Mr. Robot does not follow a formula. Sam Esmail spent the last three years making sure fans have no idea what to expect -- not even enough information to form a salient theory. In the culture of reddit, spoilers, leaks and fans who spend all day scavenging each episode multiple times for clues, that’s one of the many reasons Mr. Robot makes so many best of 2017 lists. It’s also why the Season 3 finale was so stressful.
We finally got most of the action and answers we’ve been wanting since day one. We know Angela is Phillip Price’s daughter. We know White Rose’s true interest wasn’t Five/Nine, it was moving the Washington Township plant to Congo, a plan Elliot vowed to help achieve by the end of the episode. And considering White Rose killed pretty much every single Dark Army member except for Irving, we also know Leon is pretty much White Rose’s #2.
The post-credits scene, while not as compelling as the one from Season 2, brought back a character who has unfinished business with Elliot: Fernando Vera. Back in Season 1, Vera was Elliot’s dealer introduced by Shayla, his neighbor at the time. Vera’s younger brother, Isaac, convinced Fernando to start doing business online. When Elliot discovers Vera is abusing Shayla, he collects evidence and submits an anonymous tip to get him arrested. But later, Vera forces Elliot to break him out of prison. Why he’s back in town harassing Darlene remains to be seen.
What’s changed heading into Season 4 is that we won’t be figuring out whether Elliot is living in reality. Instead, the question will become what is White Rose’s reality? Phillip Price told Angela that White Rose is mentally ill and delusional; what she sees in her head is all a sick fantasy. While this may be true, it still seems like there’s something more to White Rose’s motivations. The effect of Five/Nine on E Corp appeared to be more of a personal jab to Phillip Price then the real agenda.
On the other hand, multiple characters continue to speak of “the future.” White Rose tells Grant, “When the project is complete I will find you.” Grant then kills himself, as if he knows it’s not his end. The amount of characters willing to die or devote their life to White Rose’s cause either proves White Rose’s manipulative psychosis, or means whatever is being developed at Washington Township has some sort of extraordinary capacity.
The product or device being engineered at the Washington Township (a project that Elliot’s father started that will “bring humanity to the next level) appears to need Coltan from Congo, a metal often used in electronic devices. What is so special about the plant? That has always been at heart of the story. Mr. Robot defined itself with the reveal Angela, Elliot and Darlene’s parent died because of a toxic leak at Washington Township, and the same question that ruled the first three seasons of the show still exists heading into Season 4. It’s frustrating, but it’s also the point the whole series revolves around and the payoff needs to be huge in Season 4.
Moving forward, hopefully we’ll see White Rose’s personal relationship with Elliot develop. White Rose clearly sees something in Elliot, just like his father. White Rose was willing to kill a handful of Dark Army associates and the man she loves to save Elliot… why? How Elliot will comply with the Dark Army and take down White Rose at the same time remains to be seen. Only if he succeeds will we get a real answer about Washington Township.
