“Find someone to be your honest self with. Bullshit.”

There’s no doubt that we hide a lot from the outside world, that we close ourselves off to an extent in hopes of presenting a likable front to the people around us. This hour is an examination of those hidden secrets, those private moments that we hope others will never find, and it’s all represented physically by the imagined signs the AllSafe employees are wearing (certainly another interesting visual for a series that never seems to run out of them). What I’d also like to point out, though, is the following question posed by Elliot: “Would people really want to see?” It might be interesting for a bit to know everyone’s deepest secrets, but this is far from the stuff that gossipers like to waste their time talking about. This is humanity, and it can be ugly.

In fact, a big part of why we harbor these deep secrets is due to the anticipated judgment from others. We’re shaped by others’ perceptions of us, and as Angela mentions to Colby, “losing everyone’s respect–the respect of people you know and people you don’t–is a shitty feeling”. We see that Angela’s actually in a pretty similar position as Elliot is, as we see two people here who have been beaten down and broken by the society around them. And although the FSociety scenes aren’t as compelling as the Elliot ones are right now, I’m still happy that the show is building a world around the main character.

Then again, Rami Malek is 100% capable of carrying this show on his shoulders, as we see in that magnificent final scene in the therapist’s office. “You cry sometimes–just like me–because you’re lonely,” he says. “I don’t just hack you, Krista. I hack everyone: my friends, my coworkers. But I’ve helped a lot of people. I want a way out of loneliness, just like you. Is that why you want me here?” It’s a brilliant performance by Malek and the final capper to the episode’s main idea. Here’s a guy who doesn’t necessarily want to see all those things that he uncovers; it’s just that he does, that he continues to hack. Maybe the more you know about other people, the lonelier you become.

GRADE: B

OTHER THOUGHTS:

– “Somehow we ended up together…we have what we want right there for the taking, and we just need each other to see this through.” I really liked this scene and quote. Yes, the show in general is pretty cynical, but here’s a moment in which two people recognize that it’s kind of amazing what can happen in the world. It also fits in with the loneliness theme of the series; here, we see the value of connection with others.

– “They’re gonna die doing things they didn’t want to do.” Also from that conversation, and also relevant to the overarching themes of the series.

-The opening scene between Elliot and Shayla is really poignant and well done. I like the idea of the time jump here. Instead of focusing on how life goes on around Elliot as he struggles to move on, we get this side: “Makes me hate myself I already got used to her not being here.”

-However, we can also tell that he feels like he played a huge part in her death. She wouldn’t have been involved if not for Elliot needing that drug.

– “Any of it give you pause? When you made those decisions?” “Sure, but then you go home and have dinner…and wake up the next morning.”

-It’s clear that Tyrell has snapped, and Wallstrom does a good job with the shock and panic that crosses his face after he kills Knowles’s wife. I have no clue how he’s going to get away with that.

-It also looks like Mr. Robot is pretty “crazy”, as he says. He and Tyrell should hang out.

Photo credit: Mr. Robot, USA