Severance Season 2 Finale's Controversial Twist Explained By Adam Scott

This article contains spoilers for "Severance."

In the final moments of "Severance" season 2, Innie Mark (Adam Scott) helps deliver his outie's wife, Gemma (Dichen Lachman), from the clutches of Lumon, only to turn around and remain on the Severed floor with Innie Helly (Britt Lower). It's a stunning — but not totally unexpected — turn of events leaves things wide open for season 3 and beyond. But while showrunner Dan Erickson knows how things will ultimately wrap up (and executive producer/director Ben Stiller has liked the planned ending from the get-go), there's no knowing where things are headed next for the rest of us now that the tension between the two Marks has boiled over.

If Mark's innie and outie were already struggling to be heard, there's a third persona in there who has even less of a say in the story: Scott himself. Fortunately, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the "Parks and Rec" veteran finally got a chance to chime in on his on-screen character's choices, and here's what he had to say:

"I mean, for Innie Mark, it's a no-brainer, right? But it's difficult — actually, it's not, because I think emotionally it's a no-brainer, but logic-wise, they went through logically what's in front of them and decided, 'You should go,' but their hearts told them something else."

The struggle between cold, hard logic and visceral emotional reactions is a perfect way to sum up what we saw in those final moments. Remember, earlier in the episode, Mark innie and outie debated each other via camcorder in the birthing cabin about what needed to happen. Outie Mark was tactless as he resorted to his weak authority as the one who was technically in charge on paper. As a result, Innie Mark fought back with the desperation anyone would have when they realize their own actions would terminate their world, their friends, and their own existence. In the end, the fact that Gemma was in imminent danger temporarily got them on the same page, but things broke down when Mark's innie was faced with his immediate and interminable fate. As Scott noted (in painful detail):

"And I think for Innie Mark and Helly, it's one thing, but then watching it, I feel horribly for Gemma. Obviously, it's heartbreaking. And for Outie Mark too, they finally were right there, and it got pulled out from under them. So, I don't know, I have very mixed feelings about it because I think of it as a two-pronged decision. And when you have colliding interests, but you're in the same body, then it's going to come to a head at some point."

Things have certainly come to a head, and doubtless, the fallout will be the focus of the eventual third season of Apple TV+'s smash-hit show.

As for what's next, one thing is certain: a tonal shift is in order. The cold, calculated approach of "Severance" season 1 was already breaking down as season 2 progressed, so you can probably expect a lot more emotion moving forward. In a separate interview, Stiller touched on the final shot of season 2, in which Helly and Mark race down yet another sterilized, bland Lumon hallway, this time with red alarm bells glaring above them. According to Stiller, this was very intentional:

"It's something we haven't seen before. The colors have been pretty specific in the show. It's an indication that we're going to another place now. With red, you think of heart and love. Things are changing. It's a different tone."

Between the show's creatives having a specific vision for the end of the series (one that appears to be mostly intact so far) and Stiller's warning of a tonal shift, it's anyone's guess where this thing will end up. The only thing we know for certain is that a lot of people will be tuning in whenever season 3 finally drops.

"Severance" seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Apple TV+.