Image: Adam Scott in “Severance” S2 EP10, “Cold Harbor” via IMDb
“Severance” Season 2 Episode 10 will go down as one of the greatest episodes of all time. Ever since episode 9 my mind was racing, just wondering what this season’s finale would even look like. I had no idea what I was in store for. I was not ready for the perfection that is this episode, and I can only hope that this review holds even a small light to just how incredibly made it is.
Before I get to the main part of this review I want to note that since this is an episode review, I will be diving into major spoiler territory. Once the show is completed I will dedicate a small portion of my full season review to have no spoilers, but those wanting that will just have to wait.
The episode picks up right where we left off with Mark’s innie, Devon, and Cobel in the birthing cabin. The mission isn’t simple in the slightest; Mark needs to complete Cold Harbor, find the Exports Hall, go down the elevator and switch to his outie. Then, Mark’s outie needs to somehow find Gemma, get her to the elevator, switch back to Mark’s innie and go down the Exports Hall, then find the exit staircase and then finally escape. As I was hearing this plan, I knew there was no way it would go perfectly or even work at all, but I still had hope. If done correctly, they could show the world how Lumon kidnapped Gemma and finally put a stop to Lumon.
After hearing all of this, Mark’s innie asks a question I didn’t even consider: “Well, if Lumon ends, then what happens to every innie on the severed floor?” This question floored me, as I actually began to consider all the lives that would be lost on the severed floor. The answer is obvious — all the innies would “die” or no longer exist, and as Mark realizes that, you can see him begin to turn against Devon and Cobel. Devon then hands him a camcorder, telling him that someone else would like to speak to him. I was confused hearing this at first, but then we proceed to get one of the most interesting dynamics in the show’s history, between Mark’s innie and his outie.
I had always guessed that, at some point, Mark would be able to communicate with his innie, but I never thought it’d be like this. I love seeing both Mark’s innie and outie genuinely amazed to see how their counterpart reacts. They are actually excited and happy to finally be able to talk to one another, but while this starts off very wholesome, it doesn’t stay that way.
By the end, Mark’s innie and outie are arguing as his innie fails to trust his outie, and I don’t necessarily blame him. Mark’s outie is asking a lot of his innie, potentially telling him to give up his life and everyone on the severed floor for one person: Gemma. Mark’s outie tries to persuade him that once they reintegrate he’ll feel alive again, but that’s not what his innie wants to hear. Mark’s innie wants his own life, not a shared one, and a life where he and Helly can live together. After much arguing, though, it seems that there is no way Mark’s innie will comply, and this only worsens once he talks to Cobel.
It is here that Cobel finally explains to us and Mark what the macrodata team really does at Lumon. She tells him that the numbers he refines all day at work are the “building blocks of [Gemma’s] mind,” and that every time he completes a file he creates a new innie for her. Seeing how he has completed 24 files at this point, it shows how long and tortuous Gemma’s time has really been. Cobel also hits Mark’s innie with the hard fact that “there’ll be no honeymoon ending for you and Helly R,” and that since she really is an Eagan, Mark means nothing to her.
Helly herself had a small part of this episode’s introduction, as we see her conversation with Jame continue from the end of last episode. Jame goes on to tell her how he used to see Kier in Helena when she was younger, but now he sees it in Helly. Helly responds, telling him: “You and your family created hell, and you’re going to burn in it.” This line was delivered so perfectly by actress Britt Lower, who is showing us the angriest and rawest version of Helly we’ve seen yet. While Jame walks away shortly after this, we are left with just Helly, wondering why Jame even came down there in the first place.
Going back to Mark’s innie, Cobel’s comment takes it over the line for Mark, who storms out, saying he doesn’t believe her. They try to stop him, but Mark’s innie makes it clear “that the next thing I see had better be the severed floor, or I swear he will never see his wife again.” He then walks out of the cabin and like he said, the next thing he sees is the severed floor — but it’s different now.
He walks out of the elevator to see a large mural titled “The Exalted Victory of Cold Harbor.” This grand mural contains everyone Mark has encountered from his time at Lumon, from Rickin to Irving to Natalie, and even small characters like Mark W. Mark stands tall in the middle of this mural, though, as he types away at his computer. I never in a million years would have expected this, and it made seeing it for the first time so funny but also really creepy.
Helly then appears from the elevator, and after hugging they walk to the macrodata office. The room is much darker now, and waiting for them is the animatronic Kier from the Perpetuity Wing. Mark and Helly walk over to his computer that is already turned on, and they tell each other what happened the night before.
Eventually, Mark begins to make progress on Cold Harbor, but he contemplates whether or not he should even do it. Helly tries to tell him that if he does save Gemma and his outie isn’t lying about reintegration then he could still have a chance to live. Mark gets upset, though, saying that he wants to live with her, and this results with Helly saying one of the most surprising things she’s ever said.
She tells Mark that she “is her,” referring to her villainous outie Helena. The whole season, she has been struggling with the idea that she shares the same body as Helena, one of her biggest enemies. We see here, though, that she has accepted that no matter how much it hurts, she will always be an Eagan — that she truly has no choice but to share her body. Some people theorize that this is Helly literally telling Mark that she is Helena’s consciousness right then and there, but I don’t think this is true. To me, this line solidifies that Helly has completed her character arc this season, but with Jame seeing the fire of Kier within her, I can picture what her arc next season may look like.
After this, Mark knows he has no choice but to complete Cold Harbor now. He looks up at his computer one more time, moves his mouse and finally completes Cold Harbor. It’s finally done — the file we’ve been scared of all season is now over. But what now?
The lights turn off, and then out of nowhere, “Sirius” by The Alan Parsons Project begins to play, and a spotlight shines on the Kier animatronic. Kier begins to talk and praise Mark for his completion of Cold Harbor, calling him “one of the most important people in history.” Kier then calls up Milchick as if he was Michael Jordan walking onto the court.
This whole scene, I was dying laughing. We have been waiting for Cold Harbor to be completed for so long, and instead of it being dramatic they treat it as a big party. I never saw this coming, and having “Sirius” playing in the background just makes it so much more fun.
This scene gets even more fun once Milchick and Kier talk back and forth as if it’s an award show, with a laugh track and fake audience clapping along the way. Especially once Kier makes fun of Milchick for using large words, which clearly annoys Milchick once again. It gets weirdly uncomfortable after this, as Milchick comments on the statue being taller than Kier actually was. This awkwardness is broken almost immediately, though, once Milchick brings in the unheard-of Choreography and Merriment Department, which consists of an entire marching band. This was the strangest and most shocking thing yet, as Milchick hilariously dances around a confused Helly and Mark and a marching band loudly plays around them. I had a smile on my face through the entirety of this sequence, but I knew that was bound to end.
Helly and Mark get ready to part ways, knowing that this might be the last time they see each other. They each somberly and jokingly say that they’ll meet again “at the equator,” and Helly takes off. She steals Milchick’s walkie talkie and runs into the bathroom. This gives Mark the chance to escape, as he pulls out Irving’s map and begins his journey to the Exports Hall.
This takes me to Dylan, who, earlier in the episode, we saw coming down the elevator as Milchick escorted him to the break room. Dylan filled out his resignation form last episode, so if we would see him back on the severed floor was a big question. It is in the breakroom that Milchick gives Dylan back his resignation letter from the day earlier, where his outie wrote him a letter. Milchick then quickly runs out, as Dylan begins to read the letter to himself.
Though the letter starts off very rude as Dylan’s outie tells his innie: “f*ck you” for trying to steal his wife, it gets softer from there. Dylan’s outie says that he understands why his innie did what he did, calling Gretchen “perfect.” He confides in his innie, telling him he has never really been an impressive person, but he liked hearing Gretchen call his innie a “self-assured badass.” Dylan’s outie hopes that one day Gretchen sees that side of him that she sees in his innie. He likes knowing that there is a part of him that is like that and thinks that his innie should stay at Lumon. This letter is both sincere and honest, allowing Dylan’s innie to make the decision that he feels is best.
This letter perfectly contrasts how Mark’s communication was with his innie. Here, Dylan’s outie gives him the choice of staying or quitting; it’s up to his innie no matter how much Dyan wants his innie to stay. This is very much unlike Mark, who tries to make his innie do what he wants instead of making it his innie’s decision.
We see this come into play as Helly locks Milchick in the bathroom as the band continues to play. Eventually Milchick uses his brute strength to break down the door, but before he can get through, Dylan moves the vending machine in front of it, officially trapping Milchick. If Dylan’s outie had told Dylan’s innie he needed to stay and that it wasn’t his decision, who knows what would have happened. But allowing Dylan to have that freedom resulted in him making the right choice.
As Milchick yells for the marching band to leave, Helly stands on the desk and yells for them to wait. She explains to them how Lumon took Irving away from them and how she knows they must’ve lost friends too. She very heroically says that Lumon gives them “half a life and thinks they won’t fight for it.” It is unclear whether or not the Choreography and Merriment Department has turned against Lumon or not, until Milchick is successfully able to knock down the vending machine later in the episode. When he looks forward, he sees everyone, including the entirety of the marching band, angrily looking at him. This is the last we see of Dylan, Milchick and the rest of the marching band this episode, but it seems as if they’ve all turned against him.
While much of this is happening, Mark is able to find the Exports Hall but can’t get in. As we see him try to open the door, something much more sinister is happening in a secret door behind him.
Mr. Drummond and Lorne, the mammalian played by Gwendoline Christie we saw in episode 3, are sacrificing a goat. Though it is clear Lorne has grown attached to this goat, Mr. Drummond hands Lorne a captive bolt pistol to kill it. Before she can, though, they both hear Mark trying to open the door to the Exports Hall.
Drummond steps out of the room, and what ensues is an intense but almost pathetic fight between Mark and Drummond. Mark is so much smaller than Drummond that he just gets flung around for most of the fight, which is pretty funny but also sad to watch. Mark is able to use Drummond’s size to his advantage, but by the end he nearly dies as Drummond begins to strangle him. Luckily for Mark, Lorne puts the bolt pistol to Drummond’s head, causing them to fight while Mark recovers. Lorne is able to beat Drummond and almost kills him if not for Mark stopping her.
Mark then puts the gun to a defeated Drummond’s head and makes him go with him down the Exports Hall. They get in the elevator and Mark takes Drummond with him to lead him to Gemma. As they’re going up the elevator, though, Mark switches to his outie and he accidentally pulls the trigger. This results in a half-funny, half-crazy scene where Drummond bleeds out and dies all over Mark, until he falls over, stopping the elevator from closing. Mark is clearly traumatized, as he has no idea what has happened but knows he needs to find Gemma.
Gemma has been seen a few times this episode, finally showing us what is in the Cold Harbor room. Lumon makes her wear the same outfit that she wore the last time she saw Mark, as they finally take her to Cold Harbor. Once inside, she switches to a new innie and is tasked with taking apart a crib. This is obviously the final test to see if the “Severance” procedure really works or if she’ll remember the trauma of her and Mark’s failure to have a child. Mark finds the room, though and walks in and finally sees his wife for the first time in two years, though she has no idea who Mark is. Dr. Mauer tries to stop Gemma’s new innie from going with Mark over the loudspeaker, but she doesn’t listen as she takes Mark’s hand.
Once Gemma is finally past the door, we finally see her and Mark reunite after two years. It is so wonderful to see but also short-lived, as they must get to the elevator as quickly as possible. Dr. Mauer tries to stop them again, but they are just barely able to get into the elevator and go down.
They begin to kiss and hug once again, but on the way up, they switch to their innies. Ms. Casey is as confused as ever, but Mark’s innie takes her hand and they run once again. They run out of the Exports Hall and down numerous hallways until they finally reach the exit stairwell. Mark yells at Ms. Casey that she needs to leave, so she walks out the door and we finally see Gemma escape as she switches to her outie.
This plan, which I originally found ridiculous, actually worked, even if it wasn’t perfectly executed. Mark and Gemma are finally going to escape Lumon forever. Or so I thought.
Though Gemma went through the door, Mark’s innie stayed behind. He knows this may be the last time he exists, and he doesn’t know what to do. Helly then appears, and they stare at each other with uncertainty in the air. Gemma is banging on the door, begging him to come through, but in the end, he refuses. He walks to Helly and holds her hand. Even with the lights flashing red and him being covered in blood, Mark’s innie is finally at peace. He did what his outie asked; he got Gemma free, but he never said he would free his outie.
Mark and Helly run off through the severed hall, happier than they’ve ever been as “The Windmills of Your Mind” by Mel Tormé begins to play. It’s betrayal and hypocritical for Mark to do this to his outie, but he doesn’t care. They are finally free from Lumon, and he is off to get the honeymoon ending with Helly that Cobel said was impossible.
As soon as the credits began to roll I looked at myself to see my hands physically shaking and tears rolling down my face.
I have seen a lot of shows, shows considered to be some of the greatest of all time, but not a single episode I have seen from them reaches the level of perfection that this episode is. It’s dramatic, it’s funny, it’s smart, it’s tragic, it’s beautiful, but most importantly it’s everything that I wanted it to be and more. It took my expectations and went thousands of miles above them, and I don’t know if this episode will ever be topped.
While I did love everything about this episode, there were a few things I expected to see this episode that were never brought up.
Rickin has yet to be seen since we heard him talking about writing an innie version of “The You You Are” back in episode three. Also, I thought we might get a small update on where Ms. Huang is, but we got nothing. While these two characters obviously aren’t the most important, I was hoping that they’d make a small appearance this episode.
I was extremely shocked though to not see Irving at all this episode. Especially after the last episode, I was certain they’d continue his story. We still have no idea who Irving was talking to in the phone booth numerous times this season. I doubt this is the last we’ll see of him though, as hopefully we’ll find out next season where that train took him.
Even with these omissions from the episode, there is not a single thing I’d change. This episode does a fantastic job of not only putting a cap on this season but opening the door for the next season.
My expectations for next season are the highest they’ve ever been, somehow topping the first season’s incredible cliffhanger. There are a lot of different theories and ideas running through my mind on what next season is going to look like, but I don’t even know what to think.
What it seems like the show is setting up for is almost a role reversal where Gemma is going to try and get Mark out of Lumon instead of the other way around. With Mark and Helly running away together at the end of the episode and with the marching band and mammalians seemingly turning against Lumon, it seems to me that they don’t plan on leaving the severed floor. By next season, I expect that they will have a society on the severed floor until they find out how to get to the surface without switching back to their outies.
With Mark’s innie officially taking over Mark’s body, with what appears to be no plan to give it back to his outie, there is much to theorize about. This will surely cause even more tension and mistrust between the two, and if Mark’s outie ever comes back, I doubt he will willingly give control to his innie ever again. If Gemma has to work with Devon and Cobel now to get Mark back, I think that would be really interesting and a cool way to reverse the plot we are so used to.
Season three is surely going to be very different than season two, similarly to how different this season felt to season one. Though this scares me a little, I have complete trust in the writers to deliver us a show that is not only smart but as entertaining as ever.
As I finalize this review though, I don’t think I can’t stress enough how much I love this episode. For the entirety of it, my heart was racing and somehow the edge of my seat became comfortable. This episode was everything I love about “Severance,” all wrapped up beautifully into one perfect episode. I want to give props to Ben Stiller for directing this masterpiece and to Dan Erickson, who not only created this show but wrote this episode specifically. This is not only the best episode in the show’s history, but one of the greatest episodes of television ever, and I will surely never forget it.
Episode 10: Cold Harbor 10/10
Samuel J. Beadle is a first-year English major. SB1033446@wcupa.edu
Great review!!! I totally agree.