Mark's choice of sides in Severance Season 2 finale is shocking and here's why he did so

Severance has constantly served appalling twists and turns throughout the series, but nothing quite trained its viewers for the finale of Season 2.

Throughout "Cold Harbor," it felt fated that Mark S. (played by Adam Scott) would have a reunion with Gemma (played by Dichen Lachman), his outie’s wife, after ultimately succeeding in getting her out of Lumon. Yet, in a scene that reevaluates the very crux of the series, Mark S. makes an unimaginable choice—he turns his back on Gemma and chooses to stay inside Lumon with Helly R. (played by Britt Lower).

This final act in Severance season 2 wasn’t just a betrayal of his outie, Mark Scout, but a statement and assertion of his very own autonomy. For the first time, Mark S. wasn’t merely following through with the plan laid out for him—he was deciding his own path, even if it required defying the person he was outside of Lumon.

His choice was surprising, but when seeing it through the emotional and psychological lens, it was also sadly unavoidable.

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Why did Mark S. reject his Outie's plan in Severance season 2?

Throughout Severance, the split-up between the innies and the outies has been an essential struggle. Mark Scout, the outie, only started pushing for reintegration after comprehending that Gemma was alive.

Nonetheless, his goal was not to free his innie—it was always aimed at getting his wife back. From Mark S.’s point of view, this was certainly not about his freedom. Instead, he was being used as a means to an end.

The cabin scene, where the two Marks talk to each other through a camcorder, sheds light on the increasing split between them. Mark Scout thinks his innie sees Lumon as a “nightmare,” failing to understand that, while it may not be an idyllic existence, it is the only life Mark S. has ever known.

For the innie, this was more than just about escaping—his complete identity was at an all-time high. Believing his outie meant giving up on his autonomy, and there was no assurance that reintegration would even let him continue living on as himself.

In the final scene of Severance season 2, when faced with a choice of following Gemma or staying behind, Mark S. picks Helly. This choice isn’t just about love—it’s about autonomy and control. Staying in Lumon, even in indecision, is still a decision he makes on his own for himself rather than the one commanded by an outie, someone who he can’t wholeheartedly trust.

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The emotional conflict behind Mark S.’s decision

The emotional complication of Mark S.’s decision is intensely linked to his feelings for Helly. The whole time at Severance season 2, their bond has increased, which provides him with something concrete to fight for away from the conceptual idea of freedom.

Contrasting to his outie’s relationship with Gemma, which is grounded on memories that Mark S. doesn’t share, his relationship with Helly is something he has built for himself with his own will.

Furthermore, Mark S. has every motive to think and believe that leaving Lumon would mean letting go of Helly forever. Even if reintegration were possible, there would be no certainty that they would stay together or have memories of what they meant to each other.

Choosing Helly is about conserving something actual in a world otherwise well-defined by domination and deceit.

In the meantime, Mark Scout's reaction to his innie’s disloyalty underlines the vital divide between them. From his point of view, Mark S. is being self-centered, throwing away all he has ever worked for.

But this draws upon the fundamental question Severance has been asking all along: Do the innies warrant a say in their own destiny?

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The Severance Season 2 finale doesn’t just set up a fiery conflict for Season 3—it redefines the premise of the show entirely. Mark S. has now placed himself against his own outie, making him one of the most diverging characters in the series. His decision may be seen or interpreted as selfish or greedy, but at the end of the day, it was also profoundly quite a human thing to do.