Last week’s episode of Severance focused entirely on Harmony Cobel, played by Patricia Arquette. Her return to Salt’s Neck revealed many things about her past and her strong connection to Lumon and the severance procedure.
It turns out that key parts of the severance technology, or maybe even the whole process, were actually her invention. Her ideas came from her time in the Wintertide program, where she was forced to work as a child. However, she never received credit or any benefits from her work.
Through the Wintertide program, Lumon raised her even though she was not part of the Eagan family. The company also kept her away from her mother while she was dying.
It now makes sense why Cobel felt so hurt when she was removed from the Macrodata Refinement floor. That place was incredibly important to her, and losing it was a huge blow.
Helena Eagan Faces a Strange Tradition
The episode begins with Helena Eagan, played by Britt Lower. She swims for a long time before walking down a hallway in her professional clothes. She enters a large room where her father, Lumon CEO Jame Eagan, played by Michael Siberry, is waiting.
“This is an important day,” he says. She asks if he wants to eat, but he declines and says he will just watch. She carefully slices a hard-boiled egg into six pieces and slowly eats them with a fork and knife. As she eats, she makes an eerie statement: “We’re seeing to Mr. Bailiff.”
Jame responds by saying, “I wish you’d take them raw,” while staring at the eggs. He then stands up and leaves. After Helena shows a look of discomfort, the scene shifts. She is now in a car, driving down a long road away from a modern, isolated building. The camera zooms out, revealing a massive Lumon water tower towering over the dense forest below.
Miss Huang’s Graduation Takes a Dark Turn
Meanwhile, Seth Milchick, played by Tramell Tillman, meets with Miss Huang, played by Sarah Bock. He presents her with an Eagan bust similar to the one Cobel recovered in Episode 8.
This particular bust is a reward for the recipient of the Wintertide Fellowship for the Year of Vision. Eustice Huang has received this honor, and Milchick informs her that today marks the end of her fellowship.
He explains that her bed will be moved from her parents’ home to the Gunnel Eagan Empathy Center in Svalbard. There, she will be responsible for guiding global reforms. Miss Huang appears surprised.
She thought she had more time to finish the quarter. Milchick, smiling smugly, simply tells her, “Empathy awaits, Miss Huang.” He instructs her to finish her work for the day before leaving at dusk.
Before she leaves, Milchick demands that she lay her Lumon handheld ring toss game on the table. He reminds her that Lumon’s handbook requires Wintertide graduates to make a material sacrifice, and he has chosen her game as the object to be destroyed. She sets it down, but Milchick is not satisfied. He orders her to break it.
Miss Huang obeys, using the Eagan bust to smash the game repeatedly. Milchick watches closely, showing no sympathy. It is clear that he is still angry about his performance review from the previous episode.
Dylan and Gretchen’s Marriage Faces a Crisis
In another part of town, Dylan’s outie, played by Zach Cherry, is at home with his wife, Gretchen, played by Merritt Wever. They both get ready for work when Gretchen suddenly confesses something to Dylan. She tells him that she kissed his innie. Dylan looks confused.
“I saw your innie again at Lumon,” she explains. “Right before I left, we ended up kissing for about a minute.” Dylan struggles to process this information. “How is that even possible?” he asks.
“You’ve been distant,” Gretchen says. “You know that. He reminds me of how you used to be.” Dylan becomes angry. “I’m going to work to earn a paycheck and take care of our children.”
His statement is ironic because it is actually his innie who does the work. Dylan, in reality, only serves as his innie’s chauffeur. He continues, “I’m going to respectfully ask that you don’t follow me there and use my own body to cheat on me.”
Before leaving, he adds, “Since I have no way of knowing if it’s happening again, maybe I should just go in, quit, and end his existence.” Gretchen looks heartbroken as Dylan storms out.
Irving and Burt Reunite
Irving, played by John Turturro, comes home to find his dog, Radar, staring at something in the next room. He follows Radar’s gaze and finds Burt, played by Christopher Walken, sitting in his house. Burt is reading Irving’s notes on Lumon.
Irving had written that Lumon might be responsible for multiple recent disappearances or deaths. He also speculated that Goodman, a former Lumon employee, might have been involved in enforcing the company’s rules.
Burt laughs. “Lumon goon… that stings. We never used words like that. With Lumon, language is very specific.” Irving tries to explain that his views have changed, but Burt interrupts. He asks Irving if he will come with him on a drive.
Helly Challenges Milchick at Lumon
At Lumon, Dr. Mauer, played by Robby Benson, is still monitoring Gemma. He has a Lumon-branded Band-Aid on his head and calls Drummond, played by Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, to report an issue. The Cold Harbor file is stuck at 96% and is not progressing.
Drummond calls Milchick, who assumes that Mark S. is simply running late. Drummond does not accept this excuse. He orders Milchick to bring Mark in immediately because the final quota was promised today.
Meanwhile, Helly R., played by Britt Lower, arrives at work and notices that the MDR office is empty. She storms into Milchick’s office and demands to know where Mark is. “This is the second day in a row that he’s not here,” she says. “Is he coming in?”
Milchick refuses to give her an answer, citing Lumon’s non-disclosure policy. Helly questions his secrecy and expresses concern for Mark’s well-being. Milchick asks why she is so interested, and Helly reminds him that Mark is the department chief. Milchick dismisses her argument by saying that, in Mark’s absence, Dylan is in charge.
Helly glares at Milchick. “Kind of like you and Cobel,” she says. “Just replacing one part with another.” “That’s enough, Helly R.,” Milchick warns. Helly steps closer to his desk and tilts her head slightly. “Don’t you mean Helly E.?”
Milchick acknowledges that Helena Eagan is his employer, but he reminds Helly that she is still his subordinate. “This behavior is insubordination,” he tells her. Helly doesn’t back down. “Yeah, no sh*t,” she replies and slams the door shut on her way out.
The episode builds tension as Lumon struggles to maintain control. Cobel’s return suggests deeper secrets, Dylan faces a painful choice, and Helly begins to push back harder.
The Eagan family’s power over the severance process may be slipping, but their next moves remain uncertain. The season finale promises even more drama, unexpected twists, and revelations about Lumon’s true intentions.
What’s Next for Lumon and the Severance Process?
With the revelations from this episode, Severance is setting up an explosive finale. The cracks in Lumon’s control are becoming more obvious, and several key players are ready to challenge the company’s authority.
Helly Eagan’s bold confrontation with Milchick suggests that she is becoming more rebellious. At the beginning of the series, Helly was the most resistant to severance, even attempting to harm herself to escape. Over time, however, she has learned to play along with Lumon’s system while secretly working against it.
By directly challenging Milchick and reminding him of her true identity as Helena Eagan, she is signaling that she is aware of her power and influence.
The question remains—how far is she willing to go? Will she try to use her Eagan status to take over Lumon from the inside? Or is she planning to destroy the severance process entirely?
Dylan G. is facing a personal crisis after learning that his wife, Gretchen, was romantically drawn to his innie. This raises deep ethical questions about severance. If the innie is just another version of the same person, is it still considered cheating? Dylan’s reaction shows that he sees his innie as a separate individual, one who is beginning to interfere with his outie’s life.
His anger at Gretchen suggests that he might make a drastic choice. Will he quit Lumon and “kill” his innie? Or will he try to rescue his innie instead? This emotional conflict could push him to take drastic action, perhaps even exposing Lumon’s secrets to the outside world.
Harmony Cobel has always been one of the most mysterious characters on the show. Her past as a Wintertide program participant and her deep connection to Lumon suggests that she has her own agenda. She once seemed entirely loyal to Lumon, but her anger over being pushed aside shows that she may no longer be on their side.
Is Cobel planning revenge? Or does she still believe in Lumon’s mission? If she truly invented part of the severance process, does she hold knowledge that could either perfect or destroy it?
As Severance nears its finale, the battle for control over Lumon and the severance technology is reaching its peak. Will Mark, Helly, Dylan, and Irving be able to escape? Or will Lumon tighten its grip and force them back into compliance? One thing is certain—big changes are coming.
