Hello friend. Where were we? 
“I want you to be where you belong…here with me.” -Tyrell
The back of Elliott’s head is front and center on the screen, as men walk from behind Tyrell and take their seat at the conference table. The image forebodes revelations that will be made about the way Elliott’s mind works, later in the season. As, various men appear to be multiplying from one another around him (Matrix anyone?). From this initial perspective, Elliott is literally the head of the table. Once, all the men have taken their seat on the round table, there is a cut to a wide shot. This image shows Elliott on one end of the table and Tyrell on the other. There is a pillar that cuts the screen in such a way that Elliott’s seat at Tyrell’s table is being blocked. So, is there space for Elliott at the table, or does an immovable force separate them from one another?
“I think, I am happy where I am.” -Elliott
During this opening Tyrell provides us with a lot of exposition as he offers Elliott a job at E-Corp. We learn that since Terrance Colby took the fall for an E-Corp hack (performed by fsociety), Tyrell has been named interim CTO. “In a way it’s kinda…what’s the word in English? Serendipitous?” describes Tyrell. He also divulges that E-Corp will be soon ending their partnership with AllSafe, Elliott’s employer, which would be detrimental to the small cyber security company. Normally, exposition dumps bore viewers because it feels excessive. In this case the information is very necessary considering that the pilot episode ended with Elliott being abducted by Tyrell’s men. Now we know why Elliott was hand delivered to Tyrell and more about the plot. After Elliott declines Tyrell’s offer, orchestra music plays as Tyrell turns and walks away. In the midst of rejection, Tyrell takes
a god like position and retreats back to the conference room’s windows. He looks down at the New York City streets, some thirty, or so floors separating him from the people below. Meanwhile, Elliott retreats back through the darken hallway from which he came.
“Didn’t I say if you walked away you were no longer apart of this?” -Mr Robot
In the second episode, Elliott not only walks away from Tyrell, but he turns his back on fsociety too. Elliott learns that Mr Robot’s big plans involve killing a lot of innocent people, which crosses a moral line for Elliott. During the closing sequence, he returns to Coney Island to find Mr Robot sitting alone on the railing of a pier. Elliott makes his way towards Mr Robot, as he walks through a group of skaters. There is no immovable object separating Elliott from Mr Robot as he makes his way to reclaim his spot in fsociety. He literally jumps up and sits right alongside his friend on the pier’s railing. Both seated high above the sandy beach below.
“You didn’t commit to the sacred pact you had formed ” -Mr Robot
In an effort to make amends, Elliott tells Mr Robot about his father’s death. How he broke his promise that he would keep his father’s illness a secret from his mother. Sharing this story is a very vulnerable moment for Elliott, whom usually keeps to himself. Note, Elliott keeps his hood on during this entire scene, while in the opening he had it off. Hoods are often used to obscure your face from the public, a defense against being seen by people. We see just how defenseless he is at the pier, as Mr Robot pushes Elliott off the ledge. Cut to a wide shot and there is one lone, dark figure sitting on the railing. Where does Elliott belong? Are we even by his side anymore?
By Sarah Belmont Featured Writer @sjbelmont