Sumith Prasad
The first season of Apple TV+’s science fiction series ‘Severance’ ends with Mark Scout, Irving Bailiff, and Helly Riggs (Helena Eagan) communicating with their outies through the overtime contingency procedure with the help of Dylan George. The bridge they place between their two identities helps them unravel the mystery behind Lumon Industries’ severance program to the world. The press celebrates the four data refiners as courageous whistleblowers and heroes. Still, they return to their workplace despite knowing that they are being taken advantage of. Interestingly, even when they are offered a chance to leave the establishment permanently, they dismiss it! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Mark Scout Returns to Lumon to Look for Gemma/Ms. Casey
When the overtime contingency is activated, Mark learns from a wedding photo that his wife, Gemma, looks exactly like his innie’s wellness counselor, Ms. Casey. Right before Seth Milchick intervenes and turns the procedure off, the protagonist shares his realization with his sister, Devon, and a room full of guests. Therefore, his outie must be convinced that his wife might not have died, which explains why he begs to return to Lumon Industries. Gemma’s demise has immersed him in unbearable sadness and utter hopelessness. The understanding that something can be done about it must have inspired him to return to his toxic workplace no matter what.
That is also why Mark rushes to the wellness department right after he enters the severed floor after a long gap of five months. Unfortunately, he fails to find Gemma/Ms. Casey at the place, which leaves him at a crossroads. When Milchick informs him that he has all the freedom to resign from the establishment, he considers it to find Gemma, only for Helly to intervene. She stops him from trying to track down his outie’s wife since, in her eyes, no innie owes anything to their outie. Ideally, Mark wants to lead a normal life with Gemma again.
However, Helly’s words influence him to decide against the plan. Instead, he chooses to look for his wife’s innie, Casey, who will be easier to find in their eyes. The protagonist then stays in the company with the hope of tracking down Casey after his companion offers to help him.
Dylan George Remains Devoted to His Work at Lumon
Even though Dylan disagrees with Lumon regarding how severed employees are treated, he does not hate his job. In fact, he is one of the most devoted severed employees of the corporation, which is made evident by his achievements. He is always reliable when it comes to deadlines, and the waffle parties he has enjoyed are a testament to his commitment to his profession. Therefore, Lumon may not have had a hard time convincing his outie to return to the company. After learning about the imminent reformations within the establishment and the guaranteed benefits, he must have decided to continue doing his job.
Furthermore, if Milchick can be trusted, Dylan is raising a large family. They may not be in a position to afford their expenses without the job at Lumon. The supervisor may have even shown the blueprint of the family visiting room to his employee and the latter’s wife to convince them about the changing rules and regulations at the company. Considering these possibilities, it is unsurprising that Dylan is back at work. From his conversation with Irving, it is clear that he is looking forward to achieving more as a Lumon employee, especially by seeing his time with the veteran colleague as the biggest perk he can ask for.
Irving Bailiff Continues to Work for Lumon Because of Dylan
When Milchick explains to the data refiners that they are free to resign from Lumon, Irving is the first person to accept the deal. Since he has learned that his retired love interest, Burt Goodman, has a husband, he no longer has a reason to stay at the company. He must have attended the meeting at the breakroom to see his colleagues’ work versions one last time before quitting. He changes his mind when Dylan convinces him to continue working with him. The veteran employee learns from his junior that his work version is valuable enough not to kill it with his resignation.
Irving’s innie is a delightful person who stole the heart of Burt. Their relationship shows how appealing the former has been. If he resigns, he will be outrightly eliminating his innie, who Burt had loved deeply. When Dylan reminds him that his ex-partner wouldn’t want him to vanish into thin air, Irving reconsiders his decision. The thought of living alone, painting one single image time after time, may have overwhelmed him as well. That can be the reason why he chooses to surround himself with people who deeply care for him at his workplace.
Helly Riggs Returns to Work to Escape From Her Life as Helena Eagan
In Helly’s case, the reason is simple: she does not want to be her true self. Even though she has been able to take a stand against severance with the overtime contingency as Helena, the repercussions of it must have been unbearable for her. She may have been alienated by her father, CEO Jame Eagan, and other relatives for turning against their family. When she returns to work, her circumstances are better. She is surrounded by people who support her without knowing about her heritage or family history, which also explains why she hides being an Eagan. As far as Helly is concerned, she lives better when she is her innie rather than the outie.
Since the premiere of the second season, several fan theories have emerged regarding Helly. One of them states that she is likely no longer severed. In other words, she is possibly pretending to be an innie to keep her eyes on the other three rebels. Her lying about her family aligns perfectly with the possibility of her being a mole. Helly’s unflinching wish to remain working at the company also must have strengthened this theory, especially considering that she can leave for countless destinations to stay away from her relatives. However, as of now, she hasn’t given any credible reasons to suspect that she is a mole.
Read More: Where is Harmony Cobel? Did Patricia Arquette Leave Severance?
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