The We We Are

The We We Are is the ninth and final episode of the first season of Severance.

An echo of “Ace of Spades” fades in before we see Dylan flipping the Overtime Contingency Protocol switch to On. The other switch is flipped and the Elevator ding sounds. The screen is split three ways, showing Irving, Helly, and Mark as they simultaneously experience the transition from Outie to Innie. Their eyes open and the sound of the elevator pings again.

Mark finds he is speaking to Ms. Cobel (as Mrs. Selvig) at a private home where a party is in progress. She is telling him to talk to his sister about an important decision. After he repeats “My sister…”, Cobel seems to notice something about him. Awkwardly he extricates himself from the conversation but she has to redirect him to the bathroom. He passes a man (Patton) before the scene flickers to -

Irving, a palette knife in hand smeared with black paint, awakens in a small, dark apartment, “Ace of Spades” blaring in the background. Before him is a makeshift easel holding a painting on pegboard of a dark hallway, with a door at the far end of it. A lit “down” indicator is atop the door. The narrow hallway is ominous and feels like others at Lumon. Irving turns to find at least a dozen more paintings of the same image in varying sizes and on various surfaces, stacked against a wall. He surveys the apartment to find another wall stacked with over 20 more paintings of the same image.The scene flickers to -

Helly, her hair up and with heavy jeweled earrings, finds a dressed up stranger talking about senators and congressmen. Natalie notices something about Helly and asks how many drinks she has had. Helly says just one, and Natalie presses Helly that she’s “on in twenty.” Waiting at the elevator is a woman Gabby Arteta, and she greets Natalie, who introduces her to Helly. Gabby is appropriately awed. Helly’s face freezes in shock and the elevator descends as she takes in that her outie is an Eagan, the enemy.

Dylan is framed in a doorway in the Security Office, his arms stretched to their full length between the two OTC switches. It’s clear the awkward position is uncomfortable and exerting as his glasses slip to the end of his nose. “This better be working, assholes,” he says to the crystal portrait of MDR that he received as Refiner of the Quarter.

Mark explores the house, passing multiple paintings of Ricken without registering them. “Where am I?” he asks himself repeatedly. He bars himself inside a bathroom, overwhelmed. He gazes at his outie in the mirror. A woman calls to him from the hallway, and he opens the door to find her cradling a baby. “So Rebeck smells weird,” she says, confusing him. She talks to him and he tries to keep up and answer plausibly. Finally he tries, “How’s our baby?” which she laughs off and then goes into the bathroom. This was no help.

Irving turns off the loud music and sets down his palette knife. He hears dog noises from the next room, and finds a grizzled good boy on the bed looking at him. The dog’s tag reads, “Radar.”

Mark encounters the same man and a woman in the kitchen where they ask him an opinion about the baby that helps him identify Devon as his sister. He returns to the living room, trying to figure out what is happening and who he should talk to. Rebeck talks about sharing the book and various weird issues she has, but Mark is distracted by the return of Devon to the party. “We’re close, you and I?” he asks her. He tries to pull her to talk privately but they are interrupted by a man’s voice assembling the guests to peacefully waft into the living room. Devon defers Mark’s chat to the first reflection break.

Irving explores his small, ascetic apartment trying to get a sense of who he is, since no one is present to talk to that he might trust. He finds neat, orderly military memorabilia and medals, and his outie’s reflection in the mirror. He opens a door before the scene flickers to -

Gabby and Helly walk and talk alongside Natalie about kids as they move toward the main floor of the event they are attending. They are joined by Gabby’s husband Angelo, who is also eager to meet Helena. Gabby smiles about having a little help with her three kids, and is hostile to the idea that “people would want to outlaw Severance.” Helly schools her face into a placid expression she assumes Helena would before choking out her agreement.

Irving explores his neat and orderly bedroom closet, discovering a steamer trunk.

Back at the event, Angelo says to Helly that he already knows how he’ll be voting, but he thinks her part in it will “really make a difference.” Helly, still in the dark, agrees. “Let’s change some minds,” he says. “Well I’m certainly going to try,” she replies truthfully. He mentions her father and we see the realization anew in her eyes.

Ricken beckons his audience to their seats, and Mark files into the living room to sit by Rebeck on the front row. She hands him a book, The You You Are. He looks up to see the man himself joking about his bell-ringing app and is awestruck. Ricken dedicates the reading to Eleanor, pointing out Devon who stands by a table laden with Ricken’s books, and Mark realizes Ricken is his brother-in-law. Ricken reads his book aloud, and Cobel cranes over Mark’s shoulder to read along.

The Artetas leave Helena alone, and only then does she see what this dressy event is. She is in a vast space filled with enormous rotating backlit cubes, each side with a blown up black and white photo of her innie in MDR. The gala theme title image swings around to reveal: “Helly: a severed story.” She watches in shock as new images pass.

Dylan grunts from the effort of holding the switches in the On position.

Irving finds a key to the trunk and opens it to find a Navy uniform with a photo labeled “Dad.” He removes the top tray of the trunk.

Ricken continues reading from his book about the nature of “you,” as Cobel hovers far too close to a starstruck Mark. Once Ricken calls for a break, Devon tells Mark she will feed Eleanor and then they can chat, but Mark is fixated on Ricken. He steps outside, calling him “Mr. Hale.” Ricken is self-deprecating and Mark praises the book, which Ricken dismisses. Mark insists “this book changed my whole life” and Ricken surprised he read it. Mark asks if they are friends and Ricken is apologetic to Mark for how he has judged him for dealing with Gemma’s passing. Ricken reminisces about a hike they all took together but before Mark can see a photo, Ricken is called away by Balf with the neti pot. Mark goes back inside but cannot avoid Cobel. She asks why he tensed when they hugged, but he shrugs it off. She probes further, asking him vague questions to see if he follows what she is talking about. He manages to deflect with an uncle duty excuse, but as he leaves he calls her, Ms. Cobel, so now she knows for sure.

Helly takes in the enormity of the gala, the many images of her smiling and laughing, and of Mark leading the team.

Mark finds Devon with a wailing Eleanor and she puts him off again to deal with the baby. He waits in the baby room. Devon finds Cobel/Selvig and asks her to watch the baby while she talks to Mark.

Helly finds a display showing a video] of her outie talking about growing up an Eagan and how awesome severance is. She is horrified. The video ends with the tagline Lumon: United in Severance.

Harmony Cobel drives through town like a maniac. She gets Milchick’s voice mail and curses him.

The bottom compartment of Irving’s trunk is full of papers: invoices, lists, diagrams, more. He finds a newspaper article titled “Severed worker sues for information following injury,” and a list of severed employees, annotated with extra details. He is on it, as are Dylan and Burt, with Burt’s address. Now Irving knows what trustworthy person to tell about the severed floor. A map has names including Burt’s on it, and a piece of mail with his own address will help him navigate to Burt’s from home.

Helly strides through a maze of her own face to the bathroom. She gazes at the reflection of her outie and tries to calm her breathing. A staffer directs an older man in to see her. She recognizes him from his statue in the Perpetuity wing and he compliments her with the same raspy voice from the exhibit: Jame Eagan. He asks after the pain from her hanging, and bemoans how he cried in his bed when he heard “what that innie tried to do.” He refers to the Grandfather cherishing what she’s done, referencing his Revolving. He reminisces about when he brought home the prototype Severance chip when she was a little girl. She’d said everyone in the whole world should get one, and “they will, because of you.” Natalie ends this intense moment, and Jame leaves. Helly recites the The Compunction Statement to herself in the mirror.

Irving sets out to find Burt. He remembers how to drive, but not very well. His PE license plate reveals the state motto, Remedium Hominibus, exemplifying Lumon’s political reach. He takes in the experience of being outdoors even as he is determined to execute his mission.

Mark has explained his innie’s situation to Devon, who is in shock but trusts him. He tells her they need to send inspectors and she tells him he’s been trying to figure out what he and Lumon do. He says he just wants to know why his outie put him in there. Devon explains about Gemma and her death in a car accident and how he’d hoped the severed job would help spare him from the pain.

Irving drives towards Burt’s, passing Cobel’s speeding car, unbeknownst to either. Cobel gets through to Milchick and tells him the OTC has been triggered. She’ll take care of Helly at the gala and Milchick runs to the security office, which Dylan has double secured with his belt. Milchick bangs at the door and Dylan screams “Fuck you, Mr. Milchick!”

Devon and Mark strategize on what to do with this information, journalists or the police, but with Lumon’s hands in so many pies they need to be really careful. Mark remembers to ask why Cobel is at this party. Once they make the connection that Selvig and Cobel are the same person, Devon is horrified to realize she handed her baby off to Mark’s boss. A killer sound cue transitions to -

Helly walks with determination toward backstage. Irving drives with a fierce expression. Milchick gets out a pocket knife to start sawing through Dylan’s leather belt holding the door shut. Devon bursts in a panic back into the book reading in progress to ask where Mrs. Selvig is because she has Eleanor. They discover Cobel’s car is gone and they start to search for the baby. Irving finds Burt’s house. Milchick tries to sweet-talk Dylan as he saws through the belt, offering exciting new Perks, to which Dylan screams, “I wanna remember my fucking kid being born!” Milchick offers two more kids and their names if he opens the door.

Cobel speeds to Lumon, abandoning her still-running car out front. Helly finds Natalie and gets some speech tips about her innie being her sister. Irving watches as Burt appears in the front window of his house, packing a suitcase. Another man appears in the house, adding clothes to the same case. Irving’s face falls, and he deflates further when he observes them behaving like an affectionate couple.

Mark finds the baby in a new room and Patton makes a big deal about how he, Patton, was the one who found her. Mark finds some framed photos on a table, and sees one of himself tucked among others of Ricken. Milchick sweats and yells at Dylan as he tries to saw his way through the leather belt.

Natalie introduces Helena. Cobel confronts Helly backstage, recognizing she is her innie. Helly says she’s going to kill the company, and Cobel warns her that if she does, her friends, especially Mark, will suffer. The Event Coordinator interrupts and gets Helly into position.

Irving reacts to the news that Burt is not single. Mark lifts his photo as the gala audio continues. Helly’s enlarged face parts to reveal Helly in front of the Lumon logo. Cobel leaves, Natalie watches with pride, and Jame waits in the back of the room.

Mark’s photo shows his wedding day with who he knows as Ms. Casey. He is shaken and tears away. Irving gets out of his car and faces Burt's house. Milchick is almost through the belt. Mark runs, calling Devon’s name. Irving walks purposefully toward Burt's front door.

Helly begins her speech: “My name is Helly R. I’m an innie.” She warns everything they have been told about severance is a lie, that the innies are miserable.

Milchick continues sawing through Dylan's belt. Mark runs through the hallway gripping the wedding photo. Irving begins banging on the door, screaming “Burt!” Helly’s declaration snaps Natalie’s robotic cheer into horror.

Irving's fists pound on the door. Milchick saws through the belt and bursts into the security office. Helly yells at the audience, “They torture us down there!”

Milchick runs at Dylan who growls and braces himself. Mark screams for Devon who appears in the crowd, holding the baby. Natalie tackles Helly from the side to silence her as she cries, “We’re prisoners!” Milchick closes in on Dylan.

Mark screams, “She’s alive!”

Milchick’s body makes contact with Dylan, pushing him off the switches. One snaps back to Off. Irving pounds and calls for Burt. The other snaps back to Off. Dylan falls backward, and the scene flickers between Mark and the falling bodies of Dylan and Milchick.

The elevator dings.

• Adam Scott as Mark Scout
• Zach Cherry as Dylan George
• Britt Lower as Helly Riggs
• Tramell Tillman as Seth Milchick
• Jen Tullock as Devon Scout-Hale
• Dichen Lachman as Ms. Casey (credit only)
• Michael Chernus as Ricken Hale
  _with
• John Turturro as Irving Bailiff
• Christopher Walken as Burt Goodman
  _and
• Patricia Arquette as Harmony Cobel

• Sydney Cole Alexander as Natalie
• Nora Dale as Gabby Arteta
• Michael Siberry as Jame Eagan

• Annie McNamara as Danise
• Grace Rex as Rebeck
• Donald Webber Jr. as Patton
• Arthur Brooks as Cecil Fields
• Amy Stiller as Event Coordinator
• Ethan Flower as Angelo Arteta
• Rajat Suresh as Balf
• Marc Geller as Kier Eagan (credit only)

• Dan Erickson as Book Reading Attendee
• Radar
• Eleanor

• During the book reading, Severance creator Dan Erickson makes a cameo appearance as one of the attendees. He is seen speaking to Devon and even says hi to Mark as he passes by him.

I don't know if I hate senators or congressmen more.

— Natalie, (01:36)

I have small eyes, so I have to read pretty close. […] And I have some sores on the back of my head from my bird. You might see them.

— Rebeck, (07:13)

Balf. Prepare the neti pot.

— Ricken, (14:20)

I don't know why my voice shakes like that. I sound like a sad old hamburger waiter prattling on about sauces. 'Hamburger waiter.' What the fuck is that? Jesus, why do I ever open my buffoon mouth?

— Ricken, (14:57)

No, I don't think severance divides us. I think it brings us together.

— Helly [on video], (19:50)

Thank you for going through with this. The Grandfather would cherish what you've done. And one day you will sit with me at my revolving.

— Jame Eagan, (23:09)

Forgive me for the harm I've caused this world. None may atone for my actions…but me. And only in me shall their stain live on. All I can be is sorry. And that is all I am.

— Helly, [to herself] (24:54)

I just want to know why. Why he put me in there.

— Mark, (27:34)

It's a nice name. Gemma.

— Mark, (28:38)

She was wonderful. She made you wonderful.

— Devon, (28:50)

The goddamn OTC's been triggered! Mark S. is his fucking innie!

— Cobel, (29:44)

I'll take care of Helly. I'll fix it like I fix everything.

— Cobel, (29:56)

I wanna remember my fucking kid being born!

— Dylan, (33:19)

Devon, she's here! I found her. I found your child. I'm the one who found her!

— Patton, (35:31)

Your company. Who do you think you are? No. Your friends are gonna suffer. Mark will suffer. You'll be long gone, but we'll keep them alive, in pain.

— Cobel, (36:30)

My name is Helly R. I'm an innie. And everything they've told you about severance is a lie!

— Helly, (37:56)

She's alive!

— Mark, (38:31)

• List of Severance Episodes
• The We We Are transcript
• The We We Are script (via Deadline)