Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Severance Season 2 Episode 3.
WhileSeveranceSeason 1 only gave the viewers small glimpses into the outie lives of the crew of Macrodata Refinement — other than Mark S. (Adam Scott), of course — Season 2 has provided a more intimate look at the outie persona of Dylan G. (Zach Cherry). In Season 2, Episode 3, titled, “Who Is Alive?”, Dylan earns special visitation privileges with his outie’s wife, Gretchen (Merritt Wever), as Dylan is the only member of MDR with an immediate family.In the wake of the new “Severance Reform,”Dylan is granted entry to the newly constructed Outie Family Visitation Suite as a reward for his good behavior and hard work — and, of course, to keep the innies happy, likely so thatMark can finish Cold Harbor.The most interesting and heartbreaking aspect of this new privilegeis that it seems like it’s a reward for Gretchen as much as it is for Dylan, with his innie being a reminder of the man she fell in love with.
‘Severance’ Season 2 Reveals the Harsh Reality About Dylan’s Outie
In the brief moments Dylan’s outie is shown,his life seems to suffer from the repetition a lot of people face in adult life, one that revolves around everyday habits — including watching the kids while his wife works an overnight job, and his job taking up the majority of the day, one that he knows nothing about because he is severed.When interviewing for the door company after momentarily losing his job at Lumon, it’s revealed that his list of past jobs is a long one,making his reason to undergo the severance procedure one of necessity. Dylan’s outie is lost, without purpose, stuck in a rut of a routine-based marriage plagued with mere signs of coexistence rather than pure signs of affection, with his job at Lumon needed to provide for his family. Dylan’s innie wants nothing more than to excel at his job, while his outie hangs on the couch reading magazines, withzero ambition to even bake simple store-bought cookies for his kid’s school.
While his outie never quite found his “thing,” Gretchen gets to witness a version of Dylan that just might have done so as an employee of Lumon. The meeting in the Outie Family Visitation Suite is a bright and open space, showcasing a rekindled bond enhanced by the optimism of their time together. By contrast, their home is dimly lit, and littered with interactions based on the fundamentals of their mundane lives. When meeting Dylan’s innie,Gretchen sees a fresh, but familiar version of Dylan, likely similar to the version she fell in love with — a man who is confident, driven, full of energy, and most importantly, happy.
‘Severance’ Season 2 Opening Credits Explained: What’s Different in These New Titles?
And what are they already hinting at for the new season?
‘Severance’ Season 2 Could Be Setting Up a Strange Love Triangle
Later that night, before Gretchen heads out for her night shift, Dylan’s outie asks how the meeting with his innie went. Gretchen plainly states, “It was weird good, but good,” but her calm reaction is a stark difference from the “I love you” she proclaimed to Dylan’s innie, already showcasing the vast distance in the relationship she has with the outie version. This heartbreaking moment, paired with the warmth Gretchen shows to this “new” version of Dylan she now gets to meet with from time to time,could be setting up a weird, but understandable love trianglebetween Gretchen and both versions of Dylan. Even the hug they share provokes an interesting thought — being an innie, Dylan has likely never received a hug from another person with the sole intent of love and affection, andthat sort of attention can be quite addictive and tempting.
Whilea good deal of science fiction projectshave covered the grounds of love triangles with a clone, or a version of the same person from a different moment in time,Severanceis diving into uncharted waters. For all intents and purposes, Dylan is the same human body from the same moment in time;his memories are merely separated by the microchip implanted in his brain. Still, both versions of Dylan are vastly different, not only in their demeanor but also in knowledge of each other’s worlds. Dylan’s innie calls Gretchen’s Lumon-provided clear purse a sack, which is a hilarious line, but indicates how naive innies are to most things that create the outside world. With this naivety, Gretchen can regain that feeling of love and interest from the innie version of Dylan,which, to Gretchen, might end up feeling like the better version of Dylan.
SeveranceSeason 2 is available to stream on Apple TV+ in the U.S. New episodes air on Fridays.
