65% chance Olivia is Dark Army.

First of all, if you wanted to socially engineer someone, what would be the absolute best way to do it? Especially if you know they are desperate...You would set them up so that they think they are socially engineering YOU.

We know ‘whiterose’ is having Elliot followed, we also know - for some dumb reason - that USA Network included the line “Elliot gets owned by his own hack” in the episode byline. Finally, her story was way too perfect for his situation...she lost a mom, she treated her dad poorly as a result of her mom, she struggled with addiction but is no longer an active addict. Everything she had to share was perfect for what he needed to hear (given where he is emotionally right now).

Most importantly, she gives up the ghost, she basically admits that she replaced her addiction with something “darker.” I am almost 100% sure she actually said that. Also, what is the chance her date would show up just late enough to allow them to meet and connect but not too late to miss the date entirely?

This is a work, and because Elliot is desperate, upset, and not thinking clearly, he got owned. Right now, Darlene is likely getting owned by Elliot’s login. Let us not forget, Elliot is not exactly on the top of his game...Remember, it was just two weeks ago he found himself trapped in the honey pot. He is rushing and not thinking things through.

Oh, also ‘whiterose’ decided to move the timeline of the Deus group meeting up to 24 hours. In hopes that moving it forward will make Elliot desperate...coincidence? As Zhang has been known to say, “there is no such thing as a coincidence.”

It’s possible I am just cynical or paranoid. Of course, there is still the question of why they don’t just kill him. I had a theory about that (see below).

But this begs the question of who is in the van, I suspect it is not the Dark Army (Olivia is his Dark Army handler).

“Tidings Of Joy”

Okay, Fernando Vera has an army of kids distributing drugs for him in chickens.

Post-modern Oliver Twist?

Now we know why Vera has not made his move, he is still totally insane but he wants Elliot to come to him and help him OWN New York City.

I am not sure he is Chris Waken, but he wants to be King of New York and he wants Elliot to make it possible.

I don’t have much insight here, Vera is a hand grenade just waiting to go off. That is really his only purpose right now.

He is still a psychopath, he is still a megalomaniac, and at some point, probably a critical point, he is going to insert himself in the game in a way both Elliot and the Dark Army were not ready for.

“It Will Require Patience”