All the episodes of the highly anticipatedSeveranceseason 2 have now been released. The story of the second season picks up not long after theSeveranceseason 1 finale, during which the innie workers enacted theOvertime Contingency Protocol. The first season of the hit Apple TV+ series ended on a massive cliffhanger, which saw Mark’s innie declare “She’s alive” while holding a picture of his outie’s wife, Gemma. Therefore, the story ofSeveranceseason 2 follows both Mark’s innie and outie as they search for the truth about Gemma.
While Mark searching for Gemma was the main overarching story of season 2, the newest season also spends a lot of time developing otherSeverancecharacters, such as Helly, Irving, Dylan, Milchick, and Ms. Cobel, who actually created the severance procedure. At theend ofSeveranceseason 2, Gemma is finally freed from her imprisonment at Lumon Industries, but Mark does not go with her. Instead, Mark’s innie has other plans. Therefore, after an exhilarating season of television,here are all theSeveranceseason 2 episodes, ranked:
10"Sweet Vitriol"
Season 2, Episode 8
Severanceseason 2, episode 8, which focuses entirely on Ms. Cobel, is undoubtedly the most controversial episode of the second season. Some fans point out that it completely shatters the momentum of the season, while others argue that it has some extremely important reveals. In my opinion, both arguments are true. In this episode,Ms. Cobel finally arrives at the town of Salt’s Neck, which is where she grew up, after fleeing from Helena Eagan in episode 3 of the season.
Severance Season 2’s Ms. Cobel Story May Have Just Revealed The Key To Bringing Lumon Down
Severance season 2, episode 8 focused entirely on Harmony Cobel, with her story potentially revealing one way to take down Lumon Industries.
After visiting her deceased mother’s house, it is revealed thatMs. Cobel actually created the severance procedure. This has massive repercussions for the rest of the show, since audiences previously only knew her as the manager of the severed floor. In reality, Ms. Cobel is the main reason severed employees exist, which sets her up as a major character going forward.While this episode did include this major reveal, it can’t be denied that it slows down the pace of the season, and its story arguably didn’t need to take up an entire episode.
9"The After Hours"
Season 2, Episode 9
More so than any other episode inSeveranceseason 2,“The After Hours” highlights how much the show’s core characters are split up this season. In the outside world, Mark avoids going into work so that he and Devon can meet up with Ms. Cobel, who has made her way back from Salt’s Neck. Meanwhile, Irving is taken to the train station by Burt. It’s possible that this episode concludes the ongoing love story between Iriving and Burt, sinceIrving leavesat the end.
Dylan experiences the first heartbreak of his life after Gretchen tells him they can’t see each other anymore.
On the severed floor of Lumon Industries, Helly is deadset on memorizing the directions to the Exports Hall, while Dylan experiences the first heartbreak of his life after Gretchen tells him they can’t see each other anymore. This episode contains many interesting plot points, but it just seemed like it was buying time before the season 2 finale. Therefore, in my opinion,“The After Hours” left a lot to be desired, and it was disappointing to see just how separated all the characters are.
8"Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig"
Season 2, Episode 2
While theSeveranceseason 2 premiere focuses on the perspective of the innies after the Overtime Contingency Protocol, episode 2 shows what’s happening in the outside world. After the dramatic events of theSeveranceseason 1 finale, this episode sees Lumon employees like Milchick and Helena react and attempt to do damage control.Milchick initially fires both Irving and Dylan, before eventually rehiring them because of Mark’s plea to the Board.
However, while they were fired, it was interesting to see more of their outie’s lives. Specifically,it was fascinating to see Dylan get discriminated against for being a former-severed employee. It was also interesting to learn how desperate the Eagan’s are to have Mark finish theCold Harbor file, which was still a mystery at this point in the show. Overall, this episode achieves a lot of world building and answers several questions after the ending of season 1, while also further teasing season 2’s central mystery.
7"Hello, Ms. Cobel"
Season 2, Episode 1
The opening minutes ofSeveranceseason 2 are absolutely thrilling. After season 1’s cliffhanger ending, fans had been waiting three years to see what would happen next. At the beginning of the season,Mark is back on the severed floor and runs to find his coworkers. Unfortunately, he is greeted by a new group of severed employees. Even though they provide some funny moments, it is good that these employees did not stay for long, as I desperately wanted to see Helly, Irving, and Dylan again.
How Severance Works (& Why It’s Terrifying)
Severance season 1 slowly revealed how Luman Industries' severance process worked, with each new revelation being more sinister than the previous one.
By the end ofSeveranceseason 2, episode 1, the core cast is all together again, and they are determined to work together going forward. Overall, this is a great premiere episode, and seeing all the innie employees together at the end of the episode makes it more disappointing that they are separated throughout so much of season 2, even if Helly isn’t actually who she says she is at this point in time. This episode reintroduces the character dynamics and sets up several new mysteries forSeveranceseason 2.
6"Who Is Alive?"
Season 2, Episode 3
Since the first two episodes are dedicated to settling the employees back into the severed floor after the Overtime Contingency Protocol,Severanceseason 2, episode 3 kind of feels like the first proper episode of the season. In this episode, Mark and Helly visit the Mammalians Nurturable department as they search for Gemma. This further expands the scale of the severed floor and teases who may join Mark and Helly in season 3’s potential innie rebellion.
This is also Irving’s last episode on the severed floor before he is “killed” during the Woe’s Hollow retreat.
Meanwhile, Dylan has his first meeting with Gretchen and Irving gets one step closer to finding the Exports Hall. Tragically, this is also Irving’s last episode on the severed floor before he is “killed” during the Woe’s Hollow retreat. Therefore,this is a standout episode in season 2 since all the main characters are still working on the severed floor. Additionally, this episode also has a massive cliffhanger ending, asMark begins the reintegration procedure.
5"Trojan’s Horse"
Season 2, Episode 5
After the dramatic events of the team-building retreat to Woe’s Hollow,Severanceseason 2, episode 5 is the first episode that actually features Helly back on the severed floor. Therefore, she is caught up on the events of the season, and learns that Ms. Casey is actually Gemma, Mark’s outie’s wife. However, despite them finally being back together, there is tension between Mark and Helly since he never realized that he has actually been with Helena for the last few episodes.
This is also the first episode that sets up Milchick’s disobedience arcinSeverance. While he never fully turns against Lumon in the season, the seeds definitely start to get planted in this episode during his performance review. Overall, even though Irving’s innie is no longer around, it is nice to see Helly back in the office with Mark and Dylan. This episode introduces several new intriguing dynamics between the characters and continues season 2’s overarching story.
4"Attila"
Season 2, Episode 6
In episode 5, it was very frustrating to watch how rude Mark is to Helly, but their relationship is quickly remedied inSeveranceseason 2, episode 6. In fact, this is perhaps the most important episode for their relationship since they have sex for the first time. Even thoughMark’s innie previously had sex with Helena, Helly wants to reclaim the experience that her outie stole from her. This is a very sweet moment for the two characters, and is important for setting up Mark’s innie’s decision at the end of the season.
Something Is Going On With Fields, And This Severance Theory Has Convinced Me Who He Really Is
Severance season 2, episode 6, has hinted that Burt’s husband Fields is part of the Eagan family, as they seem to be hiding more of Lumon’s secrets.
This episode also features Irving having an awkward dinner with Burt and Fields.This further sets up the tragic love story between Irving and Burt, and teases some more mysteries involving Lumon. The next two episodes after this are quite standalone. Therefore, this episode stands out as one of the best episodes of the season that features most ofSeverance’scast.
3"Chikhai Bardo"
Season 2, Episode 7
Ever since the reveal that Ms. Casey is actually Gemma in season 1, she has been one of the most interesting and mysterious characters inSeverance. Unfortunately, she is not included in most of season 2. However, Gemma’s absence is made up for in this episode, which is almost entirely centered on her imprisonment at Lumon and her relationship with Mark.This episode shows how Mark and Gemma met and highlights their loving marriagebefore the miscarriage.
This episode is also impeccably crafted, and successfully highlights the tragic circumstances that Gemma and all the other severed employees are in.
Severanceseason 2, episode 7 reveals the conditions that Gemma is living in at Lumon. She has been in a truly hopeless situation for years, which makes viewers want Mark to save her all the more. This episode also reveals thatthe MDR files correspond to rooms that Gemma visits, further teasing what the numbers actually mean inSeverance. In addition to answering many questions, this episode is also impeccably crafted, and successfully highlights the tragic circumstances that Gemma and all the other severed employees are in.
2"Woe’s Hollow"
Season 2, Episode 4
In this episode,Milchick arranges for the MDR employees to go on a team-building retreat, also known as an ORTBO. During the retreat, they read passages from the bizarre fourth appendix of Lumon’s handbook as they travel through a forest. Tensions are high between the MDR employees during this episode. This is especially true for Helly and Irving, who rightfully suspects that she is actually Helena.
The dramatic ending ofSeveranceseason 2, episode 4 completely changes the trajectory of the rest of the season. Because of Irving’s actions, Helly is finally back, but it comes at a cost. Irving’s innie is fired at the end of this episode, which means that he will essentially cease to exist. Because of this,this episode could very well be the last time Mark, Helly, Irving, and Dylan are all together inSeverance. Overall, the change of scenery in this episode was refreshing, and it was great to see one of season 2’s major twists get revealed.
1"Cold Harbor"
Season 2, Episode 10
It honestly feels wrong to refer to theSeveranceseason 2 finale as an episode of television, as it practically feels like a feature-length film. Season 2’s finale is not only the longest, but also the most intense and entertaining episode of the entire season. Everything that has been set up throughoutSeveranceseason 2 is paid off in the dramatic and high-stakes finale. After completing the Cold Harbor file,Mark finally makes it to the Exports Hall and goes down the elevator to save Gemma.
Following the season 2 finale,Severanceseason 3 has been officially confirmed by Apple.
After saving Gemma,Mark’s decision to remain on the severed floor with Helly makes for arguably one of the best season endings in television history. From an interesting conversation between Mark’s innie and outie to the satisfying rescue of Gemma, everything in the season 2 finale is perfect, and it sets up so much forSeveranceseason 3. Therefore, while the season contains many amazing episodes, the finale ofSeveranceseason 2 is undeniably the best episode.
