Review: Mr. Robot ‘406 Not Acceptable’

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

Warning: Post contains spoilers

“Mr. Robot” season 4 episode 6 “406 Not Acceptable” follows up “406 Method Not Allowed” with a taut, thrilling episode. Psychotic drug dealer Fernando Vera (Elliot Villar) opens by explaining to ethical hacker Elliot Alderson’s former therapist, Krista Gordon (Gloria Reuben) “I’m going to tell you a story, the story of a true Xmas mystery.” Vera proceed to relay the narrative of a bully and a little bitch. As he rambles, while comedically munching on Krista’s Christmas Day meal with ironically cheery jingle bells and Christmas music backing his monologue, it becomes clear that Vera is the little bitch in question. The bully in Fernando’s story gets a face-full of baseball bat one Christmas morning. This experience shaped Vera’s worldview, and in turn Fernando transformed into the new bully. As Vera reveals, he wants Krista to be his baseball bat to metaphorically crack Elliot’s head open, break down Alderson, and ultimately morph Elliot into Vera’s business partner.
Hacker Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek) and his sister Darlene (Carly Chaikin) discuss their plan for hacking Cyprus National Bank and stealing the Deus Group/Chinese Dark Army funds. Elliot intends to visit Cyprus National Bank employee Olivia Cortez (Dominik Garcia) since he needs her boss’s login credentials to complete the hack. After getting off the phone with Elliot, Darlene is apprehended by Dom (Grace Gummer), an FBI agent blackmailed and controlled by the Dark Army. While Dom is tasked with killing Darlene, Dom can’t bring herself to carry out her orders. Instead, she urges Darlene to shoot her and escape, faking a fight between the two. But before Darlene can act, Dark Army operative and delightfully kooky taxidermist Janice interrupts.

Elliot meets Leon (Joey Bada$$) at Tod’s Coffee, which looks suspiciously like the old “Ron’s Coffee” where Elliot hacked a child pornographer. Leon gives Elliot something, then explains that he’s freelance now, no loyalty to Whiterose anymore. “You be strange but don’t be a stranger, nahmean?” Leon fistbumps Elliot. Then, Elliot arrives on Olivia’s doorstep with two peppermint mochas. “They said it was Christmas in a cup,” Alderson notes. Disregarding Mr. Robot’s (Christian Slater) advice, Elliot proceeds to Olivia’s apartment. “What I’m about to tell you is gonna sound a little crazy…it’s about your clients…At Cyprus National Bank.” The camera pans down, and Olivia’s hand which moments before was clutching Elliot’s, recoils. Alderson reveals that he hacked Olivia, and when she refuses to comply, he threatens her with losing her son. The seemingly-innocent peppermint mocha is laced with oxy.

Elliot chastizes Olivia for looking the other way in her work for Cyprus National Bank. “I may work for monsters,” she says after Elliot finds her and treats her wounded wrists, “but you are one. And you’re the worst kind, because you don’t even know it.” Unfortunately, she’s sort of correct. While previously Elliot’s hacktivism centered on social justice, his actions resulted in thousands of deaths with the September 29 cyber-attack bombings.

Observations:

Elliot crosses a line in S04E06 “406 Not Acceptable.” His actions cause Olivia to slit her own wrists in a suicide attempt. Alderson, hellbent on taking down the white whale that is Dark Army mastermind Whiterose (BD Wong), has evolved into an Ahab with the sole purpose of taking down Whiterose. Olivia eventually assists Elliot, and he gains the information he needs to pull off the Cyprus National Bank hack.

Vera interrogates Krista, letting her in on his plan. Fernando concludes his story that little bitch aka Vera visited the bully in the hospital and held the bully’s hand. In this way, Vera let the bully know he owned him. Likewise, Vera seeks to break down Elliot using Krista, then mold him into a business partner and see him in a new light. It’s relayed in a sort of “Grinch” madlib, mimicking the conclusion to the classic Dr. Seuss holiday story. Krista complies with Vera’s demands, threatened with violence against her boyfriend Jason. As such, Gordon unwillingly lures Elliot into a trap. “406 Not Acceptable” concludes with Elliot taken hostage by Vera’s thugs, setting up what should be a tour de force episode.