Mr. Robot Review: Method Not Allowed (Season 4 Episode 5)

“It’s cool dude, we don’t have to talk.”

Those are the only words Mr. Robot Season 4 Episode 5, “Method Not Allowed,” needs to kick off an ambitious episode void of dialogue.

Mr. Robot promised us a special installment unlike any other and the show delivers with an epic soundtrack, incredible cinematography, and some super serious hacking montages. It’s all rather impressive for a series that can’t seem to make one wrong move this season.

With success propelling these characters towards their untimely end, it’s no wonder this episode manages to leave us speechless.

Mr. Robot has demonstrated it’s superior dialogue more than once. So the thought of an installment void of the very thing so many episodes this season have used to excel is certainly daunting.

But here’s the thing about Mr. Robot — this series thrives off its audience’s own uncertainty. Esmail stacks the deck against himself just so he can knock it down. This unprecedented episode is no exception to the rule.

Esmail is clearly in his element as he crafts a wicked masterpiece that speaks in every way but one. 

“Method Not Allowed” uses text instead of spoken dialogue to keep characters like Dom and Price in on the gag. It’s a clever move that toes the line of the no talking rule without actually breaking it. The camera work is directed with a clear vision in mind, cutting to distant angles when someone absolutely needs to speak.

With no words to distract us, everything is brought to the forefront, including the flaws. Which is why Mr. Robot goes out of its way to make sure there are none.

Every tool is utilized to make this experience as realistic as possible for viewers at home and that effort pays off big time.

This episode is strategically engineered to make our hearts beat faster. Shot after shot is meticulously crafted to give us as much vertigo and stress as possible. Mr. Robot puts us at the center of this episode with the hope that this silence will be replaced by the sound of our heavy breathing falling into sync with the characters.

It’s not about whether we come away from this wondering if this was actually a good episode in terms of storyline. It matters that we come away from this episode out of breath and feeling like we just ran through Central Park with Elliot.

That’s the purpose of “Method Not Allowed” and it’s one executed flawlessly.

And don’t get me started on the incredible cinematography that comes out of this silent escapade around New York City.

That elevator fake-out for the stairs. Brilliant. That nausea-inducing staircase shot of Darlene and Elliot. Brilliant. That shot of Elliot racing past a kaleidoscope of vibrant 2015 movie posters. Absolutely brilliant.

Elliot’s police chase through the bustling streets of NYC and the crowded walkways of Central Park does not disappoint in the slightest. The wider shots make it nearly impossible to follow Elliot’s every move as he darts between cars, making the entire scene that much more stressful.

We have to put in the work to keep up with Elliot and rightfully so.

There’s also this level of humour to seeing Malek’s uncoordinated character struggle to keep ahead of the cops. His ungraceful wipeouts and ridiculous rolling maneuvers keep this chase sequence from becoming too serious for its own good. Elliot with his black hoodie is no Jack Ryan and I’m glad that is being addressed with one chaotic montage.

There’s not much of Slater’s Mr. Robot to be seen but this almost works to the episode’s advantage. His absence allows Darlene and Elliot to work side by side without a buffer.

It’s mesmerizing to watch the two siblings work together with such synchronized moves. It’s as if we are witnessing a graceful dance between the two siblings as they silently orchestrate this plan and anticipate each other’s needs from scene to scene.

Following Elliot through this hack feels nostalgic of the earlier seasons and weirdly like an old friend pulling us in a for a long hug. The clicking of the keyboard is the only relaxing element of this entire installment and it is a welcoming one as we see Malek and Chaikin slip back into the parts of their characters we first fell in love with.

And I’m glad Mr. Robot is able to briefly throw in an update on how Elliot is coping with Tyrell’s “death”. Malek’s silent breakdown at the sink is one of the first chances this episode has to show off the would-be brilliance of a wordless episode.

The sadness in Elliot’s eyes is almost as heartbreaking as how quickly he tries to compose himself before his sister walks back into the room. Thankfully, the siblings aren’t done breaking our hearts just yet. They share a quiet moment of compassion in the car as Elliot squeezes Darlene’s hand that puts this entire heist into perspective.

No matter what, Mr. Robot will always succeed when it’s just Elliot and Darlene against the world.

Despite the brilliance of the hacker duo, Dom manages to make her own mark on this silent episode.

Her struggle to keep from breaking the law is finally put to rest as the Dark Army persuades Dom to go all in. But what I love about Dom is her incessant need for justice, even if it gets her killed. Seeing her keep track of the vans monitoring her mother’s house is a clever tease to the fact that Dom isn’t done fighting just yet.

It’s great to see Mr. Robot finally bring forth a reason for Dom to get mixed back up with Darlene and Elliot. She is clearly struggling in this new world of hers and it would be great if she didn’t have to carry that burden on just her shoulders for once.

But really, we just want the messy reunion between Dom and Darlene to get underway before it’s too late for those two to make amends.

There are no words to describe how brilliant this episode of Mr. Robot is.

From direction to execution, every detail is crafted to elevate the eerie silence surrounding these characters. That being said, it never feels like this episode is deprived of sound or life.

The soundtrack is a wonder to behold as it carries us through the highs and lows of “Method Not Allowed”. The festive background music screams Christmas movie nostalgia. Pair that with a score fit for an ambitious action film and you get one incredible collaboration of sights and sounds. It’s all very Home Alone meets Die Hard.

This special surprise of an episode is wrapped up in a neat bow with two simple lines spoken at the beginning of the episode and the end. Two lines so spot on, it’s almost aggravating. Ending the silence with, “It’s time we talked,” is just too brilliant Esmail. 

You have rendered us speechless once again, Mr. Robot.

Other Thoughts About “Method Not Allowed”:

• They haven’t found Tyrell’s body yet and we all know what it means when there’s no body…
• Being a hacker is one thing but navigating a 3D printer that quickly under pressure is a whole other skill set and I am impressed.
• Elliot rolling down that hill without any grace had me laughing way too hard.
• Thanks to Mr. Robot for acknowledging that Die Hard is, in fact, a Christmas movie.
• Price picks up Whiterose’s dry cleaning thinking it’s part of the scavenger hunt when in fact Whiterose just needed someone to pick up her dry cleaning.
• Did no one seriously recognize Darlene without her wig on? This isn’t some Supergirl situation guys, she’s still wearing a lot of mascara.

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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