Warning: Spoilers ahead forSeveranceseason 2, episode 3, “Who is Alive?“Severanceseason 2, episode 3,“Who is Alive?” proves something very interesting about Michael Chernus' Ricken Hale, which also serves as a reminder of how Lumon Industries' non-severed employees conduct themselves. Although he hasn’t been a huge part of theSeverancecastso far, Hale’s character has still been very important to the story. Ricken’s in-universe self-help book,The You You Are, has had a big influence on the Innie of Adam Scott’s Mark. However, the author behind the words isn’t quite as noble as he initially seems.
By theend ofSeveranceseason 2, episode 3, Ricken Hale feels like a much more rounded character. While he has seemed every inch the selfless individual, “Who is Alive?” establishes a very different part of his personality. Of course, these twists out of nowhere are part of what makesSeveranceone of thebest shows on Apple TV+, so it’s perhaps to be expected that the sci-fi thriller would artfully drip-feed revelations like this. Interestingly,Ricken’s other side is also relevant when it comes to otherSeverancecharacters.
Ricken’s Book Deal Is A Reminder That He Has Very Different Identities For Lumon’s Innies & Outies In Severance
The Innies know Ricken as a very wise man because of his book
The You You Arebecomes something of a pseudo-religious text for the Innies inSeverance. Although it isn’t targeted at severed individuals,Scott’s character and his colleagues find a lot of meaning in Ricken’s book. In reality, it’s little more than a cookie-cutter self-help book that deals in platitudes and buzzwords, but the Innies take Ricken’s words to heart and see him as a sort of visionary/prophet. With Lumon now aware that the Innies have been reading non-sanctioned material, they’ve offered Ricken to pen a version of the book “specifically for Innies.”
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If Ricken had that much pride in his work, it wouldn’t make sense for him to change the wording of a book that had already had such a “profound effect” on the Innies. Instead, he’s falling victim to his ego and the praise he’s receiving for the novel. So, although the Innies see Ricken Hale as a wise and intelligent man, he’s actually more of a hammy writer who seems to be content with just making more money rather than sticking to his principles.Ricken doesn’t have an Innie or an Outie, but it almost seems as though he does.
Cobel & Milchick Also Have Their Own “Innies” & “Outies” In Severance
Lumon’s non-severed employees still act differently outside their place of work
Because they have both held senior positions on Lumon’s severed floor, neither Mr. Seth Milchick (Tramell Tillman) nor Ms. Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette) has undergone the severance procedure. As such, they don’t literally have Innies or Outies. That being said, they conduct themselves very differently when outside Lumon compared to when they’re on the severed floor. For instance, Mr. Milchick’s demeanor changes depending on whether he’s talking to an Innie or an Outie, butMs. Cobel goes one step further by adopting the name Mrs. Selvigand slipping into a completely different personality.
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Of course, acting differently outside of work is something that happens in the real world. Different environments call for different behaviors and mannerisms, butSeveranceexaggerates this work/life dividewith both its severed characters and its non-severed figures like Mr. Milchick and Ms. Cobel. It’s a concept with which almost everyone watching is familiar, butSeverancegives it a dark and compelling edge.
