

In the fourth episode, she threatens to cut off her fingers with a guillotine unless her superiors let her quit, and when her outie refuses the request, she takes her attempt to free herself to unsettling extremes. Then there's Helly (Britt Lower), the new girl who wastes no time making it clear that she'd rather be anywhere else than at a desk in one of Lumon's stark, windowless rooms. Meanwhile, Irving (John Turturro) entertains himself by learning all he can about Lumon's company policies and admiring the rotating, often morbid, artwork that dons the otherwise empty hallways.

Mark's co-worker Dylan (Zach Cherry) determines his self-worth by the perks he's been awarded for his stellar performance – and by perks, we mean erasers, finger traps, and, if you're really good, waffle parties. Severance leans into its bleakness elsewhere, too. The pair's early exchanges are intriguing and heartbreaking in equal measure, as we yearn to know what the creepy corporation is up to, and witness Mark's indifference to this person who at least part of him was clearly very close to. Outie Mark's life is turned upside down, though, when a man who claims to be his former work BFF rocks up, and asks him to help expose Lumon's secrets.
