25 of TV’s messiest meltdowns

Elliot Comes Face to Face with Mr. Robot — Mr. Robot

We’re a long way removed from those simpler, season one 1 of Mr. Robot. So much has happened and been revealed, that we take for granted that we once thought Elliot was just some maladjusted computer enthusiast with uncanny hacking skills. We know a lot more about him and his talents now, but in those final episodes of season 1, we saw Elliot slide into an episode that both revealed the depths of his delusions and the breadth of his abilities.

Elliot’s breakdown was tough for him, but turned out to be even worse for his corporate foes pillaging the American public. As Elliot became more and more detached from his reality, audiences saw his “alter ego” Mr. Robot, played by Christian Slater. At times, we thought Mr. Robot was just a mentor and shady colleague. It became clear eventually that Mr. Robot was Elliot’s father, and that said father was dead. In the big twist of season 1, fans learn that this character was all just a figment of Elliott’s mind.

We also learn that Elliott’s suffered these kinds of breakdowns before, and his sister and longtime friend have had to rescue him from dangerous behaviors before. While we can appreciate Elliot’s quirks and extreme intelligence, we also have to empathize with struggles, even when he can parlay those struggles into a fight against the evils of capitalism.