Warning! This article contains spoilers for Severance season 2's episode 5.

While it looks like Severance season 2's episode 5 might have created a major timeline plot hole, a closer look at many developments from the show's previous episodes suggests there is more to it than meets the eye. Like every television show, Severance, too, has a fair share of plot inconsistencies and minor errors. However, more often than not, what comes off as a discrepancy in Severance eventually turns out to be a deliberate narrative choice to pave the way for a massive twist.

For instance, the Apple TV+ sci-fi show is known for its attention to detail, it seems possible that the inconsistency in its story in episode 5 might be setting the stage for more intriguing developments.

Severance Season 2's Episode 5 Proves The Innies' Timeline Is Not Consistent With The Outies'

The Episode Gives A Glimpse Of The Timeline For The Innies

Severance has never explicitly revealed the year of its setting, and even the innies seem less concerned about the year in the outside world. However, in season 2's episode 5, the series gives a glimpse of the timeline inside the Lumon office. When Dylan delivers a speech during Irving's funeral, the poster behind him says "Quarter 882." Assuming that one quarter lasts three months in Lumon, the company should be a little over 220 years old. Given how Lumon was founded in 1865, the present year in the series should be somewhere around 2085.

Considering the show's portrayal of retro-futuristic visuals and ambitious brain-altering technology, it would not be surprising if it is set in the future. However, several other details in the series' narrative do not align well with this timeline revelation. For instance, Mark's driving license says he was born in 1978, suggesting the show's timeline should be in tandem with the real world. Explaining the show's timeline, showrunner Dan Erickson also revealed (via The Wrap) that "sort of an alternate, vaguely now-ish timeline." This makes it hard not to wonder if the "Quarter 882" detail is a plot hole.

Many Similar Timeline Discrepancies Exist In Severance

Innie Time Seems Relatively Different From Outie Time

There are instances in the series where, as Mark's watch suggests, he goes to Lumon one day but leaves the office the next. This is particularly noticeable in season 1's opening episode, where he seems to be in the Lumon building for more than 24 hours. Mark also experiences many strange lapses in his memory. For instance, as seen in season 1, Mark keeps struggling to keep up with his personal obligations as an outie, which is attributed to his issues with alcohol but could have something to do with the intentionally distorted timeline.

Petey's comment on the inconsistent relativity between the innie and outie worlds explicitly suggests that the overarching timeline is deeply fractured.

When Petey describes his reintegration experience in Severance season 1, he also says, "It's like having two different lives suddenly stitched together, but the relativity is f**ked, so my first day at Lumon is as far back as my fifth birthday...and with two pasts it blurs the present, too." Petey's comment on the inconsistent relativity between the innie and outie worlds explicitly suggests that the overarching timeline is deeply fractured. While it is unknown why this lapse in timeline exists in the detail-oriented Apple TV+ sci-fi show, it seems likely that it is a plot hole.

Severance's Timeline Inconsistencies Cannot Be Plot Holes

The Show Should Eventually Reveal Why The Timeline Distortions Exist

Since Severance is primarily a psychological drama in which the memories of several characters are undergoing major manipulation, the timeline differences could have something to do with the characters' perception of time. By calling attention to the discrepancies between innie and outie time, Severance might be trying to establish that the characters' internal sense of time may not be in tandem with the outside world's clock because of their memory gaps and fragmented consciousness.

Since Lumon has previously lied to the Lumon workers about the timeline of the Overtime Contingency incident, the timeline difference could also be a tactic to keep the innies ignorant about the outside world's events. Lumon might also be measuring time differently, seemingly based on the time the innies have spent in the Lumon building since their creation.

Given how the severed workers' existence has been spliced into separate halves, each half experiences a distinct sense of time. However, once the two halves are overlapped through reintegration, the characters are forced to experience not only two simultaneous lives but timelines as well. This creates a disorienting effect. The timeline complexities in Severance will likely become Mark's biggest challenge the deeper he delves into the reintegration process. Since his outie has existed far longer than his innie, both innie and outie personas will struggle to sync with each other's memory and perception of time.