Outie Mark and Devon team with an unexpected ally to enact a plan. Innie Helly investigates Mark's absence while Dylan receives hard news.
The Eagan family and Lumon executives are preparing for a momentous day. Cold Harbor will be completed. They all expect it to occur. When no progress starts in the opening minutes of the work day, Dr. Mauer starts calling with concern. They are furious over the refiners denying them this privilege. They lash out at others instead of taking accountability with their own actions. Milchick manages the severed floor. He's tasked with overseeing this crucial work. And yet, it's unreasonable to expect him to manage the various personalities outside of that domain. Cobel was punished for her antics. She served the same noble goal. She knows what the big plans are. Milchick has been loyal to the company. However, he's not going to accept blame for something beyond his purview. He tried his best to offer the severed employees what they needed. His leadership was the only way to get them all back. They remained distracted. They still had reasons to get up from their desks and contemplate their lives at Lumon. Severance was promoted as offering the perfect work-home balance. Those devoted to the Eagan family only care about the product. They aren't allowed to have any personal interests outside of this important mission. That hits hard for Milchick when Mark finally calls in saying he needs a personal day. It offers a changed perspective that reinforces all that Milchick just said to Drummond to regain some respect.
However, the show is obviously in a holding pattern as it pertains to whatever Cobel hopes to achieve with Mark. The reluctant allies now have the opportunity to be more forthcoming with each other. They still have to wait for night before entering the birthing cabin. Cobel insists it will be a perilous journey. Devon stands by Mark's side guiding him through it all. The division is still present between Innie and Outie. Reintegration has allowed some memories to cross over. It's unclear how much progress has been made. A lot of information has been given to the audience. It's also important to note the different interests of Mark's identities. They are united in their goal of saving Gemma. Cobel wants an update on the progress of Cold Harbor. She knows everything will come to an end for Mark and Gemma following its completion. They have an opportunity to strike now. This is the last possible moment for them to prevail. They have reason to remain hopeful. No progress is made with these particular characters. That's in sharp contrast to the personal developments elsewhere. That highlights a bit of a pacing issue. One where the show tries to cram a lot into this season without making a lot of progress with the overall mystery. More has been revealed. Plenty of characters remain cryptic with their actions. That mentality never truly goes away.
Gretchen tells her husband about the kiss with his Innie. He feels betrayed. She is essentially cheating on him. She appreciated the way Innie Dylan looked at her. It was a reminder of what their relationship used to be. It has changed over the years. Gretchen appreciated that. She couldn't keep it a secret either. This was one of the greatest perks Innie Dylan ever received. It was something completely his own. He was meant to respect it no matter what. Yet he's absolutely destroyed after Gretchen rejects him. She can't compromise her marriage any further. Her husband threatens to quit. That would add even more stress onto the family. This connection was so meaningful to Dylan. He saw what was possible in the world. He can't let it go. If he can't have it, then he doesn't see a reason to continue living. That's dark. It's scary. Dylan fills out the resignation forms without any hesitation. He is so defeated. Milchick is outraged. He fails to keep the employees working. Instead, all of them are leaving. They are doing so ahead of schedule. As a result, no work actually gets done. It's just not important to any of them. Miss Huang is asked to make a personal sacrifice to show her appreciation for being accepted into the next stage of devotion to the Eagan family. Yet she remains a child being exploited and manipulated. She remains painfully alone at the end of the day too.
That's the only way these people know how to operate. None of them had a loving and caring relationship like Mark and Gemma did. That was so passionate. It was taken from them to suite other people's interests. It's so clinical and void of emotion. No one can fathom making a sacrifice out of love. They haven't been conditioned to see the world that way. Helena doesn't like herself. She remains committed to her family's legacy. She desperately seeks her father's approval. She will never obtain it. In fact, he enters the office to express his displeasure with the person preventing the glorious day from happening. Helly is the only employee there. She is plotting out the route to the exports hall. She aims to fulfill the mission Irving left for his friends. She must honor his memory by discovering what was so important on the testing floor. Answers are within her grasp. She is capable of finding Gemma. She insists she is different from her Outie. Yet Helena fooled her colleagues. Irving was the only one who saw the deception. That means severance doesn't change who these people are. They are simply offered different opportunities to pursue. Helly received the gift of chosen family. Everyone seemingly abandons her. She remains focused. That's a quality she shares with Helena. It's not fulfilling right now. In fact, it's perilous because she still has to reckon with her own role in making all of this happen.
And finally, Lumon planned on dealing with Irving and his investigation into severance. Instead, Burt intervened out of love. At first, he's an intimidating presence. He broke into Irving's apartment. This serves as confirmation that Irving was lured out of his home by the diner party so Drummond could snoop. It suggests something important was discovered. Right now, it's all about the expression of love between the characters. Burt and Irving have no memories of their relationship as Innies. They recognize it as important. As such, it must be cherished. It's heartbreaking for Irving because that was the only love he has ever experienced. He's willing to engage in more. It tragically can't happen. Burt wanted to recapture some innocence. He participated in many heinous things for Lumon. He never killed anyone. He certainly drove people to tragic fates. He complied with those requests. He responds differently now because he has a personal connection. He doesn't understand it fully. He can't allow a part of his innocence to be corrupted. That's what would occur if he let Lumon handle Irving. Instead, it's better for him to leave and never return. That's the best possible ending he can offer. It's an epic sacrifice. One that highlights the tragic limitations they face. Severance brought them together. Now, Lumon drives them apart. They reckon with that in a short amount of time. Love is fully on display. It also leads the characters far away from what has previously been important. As such, it's concerning that Irving may be gone for good now.
