Mr. Robot in the context of "Grace Gummer"

In fiction, a subplot or side story is a strand of the plot that is a supporting side story for any story or for the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or thematic significance. Subplots often involve supporting characters, those besides the protagonist or antagonist. Subplots may also intertwine with the main plot at some point in a story.

An example of a subplot interacting with a main plot can be found in the TV series Mr. Robot (season 1). One of the main plots followed the hacker ring known as F-society, led by Elliot Alderson, in which they intended to perform a massive hack against the conglomerate Evil Corp; they were executing this hack through a partnership with another hack-ring known as The Dark Army. A subplot emerged around the character development of Elliot's childhood friend and love interest Angela Moss, in which she evolved from a brow-beaten assistant at cybersecurity firm Allsafe into a powerbroker at Evil Corp through first leading a massive lawsuit against them. During an early point of this subplot, Angela Moss is blackmailed by The Dark Army into installing spyware (surveillance malware) into an Allsafe computer (the cybersecurity firm responsible for protecting Evil Corp). The result of her action in this subplot ended up affecting the main plot when F-society was ready to initiate the hack against Evil Corp. The Dark Army decided to back out from participating in the hack because of information they learned as a result of Angela Moss installing the spyware. Without The Dark Army's support, F-society was unable to initiate the hack and had to realign their strategy, thus introducing a new obstacle in the main plot that had to be overcome. Throughout the story, her subplot repeatedly affected this main plot.

Sam Esmail (born September 17, 1977) is an American film and television producer, director, and screenwriter who runs the production company Esmail Corp. He is best known as the creator, writer, and director of the award-winning USA Network television series Mr. Robot (2015–2019), starring Rami Malek. He wrote and directed the feature films Comet (2014) and Leave the World Behind (2023). He produced and directed the first season of the acclaimed Amazon Prime Video psychological thriller Homecoming (2018–2020), starring Julia Roberts and Janelle Monáe, and produced USA's Briarpatch (2020), Starz's Gaslit (2022), and Peacock's Angelyne (2022) and The Resort (2022).

Esmail's work often centers on the themes of alienation, technology, and American society.

Rami Said Malek (English: /ˈrɑːmi ˈmælɪk/ ; Arabic: رامي سعيد مالك, Egyptian Arabic: [ˈɾɑːmi sæˈʕiːd ˈmæːlek]; born May 12, 1981) is an American actor. He gained recognition for portraying Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury in the biographical film Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), for which he won numerous accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Actor, becoming the first actor of Egyptian heritage to win in that category. He played computer hacker Elliot Alderson in the USA Network television series Mr. Robot (2015–2019), for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

Born in Torrance, California, to Coptic immigrant parents, he studied theater before acting in plays in New York City. He had supporting roles in film and television, including the Fox sitcom The War at Home (2005–2007), the HBO miniseries The Pacific (2010), and the Night at the Museum film trilogy (2006–2014). Since his breakthrough, Malek has starred in the crime film The Little Things (2021), played the main antagonist Lyutsifer Safin in the James Bond film No Time to Die (2021), portrayed David Hill in Christopher Nolan's biographical film Oppenheimer (2023), and starred as a CIA cryptographer in the spy film The Amateur (2025).

"eps1.0_hellofriend.mov" is the pilot episode of USA Network's drama-thriller television series Mr. Robot. The pilot was directed by Niels Arden Oplev and written by series creator and showrunner Sam Esmail. The episode aired on June 24, 2015, and was watched by approximately 1.75 million people in the U.S., the highest rating the series has ever received.

The episode was praised for its writing, music, cinematography, and performances, particularly that of Rami Malek, as well as comparisons to David Fincher's Fight Club, a film which Esmail has stated he took inspiration from.

Carly Chaikin (born 1989 or 1990) is an American actress. Her acting career began in 2009 and she received her breakout role two years later, co-starring as Dalia Royce in the ABC sitcom Suburgatory. She played the role until the series' cancellation in 2014, and one year later began playing the role of Darlene in the USA Network thriller drama series Mr. Robot.

Portia Doubleday is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Sheeni Saunders in the film Youth in Revolt (2009) and as Angela Moss in the USA Network television drama Mr. Robot (2015–2019).

Carl Martin Gunnar Wallström Milkéwitz (born 7 July 1983) is a Swedish television and film actor. A successful actor in his home country, he is best known internationally for his 2015 American debut role as Tyrell Wellick in the USA Network cyber-thriller Mr. Robot.

Michael Cristofer (born January 22, 1945) is an American actor, playwright, and filmmaker. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play for The Shadow Box in 1977. From 2015 to 2019, he played the role of Phillip Price in the television series Mr. Robot.