If this theory is true (I'm not convinced yet), WHY would stage 1 of the plan be to erase credit and destabilize global currencies? Like, how do stage 1 and stage 2 dovetail together in any meaningful way?

Also of note: I can't remember who it is that has been highlighting all of the Friends references this season, but the WiFi network Elliott picked up was something like "FeelsLikeUrAlwaysStuckIn2ndGear."

So that settles it, then, right? They can't be the same person. I want to say (working from memory) that Gideon even introduces Wellick to Elliot in the pilot. That said, there is definitely more of a connection between them than we are currently aware of.

Elliot identified himself as Ollie, I think. In the Steel Mountain dining room, did the waiter interact with both Elliot and Tyrell or Tyrell only?

In the Steel Mountain executive dining room scene in Season 1, when Tyrell talks about the waiter being a bug or something like that, does the water in fact interact with or acknowledge both of them or only Tyrell?

Angela's dad says something to the effect of "You didn't tell me Darlene was back in town. I think that was her, anyway." It's vague enough to perhaps support the idea that he's really saying "I saw you acting like your alternate personality a while ago," and certainly once the girls meet up with Elliot in the…

Based on memory alone, I think Angela is the only person Krista ever specifically asks Elliot about during their sessions. This would be in the 1st or 2nd episode, when Angela is freezing Elliot out after the Allsafe meeting during which she got booted from the account. I believe Krista asks about Angela, Elliot…

Just rewatched this episode — when Elliot encounters the girl on the scooter, they're standing next to a mailbox labeled "Aldersons." I think that reinforces the idea that it's Darlene. On the other hand, from the street the house looks nothing like the house that is next door to adult Angela's. I'm willing to write…

I missed this the first time around, but on rewatching the second episode, Vera explicitly tells Elliot (and emphasizes it a couple of episodes later with the "brave traveler" conversation) that the meaning of Elliot's name is important, and that he should google it. So, I would guess we're supposed to be thinking…

I was thinking about this when the first alias Elliot could think to use in front of Joanna was Ollie. Like you, I think the anagram game can get tiresome, but it was striking to me how similar those names are (give or take a t). Not that I think it ultimately means much, aside from reinforcing some of the show's…

Of course, it's possible that we're completely off track with our assumptions about Elliot's name (although the inclusion of a character named Gideon as the show's only "good man" lends it some credence). But I do think that the simple "alter's son" is probably the likeliest explanation of the surname, especially…

Also, as I think more about this, Esmail has implied that the name "Elliot" is somehow significant to the character. If we follow the thread of Wellick's comments to his wife about God, and Mr. Robot's statement that he's just the prophet and Elliot is supposed to be God, it's interesting to note that Elliot is…

I know I'm not the cleverest guy in town, and tons of other people had to have noticed this also, but I haven't seen any mentions of this yet (I didn't read all of the comments for each episode): Alderson, as in Elliot is his alter's son. Nice.

Doesn't he acknowledge, during the one scene in which he interacts with the detectives, that the persona you find not mayoral enough is a complete affectation to enhance his street credibility? Semyon in reverse, almost.

Funny, I just told a friend who has been saving up all 8 episodes expressly so that he could binge that I think this season will suffer from that viewing mode. Having watched it in real time, I don't know that I could withstand 8.5 sustained hours of this season's tone. The ends of episodes 2 & 4 would have kept me…

Not only did Ray not have to go out to the middle of nowhere, but aren't the Redwoods like a 10 hour drive from L.A.? Honest question from a non-Californian: are there any redwoods that would have been closer/more accessible than that? There's no way he could have done that on one tank of gas, right?

When she was standing in the kitchen, there was a poster on the wall behind her that I assumed was her in her dancing days. I thought it looked fairly legit. Maybe more of a showgirl, but it gave me the impression that maybe she did have a "career" once upon a time that wasn't quite as seedy as what you would imagine…

You mean *weirdness*

While I agree with you from the perspective of an audience member looking for entertainment, I also think that having trouble caring about the crime is probably one of the most realistic components of what is turning out to be a fairly weird season. The biggest crimes are often the most complex ones, and are often the…

I'm surprised I haven't seen more people mention that one. I think people probably just forgot about it as soon as they heard the worse by an order of magnitude "blue balls in my heart" line. The retribution line was bad, but the other one will live in infamy.