out. That gave the whole episode a darkly effective tone. Elliot's mute button on life was a clever bit of filmmaking stemming from a relatable desire for quiet. I was captivated by Darlene's panic attack upon seeing the Dark Army. It's great to see the detail that Darlene has lost her ability to keep cool as a result of PTSD after watching Cisco's death. The Bad: Nothing I would call bad. This was very consistent. The Unknown: Ir Irving just a fixer for the Dark Army or is there more to his role in the show? How does he already know Elliot and Tyrell? Why did they interact with him before? Could he have been the one that organized Tyrell's hiding? Is this location the place where Tyrell has been staying this whole time? Whiterose apparently had Elliot's father working for her. Why? For what? Does this have something to do with the secret project at the Washington Township Plant? Whiterose was observing a strange scientific structure at the plant. Is this her project? Is this a particle collider? That's my immediate thought upon seeing it. What is Whiterose doing with it? Does this have something to do with undoing everything, like Angela suggested later in the episode? Is Whiterose trying to manipulate time? Also, I noticed a lengthy bit of dialogue on parallel universes while we were at the Washington Township Plant with this mysterious structure. This hearkens back to Whiterose's discussion with Dom where she ponders on what a world without 5/9 would look like. That seems to be a clear indicator that Whiterose is actively looking to possibly create a parallel universe where 5/9 never happened. Is this the case here? Is Darlene an FBI informant? We never saw what became of her after Dom showed her everything. I suspect that this is because she caved in. Her behaviour in this episode matches an informant. She continually asks Elliot for further details, suggesting that she might have a wire. Elliot claiming that stage 2 wasn't his idea could very well have saved him since we know that the FBI is waiting like a python to get the ringleader. Who did Darlene call on the phone? I suspect that she may have called in the FBI agents that Irving had to shake in the ensuing scene. Elliot says that Angela is the only one he can trust right now. Does this mean that he doesn't trust Darlene? Is he suspecting that she has been compromised? How are the Dark Army still going to pull off stage 2 with the backdoor closed? Will Elliot find out that Angela is deceiving him? What does Angela have to do to help accomplish Whiterose's plan? Why is it so important to Whiterose that stage 2 happens? Best Moment: While this was consistent, not much stood out about this episode. I'll go with Darlene's panic attack at the hacker tournament. Character of the Episode: Angela. Conclusion: This was a great season premier. There is a marked change from season 2 in the pacing and structure of the show, and I hope that means that we are moving past the mistakes of last season to tell a worthwhile story. While there is nothing Earth-shattering about this episode, I'm feeling excited, and I hope that season 3 continues this momentum and grabs a hold of the opportunity to tell a worthwhile story. Score: 68 Summary: A flashback shows a meeting between Elliot and Tyrell before 5/9. In the present, Tyrell takes Elliot to the location where he has been working and reveals what the stage 2 plan is: to blow up the E Corp building and destroy all of their paper records. Elliot is not happy about this but Mr. Robot tries to convince him to allow it. Elliot threatens to shut it all down so Tyrell pulls out a gun and threatens to shoot him. Elliot thinks that Tyrell is a part of himself too, but Tyrell shoots Elliot and he collapses. Afterwards, he calls Angela who says she will come over. Dom and Santiago interrogate Darlene but she doesn't give them anything. Dom convinces Santiago to do her strategy. She takes Darlene and shows her that the FBI have figured out literally everybody in the fsociety operation, they are only waiting to find the leader before they bring everyone in. Joanna visits Scott, who is responsible for the phone and gifts. He reveals his grief to her and she goads him by saying his wife and unborn child deserved their deaths. Scott violently beats Joanna. Joanna asks Derek to testify against Scott to suggest that he murdered Sharon to get revenge. Mobley and Trenton have started a new life with new identities, but they are approached by Leon.
The Good: Dom's interrogation of Darlene was great to watch. Darlene is suitably broken up after what happened to Cisco and I was compelled by her flat, lifeless responses to the FBI, refusing to cooperate with them. I was pleased that she was fully aware of the FBI's tricks and used her wit to stay a slight step ahead of them. But it was all just an illusion in the end. Dom knew that they had the advantage, and she used that superbly to deliver a crushing blow to her confidence at the end of the episode. The scene built beautifully with a tremendous shot of Dom taking Darlene through the FBI building, letting us know that what was about to happen was going to be big. And it was. The reveal that the FBI knew everything, and likely had known everything for a long time, was spectacular. It made perfect sense considering how incompetent fsociety had been up to this point, and I appreciate that the show was above dumbing down the FBI to make the plot more plausible. Elliot's story was interesting and exciting. Finally we received some answers on what exactly was going on. Not everything (see: The Unknown), but a lot was revealed, especially about stage 2. This was good stuff as it finally pulled back the curtain on what has been happening, and Elliot's shocked and horrified reaction made a lot of sense. The episode does a terrific job of building up the mystery of Tyrell's presence. Is he dead or is he actually there? This question permeates the entire episode, going through our mind and going through Elliot's mind. There's no clear answer either because you can make a case for either option so there is tension involved in finding out if Tyrell is real or not. The closing moments with Elliot standing up to Tyrell as he holds the gun were tense and exciting, and it culminated in what was initially a pretty shocking moment when Tyrell shoots Elliot. Quickly you realize that Elliot is not going to die, but the moment still has that gripping impact. I was pleased with how this story was handled, and I am glad that the show went with keeping Tyrell alive in the end. He's such a fun character to follow so I'm pleased that I can look forward to seeing more of him next season. I did like Scott and Joanna's scene as its own thing. It was very well acted, and it did make a lot of sense that Scott would go after Joanna in an effort to find some purpose in his home life. His monologue on having gained and lost everything at once was genuinely heartbreaking, which greatly surprised me. "Mr. Robot" hasn't typically afforded much sympathy for the upper class so I was pleased to see this humanizing moment for Scott. I even expected for a second that Joanna might sympathize with him a bit, but of course I was wrong and given a bit of a rude awakening as Joanna says the absolute most vicious thing that someone in her position could have said. It's a fantastic moment and Scott's rampage afterwards is completely understandable. You get the sense that this was her plan all along and that she will make him pay for doing this. The Bad: After an extended 12 episode season that really pushed the boundaries of my patience, I can't believe that we still don't know what happened in the 3 days that Elliot blacked out back in the season 1 finale. I figured that uncovering this time period would be the focus of this second season, and yet here we are at the end of season 2 and we still haven't explored what happened in those 3 days. That would be okay if we had a sufficient amount of plot development in this season, but that did not happen. I can't help but feel a little bit robbed that more answers did not accompany Tyrell's return. Joanna and Scott's scene was really good but I have to question its importance. We spent a lot of time with Joanna this season but she was so disconnected with everything else happening with the story. I figured that she would be connected with Tyrell's disappearance, but it turns out that she apparently wasn't. I really like Joanna as a character and what she brings to the table, but she felt kind of pointless this season. This felt a little flat as a finale because not a whole lot of substance happened. Joanna was a tertiary part of this season's story, yet she received a ton of screentime in this episode. And key players like Price and Whiterose were entirely absent, while Angela, one of the main characters, hardly appeared at all. This wasn't the climax that this season needed to justify such a slow season filled with teasing. Instead it looks like the pay-off is going to be saved for next season. I wouldn't be surprised if the show lost a lot of fans between seasons because of this choice. The Unknown: What was Tyrell's father like? Why does Tyrell want so desperately to not be like him? Will Tyrell follow through with the plan for stage 2? What will result from the destruction of the E Corp building? Why did he call Angela after shooting Elliot? Was that planned? How are they going to save him? I'm sure he won't die. How is Angela aware of the plan? Did Whiterose tell her about it? Why is she playing such a key role? Tyrell says that he hasn't been living in this building the entire time. Where has he been staying then? What else has he been up to? Who has been hiding him? We also still don't know what exactly happened during the three days. What other details are there to uncover? What happened after Elliot grabbed the gun to shoot Tyrell? A bullet was fired, so how is Tyrell still alive? He doesn't seem to acknowledge that Elliot made an attempt on his life. Tyrell does exist right? The gunshot seemed to confirm that, but you never know with this show. I thought they had confirmed his death many episodes ago, but clearly not. Is Derek going to testify against Scott? Did Joanna plan for this to happen? Was she goading him into attacking her to make this seem legitimate? What does Joanna have to gain by ruining Scott's reputation? Is she hoping to open up the position of CTO for Tyrell again? So if Scott was sending all the gifts, does this mean that Joanna is unaware of what's been going on with Tyrell? That doesn't really make sense with how much she has known in previous episodes. It doesn't explain the deal with Kareem either. How much does she know about Tyrell? What role does she play in all of this? Did Mobley and Trenton escape on their own to forge a new life? So it wasn't the Dark Army that got to them? What did Trenton uncover about undoing the hack? Will they act on this? Why has Leon tracked them down? If the FBI know everything, does this mean that they have someone following Elliot? Could they have tracked him to the building that he is in with Tyrell? I really hope so, any other outcome will make them look sloppy. Best Moment: Dom revealing the FBI's intelligence to Darlene. Character of the Episode: Dom. Conclusion: This ended up being a mixed bag of a season finale. The scenes individually were well done and there was good storytelling here, but this failed to be the massive pay-off that we needed to justify the tedious slog that this season was. As you can expect, my opinion on season 2 is not great. The earlier episodes were slow paced but they had a solid story of Elliot learning to accept Mr. Robot, and I was patient enough to wait for the bigger pay-offs later. But those pay-offs never came, and looking back on season 2, it was quite a waste of time. So many of the storylines were dragged out, unnecessary, and needlessly confusing. I wish that we had been given a more straightforward narrative to latch onto as it would have been easier to tell a compelling story in that scenario. But "Mr. Robot" didn't do that, and as the season escalated, the story fell into nonsensical shenanigans, pointless plot twists, soap opera cliffhangers, and frustrating teases. This show is damn lucky that the production value is top-quality, because if it wasn't then this show would likely be borderline unwatchable this season. The good production, good performances, and creativity is what is saving this show right now, because otherwise season 2 was a typical sophomore slump. There is still potential here; I did really enjoy season 1. "Mr. Robot" just needs to remember what season 1's strengths were, and it needs to learn from season 2's mistakes. Score: 59 Summary: Elliot tries a new strategy of lucid dreaming which allows him to be present when Mr. Robot starts acting. He follows Mr. Robot to a cab and regains control. In the cab he meets Tyrell. Dom tries to keep working on the case but Santiago sends her home. Dom feels lonely and interacts with Alexa. Price negotiates with Jack to make Ecoin a major new form of currency. Angela is taken to a mysterious house where she is met by Whiterose who asks for her belief.
The Good: I like that Elliot came up with a way to be present when Mr. Robot took over. We needed a way for Elliot to finally see and understand what his alter ego was doing, and this was an effective way of accomplishing that. Elliot used a lucid dreaming strategy to finally make himself present, and it worked! It was engaging to watch because Mr. Robot's nocturnal activities are hugely important to the plot, making this whole sequence feel like a big deal. And naturally, it led to Tyrell finally making his return. Dom has some good scenes here. Her debate with Santiago made a lot of sense. Of course we know that Dom is right about everything, but Santiago gives some valid and understandable reasons as to why he can't simply let her do what she knows is right. It's sad, but it's the way of the world and I suspect that Santiago's decisions will have major consequences. Dom's moment at home talking with Alexa was very sad, and illuminated how dependent she is on her job. I have grown to care about her through the season and I genuinely hope that she finds satisfaction in her personal life. Price's scene with Jack was very good. Finally we get to see exactly what his Ecoin plan was: Price wants to be the man in control of currency in America. That's a big move, and Price details perfectly to Jack why it is necessary, and even gives Jack the illusion of power by offering him complete access to regulate it, which I'm sure is either empty words or not the complete truth. Price is so great to watch, and it's satisfying to finally see what his mysterious Ecoin plan was all about. The Bad: A lot was problematic about this episode. The biggest disappointment for me was Angela's storyline. She had the most screentime this episode and it all felt so wasteful. She spends a really long time being questioned by a kid at an ancient-looking terminal in preparation for her meeting with Whiterose. This scene is weird, creepy, and raises a lot of questions. Ordinarily, I would find this fascinating and it would captivate my imagination. But with how cheap this season has been with a lot of its storytelling, I find myself wondering if there even is an explanation for this stuff. Is this stuff just being done for the sake of being "cool" and "innovative"? Is it just being done to mimic David Fincher? I don't talk much about the "Fight Club" parallels in this show (they don't particularly bother or captivate me), but I can't help but wonder if Sam Esmail thinks that these filmmaking tricks are more important than the story. When it was clear that there wouldn't be a deeper explanation of what happened here, I wondered what the point of it all was. I think that these scenes were only weird for the sake of being weird. Once you realize that things are meaningless, something that may seem fascinating on the surface immediately becomes frustrating, an emotion that I'm feeling all too much with this second season. Angela's conversation with Whiterose fell flat too. For a character who is so obsessed with being time-efficient, Whiterose sure does spend a whole lot of time saying nothing of note. This conversation was an exercise of patience for me. After the vague waste of time that was Angela's time with the kid, I was hoping that this conversation would get a move on and give us some substance. Perhaps some character development? Information on the plot? Introduce an interesting new relationship? But alas, that did not happen. Instead, we just got a lot of vague philosophical statements from Whiterose who hinted at some potentially major reveals, but then immediately changed subjects. Sure this stuff could be interesting to theorize about, but when we have had 11 episodes of this stuff, I am exhausted and craving some actual story. Then we skipped the end of the conversation and caught up with Angela later, only to find out that the interesting character development I was hoping for had happened off screen. To that I have to simply say "ugh". I am baffled that this show continues to have Angela go through such major changes off screen. I've been complaining all season about how much this disconnects me from her, and it happened again! This is the epitome of not learning from your mistakes. And why did we miss this important character development? So that Sam Esmail can continue to withhold important information about the plot to manufacture "drama" in a completely ineffective way. Good drama requires a compelling story and characters, and so this approach hasn't worked and after 11 episodes of being jerked around this season, I am absolutely sick of it. Whiterose is so concerned about time and yet she's a smoker? She is aware that smoking will actively decrease her lifespan right? What may have seemed like a cool character quirk is actually completely against the very nature of the character. Elliot's lucid dream strategy is smart, but it raises one huge question: why on Earth didn't he try this before? Especially when he was in prison and he knew that Mr. Robot was still controlling him? It came right out of nowhere, which doesn't quite make sense. The Tyrell reveal at the end was a long time coming, but it honestly fell a bit flat. There wasn't much emotion or shock to his return. The only thing I could think was "well it's about time". I suppose that's a consequence of how much the show has slowed down this season. Regardless of that, I'm still frustrated that he showed up and didn't do or say anything. Instead he's used as a cliffhanger for the next episode. With how recent episodes have annoyed me with cliffhangers, I'm not as patient about this choice as I would ordinarily be. Please "Mr. Robot", can I have some story in place of this constant teasing? Speaking of cliffhangers, I can't believe that we weren't even told who died at the shoot-out from the previous episode. In a season that has withheld answers for way too long, this is hitting a new low. After such a monumental event happened, surely we would see some follow-up right? Apparently not. We still don't know if Darlene or Cisco are alive or dead, and I can't fathom any reason for keeping this secret other than to purposefully annoy the audience under the name of "suspense". Its the same old stupid decison-making that I've been vocal about throughout this review. And this isn't even the only example of a cliffhanger not being followed up on. We get a scene with Joanna and Mr. Sutherland in this episode, and it tells us absolutely nothing. It's just another tease of what this address is. Why was this scene even necessary? And as a final nail in the coffin, I'll serve up a reminder that we still do not know what happened to Trenton and Mobley after we were left on a cliffhanger 3 episodes ago. The frustration has been endless this season. Dom's scenes were pretty good, but I have to question having such a lengthy character-building scene so late in the season. Surely this scene would have been better off in one of the earlier episodes. The Unknown: Who are the FBI interviewing? Is it Darlene? Joanna says that the address is Tyrell's biggest gift to her. Why? Who was the little girl? Was she beaten or not? How did Whiterose recruit her? Why did Whiterose put Angela through this confusingly tedious test? Did Whiterose reveal that the Washington Township Plant leak was intentional? Why would she intentionally do this? How did Angela's conversation with Whiterose conclude? Why did Angela visit her lawyer after? She seems much more sinister now. Is she working with Whiterose now? Why? Where was the cab supposed to take Elliot and Tyrell? Is Tyrell actually there? He voice sounds strangely different. Where has Tyrell been this whole time? Why reveal himself now? Has he been regularly speaking with Mr. Robot all this time? Best Moment: Price negotiating with Jack. No matter what the scenario, Michael Cristofer always steals the show playing Price. Character of the Episode: Price. Conclusion: There were some good aspects here, but this first part of the season finale offered more of the same cheap tricks that have ruined much of this season so far. It has been a frustrating ride so far and the pressure is on the next episode to offer enough of a pay off to make this journey worth it. At this point my patient is running out. Score: 45 Summary: Colby asks Price what his goals are and he reveals that he wants to be the most powerful man in the world. Joanna meets with Elliot and tasks him with tracing the phone that she was given by (presumably) Tyrell. Elliot gets new hardware and finds an address which he gives to Mr. Sutherland. Elliot is messaged by Angela and he meets with her. Angela tells him she is going to confess about the femtocell and they share a moment together and kiss. Elliot leaves and Angela is confronted by some people. Cisco tells Darlene that he found Vincent who is badly injured and in danger of dying. Darlene contemplates letting him die but Cisco stops her and they take him to a hospital. Cisco is ID'd at Susan's house and Dom tracks him down to the hospital. The FBI put Cisco's face on a BOLO. Dom tracks down Darlene and Cisco to a nearby restaurant and goes inside to talk to them. A Dark Army gunner arrives and shoots down the restaurant before shooting himself.
The Good: I appreciate this episode for rectifying much of what made the previous episode so frustrating. There are still problems (see: The Bad), but I got a lot more value from this episode. Fromt he opening scene, this promised to be a much stronger episode. We open up with a conversation between Colby and Price, and the show uses this scene as a way to tell us more about Price, telling us precisely what his goals, motivation, and character is through a magnificent speech that was thoughtfully shot, starting by making Price look small at the edge of the frame and ending with him dominating the scene. The shot nicely fits what we learn about him: he is driven purely by power. His goal is to be the most powerful man in the world because he wants to always be the one in control no matter what the scenario. He desires this because he is greedy, prideful, and ambitious. I've long awaited a scene in "Mr. Robot" that explicitly tells us things about a character, allowing us to better understand them in the future. We finally got something like that in this opening scene. We also learn more about Joanna as she tells Elliot what she sees in Tyrell. Her story about their first date is horrifying and problematic in a lot of ways, but it impressively humanizes Joanna. We understand now that Joanna is someone who enjoys feeling like she has power. She loves Tyrell not because of who he is but because he is willing to do so much for her, and puts in the effort to make her happy through material goods. He makes her feel like a queen, and that sense of power is a driving force for her. It's curious how desire for power seems to be a driving force for so many characters in this show, and I really like this thematic consistency. Like Price, Joanna was one of those characters who desperately needed more humanizing and we finally got that here. It's a shame that we didn't learn more about her earlier, as some of her earlier scenes in this season may have been more impactful. Joanna's scene with Elliot was good. It was a natural continuation of their interaction back in the season 1 finale, and I appreciate how terrified Elliot is of her, simply because she is so good at reading social cues, unlike Elliot who struggles in just about every social situation. Their conversation sets up an engaging storyline as Elliot tracks down the phone with the implication being that Tyrell is on the other end and he will be found. Though we don't get a good resolution (see: The Bad), it was an engaging storyline with a sense of importance. I adored the long-take in Elliot's apartment where he asked us to see if there was anything in there that Mr. Robot may have wanted to retrieve. The unique way that Elliot talks to us directly is one of the most creative aspects of the show. Cisco snapping at Darlene felt earned and it's good that he prevented her from slipping further into cruelty and pain. Both characters were really good in this episode. Cisco showed that he had a moral side and seemed to genuinely care for Darlene. Darlene continues to develop wonderfully as she comes to reality and accepts that she hasn't been in control of things at all and that she's in over her head. Her monologue to Cisco about her desire to feel "special" felt very real, and it connected nicely to a story from her past that helps us understand Darlene's motivations. She wants people to notice her because she wants to feel important. This was conveyed beautifully, and is yet another case of a character's goals, motives, and personality being given to us forthright. Following these good character moments, we are treated to a terrific final 10 minutes of the episode. The whole sequence is almost unbearably tense and leaves us on edge. There is a promise that something big is about to happen. The show cuts rapidly between Elliot/Angela, Darlene/Cisco, and Dom which builds tension alongside a repeated music score that plays nonstop for all 10 minutes. The drama escalates perfectly. Dom's investigation is gripping, and it takes her closer and closer to Cisco, ratcheting up the suspense as we know that Darlene is with her and if Dom finds them, it's really bad for them both. But with Cisco's face up on the news, the Dark Army also remains a major threat. Meanwhile at the same time, we learn that Angela is ready to give herself up and confess about the femtocell. Elliot talks to her and they share a nice moment as they kiss, which felt like a long time coming. It's good to see their storylines cross over once again, and I'm curious how this interaction will affect the characters in the future. It was a strange choice to integrate these scenes in the tense final 10 minutes, but it creates a unique sense of heart-pounding dread when they kiss. I think that worked very well. The whole sequence builds and builds to that fantastic shoot-out at the end, a dramatic moment that satisfied all of the build-up (see: Best Moment) The Bad: Once again, there are a few frustrating cliffhangers in this episode. "Mr. Robot" is relying too heavily on these little tricks to keep things dramatic and it is frustrating. Mr. Sutherland offers Elliot no answers about the address for the phone, which leaves us wondering what the address is. Angela is confronted by 2 mystery people but again we don't know who. We aren't told who was killed in the shootout at the end of the episode, which feels like a copout. It's consistently frustrating that every episode ends on these needless cliffhangers when giving us straightforward answers would work much better. It would be more dramatically effective if we knew where Mr. Sutherland was going, if we knew who Angela just got confronted by, and if we knew who died or did not die at the end of the episode. These cliffhangers are not needed and take away from the story. As tense and exciting as this was, "Mr. Robot" needs to deliver a lot more in these final episodes of season two to be satisfying. This episode is a step in the right direction, but with the amount of meaningless shocks and confusion that has been thrown out this season, my faith in the show is shaken. This two part finale needs to really deliver and end this season on a high. The Unknown: Who are the people that Price deems are more powerful than him? Is Price giving Congo to China as a gift of sorts to Whiterose? Why is it so important that this happens? How did Vincent get those injuries? What happened to the others that he was supposed to meet with? Did Tyrell call Joanna and Elliot on the phone? Or is it someone else? What is at the address that Elliot tracked down? Who owns this phone? Is Tyrell actually still alive? Why did Mr. Robot vanish when Joanna's phone rang? Is he hiding something? Is there something in Elliot's apartment that Mr. Robot needed? Did Mr. Robot lie about Tyrell being dead? Is Angela going to go through with confessing what she did? We still don't know what the Dark Army-modified femtocell is for. Who were the people that confronted her on the subway? Who died at the shootout? We see that Dom is covered in blood so was it Darlene or Cisco? Or both? I suspect that Cisco died and Darlene did not. How did the Dark Army know where Cisco was to send assassins to kill him? Did they trace his phone somehow? How do they have people available in America to do their bidding? How far does their reach go? Best Moment: The shootout at the end was spectacular. The stylish filmmaking choices of Sam Esmail were on full display here. The final two minutes feature a single static camera shot focusing on the restaurant from across the street. We see Dom enter and start talking with Darlene and Cisco, before suddenly a bike pulls up and in comes a man with a gun. In an extraordinary bit of detail, the crosswalk counts down to zero and right then the shooter unloads on the restaurant, before taking a hit and shooting himself in the head as the cops arrive. It's a brilliant sequence shot in such an audaciously perfect way. Simply brilliant stuff. Character of the Episode: Darlene. Conclusion: A big improvement on the previous episode. While there are still flaws here, the final ten minutes are incredibly tense and this feels like a major episode for the show. Score: 67 Summary: Flashbacks show that cops were at Elliot's door at the end of season 1 and they arrested him. But now, Elliot is free from prison and reunites with Darlene. Darlene tells him that Mobley and Trenton are missing and Elliot demands they meet with Cisco to figure out their next move. With Cisco, Elliot hacks into the phone of Xun, Cisco's Dark Army contact. Elliot meets with him and asks about Stage 2 but they don't reply. Darlene listens in and realizes that Stage 2 was set up by Elliot. Darlene also realizes that she left behind an important tape at Susan's house. Cisco goes back and finds it, along with something else. Elliot returns to his apartment and sees Joanna waiting for him. Angela hacks her boss and retrieves critical files on the Washington Township Plant. She takes them to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission but leaves when she detects that they are after her. At home, Angela is visited by Dom who offers to help her, letting her know that she is on their radar to be arrested soon. Whiterose meets with Price who asks for more cash to get through their plan. They threaten each other.
The Good: The flashbacks to start the episode did a terrific job of filling in all the blanks from the season 1 finale to now, making it explicitly clear how Elliot's prison story worked out in the grander scheme of things. Elliot was arrested as a result of Michael's actions against him, and we learn that Leon was there since the beginning to protect him, and Ray was the warden which explains his presence. This was all good stuff, clearing up all loose ends and setting up for what should be a more focused narrative going forwards. I am enjoying whatever it is that the show is setting up with Elliot and Mr. Robot. The strange disconnect they are experiencing was surprising and completely caught me off guard. The show neatly captured the feeling of not being in control and being powerless to stop your own actions. The creative filmmaking ensured that this stuff was chilling, and anxiety-inducing. I have to especially praise the subway scene as Elliot is physically unable to reach Mr. Robot as he talks with Cisco, with some unsettling keyboard playing in the background making the whole thing feel that much more sinister. Angela's hack was tense and exciting. I really enjoyed seeing her make use of her new skillset to further her own goals. The visitor mistaking her for Monica was a wonderful moment that again highlighted how little these high-ranking people think of the assistants (he couldn't even remember her face). There was wonderful suspense in this sequence. I'm also happy with Dom's story connecting to Angela, and I hope that this goes somewhere big. Price and Whiterose's scene is very well acted, especially from Price. His angry rant that he will ensure that Whiterose fails no matter what if he betrays him was fantastic and very gripping to watch. Michael Cristofer is engaging in every single scene. Magnificent casting. Darlene and Elliot's hug was nice. The Bad: Unfortunately this episode pushed me close to my breaking point. Season 2 has frustrated me plenty with its convoluted storytelling, slow pacing and lack of substance, and all of that really got to me with this episode. Following the flashback sequence, I had figured that we would be leaving the mysteries behind and go to a more emotionally satisfying story. Instead, as has been the case this season, Sam Esmail opts to jerk us around with more mysteries, more convoluted storytelling, and even more frustrating teasing without offering us any clear answers. With season 2 coming closer to its end, I have grown weary of this. I have been patient a long time but now I am actively annoyed that just 4 episodes from the end of the season we are still being exposed to these games. Smoke and mirrors alone do not make a good TV show. We need emotional substance to feel something. This episode was all smoke and mirrors, and zero substance. Every scene left me with more and more questions, nothing became clear, and I struggled to connect with every character. The show is so fixated on setting up its plot through these frustrating mysteries, and it loses sight of its characters in the process. So many potentially good storylines have been abandoned for the sake of preserving mystery and developing the plot. I'll start with Elliot's storyline. The Darlene/Cisco reunion wasn't anywhere near as impactful as it should have been. Darlene went at Cisco full swing with a baseball bat last episode, and it had zero consequences! What? Come on, that feels so cheap. Both characters act like nothing even happened outside of a single underwhelming scene, and that was so disappointing. The conclusion to this storyline at the end of the episode angered me. The use of cliffhangers was terrible and by this point I am angered at how this show manipulates us into watching more by giving no answers. What did Cisco find behind the couch? Who is at Darlene's door? Find out next time! The impact of these reveals is nullified by this garbage cliffhangers and that irritated me massively. Elliot's story ends with a meeting with Joanna. This should be an exciting moment, but I find myself rolling my eyes because I know that we won't get any plot movement or character building from this. We will likely just be jerked around and teased with answers at the start of the next episode before "Mr. Robot" moves on to its next convoluted story. I'm frustrated that after 9 episodes in season 2, we still haven't moved on from the frustrating storytelling of the early episodes. Angela's story is so confusing for me. One of the biggest weaknesses of "Mr. Robot" is how it tells its story. By hiding so much from us, it becomes difficult to understand what characters are trying to do and what their motivations are. The people creating the show know what's going on, so they can understand just fine, but the audience is left clueless. As a result, so many storylines fall flat because we can't understand the characters. Angela's story is the biggest consequence of this problem. I still have no good idea of what her motives are or what she is trying to do. What is her goal? Why is she moving up in E Corp? How invested is she in this place? How does she feel about alienating her father and her friends? None of these questions have concrete answers, and that's problematic because these are the essential aspects of her character that we need to connect with. Angela's story here is hurt because I have no idea about anything that she's doing. Why did she do that hack now? I have no idea. Was it always her plan? Did she just come up with it when her new boss pissed her off? I have no idea. Did Price want her to do this? I have no idea. What is her endgame with this information? I have no idea. It's one frustrating question after another and I find myself just craving for some simple details on Angela's character so that I can better understand her. Price and Whiterose had what should have been a fantastic scene. Instead, I found myself only able to appreciate the acting because I have no idea what they're talking about! So far every scene between these two serves as a tease of what's actually happening but nothing is ever revealed. Just more and more questions, and I'm left feeling cold about the whole thing. By this point, I'm not sure if any reveal would be able to justify the ridiculous amount of teasing and set-up that has been done this season. Just give us some answers and a story that we can connect with for the love of god. At least the early season 2 episodes had some fascinating storytelling with Elliot and Mr. Robot to keep me interested, but this episode doesn't have that luxury. This episode had no emotional core at all and nothing was clear. The Unknown: What did Darlene say to Elliot when they hugged? Why did Elliot visit his mother? Is she physically unable to interact with him, or does she just choose not to? Why does Whiterose hate the word "accident"? Did she cause the plane crash that killed the former E Corp CEO? It was pretty amusing when she pissed on his grave. What's the deal with whatever she has going on with Price? Is Price really able to fight against Whiterose? What is with the suggestion for World War 3? How can they make that happen? Why is the Washington Township Plant so important for Whiterose? What is going on there? What's going on with Elliot? Why is he "glitching" with Mr. Robot? What is happening to his mind? How is this happening? Why did Angela do this E Corp hack? What motivated it? Why was the US Nuclear Regulation Commission after her? Are they somehow complicit in whatever is happening at the Washington Plant? What does Dom want from Angela? What is her plan? Why is she extending an offer to her? Will Angela accept it? What did Mr. Robot say to Cisco? Is Elliot going to get a meeting with Whiterose? What will he learn from that? What did Cisco find in Susan's house? It sounded like a bound person? Was it Mobley and Trenton? Someone else? Who left it there, whatever it is? Apparently Stage 2 was Elliot's plan. Did he come up with it during the 3 missing days? What does it entail? Why did the Dark Army agree with it? Did Elliot meet with Whiterose during this time? Who was at Darlene's door? What does Joanna want from Elliot? Best Moment: Angela's E Corp hack is signature "Mr. Robot". Character of the Episode: Dom. Conclusion: The most frustrating episode of the show. I've been patient for a long time, but this episode is where I finally had enough. All of season 2's biggest weaknesses were on display here and no amount of gorgeous camera work can overcome that. We need something of substance fast for this season to be salvaged. Score: 48 Summary: A flashback shows Mobley and Trenton meet while they wait to meet Darlene. In the present, fsociety listen in on an open discussion on Operation Berenstain and release the discussion to the public. Susan suddenly returns home and they are forced to imprison her. After much debate on what to do, Darlene kills her, exacting revenge for her father. She claims to the others that it was an accident but nobody believes it. Mobley and Trenton try to find a way out. Mobley is taken in for questioning by the FBI and is questioned by Dom who wants to be led to Tyrell. Mobley requests a lawyer and the FBI are forced to release him after Operation Berenstain went public. Mobley texts to meet Trenton to skip town and Trenton waits for him but he doesn't arrive for 2 hours. Somebody arrives to see Trenton. Darlene opens up to Cisco about her horror and she stays with him but learns that he is secretly working with the Dark Army against them. Darlene destroys his computer and knocks him out. Angela is on a date at a bar but ignores her date and confronts an old friend, Steve, who accuses her of being a traitor. Her date is revealed to be a plant from Dom who is investigating Angela.
The Good: It's strange to have an episode without Elliot at all, but I think this decision actually had a lot of upside, allowing the side characters to develop more naturally. This episode did wonders for the likes of Darlene, Mobley, and Trenton who I now understand much better, and I'm starting care about them. After almost two seasons this is long overdue, but it's better to get this development late than never. I thoroughly enjoyed everything involving Mobley and Trenton. The flashback to kick off the episode was good and it revealed a little bit more about their personalities through their little debate over android vs apple. There's also a cheeky line as Darlene shows up and Mobley and Trenton ask about Elliot, foreshadowing that he is not going to appear in this episode. In the present, Trenton and Mobley were fairly compelling. They are clearly in over their head here and there is something easy to relate with as the two of them try their best to make it out alive as they feel the walls closing in around them. Mobley is paranoid and regretful of what he has done, while Trenton is scared and in denial of the fact that she may have to leave her family. All of these emotions are easy to understand, connecting us more with these characters. There were several great scenes here. Trenton failing to convince her family to move, Mobley sending the pizza guy to scan his apartment (and then asking for his other pizza), and of course Dom's interrogation of Mobley. I'll focus on that last one a bit more because there is more substance to explore. Dom is growing on me quickly. She's so dedicated to her job in spite of her weak home life, and it is refreshing how smart and capable she is. Her shakedown of Mobley is effective, pinning down his identity perfectly, and when you consider how Mobley has acted prior to this scene, there is a genuine sense that he might break. But in a lovely twist, Mobley shows his brains as he hits Dom with "lawyer", ending the interrogation, and securing his freedom from the FBI (from the Operation Berenstain hack) even if he doesn't realize that just yet. The entire Susan Jacobs scenario was very engaging. While it does feel a little convenient that nobody was checking for her return, this does double down on how unprepared fsociety is for what they're doing, which is an idea that "Mr. Robot" has been examining for quite some time. You get the sense that had Darlene not been there, they may even have let Susan get away because of how much her appearance caught them off guard. Darlene was the only person prepared here. Mobley freaks out, Trenton stupidly lets Susan out of her bindings, and nobody can agree on what to do so they desperately try to hack her. Darlene is the only one who understands that the only way out of this situation is to kill Susan, and that any outcome where she survives will not end well for them. Her confrontation with Susan is fascinating, exposing a darker side to the character that we had not previously seen (see: Best Moment). I really liked Darlene murdering her in cold blood, and her follow-up is fascinating. Mobley, Trenton, and Cisco all know what she did, but say nothing. Darlene then sits on the subway and reflects, horrified at what she did, and confused as to why nothing stopped her from committing murder. It's a realistic and sad portrayal of what pushing past a moral boundary does to a person. Carly Chaikin is terrific throughout the episode and brings Darlene's conflict to life. I loved the montage of the FBI hack coupled with Angela's karaoke performance. The music choices in this show are always immaculate, and that's the same here. The lyrics to the song perfectly reflect the struggle of pretty much every character in this episode. It's a wonderful song that adds emotion to a hacking sequence. The Bad: Angela is treading water here. Her confrontation with Steve, the plumber, feels very familiar. Somebody calls Angela out for being a sell-out and she shuts them down with confidence. We have seen this before and it adds nothing to see it happen again. Everything involving Angela feel completely flat and it was a waste of time. I wish that a more unique storyline could have been thought up for Angela. I still feel that little bit of disconnect in who she is, so I would have liked some scenes that explored a different aspect of the character to help clear up her motives and goals, which are currently extremely messy. Of course, an episode of "Mr. Robot" without Elliot feels like it's missing something. I enjoyed most of what was offered here, but something is always going to be missing when you remove the best character in the show for an episode. The Unknown: Did the FBI get any kind of clue from the man who originally owned the gun that Darlene had placed for Elliot? Have they been directed towards her now? Who visited Trenton at her house? Why did they go to see her? What was the purpose? Where did Mobley go? Why didn't he meet with Trenton? Did somebody get to him? Who entered the shop to meet Trenton? Will Dom's plan to get information out of Angela work? Who is the older man that Angela was talking to? What are the Dark Army planning? What is stage 2? Why did Cisco need to keep an eye on Darlene? Will Darlene escape from him now? Best Moment: Darlene's speech to Susan was chilling. You get a dark sense that this was exactly what she was hoping would happen based on how much she enjoyed tormenting Susan with her story. Darlene has never been a particularly violent person so you never really suspect that she's going to outright murder Susan, but then she does. It's the most driven by emotion we have ever seen Darlene, a terrific moment that reveals a lot about the character. Character of the Episode: Darlene. Conclusion: Elliot's presence was missing in this episode, but the side characters desperately needed this episode to develop further and become better realized. While this isn't a particularly special episode, it's a fun thriller that connects me more to what was a woefully underdeveloped cast of side characters. Score: 65 Summary: Elliot talks to Mr. Robot who tells him that he killed Tyrell. Ray takes Elliot to a computer and tells him to finish the site migration. Elliot does so and plays a game of chess with Ray. Ray accepts that Elliot likely informed the cops and accepts his fate. The cops arrive and arrest him. Later, several gang members come after Elliot for what he did but Leon defends him and kills them, revealing that he works for Whiterose. Elliot meets with Krista and reveals to us that he's been lying and living in an illusion; he was in prison the entire time. Angela is able to get Dom away and finishes the hack, but Dom quickly realizes they were hacked and that Angela played a role. Angela gets the contingency dropped and meets with Price asking to be moved to being manager in risk management. She moves in and tries to take an important position, but her new boss stops her and reveals that he has been given the authority by Price to do whatever he wants with her. After feeling continually frustrated with her life, Joanna gets divorce papers for Tyrell and shows them to Derek.
The Good: The Angela story from last week resolves really well. Angela handles Dom with expertise and intelligence that fits her, but of course she looks incredibly nervous so Dom easily realizes the truth immediately, she's just unable to prove it. I was thoroughly impressed that Dom was written competently enough to still be suspicious of Angela and immediately understand that the FBI was hacked. Both characters were portrayed perfectly and the result of their scene was the most logical and realistic. Dom also brings up Angela's inner character conflict ("this isn't you") which segues nicely to the rest of Angela's story where she tries her best to make the changes she wants without giving herself up to the corporate lifestyle. She tries to offer peace to her father, but he isn't hearing it and in the episode's best scene (see: Best Moment), he tells Angela straight up that he does not trust her anymore. On the other hand, Angela gets the result she needs from Price, but is unwilling to give herself up to him which may have hindered her ability to make the change that she wants to make (see: The Unknown). It seems clear that while Angela wants to change E Corp from within, she's finding it tough to stray from the temptation of changing herself to adapt to a cushy life in E Corp instead. All of her attempts to do the right thing result in her failing to make any impact. Elliot's story in this episode sees the conclusion of the Ray mini-arc and it is compelling barring one bit of disappointment (see: The Bad). Ray's dead wife had been a detail that wasn't really explored much, so I am pleased that it factored into the conclusion of Ray's arc. He admits that his wife was the one who started the business, which makes sense considering that Ray seems too kind of a person to make something so ruthless. His own personal guilt over the website is brutally realistic and hits hard emotionally, and it made sense that he wanted to continue the business in tribute to his wife. But in the end, after he abused Elliot and RT he realized that he was becoming a real monster and decided that being busted by the FBI was a better outcome than living life with constant guilt and shame. This was an emotionally satisfying conclusion, and Ray's final chess game with Elliot was a good send-off to a good side character. The big reveals in this episode definitely delivered. We learn from Mr. Robot that Elliot likely killed Tyrell. I'm not sure if I believe it (see: The Unknown), but it is big for Elliot to finally put that uncertainty to rest. The Leon twist caught me completely off guard and was a pleasant surprise. It makes sense that The Dark Army would do something to protect Elliot if they view him as important, and having Leon be his guardian angel was a good way to raise the importance of the character. The ending prison reveal worked well too. I appreciated the way that it was revealed, making clear what each setting represented in prison; the dining room was the prison meeting room, the church group was in the prison, the restaurant was the cafeteria, Elliot's room was a prison cell, the streets were hallways, etc. With this, the reveal made perfect sense and the entire first half of season 2 makes more sense in retrospect. I did suspect this twist, but seeing the reveal was still satisfying. I do appreciate that an explanation was provided for Elliot keeping this secret from us, and while it wasn't perfect (see: The Bad), it at least prevents this reveal from feeling like a lame shock without any purpose at all. This show is portraying a changed world really well. With the economy in tatters, it makes sense that there is chaos everywhere and the show shows this whenever it can. From failing businesses to trash burning in the streets, it's clear that the world is a completely different place. The Bad: The conclusion to Ray's story felt somewhat anticlimactic. The escalation of Ray into a villainous character was superbly done in the last couple episodes, so it is pretty underwhelming that he immediately gets cold feet after beating up Elliot and essentially lets Elliot turn him in. That's a very convenient end to the storyline even if it did make emotional sense for the character. It feels like the escalating suspense led to nothing. It's a shame that the newly developed intimidating side to Ray was so short lived. The big surprise twist at the end of the episode isn't as impactful as the show thinks it is. Sure, it's a good reveal that recontextualizes the story, but it feels more like a trick executed through misdirection rather than a story beat. Elliot's reasoning is that he didn't trust us so he kept secrets, but why tell us the truth now? It feels a bit lazily thought out and convenient, giving off the impression that the writers wanted this meaningless shock in the story and constructed a narrative around that idea rather than letting the narrative develop organically. It's a forced reveal that feels like it wasn't entirely necessary. I think the season honestly would have been stronger had the story been honest with us about what was happening. At least then it wouldn't have been bogged down by frustrating mysteries and confusing storytelling. Joanna's story continues to bore me. Her scenes do not evoke any sense of emotion and I can't understand her as a character because I'm very unclear about what she knows and what she thinks is happening with Tyrell. With Elliot we always know what he's thinking and what he's perceiving, so the show's vague style of storytelling works well with him. It does not work with Joanna. I was disappointed by Price inviting Angela to celebrate his birthday, which read to me like he was asking her for a sexual relationship. We have enough two dimensional creepy corporate assholes on this show as is, I really hope that Price isn't just another of them. The character has potential to be so much more. The Unknown: Did Elliot really kill Tyrell? That's what we're told but I'm not sure that I entirely trust Mr. Robot. What did Darlene see on the computer? Apparently something was supposed to happen tomorrow. What? Why is Joanna deciding to divorce Tyrell? Is it real? I imagine that divorcing a missing person does not go through so easily. Why did Price ask Angela to celebrate with him? Was it as sexual of a request as it sounded? Was Angela's rejection why Price didn't offer her further help in her new position? How will Angela adjust to her new position? Will she be able to make the changes that she wants to make or will it be harder than she thought? How will she try to get through to her new boss? What did Elliot's letter say? Was it a release letter? Where is Whiterose going to meet Elliot? Why is she going to meet Elliot? I suppose that this reveal means that Leon is working for the Dark Army. How did they get someone into prison to watch over Elliot? So Elliot was in jail all along! Why is he there? What was he arrested for? Surely not the 5/9 hack or Tyrell's murder. I suspect that he's there for what he did to Krista and Michael, which would explain that random scene in the season 1 finale where Michael went after Elliot but that story had no follow-up. I suspect that this also means that the person at Elliot's door was the police. This reveal changes a lot of things. Does this mean Ray was another inmate? Or maybe a prison guard? His house was always strange because he had an empty office as the first room in his house. It would make sense if his house was just an office instead. Best Moment: Angela's scene with her father was sad and a perfect way to show us how much she has changed from the sweet, honorable woman of season 1 into a cold-hearted, ruthless businesswoman who is finding that changing herself is far easier than changing the system she is working in. The plight of both characters in this scene was understandable; Angela is trying to prove that she is still on a righteous path, avoiding facing how she has changed, while her father is disappointed that his wonderful daughter is working for the business that is responsible for the death of his wife. Sad stuff. Character of the Episode: Ray. Craig Robinson put in a great performance and I enjoyed his time on the show. Conclusion: We finally got some answers, the Ray story was finally resolved, and there was some decent progression on other fronts, but emotionally there was not a whole lot here, just a "shocking" twist without much impact. Add on a degree of dissatisfaction with Ray's story and this is a solid episode overall, but nothing special. Score: 64 Summary: Mr. Robot puts Elliot in a sitcom-like fantasy in his head to help him process his beating. Elliot wakes up in the hospital and is thrown into a room by Ray. He embraces Mr. Robot and thanks him for his help. Mobley teaches Angela to hack and she has 24 hours to learn because the FBI are leaving the E Corp building in one day. Cisco delivers the femtocell late after a hold up with the Dark Army inspecting it. Angela recognizes him but doesn't do anything. Angela goes to work and after some close calls she sets up the femtocell, but the wifi doesn't work. Angela goes back to her monitor and gets instructions on how to get the wifi back but she is interrupted when Dom arrives to question her. Price learns that the US can no longer borrow money from China after the attack and is unable to contact Whiterose. A flashback shows the time that Elliot's father told him about his condition, and he gives Elliot the opportunity to name his new computer store.
The Good: What an incredible 15 minute opening sequence that was. The whole episode was great, but this sequence stole the show. Following the tense cliffhanger from the last episode, it comes completely out of left field when we are spontaneously thrown into a 90s sitcom fantasy world with Elliot being every bit as confused as we are. It takes a little bit before we realize that this is Elliot's mind dealing with what happened to him and I adore this concept. I can tell that this episode likely influenced a certain episode of "BoJack Horseman", and seeing the original concept in action is a blast. The jokes are surprisingly funny and charming, and I got good laughs out of ALF (a fantastic and unexpected cameo) horrifyingly murdering Gideon and Tyrell crashing into the green screen. The self-awareness and obviously intentional cheesiness made this even funnier. Better than the laughs was the subtle hints about the various aspects of conflict in Elliot's mind. Gideon's laughable death is indicative of how Mr. Robot wants Elliot to accept what happened and move on without carrying that baggage. And as for Elliot's literal baggage, Tyrell, Mr. Robot again tells him to pretend like it's not even there and to move forward. Tyrell might be dead for all we know, but it shouldn't matter to Elliot. And then there is poor Angela who Elliot still wants to save, but Mr. Robot offers the bleak reality that he may have to leave her in E Corp because she has made that choice. The framing of these scenes as "lessons" that Mr. Robot is trying to teach Elliot is really beautiful, and it comes off as touching and honest, proving to us that Mr. Robot does care for Elliot. The pay-off at the end of the episode is extraordinary as Elliot embraces Mr. Robot during this painful and uncertain time, and it feels honest, earned, and emotional. I suspect that this will be a key moment in the story, and the creative way that it was set up only adds to its effectiveness. The rest of Elliot's story offers up some solid moments. Elliot looks half-dead following the beating, and "Mr. Robot" has done a fantastic job of making Craig Robinson feel threatening. It took time to turn Ray into an interesting character but we have finally got there. Ray initially seemed like a genuinely good person, kind, caring, and understanding. But now we get a full look at his terrifying, sadistic side and his speech to Elliot, telling him that he belongs to Ray is tense and intimidating. I'm very excited to see how this storyline is going to be resolved. The flashback at the end of the episode is a curious decision but I think that it works as a book-end scene, another reminder of how deep the bond between Elliot and his father was. "Mr. Robot" has been slow and sometimes tedious in this second season, but the emotional ending to this episode served as a reminder that this show has enormous potential and that the early parts of this season are likely setting up for even better things down the road. Angela's story is excellent and it is refreshing to see her integrated with the main story again. Without the focus being on Angela's internal character arc, the episode overcomes a lot of the problems I've had with her character development. My enjoyment of the story no longer depends on Angela's confused sense of morality, and all I need to know to enjoy her storyline here is that she has a much more aggressive personality compared to the first season. That is enough and it allows me to really enjoy how she handles herself as she executes this intense mission. Angela shines here, starting even before the mission begins when she stares down Cisco and sends him a brutal message without saying anything. I loved that moment, and we got a few more similarly intense scenes. Angela's efforts in the bathroom were suspenseful, and even better was when the FBI guy confronted her afterwards and Angela was forced to find a way out of there. The scene was superb, and Angela playing along to find her way out was excellent. The femtocell sequence was also very suspenseful, and I genuinely thought Angela was done there. But of course, true to real life, something goes wrong and Angela now has to do an extra hack from her own terminal. This final scene was absolutely outstanding. The extreme close-up of Angela's face puts us right in her shoes as she does this hack, and Darlene's quickfire instructions are tough to follow even for us, adding further to the tension. We are never given any shots of the environment around Angela, making us feel the anxiety she feels that somebody may be watching, somebody might see, somebody might hear her talking to Darlene. The anxiety is portrayed with sublime accuracy through stylistic filming choices, and it is an impressive accomplishment. Angela losing her place was totally realistic, and the fear that she felt in that scenario was perfect. The sequence finally ends with Angela inputting the final command, and right when you think she finally succeeded, "Mr. Robot" throws one final twist as Dom shows up right out of nowhere. It's a tremendous moment filled with dread, one that was set up beautifully in an earlier scene (you can see Dom in the background when Angela heads downstairs). I would normally complain about the FBI being so lax with their security, but credit where credit is due, a previous episode established that Dom is one of the only people that actually cares about security and that others don't really pay attention. Excellent foresight by the writers to include that scene to ensure that we can buy into the poor FBI security in this episode. The Bad: Angela's story was too similar to the Steel Mountain mission in "eps1.4_3xpl0its.wmv" for my liking. Sure, this time it was Angela instead of Elliot, and the concept was different, and the scenes were structured differently. But there were so many similarities along the way that it felt like I was watching the same exact thing. I still enjoyed it, but it took away from Angela's scenes when I realized how incredibly similar they were to a previous storyline. The Unknown: Is Mr. Robot killing Tyrell indicative of the fact that Elliot has killed Tyrell? Where has Elliot been taken by Ray and Lone Star? What are they going to do with him? Why did the Dark Army investigate the femtocell? Did they cause this wifi problem? Or is there something else planted in that femtocell that is yet to be revealed? I feel sad for Ahmed, the store owner who has to close down. I thought his scene with Dom was well written and I definitely felt for him. But what was the point of this scene? I wonder what Ahmed's role in the story is, because he has been shown two times now. Surely he will play some sort of role in this story instead of just being a reminder of how difficult the world post-5/9 is. Why is Whiterose ducking Price's calls? What is her goal? What will Price do without China's help? How will Angela deal with Dom? Will she find out what Angela has done? Angela gave Cisco quite the staredown. Will she do something to him later? I can't imagine that their storyline ends with just a glare. Best Moment: If I can get away with it, I'll give it to the entirety of the 15 minute opening sequence. Every second of that was a winner. If not, then I'll have to go with Elliot's emotional embrace of Mr. Robot, a terrific pay-off of six episodes of storytelling. Character of the Episode: Mr. Robot. Conclusion: Finally season 2 has started to progress and it is immediately paying off. Elliot and Mr. Robot's reconciliation provides the emotional edge that the show has desperately needed, while Angela's mission offers up some of that signature high-octane suspense that "Mr. Robot" is becoming known for. And then you add on that magnificent sitcom parody to start the episode, and this is a stand-out episode, quite possibly the best of the show so far. Score: 74 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
March 2024
Categories
All
|