Bonds are tested on the severed floor. Outside, Irving attends a fraught dinner while Mark takes a reckless risk.
Mark is compromising his health to save his wife. Reintegration sickness continues to worsen. His two worlds are starting to blend together. He has questions about Gemma after his latest recovered memory. He wants to know why she was listing things. He doesn't comprehend the wellness session. He's also concerned that she doesn't recognize him. Something has happened to her. He wants answers. He will do anything to obtain them. Yet the narrative is purposefully choosing to spotlight the complicated romantic relationships amongst the ensemble instead of providing straightforward answers with the plot. That's necessary too because the audience needs to remain invested in the journey. So many cryptic teases are offered at every moment. It's the perfect show to speculate as to what's going to happen next. Yes, a big twist already occurred with Helena pretending to be her Innie. The severed employees are still managing the fallout of that deception. They are also taking big steps forward within these dynamics. They have the ability to access the room in which Ms. Casey was sent. Irving left behind the directions. Dylan couldn't afford to get in trouble. He left the note behind the poster in the break room. His colleagues can obtain it at any time and head to the floor below them. That's not where the intensity and intrigue currently resides.
Mark tells Helly that he had sex with Helena. That was part of how Milchick threatened him. It's personally devastating for Helly. In that moment, she realizes how similar she and her Outie truly are. Mark couldn't tell the difference. Helly was horrified by what she experienced during the OTC. She saw two completely different worlds. Helena was smart enough to fool everyone Helly cares about. Helly is in control now. She returns to work. She takes a moment to process all that has occurred. She chooses to actively make her own memories. She refuses to live her life for someone else. She takes agency over her own body. She initiated the first kiss with Mark. He felt those feelings growing too. Helena built on that dynamic. Meanwhile, Helly was stuck in that initial moment. She didn't know if anything more had happened. It was all a lie. Mark was tricked by Helena. They took a major step forward. Mark thought he was with Helly. He wanted to be with her. He was deceived. He apologizes repeatedly. Ultimately, he shares an intimate moment with Helly. All it requires is an empty office. That space possesses the same charm as a tent during the ORTBO. It's a fulfilling action. One where the two Innies are vulnerable with one another. Yes, they have other priorities that matter. This relationship means something to both of them too. It's only interrupted by Mark's reintegration sickness. No one questions it though.
Helena continues to invade Mark's life. He endured another reintegration session. Reghabi saw progress being made. She had a new theory about how to make the treatments even more effective. She wants to conduct brain surgery in Mark's basement. It's far too extreme for Mark. And then, he runs into Helena while getting food. He's starving. That too is a side effect of the treatments. Helena approaches him. This isn't a random meeting. She checks on him the same way Cobel did. She can't hide her identity. Mark knows who she is. He isn't aware of how important Helly is to his Innie. Helena knows everything about Mark. She makes that known immediately. Yet she wields power by purposefully using a wrong name to talk about Gemma. It's a flex to show that Lumon is everywhere. Mark can't escape the confines of his work no matter what he does. This action emboldens him to let Reghabi do what she wants. It's an absolutely brutal visual. It's jarring when the effects start to occur. That's also when Devon drops by. She demands to be let in on Mark's secret plan. Instead, she's traumatized by her brother collapsing and Reghabi suddenly appearing. She was left in the dark. Mark wanted to protect her. He carries all the risk. The damage is being done to his body. It's all in pursuit of bringing his two lives together. But that also carries the concern of Outie and Innie loving different women.
Burt and Fields' faith professes that Innies are their own individuals. They carry their own souls. Burt went through the procedure so that part of him would have the chance of getting into heaven. Religion matters to the couple. Burt is trying to make up for past sins. Fields wants as much time with his husband as possible. Under this belief though, they recognize the individuality of severance. Innies engage in their own personal relationships. That leads to devastation when the Outies learn what's been done. Fields is curious if Burt and Irving ever had sex. His fantasies about this relationships run wild. Burt and Irving had such a loving dynamic. One where they were delighted to find a spark despite violating the rules. Their presence in each other's life changed everything that came before. They lost one another. Neither Burt nor Irving still work at Lumon. Instead, any connection they have must occur between their Outies. Burt is comfortable in this reality. He makes jokes about the situation. He doesn't take it too seriously. He doesn't want to hurt Fields either. The connection is still there between Burt and Irving. They may not have any memories together. Right now, they enjoy a ham. It's lovely. Yet a creeping suspicion remains that Fields let information slip that he wasn't suppose to. He suggests Burt has worked at Lumon for twenty years. That was before severance was created. Burt again laughs it off. But it can still be perceived as another part of the puzzle that has been missing. It could motivate actions under the right circumstances. That's even more alarming once factoring in Drummond breaking into Irving's home while he's gone.
Finally, Dylan gets to enjoy another encounter with his wife. She details the many hobbies he has picked up over the years. Dylan believes his Outie is still just trying to find what he does best. He thinks he has already found his calling at MDR. He is the best refiner on the team. No work is seemingly done during this shift. Miss Huang is trusted to oversee the floor while Milchick aims to correct the grievances that came up during his performance review. He strives to cut out the excesses and get to the point. That succinct quality is necessary to take his career at Lumon to the next level. Of course, it's chipping away at who he is. He prides himself in his elocution. That doesn't align with what the company desires. Similarly, Gretchen finds herself more attracted to her husband as an Innie. He is so engaged in every detail of their lives. At home, he's just trying to find a side gig that can allow him to better support his family. At Lumon, he has clarity and purpose. He doesn't have regrets about the past. In fact, Dylan fears anything that can take this relationship away from him. He doesn't want to take any unnecessary risks. He doesn't share his new privileges with Mark and Hellyr. He enjoys them by himself. It's his little piece of the world that no one else needs to know about. He gets to engage in a romance just as meaningful as his colleagues. It too transcends the boundaries of Outie and Innie. Here, the confidence comes from one side of the dynamic. The barrier slips through elsewhere. The viewer is right to be concerned. That's just one of the complex emotions being felt throughout the entire narrative. Every character is deserving of happiness. Yet their lives remain separated in ways that only further add to the complications.
