Sumith Prasad
The fourth episode of the second season of Apple TV+’s science fiction series ‘Severance,’ titled ‘Woe’s Hollow,’ follows the four data refiners’ corporate retreat to the Dieter Eagan National Forest, where they explore Woe’s Hollow, a significant landmark as far as the history of the Eagan family is concerned. The change of scenery brings the innies of Mark Scout and Helly Riggs closer, but their togetherness gets threatened when their colleague, Irving Bailiff, sets out to unravel the mystery behind the last addition to their department. His actions force Seth Milchick to make a consequential decision concerning his future at Lumon Industries!
Mark, Irving, Helly, and Dylan Embark on a Journey to Woe’s Hollow
‘Woe’s Hollow’ begins with Irving’s innie waking up in a frozen wasteland instead of on the severed floor at his company. He soon sees Mark, and the duo reunites with Helly and Dylan. As they wonder how and why they are in a deserted region, the group notices a television that plays a video recorded by Seth Milchick. The severed floor’s current supervisor tells the four data refiners that they are in Dieter Eagan National Park as part of the Outdoor Retreat Team-Building Occurrence (ORTBO), which is introduced to free them from the walls of their workplace.
After revealing where the four data refiners are, Milchick explains that Kier Eagan had written a fourth appendix before his death and that it is now safeguarded in Scissor Cave. The supervisor asks the four of them to team up together and find the book with enough assistance. As they start their search for the book, they come across simulated versions of themselves. The latter group leads the gang to the cave, where they find the fourth appendix, dedicated to Dieter, Kier’s twin brother. The book reveals that Dieter once convinced Kier to join him on forest explorations when they were children.
According to the fourth appendix, the place Kier and Dieter went to spend time together in the woods is Woe’s Hollow, a captivating and scenic destination. Mark, Irving, Helly, and Dylan continue their journey to the particular site, where they encounter the corpse of a seal-like creature. Irving’s survival impulses kick in and make him propose eating the rotten remains of the animal. Fortunately, at the same time, Milchick shows up out of nowhere to look after them. The supervisor leads his employees to the place where he has set up tents and dinner for them with the help of Miss Huang.
Mark and Helly Make Love for the First Time
As the four data refiners proceed to Woe’s Hollow, Irving observes the strange or unusual way in which Mark and Helly behave with each other. When he questions his long-time colleague about it, he dismisses the veteran Lumon employee, who further expresses his doubts concerning the newly joined among them. After the overtime contingency protocol, Helly tells the group that her outie hasn’t seen anyone or anything remarkable other than a gardener at night. Irving is convinced that gardeners don’t work during the night and that Helly talked about the same to hide what she really saw through her outie.
After reaching the tents, Irving confronts Helly and asks her to reveal what her outie has seen during the OCP. He even promises her that the potential revelation will not affect how her colleagues, including him, treat her. Still, she insists on hiding her secret from the other three data refiners. Soon, they are asked to join a gathering around a campfire. Milchick graces the occasion by reading excerpts from Kier’s book, detailing how Dieter died, only for Helly to laugh unceasingly. She mocks the text and questions its authenticity, making Milchick leave the group with Miss Huang.
Meanwhile, Irving raises his voice against Helly and outrightly asks her what she saw during the overtime contingency protocol. When the veteran severed employee turns against her, Mark comes to her rescue and protects her from the former’s questions. His actions to safeguard her pave the way for a night of intimacy. They make love for the first time inside one of the tents. When Helly tries to talk about her outie, Mark promises her that it does not really matter who she is beyond their current world. Interestingly, as they share intimacy, he thinks of Gemma/Ms. Casey for a split second, raising questions concerning his reintegration.
Irving Gets Fired From Lumon Industries
After the confrontation with Helly, Irving walks to the woods, searching for Seth Milchick to discover his colleague’s real identity. His search does not yield any results, and he falls asleep in the middle of the forest. He even dreams of his ex-partner, Burt Goodman, which is unsurprising considering how Helly tries to explain his behavior as a change caused by his separation from his boyfriend. However, in the dream, they are not alone. Irving also sees a ghostly creature in the same and wakes up scared. He soon comes across Helly and confronts her again, but this time, he is well aware that she is an Eagan.
Irving concludes that Helly is an outie rather than an innie like him, Mark, or Dylan. When he asks himself who can gain access to the severed floor without being severed, he finds the answer to the question soon enough. This realization makes him furious. The veteran Lumon employee grabs Helly and tries to kill her by drowning her in Woe’s Hollow. He is convinced that she is a mole targeting the three data refiners. Mark, Dylan, and Milchick arrive at the scenic destination by then. Helly calls the severed floor’s supervisor “Seth,” confirming that she is an unsevered Helena Eagan rather than her innie.
Milchick uses his radio communication system to ask for the removal of the “Glasgow block,” which saves Helly’s life. Right after the order to remove it is given, Irving pulls her from Woe’s Hollow and embraces her. The supervisor deems these actions unpardonable and fires Irving right away from Lumon. Another radio communication seemingly eliminates the employee’s innie or his connection with his innie, only for his outie to gain consciousness.
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