While Mr. Robot is anchored primarily on the Alderson’s – Elliot and his eponymous deceased father slash alter ego – some of the supporting characters often get their fair share of the spotlight as well. Most recently, “eps2.6_succ3ss0r.p12” is conspicuous for its complete lack of Elliot (an unheard of practice outside shows that have vast ensemble roster like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead) and focusing entirely on the Fsociety members – particularly the “other” Alderson in Darlene as well as ensemble darkhorses’ Trenton and Mobley. There are also story arcs that dwell on brand new characters like the enigmatic Season Two’s Ray Heyworth, who was later revealed to be the proprietor of a dark web marketplace and is unclear (during another shocking twist) if he is truly the show’s equivalent of a “Dread Pirate Roberts” or just a meaningless jail warden.
But with the exception of the breakthrough character Leon (whom we’ve honored on a previous piece), only one guy can truly match the understated impact he had – and that would be Season One’s Fernando Vera. Interestingly, they share some uncanny similarities – orange jumpsuits, hooking up Elliot with some unusual drugs, and propensity for existential intelligence. And while Leon is still an unknown commodity at this point, Fernando is an open book of evil who doesn’t even have any redeeming qualities like an affinity for Seinfeld.
From his few string of episodes alone, Fernando:
Was strongly implied to have “raped” Shayla…
Murdered her later as part of an elaborate double cross…
Had his own brother taken out. Admittedly, due to sensible reasons (his brother would have gotten him first if he didn’t) …
And managed to successfully blackmail Elliot into performing a prison hack, outwit him and get away with it!
These events, in addition to his charismatic presence, cemented Fernando as a character that we’d like to see re-emerge in the future.
In fact, prior to the release of Season Two, showrunner Sam Esmail admitted himself that he tried to write Fernando in but it just didn’t make sense.
“I was always tempted to, but maybe I have a one-track mind. Elliot Villar did such a great job as Fernando Vera. He brought this really interesting and different kind of villain to the story but I was like, ‘No way. We have to stick to the story so he’s not on the show right now. It’s hard to avoid that.” Sam explains, and something we can all agree with after having the chance to see the whole season and the narrative that unfolded.
But it appears he’s not closing the door on him either, adding: “When you walk into something like that when actor meets character and they have this great synergy, it’s really tempting to continue to write for them.”
How Fernando will fit in on Season Three though (if he does show up) is unclear. Prior to Season Two, there have been reports of Shayla being on set but whether she actually participated in filming scenes, just dropping by, or a mere red herring, has yet to be confirmed. A possible payback could be in store if ever, because this chapter is too important for Elliot to just forget.