Who is Tyrell Wellick talking to in the limo? (s01e07)

Question

In the early episodes, the show creators were very careful about putting Mr Robot into scenes, but not having anyone other than Elliot interacting with him.

In later episodes, they break this pattern. In s01e06, v1ew-s0urce, Mr Robot and Darlene have a conversation in a bar about the Dark Army and White Rose. Later in that episode, Mr Robot visits Romero at his grow lab, and threatens him to get him to return to F Society.

In these scenes, are we meant to believe that it's actually Elliot, and not Mr Robot? If so, then it follows that in s01e07, wh1ter0se, it's actually Elliot in the limo with Tyrell having this (paraphrased) conversation:

Tyrell: We’re meant to be allies.
Mr Robot: I don't think there’s anything we can possibly agree on.
Tyrell: I know your dirty little secret.

What is this secret? Is it about the F Society plan? Seemingly not (unless he's bluffing), because in the last episode (of season 1) he goes to Elliot's apartment begging to know what's going on. Additionally, there's nothing in the earlier episodes between Elliot and Tyrell to suggest they're allied in some kind of plan. Again, in the last episode, Tyrell tells Elliot, "I told you we were meant to work together." I read that as counter to the idea they had previously agreed to be allies. And this banter is unlike any conversation Elliot and Tyrell had before.

At this point in the season, it's not been revealed that Mr Robot isn't real, so the show creators want us to believe there's some secret additional plot between Mr Robot and Tyrell. But it seems to me that this never pans out in any real way.

So we're left with:

• This is Elliot and Tyrell having a conversation, and it makes no sense with the rest of the plot.
• This is Tyrell having a conversation with someone else, who for some reason is also Mr Robot.
• The conversation never actually occurred, and the show creators are just messing with us.
• Tyrell is also hallucinating Mr Robot.
• Since only Elliot can see Mr Robot, Elliot and Tyrell are the same person (which makes even less sense than this scene).
• The whole conversation is actually in Elliot's head, and we see it because Elliot talks to us.

Perhaps there are other possibilities I've not considered.

What was the purpose of this scene, and to whom is Tyrell actually speaking?

Answer 1

This is Elliot and Tyrell having a conversation, and it makes no sense with the rest of the plot.

In the very first episode, where Elliot swaps the two envelopes and seals Terry Colby's fate, Tyrone Wellick see's it happen. He also confronts Elliot about it later in the bathroom in Steel Mountain. This could be the dirty little secret!

If not that, maybe season 2 will clear it up.

I also think, this scene was just to give another clue that Mr Robot is Elliot, before the reveal.

Answer 2

It's Elliott but with his Mr Robot persona in charge. Mr Robot (before we know the truth) also has a one to one with Darlene at a bar in season one. Clearly she would have recognised him as her dead Dad if it were really him who walked up to her so it's again Eliott with his Mr Robot persona in charge. My theory is but show continuity could prove me wrong is that Elliott would not remember these two encounters as we are shown Mr Robot solo, in control and Mr Robot does things that Elliott cannot recall. In contrast when Mr Robot and Elliott are on screen together Elliott does remember these events/ Elliott is in control. When Elliot gets into Tyrell's car towards the end of season two there's a shift in Rami Malek and you can tell that Mr Robot is who is speaking though we aren't seeing Christian Slater.