Mr. Robot Review: Forbidden (Season 4 Episode 3)

Turns out, you can find love in a hopeless place.

Mr. Robot Season 4 Episode 3, “Forbidden,” pushes aside the momentum it has been building for two stellar episodes to give Elliot a night out on the town he won’t soon forget.

And while this is not the most memorable of installments, it is certainly a high point for the series in terms of originality.

When we ask, Mr. Robot what could you possibly do next? We’re not anticipating the answer to be a tragic romantic comedy set on Christmas Eve in New York City. But sure, why not?

MR. ROBOT — “Forbidden” Episode 403 — Pictured: (l-r) BD Wong as Minister Zhang, Jing Xu as Wang Shu — (Photo by: Elizabeth Fisher/USA Network)

Mr. Robot has never been the most sentimental of shows. The series has become very good at just scratching the surface of these characters. So focusing on the romantic intertwinings of a character who has been nothing but calculated moves and callous repercussions seems out there.

It’s startling to see Esmail take a different approach to the tragic origin story of Whiterose and give us more than we necessarily need to know to stay in the game– but everything we need in order to understand Zhang.

And while this in-depth look at Whiterose feels off-putting and out of place, it does so with the intention to stand out. Every detail of the mysterious woman from her iconic dress to the watch guiding every second of her journey to the name is revealed in a way that reassures Mr. Robot has all the answers. Answers that have yet to disappoint.

We hardly ever go that deep into a character’s backstory. Elliot’s brief outings with his father can attest to that and I’m glad that lifting the curtain back on the biggest question of this series is done in a way that compliments this show and clashes with it at the same time.

It seems only fitting that the biggest puzzle piece of all, Whiterose, would be the one to allow emotions to become a factor in this game of hers.

Whiterose opens the episode with a heartbreaking reveal and in doing so opens the emotional floodgates for Elliot.

The choice to have Olivia be the one to override Elliot’s code and get him to open up is unexpected and comes completely out of the left field. The two share an instant connection over drinks and suddenly Elliot’s stolen glances and quirky confessions feel less like ulterior motive and more like the trappings of a dysfunctional romantic comedy.

It takes some time to warm up to this unexpected turn in the story but once Malek turns on Elliot’s dorky charm there really is no need to contest what’s happening.

Mr. Robot stepping in to interfere with Elliot’s love life when the boy clams up would be worthy of even more admiration if the stakes weren’t so high.

And can we talk about the fact that Mr. Robot has shown most character development of anyone, refusing to blackmail Olivia because it’s wrong? You know it’s bad when the alter ego has had the most growth as a character.

Throwing Elliot into a romantic relationship no doubt complicates things for the hacker but it’s the only way to force him into any kind of promising growth. As much as we want to see Elliot succeed, we also want to see him have to overcome some diversity to get there — and maybe stop treating Darlene so poorly.

Despite the bigger story at hand, I can’t help but invest in this new connection between Olivia and Elliot. Their kiss in the street is swoon-worthy and their broken confessions on the floor of her bathroom are heartbreaking.

Not too mention, Elliot found an excuse to take off his hoodie. If that’s not enough of a reason to want more of these two, I don’t know what is.

And in case it bears repeating, Elliot can still get it.

“Forbidden” closes out the hour with Tyrell returning just in time to screw everything up. This is a move that feels much more in line with what we are used to seeing from Mr. Robot — and the loveable but dense antagonist.

Despite always being the loaded gun in a crowded room, Tyrell happily embracing Elliot with the news that they can now take down Whiterose is all kinds of adorable.

Tyrell is playing a game of his own and something tells me excitedly revealing his entire plan to the enemy is not how he’s going to get Elliot to wear matching bestie t-shirts.

Mr. Robot uses the reunion of this unusual duo to crafted another strong ending. But attempting to stand beside two incredibly ambitious episodes by selling us on young love doesn’t completely work out in this show’s favour.

Top Lines from the Episode:

Mr. Robot: “His name is Evan for f*** sakes.”

Elliot: “I almost did it once.”
Olivia: “What stopped you?”
Elliot: “I promised a kid I’d take him to the movies.”
(Does anyone else think this kid could be the third personality, or is that just me?)

Elliot: “I’ve been clean for 9 months. Not unless you count the heroine I did two days ago.”

What did you think of this episode of Mr. Robot? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Mr. Robot airs Sundays at 10/9c on USA.

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