“Not enough can be said for Malek’s work here. He understands this character in a way that makes it impossible to imagine anyone else in the part. His truly unique look—those big, wide open eyes sunken into cavernous raccoon circles—and even the way he enunciates his words is singular. Just watching him think through a problem or a misplaced memory is transfixing.” -Erik McClanahan for Indirewire “But here’s the real key to its success, what tech stories of yesteryear would have called the killer app: Rami Malek….[H]ere is the single craziest thing about Mr. Robot that makes its success, its literal existence, nearly impossible to fathom: Take away Malek and the whole show implodes. It doesn’t, not even for five minutes, work….You can’t put — well, I’ve done this little exercise on down the line like obsessively — anyone else in that role and have it work. It can’t be pictured. So two things are at play here. Not only is Malek absolute perfection in the same way that Tatiana Maslany is for Orphan Black, but he represents the ultimate exclamation point about the importance of casting.” -Tom Goodman for The Hollywood Reporter “I can’t mention Elliot without mentioning Rami Malek. He’s a powerhouse. Whether he was performing rambling and emotional internal monologues while maintaining a straight face or throwing down and yelling, he always delivered. His range and nuance contributed to Elliot being likable. Even the way he delivered some lines – a little stilted – added to the character and story.” -Amy Ratcliffe for IGN “Rami Malek is beyond brilliant in the role of Elliot. He’s cold and frank and his cynicism wears you out but he’s so human. Watching him in this episode was like watching somebody play the role of a small child who learns about death for the first time. That’s a feat that’s incredibly hard to pull off without venturing into hammy territory.” -Matt Perri for The Work Print
