Mr. Robot Dog Names

When it comes to Mr. Robot, it’s often hard to sit back and play the judge of ethical boundaries given the constant state of the power struggle between the “average” people and the entities they are working against. But at times, even if only rarely, there is significant clarity at least on a personal level and one dog does a great job of creating that perfect delineating line: Dusty.

Dusty is a Cairn Terrier most easily identified as “Flipper” in Mr. Robot and is featured quite early in the series, appearing in the pilot episode in a significant role that helps establish what kind of character Elliot Anderson truly is. Although the viewers are still immersed in mystery early in the show, more specifically about Elliot’s condition and decision-making, they get the chance to see that despite his own fluctuating level of psychosis, his loyalties lie with those who are less fortunate and are unable to defend themselves, a common theme that exists even several seasons into the series. 

In the pilot episode, despite failing to truly open up to his therapist, he eventually discovers that she is dating a married man, information he obtains through hacking both his therapist and the man himself. He also discovers that the man is not only married but has been unfaithful with his wife online and has been using a false name to date Krista Gordon, Elliot’s therapist. In order to prevent her from being hurt, Elliot eventually confronts Larry Shannon (known to Krista as Michael Hansen) and blackmails him by leveraging the possibility of telling Larry’s wife, as well as the police. While he has the upper hand, Elliot also demands that Larry hand over his dog, as he had previously caught the man mistreating her. 

While it may seem like a relatively minimal part compared to the bigger picture of Krista Gordon’s storyline, as well as Elliot’s own intelligence and abilities, the move and subsequent actions work wonders to cement his character early on. Not only does he attempt to rescue the dog, showing his true nature (such as when he gets her home, feeds her and simply says to her, “I like you, Flipper. You’re cool.”), but that he’s also ill-equipped to handle having the dog (like he is with numerous other scenarios throughout the series) as he sometimes forgets that she needs to go outside — but at least he leaves her in good hands when he’s gone for significant periods of time. 

Eventually, later in the season when Flipper accidentally swallows a microSD card and Elliot has to take her to the vet, Larry finally tries to get back at Elliot after linking his information to Flipper’s microchip number, causing her to be seized by the police and returned to Larry, while Elliot is charged with hacking and stealing the dog. 

Fortunately for Elliot, she is returned to him in Season 3, albeit in poor health, likely due to Larry’s inability to care for anyone but himself.