I’m Glad Severance Didn’t Hide Its Most Obvious Secret for Too Long

Part of Severance‘s appeal comes from the series’ ability to plant seeds that blossom into incredible plot twists a few episodes later. Unsurprisingly, fans engage with the series by breaking down each frame and analyzing sound cues to determine what surprise is in store. Everything can be a clue to Severance‘s biggest mysteries, from the hour displayed in wall clocks to the nature of numbers on a computer screen. However, some secrets are better kept than others, with the community able to easily anticipate some turns of the story. In Season 2, Episode 4, Severance shows why this is not a problem, as the series proves it’s more concerned with good storytelling than the surprises in themselves.

WARNING: Spoilers below for Severance Season 2, Episode 4

Severance could have easily dragged out the mystery of Helly R.’s (Britt Lower) true identity for the entirety of Season 2. Instead, the show boldly chose to confirm what many fans suspected through Innie Irving’s (John Turturro) heroic sacrifice in Episode 4. During the Macrodata Refinement (MDR) team’s outdoor excursion, Irving’s suspicions about “Helly” lead to a confrontation that forces Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman) to acknowledge her real identity as Helena Eagan. The cost of this revelation is devastating – Irving faces termination, which in the world of Severance means the complete erasure of an Innie’s existence. However, this sacrifice delivers a satisfying payoff that allows the show to explore more interesting questions about identity and corporate control while demonstrating confidence in its storytelling abilities.

The signs of Helena’s deception were impossible to ignore from the start of Season 2. After the shocking Season 1 finale, when Helly’s Innie exposed Lumon’s practices at a company gala, she returned to work with an uncharacteristically compliant attitude. This stark contrast to her previous rebellious personality – which once drove her to attempt suicide rather than continue working at Lumon – immediately raised red flags. 

Most tellingly, the show provided a clear audio cue: the signature elevator “ding” that marks the transition between Innie and Outie consciousness was notably absent during her arrival, suggesting Helena never activated her severed state. Finally, her unconvincing explanation about meeting a “night gardener” during the Overtime Contingency incident only added to the mounting evidence of her deception. That’s what makes the early reveal so refreshing, as it shows Severance cares more about progressing the story than keeping pointless secrets.

Severance’s Early Helena Reveals Proves the Series Is on the Right Path

Throughout television history, series built around central mysteries often fall into the trap of prolonging their revelations far beyond their natural conclusion. Lost demonstrated this problem in its later seasons, where the show’s reluctance to provide clear answers about fundamental questions – like the island’s true nature – led to a divisive finale that left many viewers unsatisfied. Westworld followed a similar pattern when its second season responded to fans solving its initial mysteries by constructing increasingly complex narrative puzzles, losing sight of the character dynamics that made its first season compelling. The result was a significant decline in both critical reception and audience engagement, proving that artificial suspense often comes at the cost of meaningful storytelling.

That’s why I’m impressed by Severance‘s commitment to resolving the Helena twist early. This choice allows the show to explore more meaningful consequences, like how Mark (Adam Scott) and Dylan (Zach Cherry) must process the betrayal of discovering their workplace companion was actually one of their oppressors. The revelation arrives as Mark investigates the truth about his supposedly dead wife Gemma (Dichen Lachman), who appears connected to the mysterious Cold Harbor file that only he can refine. So, instead of saving a twist for later, Severance puts all the cards on the table and allows its characters to deal with the resulting turmoil.

The resolution through Irving’s sacrifice adds another layer of complexity to the narrative. His willingness to risk everything to expose Helena demonstrates how the bonds formed between Innies, despite being artificially created through severance, carry genuine emotional weight. The fact that his accusations stem from Helena’s cruel comment about his relationship with Burt (Christopher Walken) makes the confrontation even more poignant – it’s his authentic emotional connection that allows him to see through her deception. Once again, that’s a prime example of good writing, as character agency, instead of the show’s secrecy, is what pushes the story forward.

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This early resolution is another example of how creator Dan Erickson and director Ben Stiller value substantive storytelling over shock value. By acknowledging what attentive viewers already suspected, Severance can now delve deeper into questions about Lumon’s true capabilities. If Helena could maintain her Outie consciousness on the severed floor, what other aspects of the severance procedure might be false? More importantly, how will this knowledge affect the remaining MDR team members’ understanding of their identities? 

The inner conflict of Severance’s main cast is more compelling than dragging out a blatant deception because the best mysteries serve character development rather than replace it. So, by resolving the Helena mystery now, Severance has cleared the way to explore character-driven questions while maintaining its masterful balance of corporate intrigue and psychological horror.

New episodes of Severance premiere Fridays on Apple TV+. Did you enjoy how Severance handled the Helena twist? Let us know in the comments!