Mr Robot Series Finale Part 1: Elliot Alderson realizes he is the monster as he commits 'selficide' to lead a happy, angst-free life
Contains spoilers for 'Mr Robot' Episode 12 'Series Finale Part 1'
At the start of this episode, it was like being back with the season 1 Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek) when he would talk constantly with us. After an entire season 4 of keeping quiet or letting Mr Robot (Christian Slater) do the talking, it is jarring when Elliot talks nervously to us or looks directly at us.
But as a narrative device, it works, as Elliot 1, hoodie firmly in place, roams and snoops around in Happy Elliot's universe. We are with him as he explores this bizarre reality. In this reality, Elliot 2 has a loving father and mother (but no Darlene). He realizes Angela is his bride-to-be and Mr Price, who has a threat-level of zero, is his cheery, soon-to-be, father-in-law. It is such a safe world, that our angsty, paranoid, anxious Elliot 1 can't digest it.
He finds his way back to Elliot 2's yuppie apartment and, as expected, hacks into his double's computer. In all of this, as he investigates, he is the intruder who just happens to have the right set of keys to everything.
As he furiously investigates his double's life, muttering "no one can be that happy", he realizes the computer has a hidden partition. Even though he is slack-jawed, you sense his excitement at figuring out who his double's "monster" is -- who he has kept hidden.
When he opens it, he sees endless sketches, of himself (in his trademark hoodie), f-society members current and past, and, most importantly, Darlene. This is when Elliot 2 walks in, picking up the thread of episode 11, where preppy, happy Elliot 2 walked in on angsty, hoodie-clad Elliot 1.
Each time the two Elliots cross paths, even on the phone, there is a minor earthquake, which is established earlier in the episode. Even so, they both sit warily across the dining table, keeping their distance, to get at the bottom of this bizarre doppelganger situation.
When Elliot asks him why he made the sketches, Elliot 2 replies that he imagined a more "exciting" version of himself, "kind of like a superhero" but his descriptions are backhanded compliments since he also says that he would never want to be him in real life and that this imaginary Elliot is "not normal".
It is a fairly accurate assessment of himself. At this point, we, the audience are wondering if Elliot 1 is a figment of the real and happy Elliot 2's imagination -- kind of like a comic artist whose creation has come to life.
Elliot 1, who also seems to realize this, starts talking nervously to us again. At this point, Elliot 2 looks up surprised and asks who he is talking to and "how is he doing that". You can be forgiven if you get a 'Fleabag' Season 2, "Hot Priest" deja vu here. Episode 12 is all about the fourth wall cracking and nearly collapsing.
Elliot 1 is spooked enough that his immediate impulse is to run but then Elliot 2 grabs his hand, and it triggers another earthquake. Elliot 2 is thrown off his feet and hits his head and starts to bleed profusely. Just then, Angela calls and Elliot 1 picks up the phone to talk to her for the first time in the episode. When she says she loves him, Elliot 1 makes a decision. He suffocates Elliot 2 to death, truly becoming the monster who has come to life.
He likes Elliot 2's life and killing him means he doesn't have to be the angsty, unhappy Elliot anymore. It is a 'selficide' and his hand starts shaking as he stares at the corpse on the floor that looks just like him. The horror music playing seems appropriate and, for the first time, the "pipsqueak in the hoodie", looks truly monstrous.
Mr. Robot's two-part finale aired December 22 at 9/8c.
