Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Severance Season 2.
MDR is back fromtheir indescribable ORTBOon Apple TV+‘sSeverance, and each Macrodat is fired up with their own pressing questions. But the matter to dominate the others comes from an impatient Dylan G. (Zach Cherry), who demands to know what’s happened to Irving (John Turturro). Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman) is making himself clear that there is to be no further melodrama on his watch after what Irving had done, and that includes any going back on his word about Irving’s punishment. In the meantime,MDR solemnly remembers Irving, which causes some debate (albeit lopsided) as to whether Irving should actually be considered dead to the remaining members of MDR.Is Irving B. gone for good, or might he someday report back to MDR for a hero’s welcome?
Wait, What Happened to Irving B. in ‘Severance’?
InSeveranceSeason 2 Episode 4,Irving B.put the pieces togetherthat Helly R. (Britt Lower) had been a fraudsince their return fromblowing the whistle on Lumon. During their first official corporate retreat, Irving kept a close eye on Helly beforeexposing her as her outie, Helena Eagan. But the risk that came with attempting to drown his fellow employee, along with foiling Helena and Milchick’s plans to regain control over MDR, was immediate and permanent dismissal from Lumon – which is to say, the death of his innie.
It’s No More Mr.-Nice-Milchick in ‘Severance’s Latest Episode
Upon their return from Woe’s Hollow, Mr. Milchick definitively tells Mark (Adam Scott), Helly, and Dylan that their beloved Irving’s innie will not return to Lumon. But this was before his first performance reviewin his new position. We’re all painfully aware of Seth’s loyalty to the company, and the amount of pride that he takes in servingKier and his descendants. After receiving a less-than-shining review, we’re inclined to believe he may be much more motivated to keep his end of the deal than he let on before.He has been embarrassed for the last time. In asserting toDrummondthat he would be “tightening the leash” on the innies,Milchick likely just made a vow to himselfto legitimately crack down on his treatment of MDR in order to lock in a sense of trust with Drummond,Natalie, The Board, and the Eagan family.
If We Ever See Irving B. Again in ‘Severance,’ It Won’t Be for a While
Judging from Milchick’s renewed sense of purpose,it wouldn’t be surprising if Irving B.’s innie never returns for the remainder of the season. After all, we have the security of knowing that athird season has been confirmedto keep us relaxed about never seeing characters again. And Irving’s innie made a massive sacrifice that makes a decent conclusion tohis character’s already dynamic arc.
Once a polite, agreeable, and loyal severed worker,Irving experienced the darkness of the worldwithout so much as stepping foot outside Lumon’s interior. Inconsistencies between the word of Kier and how he and his friends were being treated, coupled with the first and most devastating heartbreak of his relatively young life, turned Irving into a rightfully cynical and altogether cold person. Following his successful exposure of Helena Eagan, capping the character’s time in the series at his dismissal would be an acceptable move. But honestly, as the mysteries keep piling on,there is simply too much left to unravel for Irving not to be a part of whatever goes downbeyond his big moment.
‘Severance’s 10 Wildest Moments, Ranked
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Irving B.’s Outie Is Becoming Even More Important to ‘Severance’
Regardless of Irving B.’s innie, we’ll certainly be seeing more of his outie, especially now that he and Burt G.’s outie have finally connected, and are set to have dinner with Burt’s husband, Fields. We still don’t know who Irving’s outie has been talking toin the phone boothover the course of the series, nor what they know about Lumon or his innie. Similarly, we aren’t entirely done with those ominous elevator paintings. Before he was dismissed,Irving left Dylan with a secret messagethat would lead him to discover his drawing ofwhat we now know to be the Exports Hall, cleverly hidden in thenew and improved Break Room. This leaves Dylan to begin searching in Irving’s stead, butwhat does Irving’s outie’s involvement with the Exports Hall mean? How does he know what it is? And would his knowledge help or hurt MDR?
There Are Some Alternatives That Could Bring Irving B.’s Innie Back to ‘Severance’
It’s plausible thatIrving has been painting the Exports Hallso incessantly due to dreams or visions that spill over from his innie’s experience. But his latest payphone call suggests that he may know more about his innie’s actions than usual, as he says, “I think they know what my innie was up to.” Between reuniting with Burt G. and dealing with his sudden unexplained termination from Lumon, Milchick’s newfound motivation to keep him out may soon butt heads with Irving’s own determination to work with his innie against the company. In fact, now that we’ve seen that it’s doable,Irving’s outie could come back to Lumon undercover just as easily as Helena did. Besides, withDylan secretly meeting with his outie’s wife,Helena’s nefarious infiltration, and Mark’s reintegration, who but Irvinghasn’tbeen deliberately jumping the severance fence by this point?
There is also the slim but still available chance that Irving’s outie could find his way toReghabi. Let’s face it: the innies’ access to theOvertime Contingencytrigger is, well, severed. But, now that Mark’s memories are beginning to mesh thanks to reintegration, he might recall his friendship with Irving, andhis martyrdom at Woe’s Hollow. IfMark can find Irving’s outie and convince him to undergo reintegration, Irving’s innie might be able to get resurrected off the books.
Yes, it’s pretty safe to say thatwe haven’t seen the last of Irving B.inSeverance. We’ve been exposed to too many instances of characters blurring the lines between innie and outie for us to merely accept that there’s nothing to be done about Irving’s innie. We’ll be sad not to see him around for a while, but just like Mark, we know thatas long as Irving’s outie is still out there, so is his innie.
New episodes ofSeveranceSeason 2 premiere on Fridays on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
