The Severance team took nearly three years to craft Season 2, and for good reason. Season 1 ended with the “innies” escaping Lumon and encountering their “outie” lives, revealing Helly R.’s outie as Helena, an Egan heir and severance program architect, and Mark’s wife, Gemma, as Ms. Casey on the severed floor.
Such significant plot twists are challenging to follow. Yet, showrunner Dan Erickson and producer-director Ben Stiller managed to surprise viewers again.
In Season 2, Episode 4, the macrodata refinement team’s “Outdoor Retreat and Team Building Occurrence” to a snowy mountain leads Irving (John Turturro) to suspect Helena (Britt Lower) is impersonating Helly R. Meanwhile, Mark (Adam Scott) shares an intimate moment with Helly R./Helena. Subsequently, Irving violently attempts to prove his theory by drowning Helena, until Mr. Milchick restores Helly R. to their shared body.
TIME interviewed Adam Scott and Britt Lower about the reveal, Lower’s performance, and Helena’s feelings for Mark.
TIME: Why do you think Lumon lets the innies outside?
Adam Scott: It’s a response to the overtime incident and Season 1’s escape. Lumon is essentially saying, “Go out; we’ll teach you a lesson.” The experience changed their perspectives, showing them the world’s harshness.
As actors, filming outside was a welcome change. The office sets were demanding. After six or seven weeks of shooting in those confined spaces, filming outdoors was a refreshing change of pace. We spent six weeks shooting, often riding snowmobiles for half an hour to reach the set. It felt like making a movie.
Britt, knowing that reveal that Helena has been pretending to be Helly R. was coming, were you dropping hints in you performance in the previous episodes?
Britt Lower: They’re two sides of the same person. Helena possesses an inner rebel, an aspect she can access. In Season 1, Helena observes Mark and Helly, showing curiosity.
Playing these layers was like using Adobe Photoshop—adjusting saturation and exposure. It’s the same base, but modulated by the situation and the reactions of my co-stars and directors.
The thing that ends up giving Helena away is her cruelty. Do you think that brutality was nurtured into Helena and that’s why it doesn’t exist in Helly R.?
Lower: Helena’s father (Season 1) provides insight into her upbringing. You can imagine the “nurturing” she received.
Scott: Her cruel remark catches Irving off guard. Helena skillfully impersonated Helly R., but this act of cruelty was instinctive, a communication style learned from her environment. It likely wasn’t a conscious decision.
Lower: As Helly R., she gains self-awareness. In the tent scene, she acknowledges, “That was mean,” showing a sense of right and wrong.
Scott: Something she might not have recognized before her time as Helly R.?
Lower: Maybe, I don’t know.
Helena and Mark do end up sharing this intimate moment. Do either of you think that Helena has feelings for Mark?
Lower: The audience should decide. She’s isolated, her family experiences were chilling. Meeting the innies profoundly impacted her humanity. She shares a sense of humor with Mark.
Scott: We extensively discussed the triangle between Innie Mark, Helly R., and Helena. Helena is frightening and responsible for Mark’s outie’s suffering. But they share a connection. I’ll leave it at that.