Mr. Robot Season 4 Premiere: Review & Recap

USA Network

After nearly two years of waiting, Mr. Robot has finally returned for its fourth and final season. Below is a review and recap for the Season 4 premiere on the USA Network. This story will have major spoilers for the Season 4 premiere. 

This review was written live as the episode aired, so bear with us as we update the story.

Just before the episode aired, the USA Network tweeted that this episode will be aired without any commercials. So that makes me even more excited about what’s going to happen tonight.

Here’s the review.

The episode begins by continuing Angela’s talk with Price. It’s an amazing segue from where we left off last season – perfectly smooth continuation. She says that Whiterose’s project of changing the past is real and she knows how to take it over. “There’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

Price says he’s been trying to protect Angela from Whiterose and begs her to beg. But Angela tells him to stop panicking and remove all of his emotion. “Isn’t that what you’re good at?”

As always, the direction and cinematography are perfect on this show.

Angela tells Price that she’s not going to run, so he should probably leave. Ever the caring dad, Price obliges and leaves.

I feel like Whiterose is going to send a sniper to shoot Angela in the head. :(

Price walks away, and Angela fades in the background.

Price was wearing a wire. :( Whiterose’s men appear, walk past him, and shoot Angela in the head.

Angela is dead.

OH MY GOSH.

If Whiterose’s project is real, does that mean Angela could come back sometime? I’m not sure what to think. This is insane.

The episode continues with Price in his home, throwing a vase onto the ground, devastated at what he did.

“She made her choice,” Whiterose says. But Price insists that she did it to Angela.

“You killed…” But Whiterose says he let it happen. “It wasn’t without a valiant attempt on your fault trying to talk some sense into her…”

Whiterose hangs up on him. “I’m sorry for your loss.” Back at Whiterose’s home, we’re told that it’s October and in two months she’ll get the permits then.

“Mr. Alderson is a good for nothing wretch that’s not to be trusted,” the assistant says. “He needs to be kept on a short leash and trained not to bite his master.”

Whiterose tell the assistant to send Elliot a reminder of what’s at stake if he interferes.

Dang. This episode is insane already.

Whiterose is looking out over a beautiful beach as the opening credits roll.

After the credits, we’re at a bar and Fred gets a threatening letter. There’s a video of Fred essentially engaging in childhood pornography. Someone has his number.

The threat is from Mr. Robot. Perfect.

He’s told to open an email and click on a link. He’s told to archive his inbox and copy it to a USB drive. Fred’s an attorney and his inbox is full of sensitive client information. But he doesn’t have a choice. He’s told to leave all his personal items in his office and bring the USB drive to Grand Central.

Next we hear a news report about how Tyrell helped save the economy. (Remember, Elliot undid the hack because he thought it did more harm than good.)

Mr. Robot tells Fred to buy a ticket home. He’s told to head to the train via the long way (he’s being followed.)

Elliot’s waiting for him on the train. It looks like he and Mr. Robot are now working together, communicating and perhaps merged to a degree. (At least, that’s how it feels to me while I’m watching.) At the very least, they’re working closely together now.

(By the way, did you see the advertisement for the TV show Shift-Control? That’s a nice touch.)

Elliot tells Fred that one of his clients is Whiterose. “I need to know how you’ve been helping them funnel money.”

But Fred says if half of what he’s seen is real, they should not be messed with. Elliot, of course, is not deterred.

“Cyprus National Bank, that’s it,” he says. “That’s them.”

Fred gives him the name of a contact in the city that works with Whiterose. Fred’s been tracked, so Elliot tells him to run and meet him somewhere else. But Freddie quickly realizes that he’s in over his head and there’s no one on his side now that he’s going to have to betray the Dark Army. So he shoots himself in the head before Elliot can stop him.

Next we jump to Tyrell. He’s considered a hero for saving the economy, but he certainly doesn’t look like he feels good about any of that.

In the next scene, we’re with the troubled FBI agent, Dom. She’s at her house and shaken up when she sees a van parked outside. I’m guessing she’s hiding out, but hiding with her mom’s not a great idea.

She pulls a gun on a contractor as her mom tells her that she’s heading out. It looks like Dom is suffering some major PTSD, and considering what happened at the end of last season, I can’t blame her. Her life is in danger, after all.

On Reddit, one viewer wrote: “i was about to LOL at how rough Wellick looks, but Dom looks even worse!!!! :((((( i like dom.”

In the next scene, we see Mr. Robot and Elliot planning together. OK, they’re not merged yet. That theory was wrong. :) Elliot says they’re running out of time and Whiterose will move her project soon. Mr. Robot is urging caution, interestingly enough. Feels like a bit of a switch between these two personalities.

Mr. Robot says that Elliot’s anger is keeping him from seeing the bigger picture.

Honestly, seeing them work together now is AMAZING. I’m loving this scene.

Elliot says they found the heart and it’s Cyprus National Bank. If they rob it, Whiterose will go down, he says.

“This used to be about saving the world,” Mr. Robot says. He says Elliot’s making it about what they did to Angela now.

“People are already forgetting about 5/9, the cyber bombings, they’re buying their ecoin discounted stocking stuffers…and they’re going to forget,” Elliot laments. He says he doesn’t blame them. But if they let this go, it will get worse later.

Elliot says he’s done with the therapy sessions. He’s fully focused on this goal now.

Darlene meets up with Elliot, almost manic, believing she’s had a breakthrough.

“I think I saw Angela,” she tells Elliot.

Ohhhh, maybe my theory is true.

Mr. Robot tells her that Angela is gone. “Are you on something right now?” He is merging in and out of Elliot, so maybe I wasn’t completely wrong about the semi-merge after all.

Darlene says she saw Angela near a shelter. “This is proof… Maybe this is why they never found her body.”

Elliot’s letting Mr. Robot handle this conversation until he finally steps in. He says that Darlene hallucinated because of drugs.

After Darlene leaves, we learn that Elliot was sent a photo of Angela with her brains shot out. A picture flashes over Elliot for a second, which I’ll add to this story later.

Ohhh, and now Mr. Robot is talking to US! He says that Elliot’s not talking to us and he’s shutting down after Angela’s death. He’s living in a distraction.

This show is amazing.

He said Elliot’s putting on a show for everyone. He says he doesn’t care about us but Elliot does, so he’s filling us in. “Elliot needs you more than he lets on,” he tells us, saying Elliot will need a friend when cruel reality sets in.

Elliot’s at an apartment complex owned by E-Corp. I think he’s visiting the guy that Freddie told him about. The guy’s not home, so Elliot decides to search his home, which Mr. Robot does not agree with.

How crazy is this? Elliot really is the more daring one now between him and Mr. Robot. This is so weird.

But the place is empty. Is this a trap?

The signal’s dead in this home.

This is NOT good.

Elliot finds a book called “No Exit.” That’s a bad sign.

The phone’s dead.

Elliot says there is no John Garson and this was all a setup by Freddie. Uh oh.

“The place is a honeypot.”

And Whiterose’s men are arriving. :(

They drag Elliot out of the apartment. He’s caught. They stuff him on an elevator while he screams for help. This must be part of the message Whiterose told her assistant to send to Elliot.

Back at Dom’s home, everything’s decorated for Christmas and Dom’s at a dinner with her mom and her mom’s friend. Looks like her mom’s trying to set her up with her friend Janice. This is a crazy lighthearted scene compared to what just happened. What a tone shift. This is probably how Dom feels every day, considering what she’s been through.

But then Janice tells Dom that she has an interview about the Santiago case in the morning, and Janice is not who she appears to be. She says she’ll be forced to hurt her mom if Dom doesn’t clean up Santiago’s mess.

On Reddit, someone expressed my feeling perfectly when they wrote: “WHY DO I KEEP THINKING SCENES WILL BE INNOCENT?”

The scene shifts to Darlene getting high at a party. But she freaks out and orders everyone out of the house. The camera focuses on a pair of ballet shoes on the floor.

Darlene’s heartbroken. :(

And now we’re at Elliot’s interrogation. UGH. He’s getting shot up with something and strapped to a chair. It looks like he’s getting an overdose, but he tells the person there about Cyrpus National Bank and how Whiterose will pay even if he dies.

“My anger won’t die with me, and she can’t hide from what’s coming to her,” he screams.

The man just says, “Goodbye friend.” And Elliot’s injected with drugs.

They leave him.

He’s almost passed out and looks like he’s dying. A phone is near, but too far away for him to reach.

Elliot falls to the ground, trying to knock the phone off the table. This scene is making me motion sick.

There’s no way they’re killing Elliot, right?

I remember Whiterose telling someone to scare Elliot.

Three people are in Elliot’s head and he sees them talking: a woman, Mr. Robot, and the child version of Elliot. The woman is saying they will all “go away” if Elliot dies.

Elliot sees his life flash before his eyes. He ends seeing himself kiss Angela, and closes his eyes.

And the episode fades.

Did Elliot just die?

I don’t believe it.

Ohhhhh… The credits roll, but someone wakes Elliot up. I knew they weren’t going to kill him!

The men went by Whiterose are looking down at him. An older man steps forward. It’s Price, I think.

Yep. “Welcome back,” he tells him.

So does this mean that Price is leading a rebellion because of Angela? Or was all of this part of Whiterose’s order?

And who was the woman in Elliot’s head?

More to come…

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