Review: Mr. Robot ‘408 Request Timeout’

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Warning: Post contains spoilers

USA hit series “Mr. Robot” follows up one of its most emotionally-charged entries with a riveting follow up season 4 episode 8 “408 Request Timeout.” Dominican drug dealer Fernando Vera (Elliot Villar) kidnapped hacker Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek) and his former therapist Krista Gordon (Gloria Reuben). Vera sought to transform Elliot into his partner, and during a therapy session forced at gunpoint, Krista talks Alderson through the realization that his father sexually abused both Elliot and his sister Darlene (Carly Chaikin) as children. One of Elliot’s dissociative personalities, Mr. Robot (Christian Slater) assumes a physical manifestation of the late Mr. Alderson. As the end of the session, Krista stabs Fernando in the back, killing him.
In a flashback from 1995, little Elliot hides something in a back room at the Queens Museum. Back in the present, Krista urges Elliot to run. “I killed him. I killed him,” she gasps. “Ok, Elliot we need to call the police.” Entranced, Elliot merely stares blankly, unblinking, his younger self staring back. Krista and Elliot hop into a cab where a backseat TV plays a video of the now-deceased Tyrell Wellick cheerily proclaiming “From everyone here at the E Corp family to you and yours, we’re wishing you a happy holiday season.” Armed with the knowledge that Wellick is dead in a snow-covered forest somewhere, Elliot presses the power button, turning off the monitor.

Elliot follows younger Elliot to the Queens Museum. There, he utters a tearful apology that he couldn’t protect himself and Darlene when they were younger. But Little Elliot explains that they’re not at the Queens Museum because that’s where Elliot used to run away. Instead, Little Elliot shows Present Day Elliot the key to his childhood bedroom that their father had. By hiding the key, cleverly shaped like an E, from his father, Young Elliot sought to protect himself and Darlene from the monster that was their father.

It’s Christmas in the DiPierro household, and despite Andy Williams cheerily crooning “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” all is not calm or bright. FBI Agent Dom DiPierro’s (Grace Gummer) mother Trudy (Liz Larsen) moderates a fight between a few young cousins. “You can split my dick hole!” one of the little kids bellows, before Trudy puts him in timeout. The Christmas festivities are further broken up when a group of goons breaks in and kidnaps the entire family. Across town, Chinese Dark Army operative, taxidermist, and delightfully batshit insane Janice (Ashlie Atkinson) holds Dom and Darlene captive, torturing them for the whereabouts of Elliot Alderson. First, Janice attempts to get Darlene to talk by stabbing Dom, and when that doesn’t work she reveals that the Dark Army has kidnapped Dom’s family. But when Janice calls her Dark Army operatives, there’s no answer. Dom reveals that she plotted accordingly, arranging for Irish gangster Deegan Maguire (Alex Morf), saved as a contact in Dom’s phone as “Lucky Irish Bastard,” and his goons took out the Dark Army squad and have the DiPierro family in a van on the way to a safe house. Then, Dom goes all John Wick killing Janice and her accomplices, thereby saving herself and Darlene.

“Mr. Robot” S04E08 “408 Request Timeout” culminates with a gripping moment where the normally stoic, aloof Elliot breaks down, crying while Mr. Robot returns. “Hey Kiddo,” Mr. Robot meekly opens. “I understand if you can’t forgive me or if you decide to shut me out for good. Just as long as you know, I am not your father. I never was.” Nodding, Elliot agrees “I know. You’re nothing like him. That’s why I created you. You’re the father I needed, not the father I had.”

Observations:

“408 Request Timeout” takes a timeout from the main story arc of taking down Chinese Dark Army mastermind Whiterose (BD Wong). Elliot and Darlene began plotting a hack to drain the Deus Group, a conglomeration of powerful world leaders, of their Cyprus National Bank funds. However, the past couple of episodes took a detour. There’s been an increasing focus on hacking Elliot rather, offering a fresh perspective on the series protagonist. Yet, there’s an odd dynamic that presented Elliot as a monster in “406 Not Acceptable,” before fostering sympathy in “407 Proxy Authentication Required.”

Seeing Dom kick ass while bleeding out on the floor is simultaneously thrilling and far-fetched. Initially, it seemed Dom might simply give up and die, but the firey DiPierro had a few tricks up her sleeve. I enjoyed this pleasant twist which was akin the ending of a Guy Ritchie film, complete with Irish gangsters. Nevertheless, I’ll miss the quirky Janice and her rambling nonsequiturs that somehow morph into threats.

Thankfully, Mr. Robot and Elliot make peace. Since Elliot has walled himself off from not only Darlene but the audience, Mr. Robot provides what little insight into Elliot is possible. Plus, the always-on Christian Slater is a scene-stealing delight. I appreciate that “408 Request Timeout” continues probing Elliot, however under the shiny veneer that is Rami Malek’s tour de force performance, there’s some cliche dialogue. Unnecessary lines such as Elliot explaining to Mr. Robot that he created this persona as a stand-in for his father are readily apparent, and while Malek expertly delivers his statement, it’s pretty concretely shown. Aside from an occasionally lacking script, this detour has almost made me forget the main story arc of the season: taking down Whiterose. Hopefully patience will be justly rewarded.