“Hang in there”: Severance Season 2 Episode 4 fan theories about what Irving tells Dylan are way too interesting 

Disclaimer: Severance Season 2 Episode 4 spoilers and opinions ahead!

Severance Season 2 Episode 4 has got everyone talking, especially with a scene between Irving (John Turturro) and Dylan (Zach Cherry) that's got everyone's wheels turning. In Episode 4, right before Milchick (Tramell Tillman) dismisses him, Irving tells something to Dylan that's got fans buzzing with excitement.

He says, "Hang in there," which might seem like a friendly pat on the back at first, but many are convinced there's more to it. Is it a secret code? A hint at something Irving's figured out? Or is it connected to Dylan's tough time with the Overtime Contingency (OTC)? Fans are going wild with their guesses.

Take @benwyattsinnie, for instance, who threw out there on X,

"Maybe Irv hid something behind the poster…"

Some think Irving might have drawn a map to the Export Hall, even though he's not a fan of that sort of thing. It's also worth noting that Dylan went through quite the ordeal during the OTC, which makes Severance fans wonder if "hang in there" has a darker, more straightforward meaning.

With all these theories floating, let's look at the ones that grab our attention.

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Irving’s paintings, hidden maps on Severance Season 2

A key theory Severance fans are obsessed with involves Irving's love for painting. We've noticed that his outie tends to create these strange black hallways in his art, which might be a way for his mind to remember something important from his time at Lumon, but in a way that's all jumbled up and hard to put into words.

Irving's love interest, Burt's colleague, Felicia, also mentioned those hallways to him when he visited them over at the Optics & Designs Floor, remember?

This has led some viewers to think that maybe, just maybe, he's hidden a map behind one of his paintings. Or what if it's behind that "Hang in There" poster we all know so well, the one that shows someone's back (probably Dylan) holding on after what seems like they slipped from a cliff? It's also a symbol of what the severed employees are going through.

@lcvelyalex went back to check the Severance trailers again—because, let's face it, we've all been there, looking for clues we might've missed the first time around. They stumbled upon this theory that's got everyone buzzing!

If Irving really did conceal a map, it's possible that it's meant to help someone find their way out of the place or to an important spot, like the Export Hall, where the work of the employees who got fired is actually sent.

Some people have been thinking that maybe Irving's message is trying to nudge Dylan to give the OTC another shot, perhaps to get his hands on some information that's off-limits. But considering how much Dylan was affected by his last time in the OTC, this idea seems a bit less likely.

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The Overtime Contingency may connect to what Irving told Dylan in Severance Season 2 Episode 4

The other main theory that's been floating around is that Irving's expression "hang in there" has a connection to Dylan's encounter with the OTC in Severance. Back in the first season, Milchick turned on Dylan's "innie"—his work personality—while Dylan was at home. This was not at all what Dylan was expecting.

After going through that, Dylan figured out how to help his buddies at work have their own experiences with the OTC, which meant he had to put his body in a weird position with two buttons in a control room. This whole situation was incredibly tough for Dylan, both physically and mentally, which is why "hang in there" carries a lot of weight when Irving says it.

Ben Stiller, executive producer of Severance, has been dropping hints about the show's storytelling style. In a chat with Variety, he talked about how they,

"Don’t have a handbook or bible, but Dan [Erickson] has it all written out."

This suggests that even the tiniest clues might have been intentionally placed, making it quite possible that Irving’s words hint at something else concerning OTC or an upcoming twist. As the show goes on, viewers are eagerly waiting to find out if there's more to Irving's mysterious message.

Will Dylan stumble upon some secret information? Perhaps Irving's leaving isn't just a simple part of the story but a piece of a bigger puzzle. With a show like Severance, you can bet nothing happens by chance.

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Watch all the new episodes of Severance Season 2 on Apple TV+.

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