Half Loop

"**Half Loop**" is the second episode in the first season of the Apple TV+ thriller series ***Severance***. It was released along with the previous episode on the eighteenth of February in 2022.

## Synopsis

The team train new hire Helly on macrodata refinement. Mark takes a day off to meet with a mysterious former colleague.

## Plot

### Intro

Helly R. records her attestation video for the Severance Procedure. Mr. Milchick walks Helly around Lumon Industries and does an orientation prior to Helly undergoing the procedure, including telling her that Kier would drink three raw eggs in milk each morning, his "favorite breakfast." (Helly: "I've heard.") The Severance procedure is performed on Outie Helly by Regabhi who drills into Helly's brain and implants a chip while Helly remains awake and Milchick takes photos and tells her he was "very excited to meet you." When Outie Helly regains consciousness, she finds herself in the stairwell being greeted by Milchick. Helly asks if she's trying to leave, and Milchick says no and tells her that this is "part of the process" and that being in the stairwell helps "to experience the transition viscerally." Milchick tells Helly to head inside. Helly comes back out, and Milchick encourages her to head back inside again. Helly comes back out into the stairwell again, crashing through the door and falling on the floor. (We are seeing what happened on the stairwell side of the door when Innie Helly was trying to leave.) Milchick encourages her once again to head back inside, telling her, "You're an inquisitive one," and that, "You're learning that you do" want to be inside as her Innie self. He says it was a "like miracle" and it's "amazing what you're doing." Outie Helly heads back inside from the stairwell, this time regaining consciousness in the elevator at the end of her work day. Milchick greets Helly with flowers.

### Act One

Mark Scout arrives on the Severed Floor, grabs the Senior Refiner Morning Checklist, and begins working through the tasks (making coffee, putting soap in the restroom dispenser, etc.). During his final task of cleaning the group photo, Mark notices Petey in the photo. Mark takes the photo from each refiner's desk and puts them in the storage closet. Helly arrives and asks, "So it's tomorrow now?" Mark tells her it's Monday to focus on how she feels — "the *effects* of sleep, since we don't actually get to experience it" — noting that she may feel rejuvenated and spry.

Dylan tells Helly about his work on the Tumwater file and incentives that she can earn with based on making progress refining the file, such as the prized "Waffle Party". Mark asks for Helly's help getting her console set up. Mark loads up Helly's first file, the Siena file.

Irving interrupts, asking about the group photos that have gone missing. Mark informs Irving that the new group photo will be taken later in the day. Irving counters that the old group photo should be replaced after the new photo has been taken. Mark continues Helly's training, telling her how to go about identifying data that needs to be refined. Irving approaches with a printout of the handbook passage indicating how the group photos should be handled. Helly asks, "Am I trapped here?" and about how to quit, but Mark and Dylan both indicate that resignation requests rarely get approved. Milchick shows up with the Melon Bar.

### Act Two

Milchick starts a getting-to-know-each-other exercise by rolling a ball over to Irving. Irving shares a fact about himself, that he knows all nine core Lumon principles and that all nine are his favorite, today's being "Cheer." Irving then proceeds to begin a trust fall, but is stopped by Milchick. Irving rolls the ball to Helly.

Helly states that she's been at Lumon for 10 hours total and that she doesn't know anything about herself. When Milchick presses Helly, she frustratedly repeats that she doesn't know anything about herself and that she doesn't even know where she lives or whether it's a home or an apartment. Dylan interrupts stating that he likes to think that his Outie lives "on a river boat." Helly asks what an "Outie" is, which Mark and Milchick explain that an "Outie" is the person's life outside of the Lumon severed floor.

Milchick explains that Helly is 30 years old, allergic to almonds, has weak enamel, is 5 feet 6 inches, and has shoulder-length hair. Mark explains that he's been with Lumon for two years and loves the game they are playing. Milchick presses Mark to share more, and Mark explains that he broke protocol by hiding the group photos in the storage closet because they made him feel sad and worried about his performance. Irving recalls Mark's actions and objected.

Milchick finds Mark's action sweet, but shows concern about Mark's actions ("an outburst like this") since he didn't feel the same about Carol D. when she left that he's now showing for Petey. Mark explains that he felt that way because he doesn't know what happened to Petey and whether Petey's even alive. Milchick interrupts, stating that he likes to think that those on Lumon's Severed floor are spared from things like death since they happen outside of the Severed Floor, "not here. A life at Lumon is protected from such things, and I think a great potential response to that from all of you … is gratitude." Mark nods, chastened. Milchick then tells the team to go get melon from the Melon Bar.

Irving notices that there's some dark-colored material under his nails, which he picks at. Mark apologizes to Helly for ruining the game. Helly asks Mark how he's going to discover Petey's status, but Mark shirks the question stating that Milchick "is a nice man" and it's best listen to him. Helly says she doesn't care to which Mark says Milchick "can't always be nice like that." Milchick tells the team to gather for the group photo. Milchick takes numerous photos, to Helly's dismay.

Helly leaves the photo session, tells the team she's quitting, and proceeds to head to the elevator with a written note. Mark runs after Helly, stating the elevator has code detectors that are going to pick up her note. Helly doesn't believe him, and is caught in the elevator by the code detector and then is found by Graner. As Mr. Graner starts to take Helly to the Break Room, Mark interrupts and explains it's his first time training a new member of Macrodata Refinement and to give Helly a break this time, stating that it's his fault Helly didn't know. Mr. Graner allows Mark to take the fall and leads Mark to the Break Room which requires that Mark walk alone in the final steps down a narrow, dark, claustrophobic hallway. Harmony Cobel opens the door to the Break Room, ready for Mark.

### Act Three

Mark is on a date with his sister's midwife, Alexa. Alexa explains that she's done approximately 300 deliveries. Mark explains that he works at Lumon Industries and is Severed. Alexa says that Mark could have a personal relationship outside of Lumon and know nothing about it on the inside, and asks if it bothers him. He states that for some people, that's the point of being severed.

A drunken Mark and sober Alexa are walking down the street outside, Trying to make the best of the date, Alexa asks Mark about if he lives in Lumon housing and whether it's subsidized by Lumon. Mark and Alexa encounter a few members of the Whole Mind Collective, who are passing out flyers about severed workers and discussing children's brain health. Mark approaches the WMC members and asks about people who sever willingly, stating that some are so deluded, they don't realize they are victims. Mark asks a handful of questions to rile up the WMC members. Alexa looks on disapprovingly. After realizing he's making things awkward, Mark says they should go.

Mark goes home and has a beer to relax from the evening. Mrs. Selvig knocks and arrives with Chamomile cookies. Mrs. Selvig notes that Mark smells nice and asks if he was on a date. Mark states that his sister set him up with her midwife and takes a bite of a cookie. Mrs. Selvig states that her late husband was going to build them a house in the afterlife, and that her husband was going to include an apartment behind the house for a future suitor Mrs. Selvig may have before she dies. The late husband even drew blueprints, which Mrs. Selvig keeps in her purse.

Mark shows Mrs. Selvig out and she tells Mark to come by the shop for a mugwort bath bomb, stating that they'll help Mark sleep well. Mark shuts the door and heads to the unfinished basement to look for a lightbulb to fix the burnt-out bulb in the hallway. Mark comes across a box of Gemma's crafts. Mark falls asleep on the couch with the TV on.

In the car the next morning, Mark finds the flyer from the Whole Mind Collective. Mark goes back into his house, grabs the envelope that Petey left him, then calls out sick from work while he drives to the address found on the letter inside the envelope. An agitated Irving asks Dylan about Mark. Dylan says Mark is probably sick, and that they wouldn't fire both Petey and Mark in the same week. Irving says that he's not worried about being fired and that he doesn't want to take Mark's position as Department Head. Dylan states that Irving has a lot of confidence even though Irving was caught sleeping at work. Irving laments that he can't help being hired older than Dylan.

Helly arrives, stating that the work never stops, to which Dylan agrees. Helly asks about Mark, and Dylan responds that Mark is probably sick. Helly fears that Mark was fired for her note, but Dylan says no because Mark "did his stint in the Break Room yesterday." Harmony Cobel asks Milchick about Mark and if he was actually sick. Mr. Graner states that the timing is convenient. Mark arrives at the address found on the letter.

Dylan explains that rewards are based on completeness of finishing a file. Helly asks why all files aren't finished. Dylan states that they only have so much time to work on them, and that only 20% of files are finished before they expire. Irving begins to doze off while trying to process a file. Irving's dream starts with a viscous black fluid crawling down the walls of his cubicle, down his console, and is about to reach his hands when he comes to, calling out loudly in fear. Milchick checks on Irving.

### Act Four

Mark explores the area on Half Loop Road, which turns out to be a bunch of greenhouses. During his exploration, he finds Petey Kilmer. Milchick says they will deduct his time snoozing from his outie's paycheck and that he and Harmony Cobel are disappointed in Irving. Milchick then explains that they are submitting Irving for a Wellness Check and that they don't want to send him to the Break Room.

Helly is attempting to refine her first file and mockingly says she's scared of the number four. Dylan tells her not to mess around and to give it time. Helly asks about what data they could be refining. Dylan states that he thinks they are cleaning the sea because things must be pretty bad — "famine, plagues, etc." — for people to sever themselves, so now maybe they want to "populate the sea." Helly asks if this is the leading theory, and Dylan responds that Irving thinks they are cutting swear words out of movies.

Mark asks Petey what they work on down on the Severed floor. Petey thought it would make more sense after he reintegrated, two weeks before, but it doesn't. Petey doesn't know how many departments are on the Severed floor and that Lumon kept them all separated. Petey shows Mark a map and says he "hid the original for you when I left." Petey then has a bout of Reintegration Sickness, and explains that he's the first that had it (and that he lives in green houses because he can't go home) when Mark says that he's never heard of it.

Mark asks about the Break Room. Petey says that the Break Room is where they are sent when severed employees don't "act right" on the Severed floor. Peter plays Mark a recording of Mark saying the Break Room script, albeit not sincere enough to convince a recorded Milchick that Mark truly means the words he's reciting. The recorded Milchick tells the recorded Mark to repeat it. Mark asks what the recording is. Peter responds that it's the Break Room.

### Act Five

Irving waits outside of the Wellness Room, admiring a painting of Kier Eagan taming the four tempers. Burt comes out of a wellness session, and the two have a short conversation about the painting, which hung in the Perpetuity Wing for years. Irving states that he was sad it was taken out of the Perpetuity Wing and that it's calming. Due to Burt's knowledge of the painting, Irving asks if Burt is a department head. Burt affirms the question, stating that he's department head of Optics and Design. Burt states that it's a two-person department, so he barely qualifies as department head.

Irving states that he loves that they did the Ambrose Cycle in the team-building space the previous quarter. Burt says that it's rare to meet a sophisticate and that most people only like the handbook totes designed by O&D. Irving state that he likes the totes as well, and Burt lets slip that new totes are coming the next month. Ms. Casey opens the door and invites Irving in for his wellness session.

Ms. Casey starts the wellness session, stating that Irving's outie is an exemplary person and that he should enjoy each fact about his outie equally. Ms. Casey states various facts about Irving's Outie. During a fact about Irving's Outing being adept at swimming, Irving chuckles. Ms. Casey pauses, reminding Irving to show no preference for one fact over another, indicating that 10 points have been deducted out of the 100 points Irving unknowingly started with. When Irving asks about the points, Ms. Casey tells Irving not to speak and continues with more facts. Irving again has a small response to being told his outie is skilled at kissing and lovemaking. Ms. Casey interrupts, again reminding Irving that he shouldn't respond to any particular fact, that he has lost another 10 points, and that if he speaks again, "all remaining points will be deducted and the wellness session will end."

Dylan grabs a token out of the jar ("Limit two tokens per person per day") and puts it in the Vending Machine. Dylan selects a box of raisins from all the Lumon-branded products. Helly approaches asking about the code detectors and if they are also on the stairwells. Dylan tells Helly to let the info smuggling idea go. Helly asks how they would even know if the resignation requests are even being received by their outies. Irving shows up in a chipper mood with his usual greeting ("Hi kids, what's for dinner?"). Helly asks how Irving's wellness session went. Irving states that he met Burt, to Dylan's dismay. Dylans says of Burt, "He's a fuck" and is concerned the Irv may have told Burt where their office is located "for the safety of this department."

Helly continues refining the Siena file while Irving and Dylan bicker. Helly finds her first set of numbers to be refined, calling Dylan and Irving over. Dylan states that she's correct in her assessment of the data and to fence off the bad data. Irving asks if she can see the perimeter of the data. Dylan tells her to bin the data, which is successful. Irving and Dylan congratulate Helly, who shudders at the scary numbers.

Mark makes the unfinished basement more hospitable for Petey, who has been invited to stay with Mark. Petey goes to the bathroom. Mark looks for a sleeping bag to keep Peter warm in the basement. Petey receives a call on his cell phone, which triggers a bout of reintegration sickness that is much worse than the previous one. Petey tries to take a shower and clean up, but begins hallucinating, seeing himself in the restroom of the Severed Floor. Petey collapses as Mark, from outside the bathroom, asks if Peter is okay.

## Cast

### Starring

* Adam Scott as Mark Scout
* Zach Cherry as Dylan George
* Britt Lower as Helly Riggs
* Tramell Tillman as Seth Milchick
* Jen Tullock as Devon Scout-Hale (credit only)
* Dichen Lachman as Ms. Casey
* Michael Chernus as Ricken Hale (credit only)
* John Turturro as Irving Bailiff
* Christopher Walken as Burt Goodman
* Patricia Arquette as Harmony Cobel

### Guest Starring

* Yul Vazquez as Petey Kilmer
* Michael Cumpsty as Doug Graner
* Nikki M. James as Alexa

### Co-starring

* Marc Geller as Kier Eagan
* Hudson Flynn as WMC Activist 1
* Ruby Stevenes as WMC Activist 2

## Trivia

* This is the second episode overall.
* In episode 2 during Irvings Wellness session it's said that his outie likes the sound of radar. In episode 9 it's revealed that Irvings outie actually owns a dog named Radar.
* While the carving on wall of the company lobby resembles Sigmund Freud (the famous neurologist and psychoanalyst), it is a depiction of Lumon's founder, Kier Eagan. Mr. Milchick states while passing by it that Kier's favorite breakfast was three raw eggs in milk, which Helly agrees she's heard. This scene occurs before her severance procedure. "What is Mr. Eagan's favorite breakfast?" was the fourth survey question asked of Helly in episode 1.1, to which she expressed complete ignorance.
* At 43:37, while viewing the art in the waiting room, John Turturro (Irving) notes to Christopher Walken (Burt) "I loved that you did the Ambrose cycle in the team-building space last quarter". John Turturro played Ambrose Monk, brother of Adrian Monk on Monk.

## Gallery

* Promotional
* Screenshots