Interviews
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, creator Sam Esmail explains the origin of the sequence, which owes roots to the Mr. Robot writers room's own reaction to the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
"We always look for the emotional truth in every scene," says Esmail. "We can't help but include what we're going through in what we write. In fact, I think it's imperative that you do. That's how you stay honest about what you're trying to say in your work. Elliot's our guiding force on Mr. Robot, and when he comes to this realization that in trying to save the world, he was actually at fault — that even though he had the best intentions, he hurt people, he didn't help people, and all of the consequences were his to own — that paralleled and resonated so much with what we were going through in the room during the election last year, which was catastrophic and tragic, not just for the country, but for the world."
"We felt responsibility for it," he continues. "It had nothing to do with whether we voted against Trump or not. We felt responsible, whether it was avoiding the signs, or not voicing our side as much, or taking it for granted. We felt some sort of responsibility. It felt wrong not to include that really strong reaction and strong feeling into the show, because it so overlapped with what Elliot was experiencing in that montage. We just let that be our guiding force: what feels honest and true to us? It's all a creative expression. It's not meant to be about facts. It's meant to be impressionistic at times. We felt like we could take the liberty here, because it resonated so strongly."
"We always look for the emotional truth in every scene," says Esmail. "We can't help but include what we're going through in what we write. In fact, I think it's imperative that you do. That's how you stay honest about what you're trying to say in your work. Elliot's our guiding force on Mr. Robot, and when he comes to this realization that in trying to save the world, he was actually at fault — that even though he had the best intentions, he hurt people, he didn't help people, and all of the consequences were his to own — that paralleled and resonated so much with what we were going through in the room during the election last year, which was catastrophic and tragic, not just for the country, but for the world."
"We felt responsibility for it," he continues. "It had nothing to do with whether we voted against Trump or not. We felt responsible, whether it was avoiding the signs, or not voicing our side as much, or taking it for granted. We felt some sort of responsibility. It felt wrong not to include that really strong reaction and strong feeling into the show, because it so overlapped with what Elliot was experiencing in that montage. We just let that be our guiding force: what feels honest and true to us? It's all a creative expression. It's not meant to be about facts. It's meant to be impressionistic at times. We felt like we could take the liberty here, because it resonated so strongly."
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Tonight we actually get to see characters acknowledging Elliot’s split personalities than we did in previous seasons. Angela specifically says she can tell the difference between Elliot and Mr. Robot because of the latter’s eyes, and how he never looks away
It’s a new dynamic this season and it’s part of Elliot’s disintegration and it’s how we dramatize this. What if Mr. Robot has a relationship with other people who know it’s Elliot they’re talking to? Angela perfectly manipulates Elliot’s condition again by knowing which personality she is talking to. There’s a lot of layers there and it’s very interesting when it comes to that: Angela isn’t betraying Elliot to his face, but on a deeper level. What’s more disturbing is that it’s a condition he has. All these physical layers make for good dramatic storytelling, but we also get to organically fit them into Angela’s emotional journey and Elliot’s battle with Mr. Robot.
It’s a new dynamic this season and it’s part of Elliot’s disintegration and it’s how we dramatize this. What if Mr. Robot has a relationship with other people who know it’s Elliot they’re talking to? Angela perfectly manipulates Elliot’s condition again by knowing which personality she is talking to. There’s a lot of layers there and it’s very interesting when it comes to that: Angela isn’t betraying Elliot to his face, but on a deeper level. What’s more disturbing is that it’s a condition he has. All these physical layers make for good dramatic storytelling, but we also get to organically fit them into Angela’s emotional journey and Elliot’s battle with Mr. Robot.
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Elliot becomes encouraged trying to undo five/nine; Darlene gets stuck between a rock and a hard place; Mr. Robot sparks a panic.
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Promo
