The We We Are

"**The We We Are**" is the ninth episode in the first season of the Apple TV+ thriller series ***Severance***. It was released on the eighth of April in 2022.

## Synopsis

The team discovers troubling revelations.

## Plot

### Intro

Dylan engages the panel switches that put Mark, Helly, and Irv into Overtime Contingency mode. In split screen, Irv, Helly, and Mark each blink and snap "awake" as Innies in their Outie worlds.

At Devon and Ricken's party, Harmony says to Mark, "I said, Are you alright?" He says he's fine and she says he should talk to his sister as "it's an important decision." He says, "My sister," clearly not knowing that he has a sister. He excuses himself and walks away, seeing the home and each person there as if for the first time.

Irv stares at his painting in confusion. His home and his many paintings are strange to him. Helly is at large gathering where Natalie asks her how many drinks Helly has had. Helly says, "Just this one" which Natalie says is good as "We need you nimble down there. You're on in twenty." She tells Helly the board "is really grateful for this." Natalie introduces Helly to Gabby Arteta who enthusiastically says, "Helena, it's so great to finally meet you." Helly is stunned but manages a, "Likewise" and tries to steel herself for whatever is to come.

### Act One

Dylan stands in the security office with his arms stretched to their maximum as he holds open the two switches, those meant to be held by two people, muttering, "This better be working, asshole." Mark walks down a hallway in Devon's house, enters a room, and closes the door behind him. He looks around, asking himself, "Where am I?" Devon enters holding her baby and tells Mark he might be sharing a book with Rebecca, to which Mark says, "A book. Right." Watching Devon hold baby Eleanor, Mark asks her, "How's our baby?" Devon laughs and says, "I'm going to assume you mean that in a It Takes A Village sense. She's good." Irv moves through his house, finding his old dog and petting it as if for the first time and reading the dog's tag, "Radar".

Mark moves back out into the party. Some other guests talk to him about Devon & her baby, calling Devon "your sister." "That's my sister? With the baby?" he says. He walks around, mumbling to himself as he assimilates what he has learned. Back with Devon, he asks her if they're close and says he wants to talk privately but they're interrupted by Ricken's reading beginning.

Helly chats with Gabby and meets her husband Angelo. Gabby says she couldn't have had three children "without a little help. I mean, the idea that people would want to outlaw severance..." and shakes her head disapprovingly. Helly pretends to agree. Angelo says, "The photo display is very moving. I already knew how I'd be voting, but I think, well, seeing that and seeing you and hearing what you have to say, all of this could really make a difference." Helly says, "I hope so" but is clearly spooked. He says, "Let's change some minds," to which Helly says, "Well, I'm certainly going to try." He thanks her and tells her to "thank your father if you see him."

Mark is handed a copy of Ricken's book which he recognizes as the same book he has been reading at Lumon which stuns him. Ricken begins his reading while Mark says to himself, "My brother-in-law…." Harmony asks Mark to read along with his copy of the book. While we hear Ricken ask, "Who are *you*?," Helly walks through the gathering space which is filled with many large photos of her as her Innie self and labeled, "Helly — a severed story."

### Act Two

Irv finds a chest in a closet in his home, finds the key to its lock in his pocket, and finds inside the chest a military uniform and other memorabilia, including an old photo of a young serviceman labeled "Dad." Under those items he finds papers that include clippings about Lumon and the controversy over severance, and a list of severed Lumon employees, including his and Burt Goodman's names and Burt's address. He finds a map marked with various employee names including Burt's. He reads his own address on a piece of mail and uses it to map the route to Burt's home.

Mark tells Ricken that Ricken's book was an inspiration to him, which Ricken at first thinks is sarcastic but Mark convinces him that the book changed his life. In the conversation, Ricken makes clear to Mark that Mark opted for severance so Mark could "deal with Gemma's passing in the way that was best for you." Ricken mentions a picture of the two couples on a hike, which Mark asks to see but Ricken is called away before he can show it to Mark. Harmony tells Mark he's tense and asks if he meant what he said about his plans and asks him to tell her more, but he excuses himself and as he walks away says, "Thanks, Ms. Cobel." Moments later, Devon gives baby Eleanor to Harmony to hold while she talks with Mark in private.

Helly watches a video of her Outie self Helena talking about growing up an Eagan, using phony corporate-speak to describe hundreds of thousands of Lumon employees as "family," and saying, "I don't think severance divides us. I think it brings us together." We see the corporate motto: "Lumon: United in Severance."

Harmony drives down the road frantically, listens to Milchick's voicemail greeting and curses. Helly goes into the restroom in a panic, but is found by her father, Jame. He asks her if she's "still in pain" to which she says, "No, not anymore." He tells her he "cried in my bed when they told me what she tried to do to you, what your Innie tried to do" and thanks her for "going through with this. Your grandfather would cherish what you've done. And one day, you'll sit with me at my revolving." Regarding the severance brain-implant chip, he tells her the "whole world will get one … because of you. They'll all be Kier's children." After he leaves, Helly repeats to herself the Lumon punishment recital, "Forgive me for the harm I have caused this world. None may atone for my actions but me. And only in me shall their stain live on. All I can be is sorry, and that is all I am."

Irv exits his house to its strange surroundings, finds his car and figures out how to start it and drive away. Mark has concluded his explanation to Devon and says the authorities need to go to Lumon. She tells him his Outie has been trying to figure out what Lumon does. Mark says he just wants "to know why, why he put me in there." "He lost his wife. You lost your wife," she tells him, and explains he was a history professor who couldn't recover from the trauma and so he hoped a severed job would spare him from the pain. She says about Gemma, "She was wonderful. She made you wonderful."

Harmony tells Milchick over the phone that "the goddamn OTC's been triggered" and when he says Helly's at the gala Harmony says she'll take care of that but Milchick needs to go to the security office and stop Dylan, to "shut if off now!" Milchick runs frantically through the building but finds the security office door roped closed but for a small gap. He yells at Dylan to open the door, but Dylan yells back, "Fuck you, Mr. Milchick!"

### Act Three

Deven tells Mark that it might be better to go to a journalist rather than the police, as Lumon might have too much influence. Mark then asks why Cobel is at the party, and the two connect Harmony's identify with Mrs. Selvig. Devon runs from the room, having realized Cobel has her baby.

Helly strides purposes through the gala. Milchick tries to convince Dylan to open the security office door while also trying to cut the rope holding the door closed. Devon alerts Ricken and the guests that Mrs. Selvig is gone and has Eleanor. Irv continues driving. Milchick offers Dylan trivia prizes if he opens to the door to which Dylan shouts, "I want to remember my fucking kid being born!" Milchick says Dylan has two other children and he'll tell Dylan their names if he opens the door. Harmony arrives at the gala and runs inside. Irv arrives at Burt's house and sees Burt inside interacting affectionately with another man. Mark finds Eleanor alone in a room (and Ricken's idiot friend Patton picks up Eleanor, runs out of the room with her, and claims he was the one who found her).

As Natalie introduces Helly to the crowd at the gala, Harmony intercepts Helly on her way to the stage and knows she's talking to Helly the Innie. Found out, Helly says, "I'm going to kill your company." Crazed with anger, Harmony says, "Your friends will suffer. Mark will suffer. You'll be long gone but we'll keep them. Alive. In pain." Helly takes the stage. Left in the room by himself, Mark finds a photo of himself & Gemma, apparently on their wedding day, and realizes Gemma is the Innie knowns as Ms. Casey. Irv goes to Burt's door. Milchick continues to cut through the rope holding the door closed. Helly tells the crowd, "I'm an Innie. And everything they've told you about Severance is a lie," at which the crowd laughs, thinking it's a joke. Mark shouts for Devon. Irv bangs on Burt's door and shouts Burt's name. Helly says, "No no no. Listen: We're not happy. We're miserable." Milchick finally cuts through the rope, enters the office, and lunges at Dylan. Helly says, "They torture us down there! We're prisoners!" and is tackled on the stage. Mark shouts at Devon, "She's alive!" Milchick tackles Dylan who releases the switches. We hear an electronic *bing*.

## 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
* Dichen Lachman as Ms. Casey
* Michael Chernus as Ricken Hale
* John Turturro as Irving Bailiff
* Christopher Walken as Burt Goodman (credit only)
* Patricia Arquette as Harmony Cobel

### Guest Starring

* Sydney Cole Alexander as Alexa
* Michael Siberry as Jame Eagan

### Co-starring

* Annie McNamara as Danise
* Grace Rex as Rebeck
* Donald Webber Jr. as Patton
* Olivia Alboher as Woman in Old Woman Mask
* Samantha Easton Farrow as Woman in Bride Mask
* Sarah Gold as Woman in Jester Mask
* Tara Rodriguez as Choreographer
* Weston Krukow as Man in Sheep's Head Mask
* Marc Geller as Kier Eagan

## Trivia

* This is the ninth episode overall.
* The episode won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score).
* The music over the final credits: Mose Alison - *Your Mind Is On Vacation (and Your Mouth is Working Overtime)*
* The addresses on the envelope and the list of employees include a fictitious state code, PE, and ZIP codes in the 0745X range, which in reality are assigned to Bergen County, NJ. In one scene, the license plate of a car is clearly visible. The name of the state doesn't appear anywhere on the plate, but in the center of the plate is an image of Kier Eagan, and at the bottom is the Latin phrase "Remedium Hominibus": "A cure, for mankind." (Not "A cure for mankind" in the sense of mankind being a disease, which would be "Remedium Hominum.")
* The map of the area they show is a map of Schenectady that has been changed. You can see neighborhoods such as Bellevue and Mount Pleasant.
* During the book reading, Severance creator Dan Erickson makes a cameo appearance as one of the attendees. He is seen speaking to Devon and greets Mark as he passes by him.

## Gallery

* Promotional
* Screenshots