The 1993 Movie Last Action Hero with Arnold Schwarzenegger is the correct movie to reference when trying to explain the TV Show Mr. Robot, not the 1999 Movie Fight Club with Brad Pitt.

In LAH Schwarzenegger plays Jack Slater (yes, the same last name as Christian Slater) a fictional movie star. The movie crosses the 4th wall, sort of, by having a kid in the movie watching a movie with the character Jake Slater. Through magic the kid gets to interact with the character Jake Slater and Jake Slater doesn’t understand the difference between his fake world and the real world.

Jake Slater really “exists” and thinks he’s real.

We are in the show Mr. Robot. We the audience. When Elliot says “you knew all along didn’t you?” The you is really YOU. You the person watching the show.

Who was preventing Elliot from seeing his dad? We were. The only way his dad showed up was when Elliot threatened to call 911 and turn himself in.

We the audience wouldn’t let that turn of the story happen. But we are heartless. We don’t care about Elliot the character because we think he’s fictional.

Where is Tyrell Wellick? He’s in the real world. i.e. Martin Wallström will be off the show, but in character in cities. Get it? Tyrell escaped from the TV world and into the real world.