Severance's "Woe's Hollow" Episode Just Turned The Apple TV+ Series Into A Horror Show
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Severance season 2, episode 4, "Woe's Hollow"Severance season 2's "Woe's Hollow" episode marks somewhat of a genre shift for the Apple TV+ show, transforming the psychological thriller into a full-blown horror series. The fourth episode of the season, which Ben Stiller directed, features several significant moments for Severance's main characters. Not only does the MDR team get a change of scenery with an outdoor retreat, but the group's dynamic also changes after a few shocking revelations. For one, Irving gets fired after nearly drowning Helly in an attempt to prove that his coworker is actually Helena.
Irving has been suspicious of Helly since Severance season 2's premiere episode, when he questions what Helly experienced in her Outie's body. The threat during Lumon's outdoor retreat team-building occurrence, or ORTBO, leads to the reveal that Helena Eagan has been pretending to be Helly, confirming a massive Severance fan theory. The tense moment, however, comes after an episode full of elements that leaned more into horror than any other genre.
Season 2's "Woe's Hollow" Episode Turns Severance Into A Full-Blown Horror Show
Even The Episode's Score Is Haunting
Severance season 2, episode 4's ending suggests that the MDR team will be down a member moving forward. In what is supposed to be a team-building excursion in the Dieter Eagan National Forest, Lumon ends up doing more harm than good. Aside from Irving's firing, there's proof that Helly didn't return to the Severed Floor, at least not the Helly the team thought they knew. All the chaos also occurs in a dreary, snowy forest setting, giving Severance's "Woe's Hollow" episode a horror-like setting, especially with the episode's score relying on creepy piano keys to build suspense.
Irving's dream sequence truly takes "Woe's Hollow" to a different level of horror.
As the members of the MDR team are transported to this outdoor setting, they come together and follow "twin" versions of themselves eerily pointing to the direction Milchick wants them to go. They trudge through the snow and mountainous terrain before partaking in a disturbing campfire discussion with their manager. In addition to the overall dreadful vibes of the ORTBO setting, there's also the very strange story of Dieter Eagan and the disconcerting details like the random dead seal or the "gaunt bride." Of course, Irving's dream sequence truly takes "Woe's Hollow" to a different level of horror.
The MDR "Twins" Are Unsettling, But The Creepiest Part Of "Woe's Hollow" Is Irving's Nightmare
Irv's ORTBO Didn't Go So Well
Severance is certainly no stranger to unsettling aspects. The basic premise of severing human minds makes for a wild psychological concept, especially when the show embraces sci-fi. Throw in some oddball characters and mysterious details like Lumon's goat room, and there's no question why Severance elicits so many "what the f*ck" reactions. Sure, some previous elements lean into horror, but "Woe's Hollow" dives into the genre more than ever before. While the presence of the MDR "twins" is creepy, especially how they just stand and point, the most notable horror aspect comes from Irving's nightmare.
Toward the end of "Woe's Hollow," Irving wakes up alone in the darkened woods before seeing a replica of the MDR team's cubicles in the middle of the forest. The bright computer screen attracts moths, but the sequence gets drastically more unsettling when Burt appears with a sinister look on his face as he moves the divider between the cubicles down and back up. Severance season 2 then goes all-in with an appearance of the "gaunt bride," before giving Irving a jump scare as he wakes up from the nightmare while giving viewers another disturbing image that will haunt them well after the episode ends.
Severance
- Release Date
- February 18, 2022
- Showrunner
- Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman
Cast
Mark Scout
Helly Riggs
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