To borrow the verbosity of Lumon’s top execs, as Severance Season 2 Episode 9, “The After Hours,” unfolds, we tremble on the brink of greatness that risks great disappointment. The lower levels of Lumon — both the Severed floor and the lower level accessed through the Exports Hall — are on an inevitable collision course. Gemma’s (Dichen Lachman) existence as a lone multi-Severed experimental subject and Lumon’s need for Innie Mark (Adam Scott) as the sole data refiner capable of completing the all-important Cold Harbor, resemble the match and fuse, respectively, of a cataclysmic explosion.
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Meanwhile, Outie Mark’s setting some landmines of his own. With sister Devon’s (Jenn Tullock) help, he’s teamed up with Harmony Cobel/Mrs. Selvig (Patricia Arquette) to bring down the wall between the real world and Lumon’s reality. Now that we know Cobel created the severance procedure, there’s a whole new level of mind-blowiness to the convolution of Lumon’s inner workings. Brace yourself, folks. We’re about to hit the payload.
Severance, “The After Hours”
The penultimate episode of the season opens with Helena Eagan (Britt Lower) swimming laps in a pool before getting dressed and visiting her father, Jame Eagan (Michael Siberry). He comments on it being a momentous day. She agrees and sits down at the table. When she asks if he’ll eat, he says he’ll watch. The meal is a ritualistic consumption of a single hard-boiled egg. As she eats and he whines wordlessly, she tells him they’re seeing to Mr. Bailiff (John Turturro).
She eats the egg in very small bites. Her father tells her he wishes she’d take them raw. She puts down her fork. He gets up and leaves.
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A luxury sedan drives away from the Eagan Compound. Helena sits in the back seat. The camera zooms out until a three-legged containment tower with the Lumon logo fills the foreground.
The Wintertide Fellowship
Mr. Milchick’s (Tramell Tillman) voice: “Unveil.” A cloth is pulled away to reveal a bronze bust of Jame Eagan. Milchick tells Miss Huang (Sarah Bock) that her Wintertide Fellowship is over. He congratulates her and informs her that she will be moved to the Gunnel Eagan Empathy Center in Svalbard. She will work to steward global reforms. Miss Huang looks at the plaque on the trophy that reads, “Lumon: Jame Eagan Wintertide Fellowship: Eustace Huang: Year of Vision.”
In a small voice, she states that she thought she’d finish the quarter. Milchick responds that empathy awaits. He tells her that she may resume her duties for the day and that a shuttle will pick her up at dusk. As her final test, she must sacrifice something material to mark her betterment. Milchick tells her to put the Kier Eagan ring toss game on the table. He places the game on a linen cloth and steps back. Miss Huang stands up, picks up the trophy, and uses it to smash the game to pieces. On Milchick’s order, she bashes it two more times.
When They’re At Home
At the George house, Gretchen (Merritt Wever) is in the kitchen when Outie Dylan (Zach Cherry) comes down. She tells Dylan about kissing Innie Dylan in the Family Visitation Suite. Outie Dylan is shocked and upset. She apologizes. Escalating, Dylan dumps his breakfast veggie smoothie ingredients in the sink and storms out, threatening to quit so she can’t cheat on him with himself again.
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Irving Bailey enters his apartment and hears his dog whimpering. He walks in slowly and finds Burt Goodman (Christopher Walken) sitting in an armchair, reading Irving’s notes on Lumon’s severed employees. Burt reads a passage that hypothesizes that he may be a low-level enforcer or goon. He chortles at the general language, commenting that Lumon always uses specific terminology.
Irving admits his theories were wrong. He now believes that Burt isn’t with Lumon in that capacity. After a long pause, Burt asks Irving to go for a ride. Irving demurs. Burt insists. There’s no comment or question of how Burt got into Irving’s locked apartment.
Not Creepy At All
In the lower level of Lumon, Dr. Mauer (Robby Benson) sits alone in the mirror MDR office and watches surveillance footage of Gemma on a monitor. He sports a black plaster on his forehead where she clocked him with a chair in Severance Season 2 Episode 7, “Chikhai Bardo.”
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He toggles the screen to Cold Harbor completion stats. It remains at 96 percent. He calls Drummond (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson) to report that Cold Harbor’s completion numbers are stuck. And it’s already nine o’clock. Drummond calls Milchick. Milchick offers the excuse that Mark S. may be running late. Drummond doesn’t accept this, pointing out that the final quota was promised today. He demands that Milchick get Mark S. on the job immediately.
Diverging Paths
On the Severed floor, Helly R. arrives to find no one else at the MDR station. In the Outie world, Mark S. sleeps in the passenger seat as Devon drives them to meet Cobel. She questions him to make sure he’s cognitively alert. He answers with snarky brotherliness. His cough persists. He regrets agreeing to meet with Cobel.
They pull to a stop in the woods next to the road. As they wait, Mark’s phone buzzes. The display says it’s Milchick. On Devon’s advice, Mark doesn’t answer it.
Helly R. barges into Milchick’s office to ask where Mark is. Because he had a nosebleed the last day he was in, she’s concerned for him. Milchick questions why she cares, stating that Dylan can act as Department Chief in Mark’s absence. She gets in his face, comparing him to Cobel and pointing out he should be calling her “Helly E.” since her Outie is an Eagan. He calls her behavior insubordinate. She agrees and leaves.
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In the Family Visitation Suite, Gretchen tells Innie Dylan about telling Outie Dylan about the kiss and how he reacted. Gretchen tells Innie Dylan she can’t see him anymore. He protests that she’s everything to his life. Before she can leave, he gets down on one knee, proclaims his love, and offers her a paper ring he made. Tears streaming down her face, she tells him she’s sorry and leaves. Innie Dylan remains on his knees after she leaves.
O&D and the Goat People
Back in MDR, he continues to study the paper ring. Helly R. advises that he keep it for someone he meets at Lumon with whom he can build a life. He mutters that there’s only O&D and the goat people. Helly R. reminds him that Gretchen isn’t his wife; she loves Outie Dylan. Dylan G. bemoans the fact that, as Innies, they have no lives and no family.
Helly R. reminds him that Irving B. was his family and left him a message. She encourages him to investigate the black hallway. Dylan G. turns on her, reminding her that it’s her Outie and her family that put them where they are. He points out that no one could tell her from her Outie when Helena pretended to be her. “Irving could,” she argues. Dylan G. retorts, “Mark couldn’t,” and walks away from her.
Cold Harbor. Again.
Cobel meets Devon and Mark and tells them they have to wait until the night before they can go to the birthing cabin. She asks if Mark’s finished the Cold Harbor file. Mark, being his Outie self, has no idea what she’s talking about. Cobel tells him if he’s finished Cold Harbor, Gemma’s already dead.
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This triggers Mark, and he’s ready to leave. Devon talks him down. Cobel advises that he call Mr. Milchick and say he’s too sick to come to work. Mark refuses. Devon reasons that they have no other options if they want to save Gemma.
On the Severed floor, Helly R. heads for the Break Room to retrieve Irving B.’s note. While she studies it and tries to memorize the directions, Dylan G. wanders the halls morosely and makes a decision.
In Burt’s car, Irving gazes out the window. His dog sits in the backseat. Burt tells him he never hurt anyone. He just drove people places and didn’t ask what happened to them once they got there. Irving asks if that’s what’s happening to him now. No answer.
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At Lumon, Dylan G. fills out a resignation form in front of Milchick and Miss Huang. For reasons, he checks off everything. Milchick states he is disappointed, and Dylan G.’s resignation reeks of ingratitude. Dylan G. turns in his key card by tossing it on Milchick’s desk. Milchick instructs him to report to the elevator and wait. Miss Huang apologizes that she didn’t facilitate better. Milchick tries to end the conversation. Dylan G. tells her it’s not her fault.
Devour Feculence
On an external walkway on a higher floor, Drummond scolds Milchick for failing Lumon. Milchick replies that he has followed protocol. Nevertheless, he thanks Drummond for his remonstration. In an exchange reminiscent of Milchick forcing Miss Huang to destroy her game, Drummond calls Milchick on using a needlessly complex word — one of the criticisms in Milchick’s evaluation — and demands he apologize. When he apologizes, Drummond demands he use a shorter phrase. He says, “I’m sorry,” and Drummond demands he repeat it. Milchick hesitates. Drummond insists.
Unexpectedly, Milchick suggests Drummond, “Devour feculence.” When Mr. Drummond appears confused, Milchick interprets the phrase for him. Drummond questions him in a dangerous tone. Milchick replies with clarity. “I am manager of the Severed floor, which means two things. First, I am owed a measure of respect, even by my superiors. Second, and more obvious, that said floor comprises the whole of my jurisdiction.”
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Enunciating at a condescendingly slow tempo, Milchick spells out for Drummond that he cannot be held at fault for what Mark Scout does when he is not at work. That responsibility falls to Drummond. With that, he turns and walks away.
Work Is Just Work
At the meeting location, Devon and Cobel watch as Mark wrestles with the decision to call Milchick. Eventually, he does and tells Milchick he’s at a clinic to have tests done regarding his nosebleeds. Milchick tells him he should be under Lumon care and offers to send a car to fetch him.
After a moment’s thought and a long look at Cobel, Mark comes clean and tells Milchick he isn’t sick. He says he just needs a day for life stuff, asking Milchick if that isn’t what Lumon expounds — balance. Milchick is silent for a long moment, staring at the picture on his office wall. He asks Mark if he’ll be at work the next day. Mark promises he’ll be there. Milchick thanks him for calling and hangs up.
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Burt brings Irving and his dog to a train station. He buys a one-way non-transferable ticket and gives it to Irving, emphasizing that he can never know where Irving gets off the train and that Irving can never come back to Kier. Irving doesn’t understand why this is how it has to be. He asks if Burt will face reprisals for this.
Burt explains that he underwent severance so part of him could be innocent again. When his innocent Innie fell in love with Irving’s Innie, things went awry. Irving wistfully wishes he could remember their relationship. Burt warns it’s probably best if they don’t. Irving is reluctant to leave without experiencing the love their Innies felt. He insists he’s ready to feel it. Burt stands firm and states they can’t give in to the urge. They part ways.
Resigned
At Lumon, Dylan G. waits at the elevator. Outside, Miss Huang waits for her shuttle, carrying a suitcase and her Wintertide Fellowship trophy. On the train, Irving and his dog find seats. In the station, Burt sits on a bench.
The train picks up speed. The elevator arrives. A blue Lumon shuttle bus pulls up. Music swells as Miss Huang boards the shuttle, Dylan G. enters the elevator, Burt gets up from the bench, and Irving smiles. The train speeds away towards the horizon.
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The music glitches, and the scene changes to the Export Hall. In the woods, Mark climbs into the flatbed of the pick-up truck Cobel borrowed from Hampton (James Le Gros). Devon and Cobel cover him with a tarp. In the Export Hall, the elevator’s down light lights up. On the severed floor, in a darkened MDR, Helly continues to memorize Irving B.’s directions. Jame Eagan comes in. “You tricked me,” he says, startling Helly into hiding the directions card. “My Helly,” he calls her. Helly looks at him, having no idea who he is.
Looking For a Golden Thimble
Cobel drives up to a stone archway and stops for a guard inspection. She claims she’s taking one of Jame Eagan’s women up to Cottage Five. She exchanges code phrases with the guard, and they’re let through.
Mark S. emerges as he steps into the cottage. Devon greets him and warns him that if he leaves, his Outie will just send him back in again. She tries to put him at ease, walking him upstairs to the main room where Cobel waits for them. He sees her and approaches cautiously. Devon asks if he remembers the last thing he said to her. He replies, “She’s alive.”
Severance streams on Apple TV+. New episodes drop every Friday until March 21.
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