shutdown -r (Mr. Robot)

The episode was written and directed by series creator Sam Esmail. This was Esmail's 17th writing credit, and 25th directing credit.[1]

In its original American broadcast, "shutdown -r" was seen by an estimated 0.454 million household viewers with a 0.2 in the 18-49 demographics. This means that 0.2 percent of all households with televisions watched the episode.[2] This was a slight increase in viewership from the previous episode, which was watched by an estimated 0.437 million household viewers with a 0.2 in the 18-49 demographics.[3]

"shutdown -r" received critical acclaim. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 92% approval rating for the episode, based on 12 reviews. The site's consensus states: "The season finale of Mr. Robot is loaded with reveals, revelations and, in some sense, a return to the status quo."[4]

Matt Fowler of IGN gave the episode an "amazing" 9 out of 10 and wrote in his verdict, "Mr. Robot's Season 3 finale probably could have sufficed as a series-ender if the show wasn't granted another season, but oh-so-much would have still been left on the table. "shutdown -r" certainly followed many of the rules of an endgame given all the "back to the start" twists it brought into play - secret family members, false memories, etc - but it also worked as the jumping off point for a fourth season adventure that could/should embrace the sci-fi the show's been teasing. As Irving said, holding Gore Vidal's "Death Likes It Hot," you gotta have a "wow!" ending."[5]

Alex McLevy of The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A–" grade and wrote, "The show seemed like a tonic to our need to act. But now, at the close of its third season, it has revealed a secret: Action isn't always what's needed. Sometimes, acceptance of what has come before is more revolutionary than all the hacks in the world."[6]

Alan Sepinwall of Uproxx wrote, "The season as a whole added up to less than it seemed at times, particularly in how it kept Elliot and Mr. Robot apart for so long, but I was deeply engaged by a lot of it, thanks to the more confident and open storytelling, and thanks to that guy in the hoodie."[7] Kyle Fowle of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "It makes sense to frame that photo at the beginning of 'Eps3.9_shutdown-r' because, more than any previous episode, the season finale explores the various pitfalls and triumphs that comes with being part of a family unit, whether you define that as being linked by blood or not."[8]

Jeremy Egner of The New York Times wrote, "The frenetic Season 3 finale of Mr. Robot was thick with reveals, reversals and reconciliations, and left no tone unturned as it cycled through suspense and tragedy, high melodrama and horror spectacle."[9] Vikram Murthi of Vulture gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Despite some bumps along the way, Mr. Robot's third season marks a creative resurgence for the series following a muddled, middling sophomore outing that sacrificed quite a lot of its goodwill. Creator Sam Esmail clearly took the show's criticism to heart and sought to craft a season that simplified a lot of the action while also expanding its emotional center, tying its disparate characters together through their shared despair over what they've done and what's coming down the pipeline."[10]

Alec Bojalad of Den of Geek gave the episode a 3.5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "'Shutdown,' for all it's flaws pulls off a pretty incredible trick. It fulfills the promise of episode 1's title. It undoes everything. Season 3 is burdened with the unenviable task of 'undoing' everything that came before it. It's a dramatic sin of the highest order. We move forward. Stories move forward. Shows move forward. Forward. Forward. Forward. Progress. Progress. Progress."[11] Caralynn Lippo of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4.5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "'Shutdown' was such an exciting, satisfying, and well-executed finale that I hardly know how I'll wait the many months until Mr. Robot's return for its recently-ordered Season 4."[12]