Well, there arent two physical recaps, much like there isnt a physical version of Mr.
Robot, but the way eps2.5h4ndshake.sme unfolds during its last few moments changes everything.
So, rather than move through the episode as we normally would, lets start at the end.
Credit: Michael Parmelee/USA Network
After all, like Elliot says, sometimes itisthe destination that matters.
Look, theres no way to dance around this.
After weeks of mystery and ambiguity,Mr.
Its all explained in tonights final shots and it changes everything that came before.
The reveal begins with a simple question from Elliots therapist, Krista.
Where do you think you are right now?
Everything unravels from there.
A red light in Elliots mothers home starts blinking, and the truth is revealed.
Of course, he may get out soon.
Thats part of our shifting perspective.
Suddenly, the piece of paper hes showing Krista must be a release.
But why is he being released (presuming he is), and why now?
Does it have something to do with Ray and the site?
Is Ray a prison guard or administrator running a horrific Tor site through a prison computer?
Or was the site just a psychological stand-in for an in-prison trading system, and Rays actually an inmate?
These are just some of the questions raised during those final moments.
Trust me, theres plenty more and well get to them soon enough.
Lets work through this together, shall we?
After all, the murder of Tyrell is what Mr.
Robot has been protecting Elliot from all season.
Hell, he apparently even met with Gideon!
For instance, it sure looks like theres a lot more to Leon than we expected.
NEXT: Much ado about everything
Lets jump back and muse on the fate of Tyrell Wellick.
Did Elliot kill him?
Is that why hes in prison?
If so, how the hell can he be released only weeks later?
Did the Dark Army, with the help of Leon, somehow get Elliot exonerated?
Okay, thats too many questions, so lets slow down.
The episode opens on the Wellicks during a moment from their past.
she shouts as she runs off, leaving Joanna silently screaming as the title card pops up.
But back to the suggestion that Tyrell is dead.
Robot tells Elliot he is.
In fact, he tells him the whole truth, so help me on the night we became gods.
Elliot convinces him to spill everything.
I just want to accept what I did and move on, he says.
Fine, if thats what he wants, thats what hell get.
Elliot says the last thing he remembers is the popcorn, and Mr.
Robot fills in the gaps.
I shot him, says Mr. No, I shot him, replies Elliot.
I guess theyre both right.
But we cant exactly trust Elliot and Mr.
Robot to tell us, the viewers, the truth.
I dont trust him one bit.
But that opening scene does seem to suggest Tyrell is dead.
I mean, the whitewashed scene sees him descending the stairs like an angel from heaven.
Then again, would Tyrell Wellick end up in heaven?
NEXT: Where we left off
Alright, enough with Elliot for now.
Lets get to Angela.
After Elliot and Mr.
Robot have their chat about Tyrell, the episode cuts to Angela in the middle of her hack.
Its where we left off last week, with Dom confronting her at her desk.
Angela plays it cool, even as Dom asks what she was doing on the restricted floor.
Hey, its not a total lie!
Your story fascinates me, says Dom.
Shes not buying anything Angelas selling, but thats okay.
Shes in this now, and she remains one of the seasons most fascinating characters.
Whats her endgame here?
Heres the thing: Everyone underestimates Angela.
Darlene tells her she was never the target and starts in with some nonsense before Angela cuts her off.
She knew about her and Elliot, and about the Five/Nine hack.
Even if she didnt admit it to herself, she knew early on.
She remembered the masks from the creepy movie they watched as kids.
Fine, says Darlene, trying to make amends, no more smoke screens.
Then she exhales her cigarette smoke.
Yeah, theres always a smoke screen.
If Angela has an equal whos not Darlene, its Dom.
Shes another powerful woman whom everyone keeps underestimating.
But it does reveal the hack, and thats enough for now.
All signs point to her being a key player as the season rolls towards its end.
NEXT: Curiouser and curiouser
Alright, its been a bit since we checked in on Elliot.
We need some semblance of order here, folks!
Next thing you know, the light shifts and its morning.
Elliot has moved the site and traffic is pouring in, almost double the traffic from before.
Rays henchman is thrilled, but Ray knows better.
He sends the man out of the office to have a game of chess alone with Elliot.
How long do I have?
He knows what Elliot did.
Sure enough, Elliot tells us.
Turning a blind eye only works for so long, though.
I feared the worst, so I didnt look.
Thats Ray talking about the site, but it could just as well describe Elliot using Mr.
Robot to block out his time in prison and his murder (maybe?)
When you see a good move, you look for a better one.
Elliot quotes a famous chess champion, and perhaps its his only move to get out of prison?
Okay, lets suss this out a bit more.
The big question is, who is Ray?
Theyre pissed they cant get their shipments anymore.
Of course, Ray could also be an inmate.
Theyre pissed off about Ray getting busted, and they want to make Elliot pay.
Later, they jump him in a back alley.
They punch him in the face, and we see flashes of Mr.
Robot appearing to be punched as well.
Then, one guy turns Elliot around with the intention of raping him but Leon saves the day.
Do what it says.
When you see Whiterose, ensure to say I did you good.
WHAT?!?!
Would that mean the letter he mentions will help Elliot get out of prison?
It seems the Dark Army has substantial influence and that theyre responsible for getting Elliot out of prison.
Its really a testament toMr.
Robots complexity and beautiful storytelling each and every week.
Robothas to be admired.
And it would have been predicted by a number of viewers looking for clues.
Esmail knows this and stays two steps ahead, pulling the big reveal in episode 7.
And he spends most of the episode using Elliot as a pacifier for audience resentment.
Elliot knows were sick of twists and we all think were smart enough to see whats coming.
Art doesnt cater specifically to you; you have to let go.
Elliot knows this better than anyone.
Robot by the end of the episode.
Robot (kind of) started a revolution.
Robot (kind of) brought down E Corp. Mr.
Robot protected Elliot from pain and maybe got him out of a jam in prison.
Maybe hes not so bad.
Maybe hes more Elliot than Elliot is.
If Elliot and Esmail are thinking ahead, so is Angela.
Again, shes in control and she knows it.
That known control is what makes her final scene in this episode so fascinating.
Basically, she sits in on an upper-management meeting within the Risk Management division.
Its a bold move, and the boss quickly shoots it down.
He knows Angela, and hes not about to let her have access to those files.
Hes probably still feeling jilted by her refusal to celebrate his birthday with him.
Powerful, privileged men never cease to shrivel into whiny man-babies when theyre faced with powerful women.
The thing is, Angela must know this move wont work, right?
Shes thinking ahead of everyone around her.
I still dont know what her endgame is, but Im damn sure shes playing hard.
So, eps2.5h4ndshake.sme leaves us in a veryMr.
Robotplace: everything is clearer, which means everything is also more confusing.
George Orwell once wrote that the great enemy of clear language is insincerity.
That seems to describe our weekly dance with Elliot.
What are Elliots real aims, as opposed to his declared ones?
The essential question is: Where doesMr.
I dont know, but Im damn excited to be along for the ride.
