Severance Season 2, Episode 3 Review: Mark & Helly Spend Time Together As A Major Event Opens A New Door At Lumon

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Severance season 2, episode 3Severanceseason 2 might be even better than the first when all is said and done, with episode 3 delivering another exciting hour of TV. There are a few elements that make the Apple TV+ show as special as it is. Among them is the show's thought-provoking nature. Nothing is ever as it seems and while season 1 did a good job of establishing that, season 2's episodes are taking it a step further. This time around, we and the characters know that there is much more to Lumon than meets the eye, and the show knows it.

Severance

TV-MA

Drama

Mystery

Sci-Fi

Cast

See All

Adam Scott
Mark Scout
Britt Lower
Helly Riggs
Zach Cherry
Dylan George
Tramell Tillman
Seth Milchick

Release Date: February 18, 2022
Showrunner: Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman
Directors: Ben Stiller
Writers: Dan Erickson
Seasons: 2
Streaming Service(s): AppleTV+

Every new episode of Severance season 2 feels like a journey into a land where everything is familiar but also just slightly not right. It was fun to explore both sides of that coming through the show's starting episodes, with the first focusing on the Innies. Severance season 2, episode 2, put the spotlight on the characters' Outies, revealing what happened between the events of the season 1 finale and where we caught back up with Mark in season 2. Episode 2 ended with Ms. Cobel literally running away from Mark when he asked about his wife, and that's important.

Mark & Helly Explore Lumon And Discover Something Bizarre

Severance Never Seizes To Surprise

I was so excited to see Mark and Helly working together in episode 3 after not getting much between them in the first two episodes. Besides the two being together on a mission, I was also excited to finally get some answers about the goats at Lumon. What I did not expect was that the few answers we got would come with a whole lot more questions and no actual reveal of what the goats' purpose really was. Still, it was fun and quite intriguing.

[Gwendoline] Christie's Severance debut in episode 3 as the head of Mammalians Nurturable was everything one could expect about the actress in the context of the show.

When I first heard that Gwendoline Christie was joining Severance, I was ecstatic. The actress was fantastic in Game of Thrones and the other projects I have seen her in, so I knew she would fit in nicely with the show's weirder elements. Christie's Severance debut in episode 3, as the head of Mammalians Nurturable, was everything I could have expected about the actress in the context of the show. I liked how her character helped move along the Ms. Casey and the goat plots, as well as how she looked like someone you would not want to cross.

While Mark and Helly were out and about having an adventure, both Dylan and Irving got some interesting side stories. Dylan's is the one I liked the most. Lumon has been very adamant about keeping Innies and Outies apart, but the character has received the benefit of getting a few minutes to talk to his Outie's wife. After a single conversation between the couple, with Merritt Wever playing Gretchen G., I am already invested in how far this new relationship could go. As for Irving, he gets closer to the answers he wants.

Outie Mark Makes A Drastic Decision

The Search For Ms. Casey/Gemma Is Taking Some Shocking Turns

Severance will likely continue the mystery about Ms. Casey's location and how she is alive until late into season 2, if not the finale itself. However, we have been getting at least one major development in that storyline with each episode so far, and by the end of episode 3, Mark's Outie finally realizes that Gemma really is alive, not having died in the car crash as he thought, and it is all because of a returning character. I honestly had forgotten about Reghabi and how she performed Petey's reintegration due to the long time between seasons.

Up to this point, we had barely started seeing a more proactive Mark, as the severed worker did not resemble his Innie.

However, things become clearer and more urgent when she comes back into the picture. Not only was I surprised that Reghabi was the one to confirm to Mark that Gemma was alive back at Lumon the last time she saw her, but I did not expect the drastic decision that Outie Mark would make so shortly after that. Up to this point, we had barely started seeing a more proactive Mark, as the severed worker did not resemble his Innie. However, a fire was lit by the search for his wife, and I'm interested in where Outie Mark could go.

Severance season 2, episode 3's ending focuses on Mark's decision to go through the reintegration process Petey had trouble with. I fear for Mark's safety now that he is going down this path, but I have to say that the possibilities it could set up for a crossover between the two versions of Mark are too good to pass up. It feels likeseason 2 is taking big steps with each episode, despite having a relatively slow pace. I think the show has found a nice balance between story and character development, which I'm happy episode 3 continues.

Severance season 2 episodes stream on Apple TV+ every Friday through March 21.

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