While attempting to distill the confusing complexities of Mr. Robot (10 p.m. Wednesdays, USA) down to digestible size, Queen’s epic ballad “Bohemian Rhapsody” comes to mind. Rami Malek, who stars as Elliot in this hacker-centered psychological drama, has taken on the daunting role of Freddie Mercury in the long-awaited Queen biopic, due in theaters next Christmas. Between Malek’s acting chops, as evidenced by his award-winning performance in Mr. Robot, and the production photos of him as Mercury, he seems suited to fill those very big shoes. But the song could also act as a soundtrack to this series, particularly this third season.
“Is this the real life, is this just fantasy?”
This is a question Elliot and the audience must frequently ask themselves throughout the show. Elliot has dissociative identity disorder, meaning that at any moment, unbeknownst to him, a different personality can take over, leaving Elliot with no memory of what happens during that time. In order to make up for this “lost time,” his brain fills in the blanks, skewing his view on reality.
In past seasons, the truth has been revealed in a major twist, which by now fans are anticipating for Season 3. In Season 1, the plot was turned on its head Fight Club-style when we learned that hacktivist mastermind Mr. Robot (Christian Slater) was actually Elliot’s dad, who died years ago — he’s just a fantasy, and everything he’d done was actually the work of Elliot. In Season 2, the whole time we were led to believe Elliot was living with his mother, he was really in jail. And while there have been some significant plot turns and surprises, more than halfway through this season there’s yet to be a big “things are not as they seem” reveal.
“Mama, just killed a man”
Instead of addressing his mother, Elliot frequently breaks the fourth wall, speaking directly to the audience. However, being an unreliable narrator, we cannot always take what he says, does or sees at face value. This part of the song acts as a confession, and at this point Elliot is definitely responsible for chaos and even death. He tries to make amends this season by stopping the sinister work of his alter-ego, who essentially wants to destroy mass property and debt records held by conglomerate E Corp. But, as Elliot soon finds out, once something has been put into motion it cannot be undone — one of this season’s themes.
“I see a little silhouetto of a man”
This represents the emergence of Mr. Robot. In the first season, we saw him as a separate entity working alongside Elliot. By Season 2, Mr. Robot began acting more independently while Elliot believed he was sleeping, resulting in Elliot blacking out for days at a time as he becomes less and less aware of Mr. Robot’s ulterior moves. And while Slater is still present this season, for the first time the audience gets to witness what characters see when Mr. Robot takes over — the social-anxiety-ridden Elliot suddenly adopts the confidence and swagger of Mr. Robot. It’s a complex role that Malek nails.
“Can’t do this to me baby; just gotta get right out of here”
As the Rock sequence of “Rhapsody” kicks in, Mr. Robot has effectively taken full control. He’s the one singing now, so to speak. Despite Elliot’s best attempts to undo the damage that he himself has caused while under the influence of his alternate personality, Mr. Robot is strong. He will not be held down and, as we learned in last week’s episode, he has an appetite for serious destruction.
As the song slows down and Mr. Robot disappears, Elliot returns, lonely and depressed. “Nothing really matters” indeed.
Queen changed the idea of what a Pop/Rock song could be with “Rhapsody” — the bizarre lyrics, obscure references and operatic elements all somehow work together to create a universally beloved song. And while you can’t really compare the two, Mr. Robot continually breaks new ground and redefines what a TV show can do, from its realistic depictions of both mental illness and cyberwarfare to its dynamic women characters and cinematic risk taking. These elements were on full display in a recent episode that appeared as one continuous 45-minute shot as protestors attacked E Corp. An anarchist rhapsody, perhaps?
Contact Jac Kern: @jackern
This article appears in Nov 15-22, 2017.
