SPOILERS for Severance Season 2, Episode 9 ‘The After Hours’
This week’s entry may be without the big, game-changing reveals of the last few weeks, but the penultimate episode is one of the show’s most tense, heart-pounding and non-stop. The entire vibe of The After Hours feels identical to the penultimate of season one – it leaps between multiple arcs, moves at a consistently rapid pace and sets up what should be an explosive finale. Severance is renowned for shrouding its episodes in mystery, but this one is a different kind of mystery as I had zero expectations and no clue where every turn would go. It’s packed with unexpected character shifts, and huge subversions of expectations. That’s the key to this episode – subversion. I feel like so many arcs seemed clear and set in stone a few episodes ago, but this week sweeps the rug out from a lot of them. So many scenes also end in cliffhangers we’ll have to wait until next week to see pan out.
At the close of the episode, it feels like the end of an era for the Severance that we know, like when Michael Scofield and co broke out of Fox River State Penitentiary. I don’t have a clue where we’re going, but let’s try and glean something from breaking down the episode.
I prefer them scrambled…
The episode opens with the patriarch of the Eagan family, Jame (Michael Siberry) meeting with Helena (Britt Lower) on what is to be a momentous day. We later learn that the entire company is waiting in anticipation of Mark finishing Cold Harbour, indicating this is the big moment they’re waiting for. Helena then slices and preps a hard boiled egg in the most Lumon way imaginable before claiming that they’re seeing to Mr. Bailiff, aka Irving. This ties into our knowledge that Burt is still on the Lumon payroll and may be planning something dire. The scene ends with Helena being driven away from her father’s residence as the camera pans out to the ominous Lumon water tower looming over the area. Does it have significance or is it just an eerie symbol of Lumon’s control.
This cold open signifies the series’ ability to craft brilliant cold opens that set the tone for the entire episode. It’s beautiful, eerie and haunting, giving the feeling of things coming to a head, but also the vibe that something terrible will happen that we can’t yet expect. Also let’s note Jame’s final line being “I wish you’d take them raw.” I don’t know what his infatuation is with eggs but that ain’t the way to say it bro.
Devour feculence…
Our first glimpse of Mr. Milkshake (Tramell Tillman) comes in the form of Eustice Huang’s (Sarah Bock) completion of the Wintertide Fellowship. She’s awarded with a bust of Jame Eagan, much like Harmony Cobel was, and is forced to complete a material sacrifice by destroying her beloved ring toss game. What’s interesting about this sequence is that Huang was under the impression that she’d be seeing out the quarter, but Mr. Milkshake is cutting her tenure short. It’s unclear whether his motivation is due to Cold Harbour nearing completion or his retaliation for her dibber-dobbing, but it might be more of the latter. We also learn that Huang will be moving into the Gunnel Eagan Empathy Centre in Svalbard, indicating this episode is the last we’ll ever see of her.
An interjected scene gives us a glimpse of Gemma (Dichen Lachman) being watched on screen by Dr. Mauer (Robby Benson), now sporting a trendy Lumon band-aid. Mauer then calls Mr. Drummond (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson) who calls Mr. Milkshake, relaying the info that Cold Harbour hasn’t progressed on what was supposed to be its final day. He calls Mark, but is unable to reach him.
When Helly returns to work early in the episode, she finds Mark absent and storms into Mr. Milkshake’s office to get some answers. She exclaims that he’s been away for two days and gets absolutely nothing helpful in return. She then turns hostile and taunts him about being Cobel’s replacement and nothing more. In a great moment of insubordination, she comments on really being Helly E before storming out of the room.
Mr. Milkshake’s issues continue when Mr. Drummond questions him about Mark being missing, ruining Lumon’s finest day. While Mr. Milkshake reiterates that he’s followed protocol, he uses the word ‘remonstration’, harking back to his performance review criticism that he uses too many big words. Drummond immediately insists he apologise for using the word, then insisting he apologises with the shortest possible terminology. Finally Mr. Milkshake stops kissing ass and bites back, telling Mr. Drummond to ‘devour feculence’… or rather ‘eat shit’. With a spearing gaze, he specifies ‘monosyllabically’ that he’s the manager of the severed floor and thus not responsible for Mark’s actions while not at work.
That right there is an awesome moment for Mr. Milkshake’s arc, getting to see him fight back against his superiors who seem to love treating even their unsevered employees like lambs for slaughter. It also points to a bigger issue for Lumon I’ll elaborate on later.
So this is heartbreak…
Before we revisit Dylan’s (Zach Cherry) innie, we catch up with his outie and Gretchen (Merritt Wever). In a bold move, Gretchen reveals that she kissed Dylan’s innie during their last session and it doesn’t go down well. She doubles down by explaining that his innie reminds her of the man she used to be, causing Dylan to storm off and threaten to quit.
Gretchen’s next move is to revisit Dylan’s innie and break his heart. In a move that seems motivated by wanting to protect his innie from being terminated, she opts to end their sessions then and there. This causes Dylan to break down emotionally, confessing that his life found meaning and purpose since he met her, and prompting him to propose. It’s a gutting moment and you feel for Dylan as this is his first heartbreak and rejection… and boy does he not take it well. The subsequent scene has him confiding in Helly, resulting in her trying to talk some sense into him. This fails and he becomes hostile, taunting Helly about her potential similarities to Helena and storming out of the room.
Following this he hands in his official resignation request to Mr. Milkshake, effectively choosing to end his life over losing Gretchen. Interestingly, Huang shows one of her first signs of human emotion for innies, something Mr. Milkshake doesn’t love.
Rendezvous with the enemy…
Following from episode seven, we return to Devon (Jen Tullock) and Mark (Adam Scott), who are driving to meet with Harmony. Mark still isn’t on board with the plan, while Devon explains they really don’t have another option. After hanging out at the snowy rendezvous, Harmony (Patricia Arquette) finally arrives for a quite standoffish interaction. The Mark vs Harmony relationship was one of the more compelling dynamics of the first season so I’m glad we’re finally getting to see them share scenes once again. His quote “My wife is being held prisoner at Lumon and I just got brain surgery in my basement” is an underrated line with perfect delivery by Adam Scott. Devon mentions the plan is to take Mark to the birthing retreat from season one, but Harmony insists they must wait for nightfall.
She then brings up the fact that it’s still uncertain whether Mark has completed the file yet, name dropping Cold Harbour. While she doesn’t tell us exactly what Cold Harbour is, she interestingly states that upon completion of the file Gemma will die. Whether that means Lumon will kill her because she’s not needed anymore, or the final room will do that, is unclear at this stage.
After finally coming to his senses and listening to Harmony, he calls Mr. Milkshake to spin a story about being sick. When Mr. Milkshake requests his exact location to send a car out, Mark backtracks and spins a slightly more truthful story about needing the day off for life stuff, to which he accepts. Mr. Milkshake’s emotion and reaction is so hard to decipher in this scene. I believe he knows Mark is lying, but has newfound disdain for Lumon and is standing by not being responsible for Mark outside of work.
Love triumphs…
Yes, I’m finally getting to the Irving (John Turturro) content. When we first catch up with Irving, he enters his home to find Burt (Christopher Walken) waiting for him. Burt is reading notes on his investigation into Lumon’s hand in deaths and disappearances, as well as Burt’s involvement as one of Lumon’s goons. While shrouded in darkness, Walken taps into his ability to play a villain and drops some ominous lines while referring to Lumon as “we.” He ends the scene by insisting he and Irving go for a ride, and it’s a brilliantly ominous moment.
In the car, Burt drops some information about his role at Lumon. He explains that while he never hurt anyone, he was the driver who would take them places then not ask what happened to them once they got there. In other words it sounds very mafia-esque, with him being the man driving Lumon’s victims to their destination of death and/or disappearance. Maybe he even had a hand in Gemma’s. All in all, this entire arc is drenched in suspense as we have no clue whether Irving will make it out of what Burt and Lumon have planned.
The culmination of this arc occurs when Burt drives Irving to a rural train station and instructs him to board the train, go as far as he can go and never return to Kier. It’s at this point relief sweeps over you as it’s clear Burt is going against Lumon’s orders and helping Irving escape. He knows Lumon may come after him for this, but he’s willing to do so for the sake of love and repentance. He then clarifies to Irving why he severed himself – it was done in the hope that he could be innocent once again. Irving is stuck on the fact that he’s never been loved and wants to experience that with Burt, knowing his innie has felt it while he never has. Burt clarifies with anger and pain that they can’t and sends Irving on his way.
This whole sequence is beautiful and heartbreaking thanks to the strength and softness of John Turturro’s performance. It’s such a sombre moment, and both Turturro and Walken do so much with just their eyes and subtle mannerisms to enhance the emotional weight of that final moment.
A mass exodus…
The end of this episode is so strange. On one hand we’re clearly putting the pieces in place for a big finale, but on the other hand we’re also saying a supposed goodbye to some of the season’s (and show’s) biggest players. A soft, emotion-packed montage sees Eustice Huang being picked up by her shuttle and leaving Lumon, Dylan entering the severed floor’s elevator for what may be the last time, and Irving smiling while riding off into the sunset. This indicates that (aside from maybe Dylan’s outie) we won’t be seeing them in the finale.
Helly takes over the mission…
While not having much screen time in the episode, being the only member of MDR not preoccupied with other subplots, Helly takes initiative in finding the Exports Hall as per Irving’s note. She makes her way into the Break Room to retreive the sketch with directions on the rear, then returns to her desk to memorise the directions. This is where one of the most perplexing scenes occurs – Jame Eagan appears behind her to say “You tricked me, my Helly”. First of all, is he talking about Helly or Helena? Secondly, what is he referring to? Has Helena been scheming behind his back with something yet to be revealed?
Return to Camp Birthing Retreat…
The final sequence sees Mark accompany Harmony and Devon to the birthing retreat while concealed in the bed of Harmony’s truck. After passing the security guard with a series of codenames, pretending Devon is one of Jame Eagan’s pregnant mistresses, Mark enters the cabin and immediately transitions into his innie. His innie is naturally confused by the fact that he’s in a random cabin with a lady he’s not even 100% sure is his sister. They walk upstairs to meet Harmony, who is waiting in front of the fire in what is an awesome shot. Devon asks whether he remembers the last thing he said to her, to which he responds “She’s alive” before the episode cuts to black. That’s the second episode that ends with that quote, indicating next week may give us huge closure on that arc.
Lingering thoughts
Lumon is losing its biggest superpower – control
One thing that’s been prevalent throughout the season, and is emphasised in this episode, is that Lumon is losing control. They thrive on being able to use fear, incentive and indoctrination to control everyone who works for and follows them, however this episode reveals many cases of revolt beyond just MDR.
- Dylan has quit, with The Family Visitation Suite ploy to have him follow the rules falling apart.
- Helly has adopted a full insubordinate attitude, leading the charge in finding the hallway and backtalking Mr. Milkshake.
- Mr. Milkshake himself is biting back against the higher ups at Lumon, refusing to take responsibility for any outie-related tasks.
- Mark’s outie has reintegrated and is acting on his own terms, not Lumon’s.
- Harmony Cobel has defected from the company and is now in an effort to either take them down or take control
- Burt has complied with getting rid of Irving but has (assumedly) done so in a way other than what Lumon would’ve liked
All of this, and potentially more, indicates Lumon’s days of complete control might be up. They used to run a tight ship in season one, but now they’ve struck an iceberg (the same one in Mr. Milkshake’s office, and are sinking like the Titanic.
What’s the deal with Helena and Jame?
I hope you’re ready for a crackpot theory that will be entirely disproven next week, but that’s the fun of theories. I can’t shake the feeling that throughout this season Helena has had a hidden motive against Lumon and/or her father. As we’ve seen her, she’s been on the front foot when it comes to putting MDR in their place and trying to get Cold Harbour completed. But what if there’s motivations there we’re not reading correctly. For instance when she offers Harmony another made-up job, perhaps she knows Harmony won’t take it and wants to push her out so she’ll turn on the company. Additionally, her interaction with Harmony outside Lumon where she intimidates her could have been another one pushing her to get her shit together and turn on the company. Being so high up, Helena can’t do that without being caught, so she needs to find other people and ways to get it done.
Also, throughout the season there have been moments she’s shared with Mark that can be seen as her ‘playing the Helly role’ and ‘gathering intel’. But I’ve maintained the fact that I think there’s part of her that feels something for Mark and craves affection. For instance when she sees their kiss on tape and then has sex with Mark, I think there’s some genuine longing there. Then when she approaches Mark in the diner, it’s an awkward interaction that comes across as Helena trying to spark something between them. We haven’t touched on that moment since, and Lumon doesn’t seem aware of Mark’s reintegration, so why else would she have visited him? I think Mark is her drive for going against her dad and wanting to use the severance procedure for something more functional and less sinister… or just get rid of it entirely.
Then the end of this episode adds to this theory (kind of). Jame visits Helly saying that she tricked him, with absolutely no context given as to what he’s referring to nor who he’s referring to. Is he simply talking to Helly ‘tricking’ him by impersonating Helena in last season’s finale? That seems farfetched given how long it’s been. Otherwise he’s referring to Helena, but why would he be approaching her in her severed state? Unless he knows she’s not actually severed… okay fin, now that’s dumb, I’ll stop.
If any show understand and nails its penultimate episodes, it’s Severance. The main goal of this episode was clearly to set up the Jenga tower of narratives that will be bulldozed in the finale. As much as I can see which arcs they’ve set up for the big climax, I’ve never been more uncertain about the direction we’re heading. We still don’t know what Harmony is planning, and how she’s going to execute it with Mark. We still don’t know the specific significance of Gemma and Cold Harbour, nor why she’s going to die at its completion. We still have questions regarding Helly, Helena and Jame, and how their narrative is going to wrap up. Basically I have no clue how all of these arcs are going to wrap up, or if they even will, but I can’t say I’m not going to be anticipating the finale for every second of the week. I have a strong feeling we’re heading into another cliffhanger-packed finale as there’s so much narrative to cover and so little time to do so.
Credit to this episode though as it was heart-pounding stuff. I was literally on the edge of my seat, sweaty palms and all, as the narrative raced through its many character arcs while dancing around giving us any more answers. It was tense, gripping and consistently threw me for a loop at every turn. I can’t poke any holes in its progression as it bounced around chaotically yet neat enough to grasp every second of content. I can say though, I still have no idea how reintegration works. There have been a few moments now where I’ve assumed Mark was reintegrated and would have his innie’s and outie’s memories… but I guess that’s maybe not how it works, at least not yet. Now with Irving, Dylan and Huang all seemingly out of the picture, we might have to wait a few years to see them again, resulting in a more streamlined finale focusing on Mark, Harmony, Helly and Gemma.
9.5/10
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