Severance Season 2 just subtly disproved a big Innie theory
Apple TV+Severance Season 2 Episode 4 features a lot of firsts. It’s the first time the MDR team go outside, there’s the first-ever sex scene, and the Innies get the chance to experience a vital part of human life, an act that may just disprove a long-held theory.
The latest installment of the Apple TV+ series sees Irving’s Innie waking up in the middle of a frozen lake. He quickly finds his fellow MDR team and they learn they’re on an ORTBO (outdoor retreat and team-building occurrence).
Even though they’re being allowed outside for the first time in their lives, it’s tightly controlled by Lumon. They head on a trail supposedly walked by their great founder, Kier Eagan, with creepy, digital copies of themselves to guide them.
Once they reach the sacred earth of ‘Woe’s Hollow’, Milchick takes them to a campsite and tells them the story of Kier’s “twin” Dieter (to the tune of Miss Huang’s theremin). When all is said and done, it’s time for bed… and the Innies sleep for the first time in their lives. Warning: spoilers ahead!
The Innies sleep for the first time in Severance Season 2 Episode 4
Apple TV+In Severance Season 1, Irving gets in trouble for “dozing” at work, leading to the theory that his Outie was purposely depriving himself of sleep in order to get his Innie to accidentally nap at work and therefore dream of the outside.
The idea goes that Irving’s Outie was trying to communicate with his Innie through the subconscious. As such, Lumon doesn’t want Innies to sleep, as they have no control over their dreams.
If this is true, Irving’s plan kind of works: his Innie starts having visions of black goo, representative of the paint his Outie uses to repeatedly paint the elevator, which we now know to be the Exports Hall.
However, Milchick had no issue organizing the two-day ORTBO and allowing Mark, Irving, and Dylan’s Innies to sleep, meaning this theory seemingly can’t be correct.
FYI, I left Helly out of the list because, as we learn in Season 2 Episode 4, she’s been Helena Eagan all along (which casts a sinister light on the intimate moment between her and Mark).
On the show’s subreddit, the Severance first was spotted, with one fan writing, “Is this the first time the innies will have experienced actual sleep?” To which another replied, “Crazy that Lumon would let them do that tbh.”
Apple TV+One person suggested, “I think it’s just Lumon risking letting go of some control in order to stave off further rebellion. That’s been the theme of the season so far: giving a few more freedoms to make their prisoners think they are free(er).”
Here’s the thing: the theory could still be true, but in order for it to be, we’d need to believe a different theory.
While the MDR team sleep in their tents in Severance Season 2 Episode 4, Irving heads out into the forest and has a horrifying nightmare, where he envisions Helly’s face on his screen alongside the letters that make up the word ‘Eagan’.
Irving’s nightmare sparks new theory
From his dream, he’s able to figure out that Helly is actually Helena. This might mean Lumon installed some sort of device in or around their tents that controls their dreams, hence why Irving had those visions – he didn’t sleep at the campsite.
Apple TV+This might sound outlandish, but if you watch the moment Irving confronts Helena in the morning, he tells her he slept outside and, when the camera cuts back to her, she looks concerned.
As one viewer wrote, “Something about those tents. Irv slept outside and was better for it. Helena seemed to understand what that meant when he said it.”
Another agreed, “Yeah that’s what I was thinking. Like the tents block their Outie subconscious from seeping through, which is what happened to Irving when he fell asleep.”
“I think the tents had something to do with it. Because Irving made it a point to tell Helena he slept outside and not in the tents,” added a third. “Might also explain why Helena and Milchick didn’t sleep in the tents and were gone when Dylan and Mark woke up.”
And a fourth chimed in, “I wonder if the place Irving slept influenced him to have hallucinations/weird dreams.
Apple TV+“I remember hearing some theories saying that sleeping at work was not allowed because the mind was vulnerable and susceptible to ‘leaking’ information from their Outie. Could it be that the huts were equipped with some technology that prevented this from happening?”
Whatever the real answer is, it certainly appears that the ORTBO didn’t go to plan. Irving nearly killed Helena, which ultimately led to his own Innie’s death (for the time being).
Make sure you know when to catch the next episode with our Severance Season 2 release schedule. You can also read our guides on the Glasgow Block, Cold Harbor, the Lexington Letter, and Asal Reghabi, and our recaps of Season 2 Episode 1, Episode 2, and Episode 3.