Severance: Did Burt just lie to Irving about a major Innie detail? 

Disclaimer: Major Severance Season 2 Episode 5 spoilers ahead!

The complex world of Severance has fans buzzing with one big question: did Burt lie to Irving about leaving Lumon? This debate centers on whether Burt was fired or chose to retire on Severance, which raises questions about what innies can actually know about their outies' lives.

Online forums like X (previously Twitter) and Reddit have seen a surge in conversations about Burt's situation. Some suspect that his "retirement" might not be as clear-cut as it looked. He made a video for his innie friends that suggests he knew the time for him to leave was coming. This has led others to think that maybe his exit was staged and he's secretly still working for Lumon as a spy. This idea isn't too far-fetched, considering Lumon's history of controlling employees' views of their futures.

So, did Burt deceive Irving? While we can't say for sure, the evidence points to some form of dishonesty. If he was fired, why make it sound like a cheerful retirement? If he truly retired, why all the secrecy?

Let's look at the main theories after Severance Season 2 Episode 5!

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Was Burt’s retirement video a cover for a forced exit?

A major debate centers around Burt's retirement video.

A Reddit user ERASER345 questioned:

“Why would Lumon, infamously secretive about what the severed workers do while on the job, tell Burt about his innie's ‘erotic entanglement’ with Irving?”

This brings up a key issue: if Lumon is so controlling, why let him make a video explaining his exit? One explanation is that the video could have been a ploy to keep the Optics & Design workers calm.

Redditor electricmindshaft suggested:

“If they told them the real reason why Burt was fired, they’d risk starting another rebellion/unification.”

This ties in with how Lumon previously deceived Mark about Petey's disappearance to keep the Macrodata Refinement team in line.

Moreover, some users speculate that Burt had a choice: record the video and get severed or fired with no fanfare. This is typical in real corporate settings where companies want to prevent negative publicity.

In summary, Lumon might have allowed the video to avoid workplace drama and keep employees from questioning their own fates. It's a common strategy to offer a more palatable reason for a high-profile departure.

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Does Burt’s outie know about his relationship with Irving's innie on Severance?

One big question in Severance is whether Burt's outie knew about his innie's intimate relationship with Irving, which he did mention. If Burt was fired because of this, it makes one wonder how much say outies have over their innie counterparts.

Some people think Lumon might have told Burt's innie that his outie was just retiring, while actually firing him. This fits with how Lumon often keeps secrets from different parts of their employees' minds.

Another Severance theory is that maybe Burt's outie went along with the lie. Perhaps they made him retire but had a nice farewell ceremony so everyone, especially Irving, wouldn't get upset.

Some fans have a really interesting theory: maybe Burt didn't leave Lumon at all. What if he's still working for them, spying on Irving? This would explain why his story doesn't quite add up and why he left so carefully.

The truth about Burt (Christopher Walken) leaving is still a mystery. We know that Lumon isn't always honest. It could be that Burt was forced out, decided to leave, or is still secretly working there. What's clear is that Irving—and we, the fans of Severance—aren't being told everything.

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Severance is currently streaming on Apple TV+.