Warning! This article contains spoilers for Severance season 2, episode 4.Severanceseason 2, episode 4 confirmed a major Helly twist, bringing several unanswered questions along with it. The aftermath ofSeverance’s Overtime Contingencysparked many questions of its own, as any good mystery box show tends to do. From how Mark’s outburst about Gemma being alive would be received to how Helly would react to her Outie being a member ofSeverance’s Eagan family tree, season 2 had many mysteries to address as the secrets of Lumon came to the fore.
AfterSeveranceseason 1’s ending, a major theory has concerned Helly and her Outie, Helena Eagan. Audiences were convinced that the lines betweenSeverance’s Innies and Outieswere gone forever, with Helena actually becoming part of Lumon’s MDR team as opposed to Helly. InSeveranceseason 2, episode 4, this theory was confirmed, with Milchick being forced to remove the “Glasgow Block” from Helena, allowing Helly to finally make an appearance. The confirmation of this twist raises many questions thatSeveranceseason 2 will have to answer in the coming episodes.
7Has Helly Been Helena Since Severance Season 2 Began?
Dores Severance Season 2, Episode 4 Mark Helly’s First Appearance?
Perhaps the most pressing question afterSeveranceseason 2, episode 4 is whether Helena has been in control since the season began. Given that this twist has been theorized since the reunion ofSeverance’s core cast of characters, it would not come as a shock if the show revealed that the last time Helly was active was during the Lumon gala from season 1’s final episode. However, it could also be the case that Lumon has blended Helly and Helena’s time on the severed floor to make the latter’s deception easier.
It is likely that Helly has been Helena sinceSeveranceseason 2 began, though the show does need to concretely confirm this…
Admittedly, though, this reality is unlikely. If Helly had returned to the severed floor, she likely would have been more shaken, just as Irving was shown to be inSeveranceseason 2, episode 1. Moreover, there are other risks involved in splitting Helly and Helena’s time on the severed floor. For example, if the other MDR workers mentioned something that the latter did, the former would have no memory of that. As a result, it is likely that Helly has been Helena sinceSeveranceseason 2 began, though the show does need to concretely confirm this going forward.
6Why Did Helena Pretend To Be Helly In Severance?
The Motivations Of Helena Eagan Remain Shrouded In Mystery
Another question that has been raised now thatSeverance’s Helena/Helly theoryhas been confirmed relates to the motivations behind it: why did Helena infiltrate the severed floor? The first potential answer for this links to Lumon’s motives and Helena’s dedication to the company as its heir. Lumon likely wanted Helena to go down to the severed floor as a means of learning more information about the plans of the Innies. If someone aware of the situation entirely was down there, she could pass information to Lumon or even attempt to sway Mark into completing Cold Harbor.
Irving even suggested that Helena was a mole inSeveranceseason 2, episode 4, potentially answering the question of why she impersonated Helly. Another potential motive links more to Helena herself. InSeveranceseason 2, episode 2, Helena was shown rewatching footage of Mark and Helly’s kiss from the end of season 1. While this could have been to better learn Helly’s mannerisms and make her planned deception easier, it could have also stemmed from a more personal feeling.
Why Helena Eagan Keeps Rewatching The Footage Of Helly & Mark’s Kiss In Severance Season 2
Severance season 2, episode 2 shows Helena Eagan watching her Innie, Helly R, kissing Mark via security footage for several possible reasons.
Based on what has been shown of Helena’s life thus far, it is clear that she has no real sources of love or affectionfrom anyone around her. Her family, especially her father, Jame, are abusive, cold, and distant, and she has the pressure of being Lumon’s future CEO on her shoulders. Many assumed that Helena rewatching the footage highlighted just how lonely she was, potentially hinting at why she agreed to impersonate Helly. Helena could have longed for a relationship like Helly and Mark’s, impersonating the former as a means of experiencing that for herself.
Will Irving’s Discovery Be Vindicated?
Image via Apple TV+
The catalyst for the reveal that Helly was actually Helena inSeveranceseason 2, episode 4 was Irving. Irving has shown to be wary of “Helly” sinceSeveranceseason 2, episode 1, raising inconsistencies about her story such as her seeing a night gardener during the Overtime Contingency. This, combined with Helena being outright cruel to him inSeveranceseason 2, episode 4 regarding his relationship with Burt, led Irving to realize that Helly was not Helly at all.
Irving had a nightmare at one point during the episode, which confirmed Helena’s identity as an Eagan. Irving tells Mark and Dylan this at the end ofSeveranceseason 2, episode 4, but questions remain over whether they will believe him. Mark and Dylan could be lied to by Lumon, with the company denying Irving’s claims and stating that Helena is actually someone else as opposed to the prospective CEO of Lumon itself. Whether this happens or whether they are told Helena is an Eagan remains to be seen going forward.
4Does Irving’s Outie Know That Helly’s Outie Is An Eagan?
Irving’s Innie & Outie Have An Interesting Connection
Another potential question that could be answered going intoSeveranceseason 2’s latter half is whether Irving’s Outie knows more about Helly’s Outie. As was revealed inSeveranceseason 1’s ending, Irving knew a lot about his fellow Lumon employees. This could have meant Outie Irving knew about Helena Eagan’s identity, with the dream inSeveranceseason 2, episode 4 being a link between him and Innie Irving.
After all, Innie Irving received “messages” from Outie Irving in the form of dreams. The black paint dripping from the ceilings in season 1 and the subconscious link with the dark hallway and elevator allowed the two to converse in a sense. Given that Innie Irving received the tip that Helena was an Eagan in his dream inSeveranceseason 2, episode 4, this could link more deeply to Outie Irving’s potential discoveries.
3Is Helena Really Ashamed Of Herself In Severance?
Or Was She Simply Trying To Live The Lie?
A big complication ofSeveranceseason 2, episode 4 involves Helly and Mark’s relationship. Aside from the knowledge that Ms. Casey is actually Gemma and Outie Mark’s wife, the episode featured Mark and “Helly” sleeping together. It is later revealed that this was Helena, which in and of itself will cause problems for Mark and Helly going forward. However, an unanswered question about Helena herself is hinted at during her conversations with Mark. After having sex, Helena and Mark have a meaningful conversation in which the former tells the latter she did not like who she was on the outside.
She goes on to say she was ashamed of her Outie, which, at that point in the episode, could easily have been Helly’s words. Upon the reveal that it was actually Helena, though, the comments take on a new light.It now raises the question of whether Helena was being somewhat truthful here and telling Mark that she is ashamed of herself as Lumon’s CEO and an Eagan, or whether she was simply trying to convince him that she is Helly.
2How Will Lumon Deal With The Helly/Helena Situation In Severance Season 2?
Irving’s Intervention Was Not Part Of Lumon’s Plans
Thanks to Irving exposing Helena, a burning question stemming from the episode is how Lumon handles the situation going forward. It is clear that removing the Glasgow Block from Helena was not something Milchick or his higher-ups at Lumon intended to do, but that Irving forced their hand. Now, Helly has returned in confusing circumstances and Irving has been fired. With such a turn of events, it is interesting to see how Lumon will deal with the situation going intoSeveranceseason 2’s latter half.
One possible outcome is that Helena simply never returns to the severed floor. At some point, Helly/Helena will have to leave Mark, Dylan, and Milchick. Once this happens and the Outie personality resumes, Helena could vow never to involve herself so personally again after the complications it has proven to have sinceSeveranceseason 1. This would essentially remove Helly from the show completely, which will undoubtedly anger Mark and Dylan, the former of whom Lumon needs to keep happy to complete Cold Harbor.
Severance Season 2’s Cold Harbor Project & Why It’s So Important For Lumon That Mark Finishes It
Mark’s new project in Severance season 2 is the mysterious Cold Harbor file, which is linked to Gemma & has a major role in Lumon’s bigger plans.
If this does not happen, another question is how Lumon handles Helly. It is difficult to see Helly returning after everything that has happened to simply continue with her MDR work, and it will be difficult for Lumon to stop Mark and Dylan from revealing the entire truth to her. All of this just proves how many questions have stemmed from the Helly twist inSeverance, specifically concerning Lumon’s plans going forward.
1Did Lumon Make Helly Sleep With Mark In Severance?
The final major question stemming fromSeveranceseason 2, episode 4’s Helly twist involves her aforementioned development with Mark. While it remains true that Helena could have slept with Mark to fulfill her own desire for a loving connection, there is a darker possibility; Helena could have been asked, or even directly ordered, to sleep with Mark byLumon’s mysterious board inSeverance. This could have been thrust upon Helena as a means of earning Mark’s trust completely under the guise of Helly, though this plan has obviously been upended due to Irving’s actions.
Nonetheless, if Lumon’s plan had gone off without a hitch, Helena and Mark would have undoubtedly continued to grow closer. This way, Helena could have learned more information about Mark’s plan to find Gemma and passed it on to Lumon, or persuaded him to finish the Cold Harbor project. By sleeping with Mark and earning his trust this way, Lumon’s plans could be furthered, making the seeming love scene just as dark for Helena as it is for Mark. Either way, this is just one of the many questionsSeverancehas raised after its big Helly/Helena twist.
