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
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
March 2024
Categories
All
|