Some of Mr. Robot's Biggest Plot Twists Explained: "Where Do You Think You Are Right Now?"
Over its four seasons, Mr. Robot gave a masterclass in mind games. Here's a rundown of just some of the biggest plot twists the show had.
For a masterclass in mind games, and a great time while you’re at it, check out Mr. Robot. Just be prepared to be rocked and to reel from the show's many psychological twists and turns.
From 2015 to 2019, the USA Network series blurred the line between fact and fantasy. It constantly challenged the viewer to question what was real for Oscar-winner Rami Malek in his Emmy-scoring role as Elliot Alderson, a brilliant but troubled cybersecurity ace fighting corporate creeps.
Turns out Elliot was not a reliable narrator. Moreover, plot twists reframed earlier episodes – ultimately the whole series. While going over all the plot twists the show had to offer in its four-season run would be a bafflingly long list, there are a few that stand out.
That includes these colossal curveballs that turned Mr. Robot’s world upside down.
SPOILER ALERT: This article will discuss major plot points of Mr. Robot
Mr. Robot isn't who he appears to be
Early in Mr. Robot, Elliot Alderson believes he’s working with a real man, codenamed Mr. Robot (Christian Slater), to take down corrupt corporations. He’s not.
The surprising twist reveals Mr. Robot is not real, but a manifestation of Elliot’s mind. Yes, sort of like Fight Club. In Elliot’s case, Mr. Robot arises from his dissociative identity disorder – specifically, a persona based on his deceased father.
Some viewers may have thought something like that was up during Season 1. Suspicions were “confirmed with a 10-ton hammer in the brutally revealing penultimate episode,” noted TV Guide at the time. Elliot's wants and desires to make a change in the world.
At this moment, Elliot’s battle grew exponentially. He wasn’t just fighting outside baddies, but his own fractured internal wiring.
“Creator Sam Esmail admitted he never intended the truth about Mr. Robot to be a big secret and thought it was somewhat obvious,” per TV Guide. “The real purpose for the question of Mr. Robot's existence was for Elliot to find out.”
Elliot is revealed to be in prison
During Season 2, Elliot seems to be living with his mother (Gloria Reuben) and maintaining a rigid, isolated routine, supposedly for mental health. Nope.
The real story slowly is revealed in 2016. Brace for it: Elliot is actually in prison, arrested after hacking the FBI. It’s a grabby reminder that anything going on within his day-to-day life – his “loop” as he calls it – can’t be taken at face value.
“The reveal begins with a simple question from Elliot’s therapist, Krista. ‘Where do you think you are right now?’ Everything unravels from there,” reported Entertainment Weekly. “A red light in Elliot’s mother’s home starts blinking, and the truth is revealed. He’s sitting in lockup.”
Once revealed, the prison twist reorients the plot, it deepens the metaphor about personal prisons and confinement.
The whole story ends up being in Elliot’s head
In the series finale, the biggest twist reveals that the Elliot viewers followed all along is not the original Elliot Alderson but an alter known as “The Mastermind.” He was created to protect the real Elliot from trauma.
The entire narrative – his war against E Corp, Mr. Robot, even his relationships – was orchestrated within his mind, as The Mastermind sought to give real Elliot a world he could control.
“The Mastermind is another form of defense, which began many years before,” SYFY reported. “Childhood trauma led to the creation of Mr. Robot as a way to protect Elliot against the monster at home.”
That beast was Dad. Mr. Robot, in the end, is more than a thriller about hacking. It's also a story about personal trauma, self-realization, and healing. Such complexity makes you want to twist and shout!
