Severance: Why Did Helena Decide to [Spoiler] With Mark in Episode 4? There's 1 Sad Reason & 1 Scary

Severance season 2 continues to throw jaw-dropping plot twists at us, and episode 4 was no exception. If anything, I think this episode was the most unique of the whole series and took the character development to another level.

We follow the MDR gang into the outside world again. But this time they all are together, and the outside activity is actually provided by Lumon itself. Irving, Mark, Dylan and Helly find each other in some wide snowy location, and soon find out that it was Mr. Milchick who was responsible for that happening.

The episode has several major plot twists, such as Irv's hunch that Helly is really Helena Eagan reaching its climax, and him finally doing something outrageous to successfully prove it.

But right before that, we witnessed another rather interesting thing happen. Probably something that all the fans thought would still become true somehow, but in different circumstances. Yes, we are talking about the rather steamy scene in the tent between Helena/Helly and Mark.

The two made love for the first time, and after watching the episode to the end and finally realizing that this season's Helly was really just her outie pretending to be her, it hits home. And fans are sure that Helena had at least two reasons to do what she did.

The Sad Reason

The sad reason for Helena's decision stems from her emotional vulnerability and the deep sense of isolation she experiences in the real world. Helena has struggled with connection throughout the series, and in episode 4, she finally gives in and seeks comfort in the arms of a man who shows her genuine affection (even though he doesn't know it's her).

“I think Helena let go for a bit. That masturbation joke was sincere, something she would not dare do as an outie, but free to do as an innie. She seemed sincere for the first time in the tent with Mark. She is still a person who longs for affection. And now, she can never have that back,” Redditor Monkeys_Around_Me said.

The Scary Reason

The scarier reason behind Helena's decision, however, may be tied to a more sinister motivation. Sleeping with Mark may be a calculated move to manipulate him into forgetting about Gemma, his wife, and abandon all efforts to find out the truth about her.

Or at least change his focus from finding her and figuring out what's going on with her. The fact that Gemma may be in danger has crossed the minds of many fans, and it really is a chilling twist.

But while this creates a chilling contrast to the earlier sadness, it's also possible that the two reasons could actually coexist in the reality of Severance, since we know that there's nothing simple about the show's multi-layered characters.

Severance season 2 is available to stream on AppleTV+. New episodes air every Friday.