The second episode picks up from the events of the season finale, but showing the outies’ points of view. Mark’s outie “wakes up” after having shouted at everyone that “she’s alive!” Devon hugs him, questioning it’s really him now and asks him her name. He jokes it’s Persephone. Mark notices he’s still holding the picture frame of Gemma.

Helena stands staring at the long conference table rubbing her neck when Drummond comes in, followed by her father. He’s not happy and calls her a fetid moppet. After he leaves, she tells Drummond they’ll have someone from the floor liaise with the outies. He says that they need to find out who they talked to.

Dylan’s outie leaves Lumon with an ice pack on his head as Milchick watches him from the walkway above.

Helena tells Milchick she wants him to go see all the outies and find out what they said and to who. He asks if he should fire them, and she says to let Kier guide his hand.

Helena meets Cobel who is waiting for her in a conference room. Drummond watches the exchange. Helena tells her that they’ve commandeered all the footage taken by guests, Natalie is doing outreach to the media, and the severed employees involved are being dealt with. She thanks Cobel for acting quickly and saving them from disaster. She tells her that she proved her loyalty, and they would like to ask her back. Cobel, however, wants an apology. Helena does apologize for herself, her father, and the board. Cobel welcomes their contrition. She tells Helena that there is a lot of damage to control, and she recommends scouring the feed. She wants to interview Dylan G. to see how he gained access. Helena cuts her off, saying they have something else in mind and would like to offer her a promotion to the Severance Advisory Council. Cobel says she’s never heard of such a thing. Helena tells her it’s a brand new initiative and she would be spearheading its formation and that her expertise is greatly valued. Cobel says that’s why she should be running the severed floor. Helena tells her that Milchick has already been promoted to floor manager. Cobel tells her that they don’t value her and fear her, but Helena says that they fear no one and that if they didn’t hold her in such high esteem they wouldn’t be making the generous offer. Cobel just tells her she will put some thought to it.

Helena makes a recording about the gala saying that she consumed alcohol while taking a non-Lumon medication which caused an inebriating effect and caused her to say things she regrets. She says that when she said her innie was being tortured, that was a joke and a lie. She wants to atone and is committed to the company with every part of her.

The video is interspersed with scenes of Milchick, who drives his motorcycle to see Irving, asking if him anything of note occurred, and after speaking with him, he realizes he’s being fired. He tries to reason with him, saying if he broke something he can pay for it.

Milchick sees Dylan next, and tells him they are firing him because his innie was involved in a physical altercation and he was the aggressor.

Devon and Mark, and Ricken discuss what Mark’s innie meant. Ricken, who is more involved in his meeting having ended early, thinks it’s clear he was referencing the baby after Patton had found her when she was missing after “Cobelvig” took her. Mark tends to agree, but his sister is unconvinced.

Milchick shows up to talk to Mark, knowing he has questions. Clearly Devon doesn’t completely trust him and covers Gemma’s photo with a towel.

Milchick explains the Overtime Contingency to Mark, a safeguard they employ if they ever need to access their work personage off company grounds. He, along with his office mates were awoken for 39 minutes. He asks what Mark’s innie said to them. Devon questions they will punish his innie, but he tells her they have no punishments at Lumon. He says they are concerned about how Mark’s doing and he’s sure he seems violated. Speaking of violations, Devon brings up Cobel committing what she calls “lactation fraud” against their employers’ families. Milchick just says she is unwell and that she won’t bother them or Mark’s innie again, as she also seemed to be the source of his innie’s distress. Regardless, Mark doesn’t reveal anything about what happened. Milchick just says that he hopes to see him Monday. Mark doesn’t know. Milchick says that what his innie did was unauthorized but also very brave. He’d hate to reward his innie’s courage with non-existence.

Irving is shown petting his dog and looking at Burt Goodman’s name on his map. Dylan is shown sitting on his couch at home.

Mark drives home and stops at Ms. Selvig’s. He knocks, but she doesn’t answer, so he leaves.

At Lumon, Helena watches surveillance footage of Mark and Helly. She watches them talk and eventually kiss. It seems to be affecting her as she rewatches the scene multiple times from different angles.

Mark is looking out his window, presumably at Ms. Selvig house when he gets a text message from Devon to meet her at the diner.

Dylan, who we find out has the surname of George, goes to Great Doors to interview with Mr. Saliba for a job. He asks Dylan silly questions about how he feels about doors, but he is quite serious. When he looks at Dylan’s work history, he notices he had a lot of short term employment and that he then worked at Lumon. When he finds out Dylan was severed, he doesn’t want to hire him.

Afterwards, back in the car, defeated, Dylan talks a bit to his wife, Gretchen, and says he’ll stop for baby wipeys.

Devon asks Mark if he’s heard from Cobelvig. He says he went over but no one answered the door. She says that there may be a way confirm what his innie meant. A lawyer she knows said they can petition to talk to him. He cuts her off and says he’s quitting. She asks if he’s called them already, but he hasn’t. He says she’s been trying to get him to quit since he got there he thought he was finally doing what she wanted. She says it was but thinks what happened last night was strange and asks why Milchick was so curious. She thinks maybe they can at least get some confirmation so it won’t be something that continues to haunt them. Mark gets upset, questioning that Gemma’s affected her as much as it affected him. He gets upset and leaves. Drummond has been watching them from another booth, Frolic tattooed on his hand.

Mark watches Cobelvig’s door again.

Irving comes out of his apartment and walks to a phone booth. He leaves a message telling someone that his innie got the message. He’s being followed in a car by Burt’s outie.

Milchick brings Mark a Lumon gift basket. He knows Mark is weighing whether to return to Lumon, but wants to ask him a few questions. He asks Mark how happy he is with his current financial compensation, because they will bump it 20% if he returns. Next he asks if a full investigation into the innie’s claims as well as regular wellness checks from independent organizations will help him feel more excite to return. Mark asks if that’s what they are doing and Milchick says it’s the first step of many. The third question is about his late wife and says that Mark cited in his intake interview that was his primary motivator for severing, and that he said that every day felt like a year and it felt like he was choking on her ghost. Does he still feel that way? He tells Mark that his innie is happy at Lumon and has found love and that the solace he has given his innie will make his way back to him, it just takes time, which he hopes he will give them.

Mark comes into work as Helena and Milchick watch him.

Helena asks Drummond and Natalie if they are satisfied and they discuss the workers that are being brought who were laid off from 5x. Milchick, who only had 48 hours to put it together, says hopefully there will be some chemistry. Helena says that they don’t need chemistry. They just need Mark to finish Cold Harbor.

The scene quickly shows what happened from Mark’s innie’s perspective that we’ve already seen in the previous episode as he comes and goes and eventually steals Milchick’s recorder and demands to see his friends. Helly, Drummond, and Natalie are listening to the recording. Drummond says that the board is going to give him what he wants, including Helly R, because he won’t finish without them.

Milchick goes to see Irving and Dylan to rehire them, and the the team is shown returning to work and going to the severed floor.

Mark stops Ms. Selvig when he sees her outside, trying to get answers. She says she thought he was quitting. He says he trusted her. She questions Lumon convinced him to stay and says he’s so easy to sway. She pulls out in the car, and he stops her by jumping in front of it, asking why she did it, what it is all about, and if she knows something about Gemma. She screams and honks the horn until he moves and then she pulls out.

For a more detailed look at the episode, watch our livestream episode breakdown.