S1E2: Half Loop

What Went Down

So episode 2 picks up with Helly getting trained by Mark and the gang at MDR, and she’s still not into it—keeps trying to ditch this creepy gig. Outside, Mark’s outie hangs with his sister Devon and her husband Ricken, who’s all about self-help vibes. Back inside, Helly films a video for her outie begging to quit, but her outie says nah, tough luck. The team’s bonding a bit, though, which is cool amidst all the weirdness.

My Rating

This one’s an 8 out of 10—solid follow-up, digs deeper into the team, but it’s a tad slower. It’s like Fall Out Boy’s “Thnks fr th Mmrs”—great energy, memorable hooks, but not quite the explosive peak yet.

Theories Out the Wazoo

• Okay, Helly’s video to her outie—holy crap, that’s a game-changer! Why’s her outie so chill about keeping her in there? I’m thinking maybe her outie’s got some deal with Lumon, like she signed up for this on purpose—could be she’s getting paid big or hiding something shady, and that’s why she’s cool with her innie suffering. It’s messed up, right? Like, who says no to their own self begging to get out unless there’s a huge catch we don’t see yet?
• And Mark training Helly—it’s weird how natural he is at it, like he’s done this a million times. What if he’s been at Lumon way longer than we think, maybe resetting every so often? Like, they wipe his innie memory every few years to keep him fresh, and that’s why he’s so calm about everything—could be he’s stuck in this half loop, training newbies over and over without knowing it!
• Those numbers again—man, they’re driving me nuts. Now that we see more of the MDR room, I’m doubling down—they’ve gotta be something personal, like emotions or memories they’re stripping out of people. Maybe every time they refine a set, they’re erasing part of someone’s life—could even be their own lives, and they’re just sitting there deleting themselves bit by bit, which is dark as hell but totally fits Lumon’s creepy MO.
• Ms. Cobel’s still lurking as Mrs. Selvig outside—seriously, what’s her endgame? I’m betting she’s monitoring Mark’s outie to see if anything bleeds through from his innie, like if he starts remembering stuff he shouldn’t. Maybe she’s got a checklist—sadness levels, behavior, whatever—to make sure the severance is holding, and if it slips, bam, she reports it back to the big shots. That’s why she’s so nosy about his personal life!
• Devon and Ricken—okay, they seem normal, but what if they’re in on it too? Ricken’s all about that self-help crap—could be he’s secretly tied to Lumon, testing Mark’s outie with all that positivity junk to see if it messes with his innie. Like, maybe Lumon’s got plants everywhere, not just Mrs. Selvig, keeping tabs on everyone who’s severed—wouldn’t that be a twist?
• The team bonding—Dylan’s snark, Irving’s chill—it’s cute, but what if it’s staged? Like, what if Lumon picks these personalities to balance each other out, keeping the innies from freaking out too much? Helly’s the wildcard, though—she’s not fitting in, and I think that’s gonna crack something open soon. Maybe they’re all guinea pigs in some big social experiment, and Helly’s the one who’s gonna blow it up!
• Last one—those hallways and rules are getting weirder. I’m sticking with the cult theory—Lumon’s got this whole brainwashing setup, and severance is just step one. What if the deeper you go, the more they strip away, until you’re just a shell following orders? Helly’s resistance is the first sign it’s not working perfectly—maybe she’s the key to figuring out what they’re really after!