Robot
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Since the beginning ofMr.
Robot, Elliot has always wanted to save the world.
His actions led him to form a revolutionary army.
He has purposefully and inadvertently sparked acts of domestic and global terrorism.
He has landed in jail.
He has watched many of his friends and peers die at the hands of violent criminals.
He himself has almost died multiple times.
But he ostensibly did it for the good of mankind.
Yet Elliots motives arent exclusively altruistic.
In fact, they are partly, and understandably, selfish.
He wants to rewrite history forhimself.
He wants to alter the worlds landscape so that he can move through it without fear or shame.
It was an act of mercy all along.
This emotional subtext provides indelible gravitas toMr.
Its arguably the best plot move the series has made since the OGMr.
In fact, it only underscores its necessity and amplifies its core optimism.
Rami Malek has rarely been funnier as he moves through this new reality completely bewildered by its surreal familiarity.
No regrets he realizes somethings amok.
(Based on this, he doesnt have crippling social anxiety or paranoia, Elliots voiceover hilariously intones.)
Esmail briefly explores a perverse premise that would be a bleak but funny conclusion toMr.
Robot: What if Elliots entire reality was just the fantasies of a really basic guy?
It sounds like a more exciting life than the one he leads anyway.
But when push comes to shove, he doesnt actually want tobethat guy.
That guy is angry.
He has no life.
Watching Elliot receive this news is both devastating and grimly humorous.
Oh, sweet, sweet irony.
Just then, the world gives Elliot the opportunity to take his alternate selfs place.
So, obviously, Elliot snuffs out alternate Elliot after realizing hes still breathing and begging for help.
He had no other choice after all.
Robot finally returns to take a stab at knock some sense into Elliot one last time.
(In fact, its populated by people in fsociety masks.)
There is no wedding.
Robot gently explains that its just a recursive fantasy loop he constructed to keep him occupied.
Well, it turns out its the Real Elliot.
Esmail includes two different explanations for this a short one from Mr. Elliot Alderson suffers from DID as a response to abuse inflicted upon him in his childhood.
Hence, the multiple personalities he created to both protect him from the trauma Mr.
But what happens when you dont want to cede control?
Yet, he still cant let go, even though hes only a part of him.
Why give that up just because hes not the one whom she knows and loves?
Its a bittersweet good-bye, but Esmail emphasizes the hope underneath Our Elliots true nature.
Esmail pushes through the intrinsic corniness of just be yourself as a life mantra by emphasizing its sheer difficulty.
Elliot enters an empty movie theater and sits next to the other personalities.
He insists that we let go as well, as its the only way itll work.
The camera slowly pans up and moves into the flickering projection light.
Now and forever, Im your king!
Orphan Code
The Stargate sequence is not the only homage that Esmail includes during his finalMr.
Finally, the Krista-explains-it-all scene cant help but recall the Architect scene fromThe Matrixsequels.
At the time, it was considered a hallucination from Our Elliots morphine withdrawal.
Now, we know it was him dipping his toes into Real Elliots fantasy.
God, thats always been lame, hasnt it?
At this point, Im willing to let it slide.
