Sumith Prasad
The second episode of the second season of Apple TV+’s science fiction series ‘Severance,’ titled ‘Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig,’ revolves around the immediate aftermath of the overtime contingency procedure initiated by Mark Scout, Dylan George, Helly Riggs (Helena Eagan), and Irving Bailiff. The outies of the four data refiners face various challenges that are rooted in their pursuit of truth and liberation. Mark’s attention turns towards Gemma, while Helly or Helena, to be precise, tries to gain an ally after the highly consequential developments. The episode also answers several questions raised by the second season premiere, including why the “rebels” are not fired by Lumon Industries! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Helena Tries to Clean Up a Big Mess
‘Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig’ begins right after the events in the first season finale. Mark’s outie recovers his consciousness from the overtime contingency system and becomes confused about why he has yelled that someone is alive. His sister, Devon, and brother-in-law, Ricken Hale, tell him that he should have meant their child, even though the photograph in his hand features his apparently dead wife, Gemma. While he makes sense of the turn of events, Helena is confronted by her father, Jame Eagan, who is not really pleased by her innie’s mistake. To resolve the matter, she seeks the help of Seth Milchick, who is promoted to the role of severed floor supervisor.
Helena meets Harmony Cobel and expresses her gratitude to the latter for trying to save her and her family from a bigger embarrassment. The former Lumon employee is not satisfied with the gratitude alone. She makes the young woman apologize to her, even on behalf of the Eagan family. Helena attempts to reward Harmony by offering her the responsibilities of a newly formed advisory council concerning severance within Lumon. However, what she wants is her old job back, which is not available to her because of Milchick’s promotion. Since she cannot get what she wants, she lets her former boss know that she needs time to make a decision.
While Helena and Harmony discuss highly consequential matters, Milchick meets Dylan and Irving to fire them. Since the damage their innies have caused using the overnight contingency procedure is immensely high, the supervisor has to take action against the two data refiners. Still, Milchick does not fire Mark, who wishes to put an end to his career at Lumon. The supervisor even nearly begs the man to reconsider and remain with their company, which is ready to provide him with a salary raise and several other perks.
Mark, Dylan, and Irving Navigate Their Lives Through a World Beyond Lumon
After getting fired from Lumon, Dylan looks for a new job. He cannot afford to sit idle since he is responsible for raising a large family. The data refiner attends an interview at Great Doors and, with his love for doors, leaves an impression on the proprietor of the place. Dylan also ensures that health benefits are attached to the job, which is an immense relief since it covers himself and his family. However, the interview abruptly ends when he reveals that he is severed. The man in charge of the door manufacturing firm is not too thrilled to learn the same and asks the interviewee to leave.
On the other hand, Irving has tried to make amends with Lumon to return to the company, but Milchick dismisses the same. He remains at his apartment, not knowing what’s ahead for him, surrounded by his paintings that feature only one thing. Mysteriously, one night, he calls an unknown person to convey the message that his innie received the message. While he is on the call, Burt Goodman watches him from a distance, visibly moved by the sight. Since Irving has banged on the door of the retired Lumon employee during overtime contingency, it is unsurprising that Burt has tracked him down. What’s unusual is the outie of the former head of the Optics and Design division being affected by the sight of the person he follows.
After the fateful night of overtime contingency, Devon tries to make amends with her brother, Mark. She wonders whether they should consider the possibility of Gemma being alive. Since the latter’s death affected her, too, she does not want to leave any stone unturned. Mark has yet to process such a possibility, especially as the person who confirmed Gemma’s death and revealed the same to her parents. After immersing himself in the sadness that was caused by her demise, it is not easy for him to confront a different truth. The brother and sister discuss the same for a while without knowing that they are spied on by Mr. Drummond, Helena’s de facto assistant.
Cold Harbor Explains Mark’s Return to Lumon Industries
After the four data refiners’ unauthorized overtime contingency procedure, Lumon Industries’ reaction toward Mark raises many questions, especially considering that Milchick ruthlessly fires Dylan and Irving. Helena reveals the reason behind this change in approach: the protagonist is vital to completing “Cold Harbor,” a secret project within the company. The second season premiere ends with a shot of Gemma’s image with the name of the same project written beside it. The particular sequence also reveals that the data Mark refines somehow contributes to this project, which explains why Helena is adamant about bringing him back to the company.
Milchick reintegrates Mark into Lumon with three new employees, Mark W., Gwendolyn Y., and Dario R. However, this plan fails miserably when the protagonist reaches out to the Board asking for mercy toward his former colleagues. Helena becomes convinced that Mark will only be settled at Lumon if Dylan, Irving, and Helly are around him. Interestingly, Cold Harbor is significant enough for her to rehire the two “rebels” without a second thought, revealing how much she wants the project to be completed. Furthermore, Helena returns to the Macrodata Refinement division only for the sake of Mark, which sheds light on a startling possibility.
Helena may have unsevered herself after the fateful night, which means that she likely has been pretending to be the severed Helly. Her efforts to convince Mark to remain at Lumon add weight to this theory. She can even be keeping an eye on the other three data refiners to ensure that a second “rebellion” against her company won’t materialize. After Mark rejoins Lumon, he accidentally confronts Harmony, who is moving out of her house. The protagonist asks her about Gemma, which leaves her shocked. However, she drives off without revealing anything about his wife or her destination.
Read More: Why Do Mark, Dylan, Irving, and Helly Return to Lumon Industries?
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