• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
Arts & EntertainmentQ&A

‘Mr. Robot’ Creator Sam Esmail on the Show’s Fourth and Final Season

By
Paula Bernstein
Paula Bernstein
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Paula Bernstein
Paula Bernstein
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 6, 2019, 12:00 PM ET
Sam Esmail Mr Robot Cast
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 28: Sam Esmail, Carly Chaikin, Christian Slater and Rami Malek attends Tribeca Talks - A Farewell To Mr. Robot - 2019 Tribeca Film Festival at Spring Studio on April 28, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)Nicholas Hunt—Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The Emmy-winning Mr. Robot , created by Sam Esmail, kicks off its fourth and final season Sunday night. The groundbreaking cyber-thriller follows hacker Elliott Alderson (Rami Malek), as he tries to topple an evil corporation with the help of his alter-ego Mr. Robot (Christian Slater).

Esmail has a number of other projects in the works after the show wraps up, including a new Battlestar Galactica series for NBC’s new streaming service Peacock.

Ahead of the show’s season premiere on USA Network, Esmail talked to Fortune via email about how Mr. Robot changed his life and why he’s not worried about satisfying hardcore fans.

How does it feel to be wrapping up Mr. Robot?

I have very mixed feelings about wrapping up Mr. Robot. On the one hand, it will be sad to say goodbye to this world. Hanging out with these characters for the past few years has shaped who I am as a filmmaker and as a person.

Consider what happened in that time: I had my first big break in my career, I married the love of my life [Emmy Rossum in 2017], and I finally paid off my student loans!  I attribute all that success to the wonderful cast and crew who helped me bring this odd tale about Elliot Alderson to life. But in order to respect his journey, we are ending the show on his terms—that is to say, his story guided us to this conclusion and we are listening.

Did you always have a plan in mind for how you would end the series?

This final chapter of Elliot’s journey was something I envisioned when I initially conceived Mr. Robot as a feature film, but thankfully it evolved into something much more layered and deeper as a TV series. I may have started out as a film student snob but I have transformed into a TV lover (and by the looks of where TV is heading, that love isn’t going anywhere).

What’s the biggest challenge of wrapping up the series?

The biggest challenge in wrapping up the series is being honest with ourselves and resisting the temptation to continue when the story doesn’t warrant it. Reconciling this truth was by far the hardest decision I had to make in the entire run of the series.

Do you worry about satisfying hardcore fans?

The fans of Mr. Robot are a wonderful bunch that respects our commitment to finishing the story we started out telling. Fan satisfaction can be a slippery slope to bullshit fan service and forced bow-tying. Instead, we stayed true to Elliot’s journey and hope our fans will enjoy the ride.  

The fourth and final season of Mr. Robot premieres Sunday, Oct. 6 at 10 p.m. ET.

More must-read stories from Fortune:

—HBO’s Watchmen is an “extrapolation” of the source material
—Nick Kroll on the “meta experience” of making Big Mouth
—How Comedy Central grew up to hold its own against Netflix
—Musicians and fans unite to keep facial recognition tech out of concerts
—The Good Place creator Mike Schur on the show’s final season
Follow Fortune on Flipboard to stay up-to-date on the latest news and analysis.

About the Author
By Paula Bernstein
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Paramount water tower
LawHollywood
Judge halts Paramount-Warner’s $81 billion merger for two weeks after states warn it would ‘extinguish competition’
By The Associated Press and Wyatte Grantham-PhilipsJuly 20, 2026
14 hours ago
Ferran Torres
SuccessWorld Cup
Spain’s Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in the World Cup—but just four years ago, he was in therapy and stuck in a ‘bottomless pit’
By Emma BurleighJuly 20, 2026
19 hours ago
Christopher Nolan wearing a black suit
SuccessCareers
Christopher Nolan was rejected from film school as a teen. Today, the Oscar-winning director behind  ‘The Odyssey’ is worth $250 million
By Preston ForeJuly 20, 2026
19 hours ago
nolan
Arts & EntertainmentHollywood
‘Everybody’s a sucker for a dog’: scholars see modern schmaltz in Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey
By Hillel Italie and The Associated PressJuly 20, 2026
21 hours ago
Spain earns $51 million for World Cup win and runner-up Argentina gets $34 million as total payout for all 48 teams hits record-high $871 million
Arts & EntertainmentSports
Spain earns $51 million for World Cup win and runner-up Argentina gets $34 million as total payout for all 48 teams hits record-high $871 million
By Luis Andres Henao, Graham Dunbar and The Associated PressJuly 19, 2026
1 day ago
Box office debut for ‘The Odyssey’ tops ‘Oppenheimer’ and is Christopher Nolan’s best opening since ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ in 2012
Arts & EntertainmentMovies
Box office debut for ‘The Odyssey’ tops ‘Oppenheimer’ and is Christopher Nolan’s best opening since ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ in 2012
By Jake Coyle and The Associated PressJuly 19, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
16 hours ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
21 hours ago
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
AI
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
By Jason MaJuly 18, 2026
2 days ago
Warren Buffett says his $147 billion investing career was an accident: ‘I may be one of the 10 luckiest in the world’
Future of Work
Warren Buffett says his $147 billion investing career was an accident: ‘I may be one of the 10 luckiest in the world’
By Sarah GlodekJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 20, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 20, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
It’s not just Taco Bell lettuce and possible glass in Pillsbury rolls: Food and drink recall events reached a 6-year year-over-year high
Retail
It’s not just Taco Bell lettuce and possible glass in Pillsbury rolls: Food and drink recall events reached a 6-year year-over-year high
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.