Mark and Helly return to an old haunt. Irving and Dylan make separate discoveries. Outie Mark tries something new.
Reintegration isn't possible. That's the position the Board has always taken. Mark saw firsthand what an attempt at the procedure did to Petey. It ultimately led to his death. Cobel needed to retrieve the chip in his head just to convince her superiors that these efforts were being done to their workforce. She wasn't successful. In fact, she still lacks any evidence to convince the Eagan family or anyone at Lumon that she is more important. She wants to believe her damning accusations. The audience knows better. Her theories are correct. It showcases a lack of imagination from those in charge. Cobel isn't asking for much. She wants complete control over the MDR team. She has stepped back from demanding power over the entire severed floor. She knows what truly matters in this workplace. Despite that, she still can't get what she wants. She knows it too. Meanwhile, Mark is futile with his efforts to deliver a message to his Innie. He wants confirmation that Gemma is still alive. Receiving that is the only thing that can convince him to undergo the reintegration procedure. Reghabi claims she has improved her technique. It's still a risk. Mark embarks on it without any doubts. That's how certain he is in saving his wife.
Innie Mark is also certain his Outie will know what to do if he gets Ms. Casey off the severed floor. That's the extent of his mission. He has interacted with her. She has gone missing. He needs to do right by his Outie. He received clarity in his brief interaction with Devon. She's committed to helping him. She's suspicious of everything Lumon says. She doubts the genuine nature of Natalie reaching out to Ricken hoping to partner on updating his novel. Flattery is all it takes to impress Ricken. Devon knows better. Everyone understands she will be the troublemaker. However, the action remains centered around Mark. He's needed at Lumon to complete "Cold Harbor." That remains the mysterious project. A new quarter has just started. Dylan is the only one actually working. The rest of the MDR team uses their new hallway privileges to conduct their own missions. Helly teams with Mark to find Ms. Casey. They investigate a new area of the floor. That offers no clarity or answers. It reaffirms the idea that the severed employees are stronger together. They've been pitted against each other to keep the work separated. No one has access to the full picture. So much is happening at Lumon. Ms. Casey is a crucial part of it. Mark needs to save her. And so, he will compromise his own health to do so.
Everyone is right to be suspicious. It's never clear just how manipulative Lumon is in trying to control its employees. The Board's gift to Milchick is so completely condescending. It's the obliviousness of some people who believe the only way for Milchick to connect with Kier's message is if he physically resembles him. That means putting this revered figure in blackface. It's horrifying and the Black employees aren't able to have a reaction. They just have to show their appreciation. Even after Natalie claims the Board has ended the call, she is hesitant to offer anything more than a smile to Milchick. His motivations for this job are unknown. The employees who aren't severed have genuine affection for Kier though. That was evident in Cobel's obsession. Instead of trying to connect with that instinct, Milchick is reduced to one thing. His race is used as the sole defining characteristic worth investing in. He has been such a complex character. Yet this is reductive from the people who are suppose to treat him the best. He doesn't question his devotion though. He puts the redesigned paintings away. They remain close. This is the perfect image of what Lumon truly is. It's a way to suggest intimacy. But it's still a lack of appreciation for individuality amongst the employees. Every cog of this system is meant to offer a service. Beyond that, it is completely inconsequential. The Eagan family may praise Kier's values. They largely lead through fear and intimidation. That's how they have built this massive corporation.
Despite all of this, not every instinct to manipulate the severed employees is taken. Lumon was genuine in giving Innie Mark new colleagues to work with. Mark W., Gwendolyn Y. and Dario R. weren't brought in to spy on him after the Overtime Contingency. MDR is a four-person operation. The rest of the team was replaceable. Innie Mark is the only one needed. Of course, Milchick still lied about the passage of time and the reforms passed through the Innies revolt. However, he was genuine in his appeal to Dylan about letting him interact with his Outie's wife. Milchick lied to Dylan about what happened at work. Lumon is the only job Dylan has been able to keep for awhile. Gretchen explains that he was never able to find a place to fit. This consistent job has been significant to his family. He gets to see that appreciation. Of course, he's confused why they appear to live in a wild west saloon. It's awkward. It's connection though. The Innies can never trust what is communicated to them. The audience sees that Gretchen is real. She wasn't present in the previous episode. She was kept out of Outie Dylan's story. But now, she's in both environments. She was the one pushing to experience a new side of her husband. She's the first loved one given that privilege. It's noted. She has questions about why the new deputy manager is a child too. The two can't share all the information they have either. This offers so much more than that. It's a connection to the outside world that can transcend all else.
All of this is meant to forge Dylan into the most compliant employee. The rest of the MDR team is more than willing to abandon their work and pursue other missions. Meanwhile, his reward is being given to him for a good job done. And so, he is more likely to keep contributing. This can be positive leverage. It's the greatest perk. It even transcends the bonds he has with his co-workers. Irving wants to know why his Outie is obsessed with the elevator to the testing floor. He doesn't even reach out to the Optics and Design team about it. Instead, he remains focused on Burt. The entire department misses him. Felicia worked alongside him for six years. She appreciates Irving's drawings as well. Her demeanor shifts upon seeing the drawing that conveys Irving's new mystery to pursue. She has been there before. Their access has been limited lately. Her team is no longer trusted to enter the exports hall. She knows where it is. That means the season is making quick progress with its plots. Sure, it's unclear what drives Cobel from moment to moment. But it's thrilling to watch everything escalate for the other characters. They have to behave this way. That's the only way to move forward. They can't be meek and oblivious. They know too much to get distracted now. They have to be committed to everything they do. That simply leads to Mark bringing his two worlds together. The divide is being healed in the name of the same thing that caused the split in the first place.
