‘Mr. Robot’ Season 3, Episode 6: Elliot Gets Played

I think that Elliott (or actually Mr. Robot) did know about blowing up the 71 buildings and that was Mr. Robot's and Tyrell's plan all along. That is why Mr. Robot wanted to stop Elliott because he did not want him to make that inevitable discovery. I agree that Angela thinks that she can save her mom by going back in time or going to a parallel universe. But we all remember the problems with the parallel universe in Back to the Future 2, in 2015. Remember the world had gone to hell and Biff was President. Biff a character who is based on our current president. Why do you think there are so many subtle (or not so subtle) Trump and Back to the Future references in the year 2015 where Marty travels in the 2nd movie?

Your thoughts on Tyrell's surrender are the same as mine, I am 99% sure that's what's going to happen. The Iran part is just subtile enough for it to work, because they haven't been overtly obvious about it, and it is very fitting. They'll pin 5/9 and 28/7 on Iran, just like they did 9/11 on Iraq.

In the first scene of this episode, the girl who is playing Angela- isn’t that the same girl who interviewed Angela in season 2? Remember when Angela was kidnapped and taken to the room where she meets WhiteRose. Am I wrong?

I do think that the events of this episode will align most major characters against Dark Army - Elliot, Mr. Robot, Darlene, Angela, Dom, maybe even Wellick and Price (under the enemy of my enemy is my friend theory). I think a battle lies ahead and a united Elliot/Mr. Robot will be a formidable foe for Dark Army. Episode was atmospheric and gripping throughout, show has bounced back well this season. I'd write more but I'm off to Red Wheelbarrow for some bbq now.

I just realized something. The only two people that can save E-Corp/US now - with no chance to recreate the data from paper records - are Mobley and Trent in AZ! Unfortunately though, we know White Rose has Joey Badd**s watching them. (that's also why - in case we forgot S2's ending - there was a flashback of JB talking to Irving in jail)

Rami Malek beating himself up is taken almost directly from Sam Esmail's go-to source material: Fight Club. It's weird to reference All of Me in this article, when Fight Club is obviously the inspiration for this entire series. IMO, Mr. Robot is almost a remake of Fight Club except changed enough and expanded upon to make it unique. The intensity of Sam Esmail's directing makes a lot of other TV shows seem like they aren't even trying. His unusual stylistic choices (framing everyone to one side of the screen for example) heighten the tension of even relatively minor dramatic moments. I think Esmail deserves an Emmy for directing with these last two episodes alone. Just look at the scene when Dom (Grace Gummer) wanders the smoke-filled basement (a hint of Silence of the Lambs here). I was on the edge of my seat. This is probably the best show on basic cable right now. P.S.: I also laughed at how easily Elliot snagged the security card. Nobody saw him do that?? Yeesh.

S3.E6 Observations - 1. Everything changed in the middle of the "movie". 9/29 is its 9/11. White Rose duped EVERYONE. Elliot/MR, Angela and Tyrell. Add Dom and ironically her coopted boss (Santiago). And of course Philip Price. 2. While last week's episode was a piece of art, this week's episode - IMO - was Mr. Robot's best episode ever. 3. I have called Mr. Robot the most groundbreaking TV show since the Sopranos. The later introduced the concept of the anti-hero. Mr. Robot has introduced the concept of nothing being easily explained within an episode. Relying on each piece of information over many years like pointillism dots that show a picture when finished. 4. Like the Sopranos, neither works without a rare acting talent at its heart. It is said that James Gandolfini could act through his eyes. Rami Malek does the same. Even better. 5. I could try and predict what happens in the second half of the movie. But that is a fool's errand. Best to accept Sam Esmail youu God. 6. In S1, the show, through the dialog of Romero, made fun of the show by saying "someone is writing a show right now that is going to mess up real hacker culture for the next generation". In this episode there were two more self-deprecating comments by Elliot.1. Building blowing up "why do we cut things so damn close". 2. Elliot/Mr Robot power struggle "I know this is confusing".

Good, thoughtful recap and review. Yes, stealing the card pass from the guard was too easy. Not as bad as the gags they use in BAD BEHAVIOR, where nothing stops the dynamic duo, but too easy last night in MR ROBOT and indicative of lazy writing. The "beat yourself up" bit reminded me of Jim Carrey in LIAR, LIAR though I'm impressed the NYT writer recalled the scene in ALL OF ME. I'll be even more impressed (and more enviable of his recall) if he saw it in a theater when it was released.

WHAT AN ENDING!! We thought it’d be a cliffhanger, kinda glad, kinda sad, it wasn’t. Angela will probably maintain her delusions about Whiterose. She keeps talking about undoing what happened to her mom and Elliot’s dad. Either she believes this massive attack too can be undone, or, and this is more sinister, she believes heaven or the afterlife her mom talked to her about is the “make everything better” she’s implying. Does anyone remember the pilot episode? After Elliot stops the first E Corp hack, Angela’s outside his apartment with Back to the Future in her hands. It’s Elliot’s “favorite movie.” Was that foreshadowing all the way down here in Season 3? Or a chance coincidence that allowed Whiterose’s proposal to sound yet more appealing to Angela? Elliot swiping the ID looked like plot convenience to me, nothing more. FBI’s gonna smell alcohol on Tyrell’s breath. That throws a wrench in the investigation, though I don’t know how. They will tell him about his wife and child. I wonder if Irving knows how great the attack was, if/why he’s still with Dark Army. What leverage does Whiterose have on him?

First off, I agree that the conflict between Elliot and Mr. Robot has gone as far as it can go, and they will be working together again from here on out. Also, I noticed that the card-swipe was far too quick and simple as well. In the series' past, often things which seem a little off at the time are explained later by a twist which reveals a deception or a perceptual malfunction by Elliot. What will the psychological twist be this season?