enuf is enuf. elliot goes to the washington township power plant.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of USA's Mr. Robot.
"eXit" was written by Sam Esmail and directed by Sam Esmail
Elliot and Whiterose have both been hurt by the world. That has shaped them into the people they are today. They can lash out at society and all that they have been forced to endure. There is the yearning for them to be treated as kindred spirits. However, they have such striking ideological differences when it comes to embracing all that this world can offer. Whiterose has spent her life collecting power for herself in the hopes of creating a better world. She meant that literally. Her secret project in the Washington Township power plant can hopefully create a happy and carefree existence for her. Meanwhile, Elliot has remained isolated and traumatized. He has embraced so much pain. And yet, he remains hopeful about society knowing that there are a select few people who refuse to give up on him and will love him no matter what. That is beautiful. These two individuals may have dramatically changed the world through their actions though. One was an expert hacker who has disrupted the global economy and staged the biggest redistribution of wealth the world has ever seen. The other rose through the ranks of her government while secretly running a terrorist organization that actually controlled everything happening across the globe. They have power. They wield it because of everything that has happened to them. Whiterose was broken because of that. She embraced these horrifying tactics in order to achieve her ultimate goal. She doesn't die when the authorities come to arrest her. She still remains powerful. She finally gets to embrace life as the woman she has always been. It's a power move as she declares Zhang is dead and strolls out of her home that has become a brutal battlefield. She continues to shape the destinies of whomever comes into contact with her. She and Elliot have this fateful confrontation. It may be long overdue. It features tremendous work from both Rami Malek and BD Wong. Both of them have been especially terrific during this final season. This episode may even continue the trajectory of the big antagonistic figures being killed off. And yet, it can't be seen as that easy. Whiterose kills herself. However, that is fundamentally presenting Elliot with the final choice. The power plant is shutting down. It will end in a nuclear fallout. Whiterose's machine may carry those souls impacted to a better world. She does so without presenting any of them with a choice. She believes that luxury was taken away as a direct result of Elliot's actions robbing the Deus Group. Elliot took this mission on a personal level. It was him returning to where the trauma all started. This is the place where his father and Angela's mother developed cancer and died. That was hardly the most traumatic thing to occur in their lives. It just comes across as the most fitting for the endgame of the series. Elliot is presented with a choice. It's framed through an old computer game where he has to decide whether or not to stay with his friend. In the end, he chooses to stay. Mr. Robot is there by his side as death seemingly comes for them. They profess their love. The emotions swell. However, this isn't the end. In fact, the narrative returns to depict a reality in which Elliot is actually happy. He is the CEO of AllSafe trying to land F Corp as a client. He is marrying Angela and his dad, Edward, is still alive. The worst thing in his life is that he has fallen into a routine. And yet, he is perfectly happy with what he has built and what he gets to do every day. Now, Tyrell's questions could be pointed and indicate that he too is aware something is off with this world. The audience is conditioned to be doubtful about this reality. Elliot wakes up with a migraine. He sees the fabric of this reality isn't quite holding. All of that is then destroyed when the original hacker Elliot is seen in the apartment when CEO Elliot returns home. It's a startling moment. It may showcase how the Elliot as the audience has always known him couldn't survive in a world where nothing bad ever happened to him. That may be his fate right now because of the choices made. Whiterose did her best to control the world. And now, she gets to live openly and proudly as who she is. That may be an achievement on her part. But it may very well lead to further devastation as this reality may not be able to sustain two Elliots who already have plenty of identity issues without throwing parallel worlds into the mix.
