Mr. Robot season 3 episode 7 preview: eps3.6_Fredrick+Tanya.chk

Mr Robot season 3 continues, as everyone must deal with the fallout from Stage 2. Meanwhile, it looks like a couple of old friends return.

Last week’s Mr. Robot was a game changer. Though Elliot raced against the clock to stop the Dark Army’s Stage 2 plan, Whiterose was one step ahead of him. Due to Elliot’s success at preventing E-Corp’s paper records from reaching their destination in New York, Whiterose decided to simply blow up the 71 other buildings that housed the documents instead.

As a moment, it was horrifying. This sort of shocking twist may not land for the audience quite as heavily as revealing Elliot’s partner Mr. Robot was imaginary, but it’s just as effective at changing the landscape of the show. Where does anyone go from here? Elliot’s revolution has officially become terrorism. Tyrell gets arrested.  And thousands of people died.  Where does anyone go from here?

Well, if this week’s episode title is anything to go by, Mr. Robot may look back to its past. Episode six is titled “Fredrick+Tanya”, which fans may remember as the new names that Mobley and Trenton assumed when they fled New York for Arizona at the end of season 2. We haven’t seen either of these characters since then. In fact, last season left them on something of a cliffhanger. Leon, Elliot’s friend from prison who also apparently happens to be a Dark Army hit man, discovered them both in their new lives. The screen cut to black as he asked them for the time. Whether we’re supposed to assume the former fsociety members are dead is still up in the air.

It looks as though this episode will (finally) show us what happened to them, or even reintroduce them into the narrative in some way. Since the title mentions them, we kind of have to assume Trenton and Mobley will play some sort of key part. Plus, the trailer shows Leon in a car in the desert. (Arizona, I assume?)

The episode’s official synopsis is as vague as usual, but it also offers one other intriguing hint. (Though, interestingly, it doesn’t mention Trenton or Mobley at all. Instead, it counts on fans to make the connection.)

"Mr. Robot wants answers; the FBI closes in; and Angela hits rewind."

Naturally, the combination of the words Angela and rewind immediately make us think of all the hints this season’s been dropping that some sort of time travel or alternate reality is possible. Is this “rewind” the revelation of a literal turn back time sort of scenario? Or is this more of a metaphorical rewind, wherein Angela will have to reevaluate the depth of her belief in Whiterose’s promises after an attack that killed thousands? Can she even go back, after all this?

Next: Mr Robot season 3 review: eps3.5_kill-process.inc

Mr. Robot continues Wednesday, Nov. 22 on USA Network.