Severance Review: The We We Are (Season 1 Episode 9)
If you’ve been waiting all season to finally meet an Eagan, I have good news for you. You already have. Severance Season 1 Episode 9, “The We We Are,” reveals that and more in a stunning finale.
Clocking in at around 40 minutes the episode feels much faster due both to the plot and some technical choices.
As the story quickly cuts between the different scenes happening to the innies, the tension builds. A variety of camera styles and a glitching effect to mark the transitions add to the disjointed and frantic feeling.
Although the increased roles of the other innies are a much-welcomed addition, the emotional center of the story still lies with Adam Scott’s Mark S.
Scott’s performance reaches a new depth as we see Mark’s innie marvel at the life of his outie and try to reconcile with the man who created him. He has a baby! Oh wait, that’s his sister’s baby. He has a sister and her husband is the author of his favorite book!
His interactions with Devon while learning about Gemma ground this strange show in real emotion. He gets his answer as to why Mark would create him. Although we already know of Mark’s tragedy the pain feels fresh seeing it from his innie’s POV.
He doesn’t completely lose focus of the mission but clearly Mark’s innie is caught by surprise at how much his outie’s life captivates him.
When he first reveals himself to Devon and she asks if he understands metaphors it’s sort of funny but also sad. The innies may see themselves as people but it seems even someone as sympathetic as Devon isn’t sure what to make of them aside from wanting to help.
The presence of Ms. Selvig/Harmony complicates what could be a beautiful exploration as she begins to suspect something is wrong with Mark.
Who’s not at Rickon’s reading is Helly. Instead, in the biggest twist since the revelation that Gemma is alive, we learn Helly is not Helly S. at all. She’s Helena E., as in Eagan, and at the Eagan Family Gala.
Of all the innies, Helly is the most radical and resistant to the Eagan philosophy. Revealing that she is actually an Eagan makes you feel almost betrayed.
It never quite made sense why her outie seemed so obstinant about not quitting despite her pleas and suicide attempt. Now we know why.
Helly didn’t need a job, she is the job. Helena manipulated her experience of being severed to create propaganda to support Lumon’s push to legalize all severance.
You get to see Helly process in real-time that all along the enemy wasn’t really Harmony or Milchick or even the Eagan patriarch. It’s her.
Watching Helly get the chance to burn it all down is thrilling but also heartwrenching. Moving through the gala she gets to witness firsthand how little the people around her know about innies or think of them.
Compared to Mark’s storyline it is a little less emotional since we have no relationship with Helly’s outie. Helena is nothing more than a strawman for Lumon.
Does she really believe all the crap she’s espousing in the videos? Or could there be more to her too?
I hope to see Britt Lower get to do more with the character in the future.
Severance is a sci-fi thriller but I’d be remiss to not point out how much the horror moments add to the series. No one delivers them better than Tramell Tillman as Mr. Milchick.
When he tries to force his way into the control room by sawing through the rope Dylan used to close it he might as well be saying, “Here’s Milchick!”
Even scarier is that Milchick genuinely believes offering Dylan’s innie useless perks like a coffee cozy would sway him. Milchick is the human embodiment of everything wrong with modern work culture.
With everything the innies have gone through just to make it to the outside world, it’s not a huge surprise that the show ends on a cliffhanger.
Mark realizes Gemma is alive and tries to tell Devon. Helly gives her speech about how horrible being severed is. Irving shows up at Burt’s door.
What we don’t see is the fallout of the outies returning to their bodies once Milchick breaks into the security room and tackles Dylan.
Mark’s been on this journey but Helena and Irving? There’s no telling how they’ll react.
There are so many questions left for Severance to answer. Why is Harmony obsessed with the Eagans? What did Lumon do to Gemma? And what the hell do those numbers mean?
Despite these loose ends, there is still satisfaction in seeing the innies’ breakthrough. It diminishes the frustration you might usually feel about a cliffhanger ending.
It’s a good thing that Apple TV+ already announced it’s giving viewers the perk of a Season 2, confirming this is not the last we’ve seen of Lumon and its employees.
What did you think of this episode of Severance? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Severance Season 1 is streaming now on Apple TV+.
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Breeze Riley
Breeze Riley is a pop culture fanatic who decided to turn her love of watching too much TV into a hobby writing and podcasting about it. Although she's a convention-going sci-fi and fantasy nerd, she's just as likely to be watching an off-beat comedy or period drama.