Severance Season 2 Episode 4 Ending Explained: Kier Eagan’s dark past & Irving’s fate

Apple TV+’s Severance season 2 episode 4, titled “Woe’s Hollow," continues to peel back the layers of Lumon Industries’ twisted mythology. This episode takes Mark (Adam Scott), Helly (Britt Lower), Irving (John Turturro), and Dylan (Zach Cherry) out of the office and into the Dieter Eagan National Forest for a disturbing corporate retreat orchestrated by Seth Milchick (Tramell Tillman). 

What begins as a bizarre team-building exercise quickly spirals into a shocking revelation about Lumon’s founder, Kier Eagan, and a major shake-up for Irving. 

Kier Eagan’s twin Brother & the Tragic Fourth Appendix

In Severance season 2 episode 4, Milchick informs the MDR team that before his death, Kier Eagan dictated a fourth appendix to his book Compliance—a text so sacred it’s forbidden on the severed floor. Their task is to locate it in Scissor Cave, a landmark tied to Kier’s supposed taming of his Four Tempers: Woe, Frolic, Dread, and Malice.

Inside the cave, the team uncovers the appendix, dedicated to someone named Dieter—Kier’s long-lost twin brother. The appendix reveals that Dieter played a crucial role in Kier’s life, influencing his behavior and tempting him toward sin. 

Previously, we learned that Kier’s parents had a close biological relationship, which resulted in his sickly childhood—depicted in the eerie painting Youthful Convalescence of Kier from season one.

However, the most shocking revelation is that Kier killed Dieter after catching him masturbating. The appendix describes Kier’s horror as he witnessed his brother’s “wantonness,” leading him to drown Dieter in the very waters of Woe’s Hollow. 

In Kier’s warped retelling, Dieter was transformed into a tree—a metaphor masking the brutal murder. This event marks Kier’s first encounter with Woe, described as “a gaunt bride, half the height of a natural woman,” who silently accuses him of his actions.

Mark & Helly’s Growing bond in Severance Season 2 Episode 4

As the MDR team processes this unsettling history, tensions rise. Irving grows suspicious of Helly’s true identity, believing she might be hiding something. Later, Helly confesses that during the Overtime Contingency Protocol, her outie saw only a gardener at night—an answer Irving finds dubious.

Mark, however, defends Helly, deepening their connection. That night, as tensions cool, Mark and Helly share an intimate moment in the tent, marking their first romantic encounter. But even as he embraces Helly, Mark’s mind briefly flashes to Ms. Casey/Gemma (Dichen Lachman), suggesting unresolved emotions tied to his severed past.

Irving’s Downfall & Helly’s true Identity

In Severance season 2 episode 4, haunted by doubts, Irving sets out alone into the woods, searching for Milchick. He experiences a disturbing vision of his former lover, Burt Goodman (Christopher Walken), along with a ghostly figure that startles him awake. Convinced Helly is deceiving them, he confronts her again, growing increasingly aggressive.

Irving ultimately attacks Helly, attempting to drown her in Woe’s Hollow, believing she’s a mole infiltrating the group. Mark, Dylan, and Milchick arrive just in time to stop him. In the chaos, Helly refers to Milchick as “Seth”—a major slip that confirms she is Helena Eagan, Kier’s descendant and the same woman who volunteered for severance in season one.

Milchick immediately fires Irving, using a radio communication to sever his innie from his outie, leaving his fate uncertain. As his innie disappears, Irving’s outie reawakens, seemingly unaware of what just transpired.

What’s next for Lumon’s dark Legacy?

With the fourth appendix revealing a deeply twisted origin for Lumon’s founder, Severance season two is setting the stage for even more unsettling truths. What really happened with the other Tempers—Frolic, Dread, and Malice? And now that Irving is gone, how will Mark, Helly, and Dylan navigate their growing suspicions about Lumon’s control over their lives?

New revelations are bound to shake up the power structure at Lumon—and if this episode is any indication, the truth will be darker than anyone imagined.

Where can you Watch Severance Season 2?

New episodes of Severance season two are available to stream every Friday on Apple TV+. The fifth episode titled, “Trojan’s Horse” will air on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.