The effects of the Macrodat Uprising are everywhere. Where Severance‘s opening episode of season 2 focused on innies, episode 2 casts the lens on outies. Specifically, how the outies of Mark, Helly, Irvin and Dylan are reacting to last season’s mutiny.

Milchick is in crisis management mode. Reporting to Helly’s outie, Helena, the daughter of Lumon’s CEO, she’s overseeing Milchick’s investigation.

Milchick pays visits to the outies of his workers at Lumon and questioning them to learn the bigger picture. As we can see, he treats them a whole lot better than he treats their innies, greeting them with a pleasant smile.

Milchick even shares a joke with Irvin’s outie when he visits his house and asks if he’s feeling unwell. “What did I eat in there?” Irvin says with a grin. Irvin’s smile doesn’t last, however, as Milchick says the incident is a fireable offence.

He says the same to Dylan, dismissing him from his job at Lumon. This is contrary to what Milchick told Mark in the last episode, where he says the outies left of their own accord.

What Happens in Severance Episode 2?

Mark thinks about quitting, but he eventually stays on, enticed by a 20% pay rise. Milchick uses his dead wife against him, saying he severed himself to cope with the loss of Gemma/Ms. Casey.

The title of the episode refers to Patricia Arquette’s Ms. Cobel/Mrs Selvig, who leaves Lumon in a fury. Helena apologizes to her in a boardroom, telling her she was treated poorly. She proposes Cobel gets a promotion to the Severance advisory council.

Cobel takes it as an insult, saying she’s never heard of the council, and that Lumon doesn’t value her. She’s right – Milchick is the boss now, afterall.

Helena minimizes her innie’s outburst at the Lumon gala by saying she was merely drunk. “This was a joke, and a lie,” she tells the boardroom. Meanwhile, Dylan searches for a new job. During a job interview he admits he underwent the Severed programme. “Personally, I think it’s abhorrent,” his interviewer responds.

The end of the episode comes as Cobel meets Mark’s outie outside his house. “Why did you do this? What is this all about?” he asks. “Do you know something about Gemma?” Cobel looks as if she’s about to spill the beans before speeding away in her car.

It’s the catalyst Mark’s outie needs to track down his missing wife. Now more suspicious than ever, he clearly doesn’t believe she’s dead, and looks like he’ll stop at nothing to find her.

When Does Severance Episode 3 Release?

The next episode of Severance airs January 31 on Apple TV+.