Severance Season 2 Episode 5: Who or what is the potential "Trojan's Horse"?

Disclaimer: Severance Season 2 Episode 5 opinions & speculation ahead.

Severance Season 2 Episode 5, "Trojan’s Horse," is stirring up quite the buzz among fans. The title reminds us of the myth where the Greeks snuck soldiers into Troy by hiding them in a wooden horse. This makes people wonder if the show hints at something similar, with twists related to deceit and sneaking in. For a while, most thought that Helena Eagan, masquerading as Helly, was sent by Lumon to the Severed Floor to keep an eye on things.

But hold your (Trojan) horses! A new fan theory is floating around and flips this narrative upside down. Some clever fans say that maybe it's Helly who's the Trojan Horse, playing a hidden role without even realizing it. If this new theory is on the money, Helly has been secretly working against Lumon without them being wise to it. This could completely change how we see her!

Severance Season 2 Episode 5 might be when this comes out, causing a huge ripple effect for the MDR team and their already shaky trust in one another.

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Helly as a reverse Trojan's Horse on Severance Season 2 Episode 5

One of the most mindblowing ideas making waves is that Helly might have been disguised as Helena throughout the whole time. A Reddit user named eaTurk1 brings up the possibility that Lumon could have accidentally used the Glasgow Block on Helly, not Helena, which would flip the story we thought we knew. This implies that the person we've seen as Helena is Helly, secretly working within Lumon. This sheds new light on various moments in Severance Season 2.

Take, for example, the fourth episode, where Helena's—or should we say Helly's?—strange actions, like feeling confused, being uncomfortable, and keeping things hidden, might be due to the overwhelming revelation of her true identity.

If Helly has been playing Helena to infiltrate and dismantle Lumon from the inside, what she tells Mark in the tent, carries a much deeper meaning:

“I didn’t like who I was on the outside.”

It's like looking at a puzzle we thought was put together correctly, only to realize a few pieces are in the wrong place, changing the entire picture. Moreover, the surprising end of Severance Season 2 Episode 4, where Helly appeared to come back, might have actually been Helena finally waking up.

If this is the case, it turns her story on its head, showing that Lumon accidentally gave a powerful opponent a spot within their own group.

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Helena might also be the more traditional Trojan Horse

A common viewpoint is that Helena serves as the Trojan Horse within Lumon, planted to keep an eye on and ultimately dismantle the MDR's opposition. This fits the age-old concept of a Trojan Horse, which is someone or something that's brought in to undermine from the inside.

Helena's involvement seems more complex than first meets the eye. She notices the relationship between Mark and Helly R: a moral struggle. Although she may have started as a company spy on the Severed Floor, the genuine humanity of the workers, especially the pain that Helly goes through, might be changing her viewpoint. Considering her tough upbringing in a harsh and abusive environment, she might find the warmth of true human connection appealing.

If Severance Season 2 Episode 5 is indeed the moment where Helena's true intentions are revealed, the MDR members may find out why she's been posing as Helly. This would be a tremendous blow to their trust, and leave them in a very difficult situation.

Severance Season 2 Episode 5’s official logline reads—

“Tensions emerge after the team suffers a loss.”

This suggests that the big revelation may have caused splits within the group, right when they were starting to get their act together to stand up to Lumon.

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Watch Severance Season 2 Episode 5 on Apple TV+ this February 14.

Next up: Did Adam Scott predict the plot of Severance a decade ago?