In the absolutely superb Mr. Robot series finale, we finally found out why Elliot has these heightened personality traits. Elliot seems like a fictional character because he has been one all along…metaphorically speaking.

About a year ago in the show’s time (which dates back to the beginning of the series’ very first episode), Elliot Alderson disappeared into his own head and somebody else entirely came out. Through 43 episodes of Mr. Robot, we never actually met Elliot Alderson. Instead we’ve been in the thrall of the vengeance-obsessed portion of his personality known only as “The Mastermind.” This is the personality that the manifestation of Elliot’s mom, Magda was referring to when she spoke of “the other one” in season 4’s second episode.

Mr. Robot makes this stunning reveal in the second part of its two-part finale. In the process it borrows a strategy from another classic sci-fi TV series. Just like Lost presented a “sideways” alternate universe only to reveal that it was actually the afterlife, Mr. Robot unveils a similar sideways universe before revealing that what we’re seeing is actually the contents of Elliot Alderson’s consciousness.

At first Elliot and the viewer alike believe that Whiterose’s project to jump into an alternate universe has worked. We see a different Elliot who he leads a very different, happier life. This Elliot is the CEO of Allsafe and is about to land his biggest client yet in the world’s biggest corporation, “F Corp.” This Elliot is a day away from marrying the love of his life, Angela Moss, and he also has a living father who loves him.

But of course, in true Mr. Robot fashion: none of this is real. Back in the actual world, Elliot really did successfully stop Whiterose’s plan – the nukes never went off and the world was saved. The “sideways” Elliot isn’t an Elliot from another universe at all: he’s the real Elliot who has been imprisoned deep within his own conscious as The Mastermind runs wild outside.