Mark (Adam Scott) makes his choice in the season 2 finale of Severance

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The Severance season 2 finale was both shocking and emotionally satisfying, ending with a scene that could have smoothly concluded the entire show (thankfully, season 3 has already been confirmed).

The finale answered most of the questions that had built up in this season, and highlighted the moral dilemma that comes from splitting one person into two—who takes priority?

What happens when two personas want different things?

What Happened During ‘Cold Harbor’?

The finale saw Mark’s innie and outie fighting via a camcorder, both versions of Mark struggling to get the other to accept their wants.

After outie Mark (Adam Scott) explains the plan to rescue Gemma (Dichen Lachman), he slips up by mispronouncing Helly’s name, underlining the fact that he has never bothered to learn anything about his innie’s life.

Innie Mark is, understandably, concerned that he and the others will essentially be wiped from existence if the escape plan is successful and Lumon crumbles.

Outie Mark tries to convince his innie that the two will eventually become integrated, but innie Mark suspects that there will be less room for him in Mark’s brain, considering that his life and experiences have been so much shorter.

It’s Ms. Cobel (Patricia Arquette) who eventually convinces innie Mark to go through with the plan, but he knows that whatever happens, he’s doomed. As Mark’s innie points out, the innies of Lumon have cultivated their own lives that are very much worth living.

Back at Lumon, Dylan (Zach Cherry) reads a letter from his outie which contains a surprising admission—outie Dylan has a great amount of admiration for his innie, and sees him as something of a role model.

Helly (Britt Lower) receives a similar confirmation from her outie’s father, who outright admits that he doesn’t love Helena, but admires Helly and can see the spirit of Kier within her, an inner fire that Helena Eagan seems to have lost.

Both Helly and Dylan’s outies have been worn down by the trials and tribulations of the outside world—there’s an interesting point made here about life being taken for granted by those with freedom, and the imprisoned innies cherishing what little they have.

Innies are not the compliant slaves that Lumon wants them to be—they’re people. Creating them just creates complications for their innies, introducing difficult moral dilemmas and new wants.

As Mark completes Cold Harbor, Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman) enters for a surprisingly elaborate celebration, first involving an animatronic, then a marching band. Tillman has delivered an incredibly compelling performance this season; Milchick manages to be hilarious, unsettling and deeply tragic, all at the same time.

While the music is booming, Mark takes the opportunity to escape to the lower floors while Helly keeps Milchick busy, along with the help from Dylan. Mark’s messy “boss fight” with Mr. Drummond (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson) ends with the big man losing his life, and when Mark finally finds Gemma’s innie, he is covered in blood.

Despite his appearance, she trusts Mark enough to take his hand and flee, indicating that something inside her still remembers Mark.

When her innie reverts back to Gemma, the two enjoy a passionate kiss in the elevator before transforming into Ms. Casey and Mark S., and the intimate moment becomes awkward. Mark leads the confused Ms. Casey to the exit, and Gemma walks out of the Lumon building.

Crucially, Mark hesitates to follow her, knowing that if he steps out, all the power will be in his outie’s hands. After all, there’s no guarantee of reintegration, and he’s certainly never going to see Helly again.

Hence, Mark makes a bold, dumb decision and takes Helly’s hand, choosing to leave Gemma outside, fleeing down the red-tinged corridors of Lumon with Helly.

It’s a reckless act that likely won’t end well, but still, the two have survived.

For now.

What Was Cold Harbor?

As Ms. Cobel, inventor of the severance chip explains, Mark’s number organization of Cold Harbor was creating a new innie personality for Gemma, working via Kier’s kooky theory of the four Tempers.

The experimentation on Gemma was all about ensuring that the severed can be split into multiple personalities without the outie “leaking” through.

This is why Lumon gave her outie a crib to dismantle, one that resembles the model that Mark bought—they wanted to see if it would trigger her miscarriage trauma.

Gemma manages to complete the task without remembering the significance of the crib, but when she chooses to follow Mark, it seems to imply that the chip doesn’t fully separate the personalities.

However, Mark’s choice proves that love doesn’t endure through severance, as he heartlessly abandons Gemma, seemingly feeling nothing for her.

For Gemma, who presumably doesn’t know that Mark is severed, this must have been incredibly distressing.

Was That Helly R. Or Helena Eagan?

Ever since Helena Eagan was revealed to be an imposter in episode 4, Woe’s Hollow, fans have been suspicious that Helly isn’t who she seems.

In the final scene, it seems as though Helly is trying to get Mark to stay in the Lumon building, sparking suspicions that she is actually Helena Eagan, sabotaging the plan.

However, Britt Lower herself confirmed that she was playing Helly in that final scene in a recent interview with the LA Times.

Which makes sense, as that trick can really only be pulled once.

What’s Up With The Goats?

The goats have been one of the most baffling mysteries to haunt the halls of Lumon and have confused fans since season 1.

This episode reveals that their purpose is simply to be part of Lumon’s weird religious rituals, as the animals are sacrificed along with used employees.

Drummond says that the goat is to be entombed with Gemma and will lead her “to Kier,” similar to how the Ancient Egyptians buried their rulers with objects and animals, expecting that they could use them in the afterlife.

Lumon is both a corporation and a belief system, and goats have a long history of use as sacrificial animals across many cultures.

What’s Going To Happen In Season 3?

Severance has been officially renewed for season 3 at Apple TV+, but this was such a great finale that the whole show could have ended with Mark making his big choice.

But the story will continue next season, and it seems clear that Mark has sabotaged his own life, and possibly even ruined Gemma’s escape. Hopefully, Ms. Cobel and Devon (Jen Tullock) are waiting to take Gemma to safety.

Instead of Mark rescuing Gemma, the next season might see a role reversal as Gemma rescues Mark, an inversion of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth that was referenced this season.

Mark and Helly seem to have little hope for a happy life together, but Helly seems likely to stick around, as Helena’s father has far more respect for her than he does his daughter. It was implied that Lumon has bigger plans for Helly, and perhaps they will choose to keep Mark around, just to keep her happy.

Mark’s outie might not be allowed to leave the building, as he committed a crime against the company, and his innie is trapped inside. At least, until the team figures out another way to switch the chips on while outside the building.

Dylan is still at Lumon and his innie seems happy enough to stay, meaning that we’re only missing Irving (and he might well make a surprise appearance).

Lumon’s experiments on Gemma might have been ruined, but there’s something about Helly that intrigues the Eagans—next season might see Helly experience her own innie fragmentation.

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