“Severance” Season 2 introduces new changes within Lumon after the MDR team’s rebellion at the end of Season 1. These changes affect how the severed employees experience their time at work.
One of the biggest surprises is that Dylan G. (Zach Cherry) gets to meet his outie’s wife, Gretchen (Merritt Wever), in the family visitation room. This meeting is something the severed workers never had access to before, making it a significant shift in the company’s policies.
In Episode 4, titled “Woe’s Hollow,” the innies experience another major change. They are given the opportunity to participate in an Outdoor Retreat Team Building Occurrence (ORTBO). This retreat is meant to be a new benefit for employees working on the severed floor.
In the past, their only chance to experience the outside world was through the Overtime Contingency Protocol, which allowed their innies to wake up outside the office under special conditions. Now, they can finally leave the Lumon building in a different way.
However, this outdoor trip is far from a normal retreat. Mark S. (Adam Scott), Helly R. (Britt Lower), Irving B. (John Turturro), and Dylan face unexpected challenges in this new environment. Instead of strengthening their bonds, the retreat causes them to grow further apart.
By the time the episode ends, the MDR team feels more divided and uncertain about each other than ever before. Even though the snowy camping trip is supposed to be a break from their usual routines, it hides a much darker purpose, just like many things at Lumon.
A Retreat That Feels Like Another Experiment
The ORTBO takes the innies outside of Lumon, but it does not give them real freedom. Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman) explains that this retreat is Lumon’s way of responding to the innies’ wish to see the outside world.
The company claims to have arranged the trip with the permission of their outies, which means the outies must have agreed to let their innies experience this new activity.
The experience begins when the MDR team suddenly wakes up in the Dieter Eagan National Forest, a place they have never seen before. They are confused and disoriented, as they were not given any prior knowledge about the trip.
While the retreat is supposed to be about team bonding and relaxation, it creates more stress than relief. Each of them wakes up alone in the cold, feeling lost and unsure of what is happening.
As the team tries to find their way, they quickly realize they have no food or supplies. This lack of preparation forces Irving to consider eating a decaying animal they find in the woods. The ORTBO, which is presented as a privilege, turns out to be another method of control.
It seems designed to push them into survival mode rather than allowing them to enjoy their time outside. Instead of giving the innies real freedom, the retreat exposes them to a new kind of psychological pressure.
Lumon’s Hidden Agenda Behind the ORTBO
The ORTBO is supposed to be a break from the strict environment of the severed floor, but in reality, it follows the same rules and restrictions. Lumon still maintains control over the employees, even in an open setting. The company’s teachings are based on the beliefs of its founder, Kier Eagan, who demands total loyalty from workers.
The ORTBO follows this philosophy by keeping employees under strict supervision and enforcing participation in activities that reflect Kier’s ideas.
Milchick tells the team that their task is to follow the journey of Kier Eagan and his twin brother, Dieter, who supposedly traveled through the same forest. This journey is described in a previously unreleased part of Kier’s teachings called the Fourth Appendix. The entire retreat is based on these writings, forcing the employees to engage in a strange and unsettling experience.
During the retreat, the team encounters eerie figures that resemble them. These “twins” silently point the way forward, adding to the sense of unease. Instead of feeling like a fun outdoor adventure, the retreat feels more like a cult-like ritual.
Milchick reads aloud from the Fourth Appendix by the campfire, making sure everyone listens carefully. When some employees fail to take it seriously, he punishes them by withholding their marshmallows, which have Kier’s face printed on them.
This moment shows how deeply Lumon is invested in controlling every aspect of its employees’ lives. Even outside the office, the workers are expected to follow strict rules, honor Kier’s teachings, and accept consequences for any mistakes.
The ORTBO is not a genuine attempt to offer the employees freedom. Instead, it serves as another way for Lumon to test and manipulate them, proving that even in nature, they are still trapped by the company’s influence.
A Retreat That Breaks the Team Apart
Although taking the innies outside of Lumon seems like a step toward treating them better, the ORTBO ends up creating more problems. The strict rules and eerie traditions make it clear that Lumon is still in full control. Instead of strengthening their relationships, the MDR team faces new conflicts that make them question each other’s loyalty.
Since the beginning of Season 2, tensions have been growing within the team. The stress of the retreat pushes these tensions to the surface. One major development is the relationship between Mark and Helly.
During the trip, they take a big step forward in their complicated dynamic by sleeping together. This moment adds a new layer to their connection, but it does not bring the team closer as a whole.
Another shocking moment occurs when Irving learns that Helly is actually Helena Eagan, a member of the powerful Eagan family that runs Lumon. Feeling betrayed, Irving reacts with anger and nearly drowns Helly in a moment of rage. However, before he can go through with it, Milchick intervenes and reactivates Helly’s innie, stopping the attack.
This violent confrontation leads to Irving’s termination, and it is possible that his innie is permanently erased. The others are left in shock, unsure of what to think about Helly’s true identity. This event creates a deep divide within the team. Trust is broken, and the innies are more uncertain about each other than ever before.
Despite being called a “team-building” retreat, the ORTBO only increases tension and fear among the employees. The experience is another reminder that Lumon’s control extends beyond the office, shaping every aspect of their lives. The trip is not about giving the innies more freedom—it is about reinforcing the company’s power over them.
Final Thoughts on the ORTBO
The ORTBO is presented as a new benefit for the innies, but it turns out to be another unsettling experiment by Lumon. Instead of offering a true escape, the retreat forces the employees into a stressful and rigid experience based on Kier Eagan’s teachings.
The creepy traditions, the lack of provisions, and the forced participation all show that the company still has complete control over them.
Instead of bringing the MDR team together, the ORTBO pushes them further apart. Conflicts escalate, trust is broken, and by the end of the trip, they are more divided than ever.
This outdoor retreat is not a step toward freedom—it is another way for Lumon to manipulate and control its workers, proving that even outside the building, they are never truly free.