| “ | Power belongs to the people that take it. Nothing to do with their hard work, strong ambitions, or rightful qualifications, no. The actual will to take is often the only thing that's necessary. | ” |
— Tyrell | ||
Tyrell Wellick is the Senior Vice President of Technology of E Corp. He is played by Martin Wallström.
History
Tyrell Wellick was born in Västra Götalands län, Sweden. His father knew very little English, and took great pride in his ability to recite a poem by William Carlos Williams: "So much depends on a red wheelbarrow glazed with rainwater beside the white chickens."
Tyrell began his career at E Corp as a highly knowledgeable technician, rising up the ranks of the conglomerate and eventually gaining the position of Senior Vice President of Technology. He served as the ambitious right-hand man of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Terry Colby.
Tyrell is married to a Danish citizen, Joanna Olafson. To all appearances, they are a perfect couple; between themselves, they speak their respective languages, planning how to climb the corporate ladder.
During their first date, Tyrell promised that he would do anything to please her; Joanna told him to sleep with a red-haired woman, and steal her cheap earrings. He obliged without hesitation, and has provided Joanna with small, unusual gifts ever since. (“eps2.8_h1dden_pr0cess.axx”)
Season 1
During E Corp's visit to Allsafe Cybersecurity in February, Tyrell lingers at Elliot Alderson's cubicle, admiring his GNOME desktop environment. He strikes up a conversation, chiding Elliot gently for humbly introducing himself as "just a tech" and explaining that despite Tyrell's executive position, his heart is still where he began: at a terminal. Tyrell attributes his own continued use of the KDE desktop environment to "old habits" before excusing himself, wishing Elliot bon soir.
After a massive DDoS attack on E Corp's servers, Wellick and Colby attend a meeting with representatives of Allsafe, the FBI, and the United States Cyber Command. At Colby's behest, Tyrell steps outside with Gideon Goddard, who removes Angela Moss from the E Corp account. Tyrell notices when Elliot puts away a white envelope, and instead submits a blue packet into evidence; upon investigation of the enclosed .dat file, authorities charge Terry Colby with involvement in the attack. (“eps1.0_hellofriend.mov”)
Rocked by scandal, E Corp names Tyrell as interim CTO while they search for an official replacement. Wellick has his hired man, Mr. Sutherland, take Elliot off the street and bring him to a meeting at E Corp Headquarters. Surrounded by lawyers, Tyrell offers Elliot a lucrative and influential position with the company's internal cybersecurity division. When Elliot asks for time to think about the offer, Tyrell dismisses the lawyers and presses further, explaining that he will soon be the youngest executive in E Corp history. He jokes that he should track down the hackers just to thank them, deeming the situation "serendipitous" and laughing to himself. He tells Elliot that E Corp is planning to consolidate their security by the end of the quarter, dismissing vendors like Allsafe. With Elliot's career in jeopardy, Tyrell urges him to take the job so they can work together. Elliot declines, much to Wellick's disappointment and confusion. (“eps1.1_ones-and-zer0es.mpeg”)
Wellick is determined to be appointed as the company's official CTO. He works out regularly, prepares a speech recommending his internal promotion, and slaps himself when his performance doesn't meet his own standards. He begins reciting an affirmative mantra: "You will be the next CTO of this company." Tyrell comes tantalizingly close to his meeting with Phillip Price, but the CEO apologizes and promises to reschedule. Crushed, Tyrell struggles to keep a straight face, and instead seeks an exploit: he requests an e-mail from Price's secretary, Anwar Raziz. Afterwards, Wellick dons latex gloves and finds an outlet for his anger, paying $300 to beat a homeless man senseless.
Despite criticism from Joanna, Tyrell engineers a meeting with Anwar outside the Kiss and Fly Club. He boldly engages and seduces Price's secretary, taking him back to his apartment and having sex. While Anwar takes a shower, Tyrell hacks his phone, gaining admin access with SuperSU and monitoring all activity with FlexiSPY.[1]
Wellick determines that the Board's leading CTO candidate is Scott Knowles. Returning home, he reports this new intelligence to Joanna, reluctantly obeying her demand for BDSM play. Joanna resolves to schedule dinner with Scott and Sharon Knowles as soon as possible. (“eps1.2_d3bug.mkv”)
On March 30, Tyrell visits Steel Mountain's headquarters in Albany, preparing to ship redundant copies of E Corp's analog backups across the United States. He crosses paths with Elliot, who claims to be there as part of an Allsafe systems check. Tyrell deems their meeting fortuitous and invites Elliot for lunch, taking him to the employee cafeteria; when Elliot questions whether Tyrell really eats there, his ego compels him to bring Elliot to the executive lounge on Level 2. While waiting for their meal, Tyrell comments on their lower-class waiter, lamenting the mundane life of an "ordinary cockroach". Tyrell signs off on some documents, and Elliot bolts to the bathroom.
Wellick follows Elliot to the executive washroom, where he confronts him for framing Terry Colby. He asserts that he isn't interested in Elliot's guilt, and simply wanted to know his weakness: revenge, for the death of Edward Alderson. Tyrell declares that even the most extraordinary people are only human, and driven by human impulses: "except me, of course." He claims to be joking, and urges Elliot to take care.
In a dinner date with Scott and Sharon Knowles, Tyrell offers to assist Scott in his position as CTO, promising that "I'm everything you need in a right hand." Knowles is immediately suspicious, but the dinner goes on. As Joanna indulges Scott's passion for wine, Tyrell follows Sharon to the bathroom, making a sexual advance while she is on the toilet. When Sharon spreads her legs, Tyrell departs, confident in his success. (“eps1.4_3xpl0its.wmv”)
Tyrell speaks with Scott at work. He tries to make casual conversation, suggesting they go play golf. Scott eventually confronts Tyrell on the incident with Sharon in the bathroom. He throws his guarantee of being CTO in Tyrell's face and hands him money, saying that it will pay off the mortgage of his "little two bedroom" house. At home, Tyrell throws a tantrum in the kitchen while his wife calmly eats at the table. (“eps1.5_br4ve-trave1er.asf”)
In May, Knowles is instead awarded the title. In his office, Tyrell listens to other executives laugh at the idea that a man would have gay sex to climb the corporate ladder, before yelling at them that they are fired. At the CTO promotion party, Tyrell tricks Sharon Knowles into thinking he wants to sleep with her. When the two are alone on the E Corp Headquarters' roof, he proceeds to strangle her to death. He is horrified, but proceeds removes his fingerprints from the body, but still becomes a suspect when Knowles informs the police of Tyrell's advances on his wife. (“eps1.6_v1ew-s0urce.flv”)
The next day at work, Tyrell is paranoid. Gideon Goddard meets with him, telling him of the honeypot enabled on server CS30. He brushes off his secretary when she says police want to meet with him and leaves the building, asking to be put in touch with the Dulles server farm.
When he returns home, Joanna wants to move forward with blackmailing Sharon Knowles with pictures she believes her husband took when he had sex with her. Tyrell wants to find another way. She warns him not to unravel their work. Tyrell meets Mr. Robot, wanting to know what he's planning, in the event that their goals may be similar and he can get involved. Tyrell threatens him with revealing his secret. Mr. Robot says the secret will do neither any good so doing nothing is Tyrell's best bet.
Tyrell returns home angry and chugs a bottle of liquor. He indirectly tells Joanna about Elliot's revenge on Colby and how it has directed his focus from the wrong players towards God. She laughs it off. Detectives soon arrive visit the Wellick household to question him. Joanna, surprised at the murder of Sharon Knowles, excuses herself to the kitchen prematurely induces her pregnancy to save her husband from the detectives' enquiries. (“eps1.7_wh1ter0se.m4v”)
In the hospital following the birth of their son, Joanna warns Tyrell that he is not a welcome member of the family if he does not sort out the situation.
When Tyrell is identified as a "person of interest" in the Sharon Knowles murder, Philip Price fires him. Shortly after this, Wellick visits the home of Elliot Alderson and convinces him to reveal everything about fsociety's plan to bring down the company, threatening him with the story of how he strangled Sharon Knowles. Wellick seemingly allows Elliot to go ahead with the 5/9 hack. (“eps1.8_m1rr0r1ng.qt”)
At the arcade, Tyrell is seen trying on the fsociety mask when he receives a call. He talks to James Hobbes, an E Corp IT, and tells him to keep the honeypot server vulnerable. Elliot is seen reaching for a gun hidden in the popcorn machine. (“eps2.0_unm4sk-pt1.tc”)
Three days later, his fate and whereabouts after this event are unknown. Elliot wakes up in his SUV and a USB is found hidden in a pair of sunglasses. It links to a video named "Boardwalk Fail," showing Elliot alone before he fell off the side. Joanna has no idea where he is, although she lies to Elliot about it and threatens him in Danish. (“eps1.9_zer0-day.avi”)
Season 2
Tyrell is blamed for the 5/9 hack and working with fsociety, earning him the status of the world's most wanted terrorist as confirmed by US President Barack Obama. (“eps2.0_unm4sk-pt1.tc”) His severance package is being held by E Corp.
Elliot is seen receiving a call in his fantasy mother's house (actually prison). He hears Tyrell say his trademark "Bonsoir, Elliot." Elliot tries to ascertain Wellick’s whereabouts, only to be told he is “not yet where I’m supposed to be,” but “very soon” will be. Tyrell fondly reflects on “that night when we became gods,” but the call is ended, by Mr. Robot, before Elliot can learn more about what happened after he last recalls seeing Tyrell. (“eps2.1_k3rnel-pan1c.ksd”)
A bullet casing is found at the arcade by the FBI. (“eps2.2_init1.asec”)
However, later Elliot is told by Mr. Robot that he killed Tyrell on the night in the arcade. (“eps2.5_h4ndshake.sme”) Meanwhile, Joanna has received a mysterious phone and music box. She believes it is Tyrell. She misses one call and answers another, only to hear breathing, leading her to believe he is nearby. She runs outside in her nightgown and is photographed by paparazzi. (“eps2.3_logic_b0mb.hc”)
When she gives the phone to Elliot in an attempt to trace the calls, the phone rings again and Elliot hears breathing. Mr. Robot disappears at the same moment and isn't seen again for the rest of the night. The calls are traced to a location in New York City, although Mr. Sutherland claims Tyrell wouldn't be calling from there. (“eps2.8_h1dden_pr0cess.axx”)
The next day, Elliot follows a coded message left in his apartment to a taxi, where Tyrell joins him. Tyrell gives the driver an address, but they are thrown out on the way when Elliot thinks Tyrell isn't real. Tyrell says he can't be seen in public, so the two walk towards where Tyrell says Stage 2 awaits. (“eps2.9_pyth0n_pt1.p7z”)
Tyrell leads Elliot to a Dark Army sponsored safe house that overlooks a secret E-Corp building, which is being used as a warehouse for all the company's paper business records. Elliot is initially unable to understand the master plan because he partitioned off his own mind in self defense. Tyrell leads Elliot to realize that together they will activate long hidden malware that will cause the backup batteries in the building to explode, leveling the entire structure. Elliot quickly fears for the safety of the building employees, and tries to delete the malware, which prompts Tyrell to threaten him with the gun from the arcade. Elliot still believes Tyrell is not real and goads Tyrell to shoot him, which he indeed does. Elliot passes out as Tyrell finally understands why Elliot gave him the gun in the first place.
Later that night, Tyrell calls Angela on a secure Dark Army telephone and it is revealed that he and Angela have long been working together. Angela confirms Tyrell is with Elliot, and comforts him that he did what needed to be done. Angela arranges to meet with him saying that she wants to be the first person Elliot sees when he wakes up. Tyrell remorsefully tells Angela that he loves Elliot, and she replies that she loves Elliot too. (“eps2.9_pyth0n_pt2.p7z”)
Personality
Tyrell is extremely ambitious and thus goes to great lengths to get what he and his wife want; sometimes resorting to sleeping with people to achieve them. For example, Wellick has sex with Philip Price's male secretary just to tap his cell phone and have surveillance on the CEO of E Corp.
Wellick appears to have anger issues. This is evident by the fact that Tyrell pays a homeless man to allow him to beat him physically when he has had a stressful day. While doing so, Tyrell ignores the man's pleas for him to stop when the violence becomes unbearable. When Scott Knowles confronts him about his encounter with Knowles' wife, he smashes and destroys several objects in his kitchen at home. When various subordinate E Corp coworkers discuss rumours of executives "going gay" to gain promotions, Tyrell is overcome with anger and fires them all on the spot.
Trivia
- Tyrell is Swedish.
- He is approx. 5'11, 160 lbs and has blonde hair and blue eyes.
- He uses the GNU/Linux operating system and prefers the KDE over GNOME as a desktop environment.
- His secretary is named Elizabeth.
Gallery
References
- ↑ Yael Grauer. “A Peek Inside Mr. Robot’s Toolbox.” WIRED, August 26, 2015. https://www.wired.com/2015/08/peek-inside-mr-robots-toolbox/.