Elliot Alderson quotes from Mr. Robot

Elliot Alderson

[narrating] Deletion. When you make that decision, there's always that moment of hesitation. That annoying "Are you sure?" dialogue box, and then you have to make a decision. Yes or no. Yes means ridding the world of Mr. Robot forever. That includes you. Maybe it's something I should have done a long time ago.

Elliot Alderson

Hello, friend. Hello, friend? Wait, you can hear me again? Have you been there this whole time? I was so focused on the hack, I guess I thought you were gone. But after what just happened at the plant, I thought for sure I was gone, too. We're dead, right? There's no way we survived. But if we're dead... then how am I talking to you? And if you're here... then where's Mr. Robot?

Elliot Alderson

I know what you're thinking, but don't. That's impossible. Whiterose is out of her fucking mind. Yeah, yeah, I know, so am I. But still. There's no way her machine worked. Right?

Elliot Alderson

What do you think? Do you buy any of this? We started out wanting to change the world, but did it happen? Is this the world I fought so hard for? A world free of all the pain I went through? Am I actually considering this could be real?

Elliot Alderson

C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, I know I'll find something! He can't be this happy. No one is. Haven't you been paying attention? Everyone has a secret. People are always hiding something. Their vulnerabilities. Their fears. Their shame. I don't care how happy he looks. Everyone has a monster. Question is... what's his?

Elliot Alderson

Please, don't judge me. This was inevitable. You saw the earthquakes. Both of us can't exist here in this world. I had no other choice.

Krista Gordon

What is it about society that disappoints you so much?

Elliot Alderson

Oh, I don't know. Is it that we collectively thought Steve Jobs was a great man, even when we knew he made billions off the backs of children? Or maybe it's that it feels like all our heroes are counterfeit. The world itself's just one big hoax. Spamming each other with our burning commentary of bullshit masquerading as insight. Our social media faking as intimacy. Or is it that we voted for this? Not with our rigged elections, but with our things. Our property. Our money. I'm not saying anything new. We all know why we do this. Not because Hunger Games books makes us happy. But because we wanna be sedated. Because it's painful not to pretend. Because we're cowards. Fuck society.

Mr. Robot

Hey, you like Ferris wheels? Ah, it's beautiful. It gets better the higher up you go, you know. I love it up here. You like it?

Elliot Alderson

I'm here to tell you I'm turning you in. I'm giving them all the information.

Mr. Robot

Let me tell you why you're really here. You're here because you sense something wrong with the world. Something you can't explain. But, you know it controls you and everyone you care about What are you talking about? Money. Money hasn't been real since we got off the gold standard. It's become virtual. Software, the operating system of our world. And, Elliot, we are on the verge of taking down this virtual reality. Think about it. What if you could take down one conglomerate? A conglomerate so deeply entrenched in the world's economy that "too big to fail" doesn't even come close to describing it?

Elliot Alderson

You wanna create another financial meltdown like the one we just had, but way worse. Yeah, why would I want that? Everyone would lose their money.

Mr. Robot

What if I told you that this conglomerate just so happens to own 70% of the global consumer credit industry, huh? If we hit their data center just right we could systematically format all the servers, including backup.

Elliot Alderson

That would erase...

Mr. Robot

All the debt we owe them. Every record of every credit card, loan, and mortgage would be wiped clean. It'd be impossible to reinforce outdated paper records. It'd all be gone. The single, biggest incident of wealth redistribution in history.

Mr. Robot

Tell me one thing, Elliot. Are you a one or a zero? That's the question you have to ask yourself. Are you a yes or a no? Are you going to act or not?

Elliot Alderson

Yo... You've been staring at a computer screen way too long, homie. Life's not that binary.

Mr. Robot

Isn't it? Sure, there are grays... but when you come right down to it, at its core, beneath every choice, there's either a one or a zero. You either do something or you don't. You walk out that door, you've decided to do nothing, to say no, which means you do not come back. You leave, you are no longer a part of this. You become a zero. If you stay, if you want to change the world, you become a yes. You become a one. So, I'll ask you again: are you a one or a zero?

Gideon Goddard

We might get lucky, they might get sloppy, make a mistake, you know, catch some...

Elliot Alderson

This is the world we live in. People relying on each other's mistakes to manipulate one another, use one another, even relate to one another. A warm, messy circle of humanity.

Mr. Robot

Without you, there is no plan.

Elliot Alderson

That's it? It's over? You expect me to believe that? See you in another life. Did you hear that? I can't believe it. Is that really happening? Fsociety's finally over. The recent glitch in the otherwise neat reality I created over the years, I'll never slip up like that again. I'm gonna be more normal now. Maybe Shayla could even be my girlfriend. I'll go see those stupid Marvel movies with her. I'll join a gym. I'll heart things on Instagram. I'll drink vanilla lattes. I'm gonna lead a bug-free life from now on. Anything to protect my perfect maze. [pokes his head into Gideon's office] Hey, Gideon. Is that dinner still on for tonight?

Gideon Goddard

Um, yeah, sure. Uh, uh, you want... You want to come?

Elliot Alderson

Yeah.

Gideon Goddard

Great.

Elliot Alderson

Can I bring my girlfriend?

Gideon Goddard

You have a girlfriend?

Elliot Alderson

Well, I haven't asked her yet, but I will. Hopefully she'll say yes.

Gideon Goddard

Uh, yeah, sure... Perfect.

Elliot Alderson

Thanks. [leaves]

Gideon Goddard

Was he drinking Starbucks?

Don't be shy now. You can come closer. Unsettling I know, your pet beta fish chatting you up. But time's money, Elliot.

Elliot Alderson

You need something? Your water, does it need changing?

When you live in a fishbowl, ain't no such thing as change. My entire life's been spent in this thing, my whole world's on your side table. I look around. Same shit, different day. The lighting, the furniture, even the sounds. Always the same. I'm on a loop. And it won't stop unless my life does. I'm exhausted with this world.

Elliot Alderson

What can I do? I wanna help.

I think it's pretty obvious. There's really only one thing you can do for a brother in a fish bowl.

Elliot Alderson

What is it?

Move him to a god damn window!

Elliot Alderson

Think about it, Bill.

Think about what?

Elliot Alderson

If you died, would anyone care? Would they really care? Maybe they'd cry for a day, but let's be honest, no one would give a shit. They wouldn't. The few people that would feel obligated to go to your funeral would probably be annoyed and leave as early as possible. [steps closer] That's who you are. That's what you are. You're nothing. To anyone. To everyone. Think about it, Bill. Because if you do, if you let yourself, you'll know I'm telling you the truth. So instead of wasting any more of my time, I need you to go call someone that matters. Because Bill, you don't.

Tyrell Wellick

I know you framed Terry Colby.

Elliot Alderson

I didn't.

Tyrell Wellick

Your father worked at Evil Corp before he died. That's a matter of public record. I'm not turning you in, if that's what you're thinking. I don't even have proof, and even if I did, I don't care. Just wanted to know your weakness. Now I do. Revenge. How ordinary. Just like our waiter. But even extraordinary people, and I believe you are, are driven by human banalities. And unfortunately, we're all human. Except me, of course.

Fernando Vera

My own brother. That's what the universe asked of me. To be my brother's keeper. Like Cain after Abel, I'll be a fugitive and wanderer on the earth. Brave fugitive. Brave wanderer. Look how you helped me! That's the kind of bravery I've been talking 'bout! But--But now... now I want you to look at Isaac. [Grabs Elliot's face and tilts his head down] Look! Dead proof. My operation is over. So go on, crash it. Burn it to the ground. Doesn't matter. I'm gone. A spirit. One with all the heavens. All existence.

Elliot

[a car pulls up and DJ and Fernando Vera walk over] Shayla. Where is she?

Fernando Vera

Keys, yo. [DJ throws him the keys and gets into the car] Told you you'd get her back, bro. You just didn't realize... [indicates the trunk of Elliot's car] she was with you the whole time.