Every time ‘Severance’ hinted at that huge Helly twist

Severance pulled off one of its biggest plot twists yet in “Woe’s Hollow,” the fourth episode of Season 2.

The episode brings Lumon’s Innies back to the outside world for an Outdoor Retreat Team Building Occurrence, or ORTBO. It’s basically a camping trip, with a healthy dose of Kier Eagan propaganda — and marshmallows! — thrown in for good measure. But the ORTBO ends in chaos when Irving (John Turturro) figures out that Helly (Britt Lower) is actually her Outie Helena, who has been posing as Helly since the start of Season 2.

Severance has been steadily building to this reveal since the first episode of Season 2, dropping hints (some subtle, some glaring) that something isn’t right with Helly. So whether you called the Helena twist from episode 1 and want to revisit your detective work, or you were totally surprised and want to catch the clues you may have missed, we’ve got you covered. Here are the 10 biggest clues from Severance Season 2 that prove Helena was pretending to be Helly all along.

Helly’s return to the Severed Floor was immediately suspicious.

Adam Scott and Britt Lower in “Severance.”
Credit: Apple TV+

Right from the moment Helly reappears in Severance‘s Season 2 premiere, it’s clear something is off. Innies like Irving and Mark (Adam Scott) return to the Severed Floor in the same state they were in when the Overtime Contingency ended: Mark is terrified and breathing hard following his revelation that Gemma (Dichen Lachman) is still alive, while Irving is banging on the elevator doors just as he was banging on Burt’s (Christopher Walken) front door.

Helly, on the other hand, comes in running and out of breath, as if she’d been on the run for a long time. But she certainly wasn’t running at the end of Season 1 — she’d been tackled to the ground. Between that discrepancy and her faked labored breathing, everything about her entrance feels performative.

Helly’s reaction to Mark’s hug is also uncharacteristic of her. She seems more confused about seeing him than anything else. Of course, that could be read as Helly’s discombobulation after a sudden return to the Severed Floor, but in hindsight, it’s clear this is Helena trying to adjust to her new role as her Innie.

Helly was awfully focused on Lumon’s lack of security cameras.

Every time the MDR Innies hesitate to tell each other what happened to them in the outside world, Helly brings up Lumon’s seemingly relaxed surveillance tactics. One of her first lines back in the MDR office is “Where are the security cameras?” — a pointed attempt to prove the Innies aren’t being surveilled.

Later, in the new and improved break room, she reminds her co-workers that Lumon vowed that there would be no more cameras or microphones listening in on their conversations. But since when has Helly R. been one to trust Lumon propaganda at face value? No, these moments are actually all ploys from Helena to get the Innies talking. Lumon has been listening after all! Just not in the way it claimed.

Helly’s lie about the Overtime Contingency was the clearest proof that she’s Helena Eagan.

Britt Lower and John Turturro in “Severance.”
Credit: Apple TV+

The alarm bells about Helly really begin when she lies to Mark, Irving, and Dylan about what she saw in the outside world. Sure, she could have been so ashamed about being an Eagan that she decided to keep it from the group, but that doesn’t seem like something Helly would do. Remember, this is the woman who almost chopped off her own fingers and hanged herself to prove something to her Outie! She knows they’re not the same, and it’s more likely that she’d relish working with the rest of MDR to stick it to her Eagan Outie than cover it up.

Helena’s lie is also so blatant that Irving knows immediately that something is up. That raises the question: Helena had days to think of this lie, and the best she could think of was a night gardener? Surely Lumon has some copywriters who could have conjured up something better for her.

Helly wanted the group to stay together, no matter what.

The only way Helena can glean information from the other Innies is if they remain with each other at all times. That explains her panicked insistence that “we should all go” when Dylan volunteers to talk to an upset Irving. She doesn’t want to support Irving, she just wants to eavesdrop on him! Wouldn’t want to miss a thing happening on the Severed Floor — her father could call her a “fetid moppet” again.

Helly’s reaction to Mark’s search for Gemma was off-putting from the jump.

Adam Scott and Britt Lower in “Severance.”
Credit: Apple TV+

Another Helly/Helena clue in the first episode is her subdued reaction to the reveal that Gemma is alive at Lumon — and that Mark wants to get her out. Instead of jumping at the chance to free someone else from Lumon’s clutches, Helena-as-Helly prods Mark about why he owes Gemma anything. You could chalk this hesitance up to romantic complications between Helly, Innie Mark, Outie Mark, and Gemma, but again, do we really think Helly would miss out on an opportunity to stick it to Lumon? Of course not! Helena is just trying to dissuade Mark from acting on the information he learned during the Overtime Contingency, hoping she can get him back on track to finish Cold Harbor.

Helena’s true feelings about the Innie-Outie divide come to the fore in their conversation about Gemma, when she tells Mark, “We’re not the same [as our Outies], actually.” The intensity calls to mind Helena’s video message to Helly in Season 1, when she tells her, “I am a person. You are not.”

Helena does try to backtrack, saying, “I don’t think we owe [the Outies] shit.” But it’s too late! The cracks in her Helly facade are showing, and Helena Eagan is coming through.

An Invasion of the Body Snatchers reference hinted at Helena replacing Helly.

Eagle-eyed viewers spotted that the name of the file Helly is working on at the end of Severance‘s Season 2 premiere is Santa Mira, which is the fictional town where Invasion of the Body Snatchers takes place. Like the aliens in the film, Helena has replaced Helly, making the Santa Mira reference a fun, telling hint for movie lovers.

Helena’s body language was all off as Helly.

Britt Lower and Adam Scott in “Severance.”
Credit: Apple TV+

Helena’s first run out of the elevator and awkward hug of Mark aren’t the only physical clues that she’s posing as Helly. Elements like her walk, her hand placement, and more are evocative of the proper rigidity Helena exhibits. But the biggest body language discrepancy is how Helena fumbles with the switch to turn on her computer at the end of episode 1. All the other Innies are able to get it without looking, since this is a force of habit for them, so this small misstep is actually a pretty big red flag for Helena Eagan. I guess she should have studied her Innie better. Speaking of…

Helena watching Lumon’s security footage was a dead giveaway that she would be taking Helly’s place.

Britt Lower in “Severance.”
Credit: Apple TV+

In Severance Season 2, episode 2, we don’t see any of Helena-as-Helly. However, we get a sequence of Helena preparing to play her own Innie: the scene in which she watches and rewatches security footage of Helly’s kiss with Mark from Season 1. It’s like we’re watching an actor preparing to go method for a biopic, but instead of an actor playing a famed musician or political figure, it’s Helena Eagan preparing to play a version of herself she’s subjected to endless torture. Oscar incoming!

Knowing that Helena is planning on impersonating Helly adds an extra layer to the sinister assertion from Lumon enforcer Mr. Drummond (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Somebody Somewhere) that “the board’s going to give [Mark] what he wants. Including Helly R.”

With that, Helena knows she’s being expected to play up the intimacy between herself (as Helly) and Mark. It’s another way of giving up her body to serve Lumon (although of course, that’s what Lumon is doing to Innies in the first place).

The elevator doesn’t ding when Helena heads to the Severed Floor.

Britt Lower in “Severance.”
Credit: Apple TV+

When Helena takes the elevator down to the Severed Floor in Season 2, episode 2, we don’t hear the trademark “ding” sound that’s associated with the transition from Outie to Innie. That’s fairly damning evidence on its own, but it’s extra damning because Helena’s entrance comes after Dylan and Irving’s. You know what we hear when they take the elevator? The ding! The omission of a Helly ding right after these was a purposeful nod to Helena taking the reins on the Severed Floor — and it’s proof that no detail on Severance is too small to be a coincidence.

Helly’s behavior on the entire “Woe’s Hollow” field trip was a nail in the coffin for undercover Helena.

Britt Lower, Adam Scott, John Turturro, and Zach Cherry in “Severance.”
Credit: Apple TV+

Helena’s time on the Severed Floor already had its suspicious moments, but her behavior on the ORTBO is what truly blows her cover. Her cruelty to Irving about him losing Burt is what truly convinces Irving, but there are other moments that signal that Helly is really Helena as well.

For starters, she immediately understands that the story about Kier Eagan’s twin brother Dieter in the Fourth Appendix is an anti-masturbation tale, suggesting this is a text she’s familiar with, as an Eagan would be. Her derision about the story at the campfire could be an overly performative attempt to capture Helly’s anti-Eagan sentiment — or it could also be a freeing moment for Helena to push back against her family’s teachings, some of which she may view as outdated.

Later, in one of the only instances when Helena-as-Helly truly gets some time alone, she wanders over to the Woe’s Hollow waterfall and stares at it with a mix of pride and affection. Since Woe’s Hollow is such an important place in Kier’s life, Helena’s gazing at the waterfall feels like a moment of acknowledging her family and her place in it, including everything she’s done this season in order to continue serving Kier. Coming the morning after she has sex with Mark — both the ultimate way to get revenge against Helly, and concrete proof that she’s fully earned Mark’s trust — Helena’s stop by the waterfall feels like a mini victory lap. At least, until Irving calls her out.

The official reveal that Helena was Helly all along raises Severance Season 2’s rewatch factor to new heights, with every one of Lower’s performance choices gaining new depth and context. What other clues did you pick out?

Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Friday.