Mr. Robot brought an engrossing story to TV screens throughout its four-season run on USA, and the show’s brilliance is reflected by its IMDb scores. In Mr. Robot, Rami Malek stars as Elliot Alderson, a mentally unstable cybersecurity engineer who, along with a mysterious personality known as Mr. Robot, initiates the erasure of all debt records by hacking one of the world’s biggest corporations. Each of Mr. Robot‘s four seasons received widespread acclaim from both critics and audiences, evidenced by the series’ overal IMDb user score of 8.5 (making it #201 on the Top 250 TV shows). When it comes to individual episodes, 22 out of Mr. Robot‘s 45 episodes have an IMDb rating of 9.0 or higher. Season 4 shows up the most in Mr. Robot‘s top 10 highest-rated episodes on the site, and only Season 2 is not represented on the list.
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The following Mr. Robot episodes are ranked according to their IMDb user scores, and are the 10 highest-rated episodes of the series. Full spoilers for Mr. Robot will follow.
10) “eXit” (Season 4, Episode 11)
One of the final episodes of Mr. Robot, “eXit” ranks among the best episodes of Season 4. The plot involves Elliot heading over to the Washington Township power plant, where he’s met by Dark Army agents. They take him to Whiterose (B.D. Wong), and the two engage in a tense conversation about the state of people and the world. Whiterose starts a meltdown and subsequently takes her own life. Elliot tries and fails to stop the meltdown, triggering a sequence set in an alternate reality depicting him in a happier life.
This episode leaves much to be answered later in Season 4, but its unique method of storytelling was a hit with viewers. Elliot’s confrontation with Whiterose and her shocking death make for a satisfying payoff, while Elliot’s alternate life in which he’s the CEO of Allsafe provides a fascinating contrast to his story in the show. Surprising and highly engaging, “eXit” fully deserves its place among the greatest Mr. Robot episodes.
IMDb score: 9.4/10 from 12k ratings
9) “eps1.7_wh1ter0se.m4v” (Season 1, Episode 8)
Only one episode from Mr. Robot Season 1 ranks among the 10 highest-rated episodes. In “eps1.7_wh1ter0se.m4v,” Elliot meets Whiterose for the first time and learns about her plans. Allsafe faces a hacking threat, and Elliot works with Darlene to neutralize it. At the end of the episode, Elliot has a lapse in memory and kisses Darlene (Carly Chaikin), forgetting that she’s his sister. Soon after, the identity of Mr. Robot (Chrisitan Slater) is finally revealed to be Elliot’s father.
Easily the most thrilling episode of Season 1, “eps1.7_wh1ter0se.m4v” excellently ties together existing plot points and lays a compelling groundwork for the narrative going forward. Furthermore, Malek’s performance establishes his Elliot as an intricately layered character. Mr. Robot somewhat slow start is improved by the exciting plot development in “eps1.7_wh1ter0se.m4v,” and viewers thoroughly enjoyed the episode.
IMDb score: 9.4/10 from 16k ratings
8) “shutdown -r” (Season 3, Episode 10)
The Season 3 finale of Mr. Robot, “shutdown -r,” takes audiences on a wild ride. Toward the beginning, Darlene and Dominique (Grace Gummer) find themselves kidnapped by FBI agent Ernesto Santiago (Omar Metwally). Meanwhile, Otto Irving (Bobby Cannavale) holds Elliot and Mr. Robot as hostages. They all converge at a remote barn, where Whiterose’s assistant nearly kill them. In a stunning turn of events, guns are drawn, and Santiago and Irving die. The bulk of the episode’s tension and action happens at the Dark Army’s farm, but another major reveal unfolds when Angela (Portia Doubleday) discovers that E-Corp CEO Phillip Price (Michael Cristofer) is her real father.
A captivating end to a fantastic season of television, “shutdown -r” executes all of the necessary culminations before the final season. Elliot, Darlene, Dominique, and Mr. Robot’s near-death experience generates tons of suspense, and the climax of Angela’s arc is what viewers had been waiting for. The episode offers a satisfying conclusion to Mr. Robot‘s riveting third season, paving the way for the universally-acclaimed Season 4.
IMDb score: 9.5/10 from 11k ratings
7) “whoami” (Season 4, Episode 12)
The penultimate episode of Mr. Robot sees Elliot wake up in an alternate universe following the nuclear plant explosion. He hacks into his alternate self’s computer and finds sketches of himself, Darlene, and everyone involved in fsociety. The alternate Elliot walks in on the real Elliot looking through his computer and tells him that the images represent characters in a fantasy his life as a hacker. An earthquake damages the alternate world, and Elliot kills his other self.
Fans of Mr. Robot were blown away by “whoami” thanks to the episode’s superb character development. Elliot is immersed in the life he always wanted, one in which he has a good relationship with his parents and is marrying Angela. Elliots past and emotions all emerge at the forefront of the episode when he has to face a version of himself who has the perfect life, and it leads him to take shocking and drastic actions. This episode takes a mind-bending approach, yet never sacrifices characters or story for creativity and style. The cliffhanger ending of Elliot murdering his alternate self also thrillingly sets up the series finale.
IMDb score: 9.5/10 from 13k ratings
6) “eps3.5_kill-pr0cess.inc” (Season 3, Episode 6)
Mr. Robot Season 3’s second-highest-rated episode, “eps3.5_kill-pr0cess.inc,” is another exhilarating chapter of the show. Several plot lines take center stage, such as Elliot’s effort to stop the Dark Army’s Stage 2 attack on an E-Corp buliding, Dom’s pursuit of Tyrell (Martin Wallström), and Angela’s pivotal involvement with the Dark Army. The episode ends with an astonishing twist, as Elliot succeeds in halting one Stage 2 attach, however, it doesn’t stop 71 other E-Corp buildings from exploding.
This outstanding Mr. Robot episode effectively uncovers the truth about the main characters’ role in the Dark Army’s scheme. The intense back-and-forth between Elliot and Mr. Robot ends with the two on the same page, and it reflects Elliots war with himself and his wants. In the end, Elliot never had control over the situation, as he and the others were simply used by the Dark Army as means to a devastating end. In a show full of unpredictable developments, “eps3.5_kill-pr0cess.inc,” delivers one of the most enthralling twists.
IMDb score: 9.6/10 from 13k ratings
5) “eps3.4_runtime-err0r.r00” (Season 3, Episode 5)
At the midpoint of Mr. Robot Season 3, the episode “eps3.4_runtime-err0r.r00” ranks as the season’s best episode, according to IMDb users. Upon arriving at work, Elliot struggles to remember the past few days, but soon realizes that he was fired from E-Corp and doesn’t have access to its system. Elliot also figures out that Stage 2 is about to happen, so he attempts a maneuver to stop the attack, but security leads him out of the building. Later, Elliot meets Darlene, who shares her cooperation with the FBI and Angela’s association with the Dark Army. People wearing masks initiate a riot around the E-Corp building, and Elliot decides that he must act to extinguish Stage 2.
The highest-ranking non-Season 4 episode of Mr. Robot impressively builds up to the latter half of Season 3. Elliot and Angela’s paths diverge in a surprising way, while the dawn of Stage 2 injects a dreadful atmosphere into the show’s story. Even though the real action and plot twist arrives in the ensuing episode, “eps3.4_runtime-err0r.r00” is still an enthralling viewing experience.
IMDb score: 9.7/10 from 15k ratings
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4) “409 Conflict” (Season 4, Episode 9)
In “409 Conflict,” Mr. Robot and Darlene aim to take down the Deus Group while Elliot takes a break. Mr. Robot calls Price’s phone while he’s meeting with Whiterose. Unexpectedly, Whiterose answers and tries to convince Mr. Robot to abandon his mission. Whiterose stresses that Mr. Robot can start anew and even see Angela again. A message from Darlene telling him to turn the news on interrupts the conversation. Wearing an fsociety mask, Darlene has made a video exposing the Deus Group’s private information in hopes of sparking a revolt. Darlene later hacks the members’ phones and disappears the money from their bank accounts. Enraged, Whiterose fatally shoots Price, and the FBI later shows up at her house.
A lot happens “409 Conflict,” keeping viewers glued to the screen from start to finish. Amid, Elliot’s instability, it’s satisfying to see Mr. Robot take matters into his own hands and end up succeeding in a huge way. The exposure of the Deus Group accomplishes exactly what Mr. Robot and fsociety sought to do, and the episode chronicles the heart-pounding series of events through terrific cinematography, music, and acting performances. A couple of other Season 4 episodes earned a higher rating, but “409 Conflict” is still unforgettable.
IMDb score: 9.7/10 from 16k ratings
3) “405 Method Not Allowed” (Season 4, Episode 5)
Taking place on Christmas, “405 Method Not Allowed,” sees Elliot and Darlene hack the servers for Cyprus National Bank after breaking into a Virtual Reality building, leading to a hair-raising getaway from the police. Elsewhere, Janis (Ashlie Atkinson) sends Dominique to collect evidence from the burnt van and track down Elliot and Darlene — who make a clean escape from the cops following a long, exhausting chase.
Mr. Robot never falters in Season 4, and “405 Method Not Allowed” is no exception. The installment deviates from most episodes of TV by containing almost no dialogue throughout. its 50-minute run time. “405 Method Not Allowed” is so good it doesn’t even require dialogue to captivate audiences. Elliot and Darlene’s Virtual Reality heist produces heart-pounding suspense and action. A gripping piece of visual storytelling, this episode of Mr. Robot deserves its place as the series’ third-highest-rated chapter.
IMDb score: 9.7/10 from 17k ratings
2) “Hello, Elliot” (Season 4, Episode 13)
Mr. Robot‘s series finale currently stands as its second-highest-rated episode on IMDb. Still in the alternate universe, Elliot tries to replace his other self after killing him. Elliot goes on the run from the police when the body is discovered, eventually stumbling upon Mr. Robot at Coney Island. Mr. Robot explains that this world is merely an illusion he created to conceal his real self. Elliot then wakes up in his therapist’s office, where Krista (Gloria Reuben) reveals that the version of Elliot that primarily appears in Mr. Robot is an alter known as “The Mastermind,” created by Elliot as a manifestation of his trauma and anger. All this time, the real Elliot has been trapped in the alternate world. All of Elliot’s alters converge in his mind, and the real Elliot returns to the world.
Strongly reminiscent of the ending of Fight Club, Mr. Robot‘s finale brilliantly combines emotion and mind-bending twists. Elliot’s journey over the show’s four seasons is rife with pain and hardship, so it’s fulfilling to watch him reckon with his life. Mr. Robot has garnered widespread praise for it’s representation of dissociative identity disorder through Elliot, and the series’ ending beautifully brings the character’s story to a close. Evidenced by it’s high IMDb score, Mr. Robot‘s conclusive episode is also considered among the greatest TV show finales of all time.
IMDb score: 9.8/10 from 24k ratings
1) “407 Proxy Authentication Required” (Season 4, Episode 7)
With a near-perfect score, “407 Proxy Authentication Required” reigns as the top-rated Mr. Robot episode. Groundbreaking revelations about Elliot’s past drive this episode’s plot as Fernando Vera (Elliot Villar) holds Krista hostage, with Elliot present, in an attempt to draw out Mr. Robot and enlist him in his plan to take over New York. Mr. Robot laughs in Vera’s face, Elliot offers to give him the money from the Deus Group hack. More clever than he appears, Elliot seizes a chance to snatch Vera’s gun from his backpack, but he finds it isn’t loaded. Vera threatens to kill Krista, though instead forces her to conduct a therapy session with Elliot. They talk about the death of Elliot’s mother, why Elliot created Mr. Robot, and the day he jumped out of a window to escape his father. Krista pushes further, and Elliot admits that his father sexually abused him as a child, resulting in Mr. Robot’s manifestation as a protector.
The episode predominantly takes place in a single room, and Malek’s incredible performance completely takes over. During the therapy session, all of the trauma Elliot has forced himself to forget resurfaces, and his agonizing reaction authentically reflects what he endured in his childhood and how it still impacts him. The reveal of Mr. Robot’s origin is heartbreaking and provides the necessary answers to many of the questions surrounding Elliot as a individual. Uniquely structured and hard to turn away from, “407 Proxy Authentication Required” is a true masterpiece of TV, and many viewers have recognized it as such.
IMDb score: 9.9/10 from 38k ratings
All seasons of Mr. Robot are currently available to stream for free on Tubi.
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