Mr. Robot Review: Not Found (Season 4 Episode 4)

Tyrell and Elliot are lost in the woods on Christmas Eve. It’s a nightmare for our protagonist, but a magical winter wonderland for us.

Well for the most part. You see, Mr. Robot Season 4 Episode 4, “Not Found,” is at the best of times an incoherent pipedream and at the worst of times, it’s an incoherent pipedream that kills Tyrell Wellick.

This episode of Mr. Robot lingers in a dream-like state and uses the lack of climatic shock to give viewers a good spook. The concept of having rescue or death just out of reach of the show’s longest-standing trio of hacker vigilantes is amplified beautifully by the removed woodland atmosphere.

However, the misdirection of an episode with no direction might just be too removed for us to enjoy.

Mr. Robot returned this season with a vengeance to win back over it’s neglected audience, and the series succeeded with a premiere that made all the necessary moves. Fast forward three episodes and it seems like Mr. Robot has lost a bit of the passion it came in swinging with.

“Not Found” attempts to remove its characters from the streets of New York City and into unknown territory. The backdrop of a cozy gas station and snowy wonderland is certainly a nice change of pace. It does feel, however, like the quieter setting is not matched by a strong enough dialogue.

Taking Elliot into the woods does provide an interesting new take on a series-long dynamic as he is forced to face Tyrell’s disappointment in their friendship without a way to escape the therapy session. I love the intricate dance taking place before our eyes as Mr. Robot attempts to fit himself into the duo’s more explosive moments together.

A defining moment for this muddled storyline comes after listening to Tyrell cast doubt toward Elliot, claiming the hoodie-wearing hacker doesn’t care about anything. But Elliot corrects him stating that he cares about getting to the nearest cell phone reception to warn his sister. It’s a revelation that plays off Darlene’s own search for her missing brother well.

Of course, there is one scene that chooses to define this episode whether we like it or not.

Tyrell is terrible at many things. But he is good at murdering people on the fly and that comes in handy on a show like Mr. Robot from time to time. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s an adorable enigma with an unwavering devotion to Elliot.

Somehow, someway this stupid little lunatic won us over. Then he had to go and get himself killed.

Tyrell’s final moment with Elliot is gut-wrenching and his “I’m just going to go for a walk,” line does an excellent job of twisting that knife in deeper. But at the end of all this, it turns out to be nothing more than just a moment.

Tyrell’s “death” uses every element of this withdrawn episode to its advantage, from the quieter scenes with Elliot foreshadowing his untimely end to the tragically beautiful shot of him walking towards the ominous fog. Yet Tyrell’s death wreaks of misdirection and a potential for more.

The mysterious blue light Tyrell stumbles across in his final scene is a clear sign the man is having a moment — just not his last.

So no, I don’t think we should be making funeral plans for Wellick just yet.

I will admit that repeating this disappearing Tyrell storyline isn’t exactly Mr. Robot’s style. But leaving a character’s death open for interpretation and then fading to white credits isn’t exactly this show’s style either.

There’s no Whiterose, no grand collapsing of buildings, and no real payoff to killing such a key player this early in the game. Tyrell’s character is best utilized in spurts, as we have seen. It would be difficult to have him following Elliot around for nine more episodes without a purpose to serve.

Tyrell needed a purpose and Elliot needed a way around his friend’s destructive tendencies. Throwing Tyrell to the woods just so they can spit him back out in good time seems like the much more plausible answer for that mysterious little display at the end of the episode.

For the sake of Mr. Robot’s success this season, let’s hope this is not the last we have seen of Tyrell and his six-thousand dollar suits.

“Not Found” feels muddled at times, losing itself in the fog surrounding Elliot. So, it’s a good thing we have Darlene to be the guiding light of this episode.

Her misguided journey with Santa Claus is expected to turn out much worse than it actually does. It’s a bit of a curveball to find out this human interaction between the two strangers is just that, an interaction. No one dies and Darlene is granted a shred of the normal Christmas she deserves.

Jon Glaser (a.k.a Jamm from Parks and Recreation) plays up the comedic tone of his character well with slurred words and just enough underlining sadness to break through Darlene’s cold demeanour.

Darlene’s need to find Elliot is stronger than ever and Chaikin’s urgency helps remind us of the stakes when we return to the lull of the quiet woods. Darlene’s one-sided squabble with her brother over voicemail is an added layer of sarcastic humour that beautifully captures the essence of a real sibling relationship.

Darlene should apply to be an Uber driver. Something tells me she would be quite good at it.

Of course, Mr. Robot would use Halloween as an excuse to bring us this messed up Christmas special.

“Not Found” may not completely succeed in its mission, but it does send Elliot down an intriguing new path to explore before the new year. Here’s to hoping this season works to regain some of that fiery passion it wowed us with during the earlier episodes.

And yes, this latest twist does complicate things for Tyrell but that’s what Christmas miracles are for, right?

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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