The following article contains spoilers for the Severance season 2 finale, "Cold Harbor."One the end of Severance season 2.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Lower answers whether it was Helly R. or Helena Egan running through the halls of Lumon with Mark. She confirms that it was indeed the innie Helly, and not the outie Helena, with whom Mark ran with in the season 2 finale. She believes Helly wanted to see Mark one last time, and the opportunity to take down Lumon is now on the table. She also emphasized that it was "just gut instinct" that drove Helly to run with Mark. Check out her full quote below:

That’s Helly R. in the final episode. But I think, in [Episode 9], Dylan has thrown some doubt in her own understanding of herself. She’s lost this father figure in Irving and then she’s lost this brother figure because Dylan seems to have turned his back on her, at least in that episode. When Mark, at the beginning of [Episode 10], presents her with this chance for him to get to live in some capacity, and she’s just seen her weird dad, who’s told her, “Oh, I see Kier in you,” it cast some doubt inside of herself that she has a family anymore.

I think when Dylan comes back and to the vending machine and the marching band [is playing] and he’s on her side, then all of a sudden she’s standing on a desk ing Irving and ing that their half-lives are worth fighting for, I think she just runs to go see Mark one last time. Maybe there’s a chance they can do this all together. For all they know, if he crosses that barrier, they’re going to take down Lumon entirely and all of these innies are going to get wiped away. I think it’s just gut instinct that she runs.

What This Means For Severance Season 2's Finale

Helly Is A Critical Motivation For Mark

Mark and Helly's relationship develops as they evolve from coworkers to lovers. However, when Helena Egan—a member of the powerful family behind Lumon—steps into Helly's place earlier in the season, it causes immense strain to their romantic dynamic. The two first become intimate in Severance season 2, episode 4, with Mark incorrectly believing that he is with Helly R. She is quickly sent out of Lumon, and Helly returns for the rest of the season. Mark feels betrayed, but the two eventually rekindle their relationship, coming to its head when they take off through the halls of Lumon.

The emotional debacle and fight for power between Mark's innie and outie reaches a boiling point when Mark's innie chooses Helly over Gemma. Mark's outie still loves Gemma, but his innie ultimately takes charge and leaves her behind in favor of who he believes to be Helly R. Mark and Helly running through the severed floor together highlights their devotion not only to one another but also to figuring out the messy world at Lumon. They need each other to get closer to solving the mysteries of Severance. Gemma is important, but not as much as Helly is to Mark.

How Helly & Helena Differ

Innies And Outies Are Not Wholly Similar

Helena had previously disguised herself as Helly, so it should come as no surprise that the differences between the two are a matter of debate. Lower may have definitively answered the question about Helena's potential awakening, but the separation between the innie and outie is still worth examining. While Helly wants nothing more than to advocate for her fellow innies and to earn freedom, Helena is struggling with her father's expectations. After all, Jame (Michael Siberry) wants nothing more than to see Helena become exactly like Kier (Marc Geller), and those expectations have weighed on her since her birth.

Helena originally had little regard for Helly, who was constantly trying to rebel.

Because of her background, Helena originally had little regard for Helly, who was constantly trying to rebel. Helena was cold and calculated, and Helly was so aggressive that she was willing to cut her fingers off to spite her outie. The lack of positive regard and collaboration between the two meant that Helena was willing to disguise herself as Helly, believing that she was barely a person at all. With Helena likely still willing to take Helly's place, it is possible that she could attempt to replace her innie again, even if Mark and Helly succeed in their rebellion against Lumen.

Our Take On Helly In The Severance Season 2 Finale

Helly Has Stakes In The Final Moments Of Season 2

The innies have few rights in this world, so it is fitting that Mark and Helly would run away together. It makes Severance season 2's ending feel more powerful knowing that it is Helly R., and not Helena, who is so deeply entwined with Mark and the innie world. Helly is motivated by her feelings for Mark, as well as a desire to stay alive, even if that life is confined to just the workplace. That alone is proof of the show's underlying themes, which focus on the fact that these half-lives are still full lives of the innies themselves.

Having Helena stay on the severance floor would make the end of season 2 less compelling, as it's Helly R. who truly has something to fight for. After all, Helly deserves rights just as much as Helena does, yet she is the one who has demonstrably less say. Helly's connection with her fellow innies and romantic entanglement with Mark propels her storyline forward and opens the door for Severance season 3 to take their relationship even further. Had it been Helena, the story would have been much less compelling, even if the implications of the outie's awakening would be concerning.

Source: LA Times