Severance‘s Adam Scott and Britt Lower on That Major Episode 4 Twist

The journey to bring Severance Season 2 to screens took nearly three years—and for good reason. The Season 1 finale of the Apple TV+ sci-fi series delivered shocking twists: the innies broke out of Lumon and uncovered key truths about their outie lives. Among the revelations were that Helly R.’s outie is Helena, the heir to the Egan fortune and a key architect of the severance program, and that Mark’s wife, Gemma, is alive, living as Ms. Casey on the severed floor.

These plot twists posed a challenge even for a smart puzzle-box show like Severance. Yet, showrunner Dan Erickson and producer-director Ben Stiller found ways to surprise audiences again.

In Season 2, Episode 4, the Macrodata Refinement team ventures outside Lumon for an "Outdoor Retreat and Team Building Occurrence." During their snowy mountain trip, Irving (John Turturro) grows suspicious that Helena (Britt Lower) has been posing as Helly R. since the innies returned to Lumon after their Season 1 jailbreak. Unaware of Irving’s suspicions, Mark (Adam Scott) acts on his feelings for Helly R./Helena, sharing an intimate moment with her in a tent. The next morning, in a shocking turn, Irving attempts to confirm his theory by drowning Helena in a nearby pond until Mr. Milchick intervenes, forcing the Helly R. persona to resurface.

TIME spoke with Adam Scott and Britt Lower about the dramatic twist, Lower’s dual-layered performance, and whether Helena harbors genuine feelings for Mark.

TIME: Why do you think Lumon allows the innies to venture outside?
Adam Scott: It feels like a response to the overtime contingency and the innies breaking out in Season 1. Lumon seems to be saying, “You wanted the outside world? Here it is.” It’s a way to teach them a harsh lesson. For the characters, though, being out there sparks new ideas.

From an acting perspective, filming outside was refreshing. The office sets—with their green carpet and fluorescent lights—make you feel like you’re actually working in an office for 15 hours a day. After weeks of that, heading to the mountains for six weeks of shooting felt liberating. Riding snowmobiles up the mountain to set every morning made it feel like we were shooting a film.

Britt, were you layering subtle hints about Helena impersonating Helly R. in earlier episodes?

Britt Lower: Absolutely. Helena and Helly R. are two sides of the same person. There’s a rebellious streak in Helena—it’s not entirely foreign to her. In Season 1, we saw Helena observing the innies, studying Mark and Helly’s interactions with a mix of curiosity and detachment.

Playing these layers was like working in Adobe Photoshop—you’re adjusting the saturation and exposure levels. It’s the same core material, but modulated depending on the situation. I also relied on feedback from the directors and my co-stars to ensure Helena blended into the group convincingly.

Helena’s cruelty is what ultimately gives her away. Do you think that brutality was nurtured into her, and is that why it doesn’t exist in Helly R.?
Lower: I think you can infer a lot from her father, whom we met in Season 1. He’s cold and controlling, so you can imagine how that shaped Helena’s upbringing—or lack thereof.

Scott: That moment of cruelty hits Irving differently. Helena has been doing a great job pretending to be someone else, but her instincts give her away. For her, that type of communication might be second nature because of the environment she grew up in.

Lower: Being in Helly R.’s shoes gives Helena an unexpected perspective. In the tent scene, she acknowledges, “That was mean.” She’s not entirely devoid of a moral compass.

Scott: Maybe that’s something she wouldn’t have even recognized before her time as Helly R.

Lower: Possibly.

Helena and Mark share an intimate moment in this episode. Do you think Helena has genuine feelings for Mark?

Lower: I think that’s open to interpretation. Helena is incredibly isolated, and her family dynamic is chilling. Meeting the innies profoundly impacts her humanity. There’s an undeniable connection between Helena and Mark—they share a natural sense of humor.

Scott: We explored the layered dynamic between Innie Mark, Helly R., and Helena extensively. For Mark’s outie, Helena is terrifying and the source of immense pain. Yet, despite that, there’s an unspoken connection between these two people. I’ll leave it at that.