Editor's Note: The following contains Severance spoilers.Creator Dan Erickson’s new Apple TV+ show, Severance, follows Mark (Adam Scott), a mild-mannered employee at Lumon Industries, an insidious billion-dollar biotech company. Mark’s a member of Lumon’s “severance” program, a medical procedure where a memory-splitting microchip severs a person’s non-work memories from their work ones. Severance is executive produced by Ben Stiller, who co-directs with Aoife McArdle, but the subconscious-bending season finale might’ve left more questions than answers. Thankfully, we’re here to help you unravel the intricate conspiracy at the cankerous center of Lumon Industries. Dive in feet first and trudge through the gooey tar-like drudgery of corporate life and attempt to solve the labyrinth mysteries at the heart of Severance–but if you haven’t finished the season, sever these paragraphs from your memory in this spoiler-filled ending breakdown.
The premise of “The We We Are” begins with Dylan (Zack Cherry) successfully enabling the “Overtime protocol,” allowing Mark, Helly, and Irving’s “innies” to switch places with their respective “outies.” During that short window of time, each member of the Macrodata Refinement Department discovers aspects of their outer lives that they weren’t initially privy to, leading to mind-altering consequences.
Mark S awakens at the release party for Ricken’s (Michael Chernus) new self-help book while in mid-conversation with his boss, Ms. Cobel (Patricia Arquette), who’s secretly his next-door neighbor, Mrs. Selvig. Discombobulated, Mark S struggles to the bathroom to collect himself. Irving B (John Turturro) arrives suddenly in the home of his “outie,” surrounded by paintings. Irving’s “outie” paints the same picture every night after work– the elevator that goes down to the “testing floor” encased in black goo, referencing Irving’s dark dream earlier in the season. Helly R (Britt Lower) discovers her “outie” is Helena Eagan, granddaughter of Lumon founder Kier Eagan, and she’s about to give a speech on behalf of Lumon. Helena willingly underwent the “severance” program at the behest of her father, Lumon CEO James Eagan, as a PR stunt to bolster the company’s optics.
Sinister Selvig’s puritan-like devotion to Keir and Lumon’s cause, with her make-shift basement shrine, is unsettling but not as disturbing as her unwavering interest in Mark’s “progress.” Later, Selvig, who will do anything for Keir’s mysterious vision, instantly smells a shift in Mark’s demeanor and presses him relentlessly with questions about a previous conversation. Flustered, Innie Mark politely leaves and subserviently replies, “thanks, Ms. Cobel,” before talking to Devon (Jen Tullock) about Lumon. Hip to Macrodata’s little scheme, Selvig calls floor supervisor Mr. Milchick and informs him of the ensuing catastrophe. Devon explains to Mark S that his outie joined the “severance” program to protect his work-self from the pain of losing his wife.
Helly wanders, mouth ajar, through an elaborate event space with her image (the photos Milchick took) plastered on giant spinning billboards, accompanied by Helena Eagan’s Elizabeth Holmes-esque promo video praising the company and the experience. Helly has a tense run-in with her father in the bathroom, who thanks her for her commitment to Lumon and ominously claims that because of Helena, “they’ll all be Kier’s children.” And just before she’s about to give her speech to a packed audience of investors and spectators, Cobel/Selvig appears, attempting to apprehend her, claiming Mark and her team will suffer if she goes through with the plan. Irving wanders through his house, meets his dog, Radar, and discovers an old footlocker with personal memorabilia, including his father’s Naval uniform. He uncovers a hidden compartment filled with confidential Lumon documents, including a running list of every “severed” employee, including the home address of Burt Goodman (Christopher Walken), and conveniently supplied with a road map of “Kier,” Pennsylvania.
Simultaneously, while these three plots intersect, Dylan is back at the Lumon office, manually holding the chip switches with both hands, split like a starfish. After his call with Corbel/Selvig–Milchick (Tramell Tillman) races to the control room to stop Dylan, who’s barricaded himself inside. Milchick tells Dylan (who recently discovered he was a father) that he has two additional children and offers to tell him their names if Dylan opens the door, but he refuses. Innie Irving drives to Burt’s house and discovers he’s married. Devastated but still aware of his mission, Irving runs up the lawn and bangs on Burt’s front door, begging him to open it. Helly executes Macrodata’s mission and tells the room, including her father, that Lumon lies to the public and tortures its employees before being apprehended by security. And back at the party, while wandering through Devon’s bedroom, Mark discovers a wedding photo of him and Gemma, revealed to be severance floor wellness counselor Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman). After the discovery, Mark runs to find Devon, picture in hand, and screams out, “she’s alive,” just as Milchick tackles Dylan.
Severance will return with a second season, and maybe we will discover what Lumon does with all those baby goats.