The team traverses unfamiliar terrain. Mark and Helly explore their feelings. Irving harbors a growing distrust of a friend.
The Board agreed to give Mark S. everything he wanted - including Helly R. And yet, Helly R. never returned to the severed floor. Instead, Helena Eagan pretended to be her Innie. Now, the discussion around the show as it airs weekly has speculated this could possibly be happening. Enough clues were present for keen observers to question things. The show doesn't drag out the reveal either. It would suck if the narrative thought it was deceiving everyone until the very end when people were openly questioning everything from the beginning. The narrative is built around twists. It never loses sight of character though. That is so crucially important. The viewer needs to actively care about what is happening to these people. A phenomenal premise can only go so far with lackluster characters. The audience should be invested in their journey. That enhances the overall mystery. So much has been teased this season about the true purpose of the work. It's still shrouded in secrecy. But the narrative momentum propels everything forward in unexpected ways. Even though the audience thought the Helena twist was possible, the timing of the reveal as well as the circumstances around it are breathtaking. This show knows how to pull everyone out of their comfort zones at precisely the right moments.
The previous episode ended with Outie Mark undergoing the reintegration procedure. Reghabi promised she could bring Innie and Outie together. She has perfected the procedure since everything happened with Petey. She finally had access and opportunity to convince Mark to do this. He remains solely focused on saving his wife. It's a real possibility now. And yet, it seems to have failed. Innie and Outie Mark continue to be separated. The audience receives no clarity as to what happened. Sure, a brief moment occurs where Innie Mark sees Gemma in place of Helly. He doesn't know what to make of it. It isn't too concerning to Helena either. She inquires about what happened. She mostly enjoys the moment. She wants to let her guard down. This is a rare opportunity for her to do so. She gets to interact with people who don't know she is an Eagan. Of course, Milchick is aware of everything happening within this experiment. Helena was sent in as a spy. She needed to keep track of Innie Mark's progress with Cold Harbor now that the surveillance equipment has been removed. That appears to be genuine. The severed employees have more freedom. Helena was right alongside Mark S. as he ventured to other departments searching for Ms. Casey. He felt it was his duty to his Outie.
In this new scenario of a corporate retreat, Innie Mark is incapable of doing anything for his Outie. This environment is completely new. It's immediately alarming, alienating and creepy. The severed employees wake up in the Dieter Eagan National Forest. They didn't even know Dieter existed. The perpetuity wing serves as a shine to the generations of the family. However, it's a carefully constructed narrative meant to inspire the workers. Helena isn't present in the exhibit. Her story is just as crucial. She contributes to the company. That is all she has ever done. Everything has been a sacrifice for the greater good of what Lumon aims to accomplish. It is all the vision as laid out by Kier a long time ago. It inspires plenty of devotion and worship. The frigid environment builds on the sense of dread. Nothing ever feels quite right. No one should ever be comfortable in this world. Even when people are given power, they have to doubt the intentions of others. They are subjugated to trauma in the process. The MDR team wanted a glimpse at the outside world. They got to experience 39 minutes in their Outies. The company was distraught over that breach. And now, they enact their own punishment by giving the team a twisted version of what they proclaim to want. It's insane to imagine how the Outies were coerced into agreeing to all of this. Lumon remains in control. That can never be questioned.
Mark, Helly, Irving and Dylan are meant to walk the path Kier once did. They experience a story of his famed history they have never been exposed to previously. They receive more knowledge of the Eagan family lineage. They are meant to take it all seriously. Of course, they are being deprived of the resources to keep them rational. Milchick declares that Lumon will always protect its employees. Yet he is just one man who can't possibly keep track of all of them at once. The team is tasked with navigating the landscape. They look to themselves for directions. It's a forced metaphor meant to trigger some deeper meaning within the characters. They have nothing to do but go along. They are suspicious of everything. They are trapped. They have limited power. They have to abide. They think some things are presented as tests. Irving suggests they have to eat a dead seal. That isn't necessary. A meal is provided once they reach their destination. Their reward is withheld once they exert some independence. Helena laughs at the suggestion that everything in this new book of Kier is true. It suggests Pieter transformed into a monster that needed to be killed. For that brief moment, it feels like a genuine reaction from Helly. She can't help but express herself in that way. It doesn't fool Irving. He was skeptical of her story the moment they returned to work. And now, he needs to confront her. He has nothing left to lose.
Irving was willing to walk away from the company. He was given the offer. He only stayed because his friends needed him. He made progress in his search for the exports hall. He too is limited in what he can achieve in this new environment. All of the personal relationships amongst the team intensify. That's the extent of what they can achieve. It doesn't go according to the plan laid out by their corporate overlords. Instead, Mark and Helena have sex. It's a moment of freedom. It's Innie Mark taking ahold of his own agency. It doesn't matter what his Outie needs. He wants to pursue what feels right to him. It feels good to Helena as well. She still sneaks off to gaze at the waterfall. That's the location where everything culminates. Irving almost froze to death. During that, he received a vision. It served as a reminder of what truly mattered while caught up in the dastardly imagery of Lumon. He had clarity. It was no longer good enough to inquire about Helly's experience during the Overtime Contingency. She is purposefully lying. Moreover, she is cruel. That's the tipping point. Everything comes undone after that. Mark and Dylan can't believe it. It's true. Irving takes bold action. He's not afraid of death. He makes sacrifices for his friends. That is the greatest display of heroism. It requires shocking violence. That's the only way to deliver the message of Helly being Helena Eagan. He has to prove to the people in charge that they aren't as smart and cunning as they think. Irving removes himself from the playing field. He knows it was for the greater good. His friends needed this exposure. The darkness will linger for Irving. Hopefully, this isn't the last he is seen. His Outie still maintains agency. That too is relevant given the few details already known about him.
