That Bombshell ‘Severance’ Theory About Helly Is Finally Confirmed

(Warning: Spoilers ahead)

There is nothing quite like a team-building trip to shake up the workplace dynamic. The world of Severance is no different, and the events that take place at Woe’s Hollow alter the MDR team forever. One person is fired (essentially ceasing to exist), and another is unmasked as a mole. Yes, Helena Eagan (Britt Lower) has been masquerading as her innie Helly since returning after the Overtime Contingency incident.

In the end, Helena is undone by the night gardener story. Irving (John Turturro) couldn’t let this curious detail go, and he spends most of the ORTBO (Outdoor Retreat and Team-Building Occurrence) side-eying Helly and judging Mark (Adam Scott). It can be annoying when co-workers can’t stop flirting, but it turns out Irving has a point.

Irving sees red flags in everything Helly does during this field trip, beginning when Helly appears in the wooded area rather than on the frozen lake as he did. The whole set-up is surreal in that Kier Eagan-inspired way, and seeing the innies outside the office takes a beat to get used to. Sure, the snowy landscape matches the white walls of the Lumon corridors, but the whole Dr. Zhivago furry outerwear only adds to the dreamlike mood. But this is actually happening. It isn’t a simulation. They have left the office.

The Dieter Eagan National Forest provides the backdrop for what should be a two-day retreat so the innies can see the outside world. Or so Milchick (Tramell Tillman) says. It is impossible not to consider an ulterior motive, as Lumon never does anything out of the goodness of their corporate cult-like hearts.

Cracks appear early when Irving questions Mark about his close chit-chat with Helly. Even if you have questioned Helly’s identity since her return, Irving comes across as the paranoid—even jealous—quack clutching at straws. Turturro nails feeling frustrated by people ignoring your suspicions, but his evidence is pretty thin. The night gardener is odd, but it could easily be a bad lie to cover Helly’s shame about being a Lumon nepo baby—as I initially thought.

Before Mark gets too aggravated by Irving saying that he lacks objectivity (because he has feelings for Helly), they are interrupted by discovering an animal carcass that may or may not be a seal. I’m not gonna lie; it is pretty gross. Irving suggests eating it, to the horror of the other three. Dylan (Zach Cherry) completely trusts that Lumon won’t leave them hungry (after all, they have already given him a meeting with his outie’s wife), and the divide in the group is clear.

Soon, Milchick meets them, sporting luxe outerwear to match the snowy terrain. Milchick tells them this is the world’s highest waterfall (it is not) and that Lumon will “always protect and provide,” which sounds like a threat. Milchick guides them to their campsite, equipped with a fire, luxury meats, Ms. Huang (Sarah Bock), and tents in MDR blue.

Helly takes the opportunity to give Irving a peace offering: She has made him a snow seal “in case you feel hungry.” But it doesn’t strike me as light teasing. Or perhaps that is hindsight. Irving asks again what she saw during the OTC, and Helly coolly answers, “I told you.” But she gives him a look that suggests annoyance rather than understanding.

The mood turns sour when they are sat around the campfire and Helly laughs at the subtext of the story Milchick reads from Kier’s Fourth Appendix. It isn’t a ghost story, but the description of meeting the “temper Woe” sounds terrifying. Kier’s description of a “gaunt bride half the height of a natural woman” is unnerving, as is Milchick’s delivery. Helly begins to laugh because Milchick insists every word of the fairytale-like book is true, which she finds preposterous. “He melted into the floor because he masturbated,” she says about Kier’s twin, Dieter. Kier Eagan sounds a lot like John Harvey Kellog, especially considering the reason cornflakes exist.

Milchick doesn’t take Helly’s interruption or Mark’s giggling well. Neither does Irving, who tells Mark to stop making “goo-goo eyes” at Helly. What is worse is Irving’s accusations of eye-banging: “Using your pupils to make love to her while your outie’s wife rots somewhere.” Even Dylan calls out Irving for this attack. Helly says it is okay as Irving clearly misses Burt (Christopher Walken), which seems empathetic. However, this remark gives Irving proof that Helly is Helena. For now, Irving storms off, ending the not-so-kumbaya moment.

The night isn’t a total bust. In Helly’s tent, Mark goes from flirting to kissing her. Innies probably don’t get to have sex very often (or at all), so this feels like a major step forward for the severed community. The red lighting from the heater adds to the sexy atmosphere, but there is something troubling about how the scene cuts between the hot and heavy tent action and Irving’s desperate time out in the cold. Because Mark doesn’t know it is Helena, there is an issue of consent, but before the reveal, I let out a cheer that Severance was letting its characters bang (finally).

Oh, and there is also the matter of Mark briefly seeing Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman) or rather, his outie’s wife, Gemma, during this hookup. No, we haven’t forgotten that Mark’s outie is undergoing a reintegration procedure.

Before her mask drops, Helly tells Mark she lied about the OTC because she was ashamed of what she saw. I don’t know Helena’s overall motivation, but part of me thinks pretending to be Helly is a means of escaping the BS of being an Eagan.

The following morning, Irving confronts Helly as he has figured out who she really is. “Helly was never cruel,” he says about the Burt comments. Irv bets big on his accusation, dragging the suspected outie to the freezing pool, dunking her head in the icy water until Milchick turns her back to Helly. “She’s been an outie the whole time!” Irving yells.

It has the desired effect as after Irving points out she is an Eagan (who else could have the power to send their outie to the severed floor), Helena tells Milchick to flip the switch (so to speak). The sound pings, and it is Helly R for real this time. Irving tenderly cradles Helly, which only makes the following more heartbreaking. Milchick immediately fires Irving: there will be no coming back. Dylan screams at Milchick to leave Irving alone, but his fate is sealed.

“It will be as if you, Irving B, never even existed nor drew a single breath upon this Earth,” says Milchick. “May Kier’s mercy follow you into the eternal dark.” Irving seems strangely at peace with this form of execution. How his co-workers react when they return to the office is unclear. Suffice it to say this outdoor retreat has been the opposite of team-building.