Warning! This article contains spoilers for Severance season 2, episode 2.
Severanceseason 2, episode 2 saw Mark rejoin Lumon while Dylan and Irving were fired, begging the question of why this was the case. AfterSeveranceseason 1’s climactic ending, season 2’s first two installments focused on the aftermath of events.Severance’s Overtime Contingencywas activated by Mark, Dylan, Helly, and Irving at the end of season 1, allowing their Innies to awaken in the outside world.
InSeveranceseason 2, episode 1, the ramifications of this event from the perspective of the Innies were explored.Severance’s usual cast of charactersreturned to work at Lumon after the company installed several reforms to make severed workers more comfortable. However,Severanceseason 2, episode 2 revealed some big lies from Lumon, detailing what happened outside of the office after the Overtime Contingency was activated.This resulted in Irving and Dylan being - temporarily - fired from the company while Mark continued to be employed, raising the question of why the latter did not face punishment when his colleagues did.
Covering Up The Overtime Contingency Activation Was Priority Number One For Lumon
Image via Apple TV+
After the Overtime Contingency was shut down by Milchick inSeveranceseason 1’s ending, the now-manager of Lumon was sent to visit the Outies of Irving, Mark, and Dylan to figure out the company’s next move. Milchick decides to fire Irving and Dylan from Lumon, primarily because - as far as Milchick knows - neither character interacted with anyone on the outside. For one, Dylan was never activated outside of work, meaning a story for his termination could be fabricated with Outie Dylan none the wiser.
Upon visiting Irving’s Outie, Milchick fires him also. While it is yet to be unveiled what exactly happened to Irving betweenSeveranceseason 1’s ending and the scenes with Milchick in season 2, episode 2, Irving’s Outie likely does not know about the Overtime Contingency and, presumably, did not speak to anyone else during the time it was activated. Milchick fires Irving as his Outie is also unsure of the specific details of what his Innie did during the Overtime Contingency, thus tying up the loose ends Lumon has.
Mark’s Innie Going To A Party Meant They Couldn’t Lie About What Happened
Mark’s Time During The Overtime Contingency Was Very Different
Where Mark is concerned, Lumon could not make up a scenario that resulted in Mark being fired due to his interaction with other people duringSeveranceseason 1’s ending. Mark’s Innie awakened at a party hosted by his sister Devon, eventually leading to him explaining a lot about life on Lumon’s severed floor to her. When Milchick visits Mark inSeveranceseason 2, episode 2, he cannot knowingly lie about what happened, as Mark’s Innie had told Devon and her husband, Ricken, the truth.
Naturally, this led Milchick to handle the situation with Mark much differently. Rather than spin a web of lies, Milchick told Mark outright that the Overtime Contingency had been activated and asked Devon what Innie Mark told her. Milchick does not find his answers and leaves after telling Mark and his family that Ms. Cobel will not harm them inside or outside of Lumon any longer. Later, Milchick appears at Mark’s house to convince him to come back to Lumon, using Mark’s grief over Gemma and Innie Mark’s relationship with Helly as leverage.
Lumon Still Needed Mark At Work To Finish The Cold Harbor File
Mark’s Work Is Irreplaceable To Lumon
Milchick’s attempts to convince Mark to come back to work inSeveranceseason 2, episode 2 - including the return of Helly, Dylan, and Irving after “firing” them from season 2, episode 1 - actually reveal a deeper, darker reason why Lumon did not fire him. As stated byHelly’s outie identity, Helena Eagan, Lumon needs Mark to complete his work on “Project Cold Harbor.” It is not revealed exactly what Cold Harbor is, but some hints fromSeveranceseason 2, episode 1 provide clues as to what it could be.
Severance’s Eagan Family Tree Explained
The Eagans play a huge role in Severance, and their family tree is briefly explained during the crew’s visit to the Perpetuity Wing in season one.
The final flashes that endedSeveranceseason 2, episode 1 revealed that Mark’s Macrodata Refinement work centered around Cold Harbor. As Mark’s numbers entered the bins as is the norm for MDR work, the screen flashed to Gemma/Ms. Casey for a moment. Again, it is not divulged what Mark’s work is nor how it connects to Gemma, but it is clear that it cannot be completed without him. The close relationship Mark and Gemma once had is likely a reason for this, explaining why Lumon was unwilling to let Mark quit or be fired inSeveranceseason 2.
Cast
Severance is a psychological thriller series featuring Adam Scott as Mark Scout, an employee at Lumon Industries who undergoes a “severance” procedure to separate his work and personal memories. However, as work and life personas mysteriously begin to collide, it quickly becomes clear that not all is as it seems. Created by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle.
