S1E3: In Perpetuity

What Went Down

Episode 3’s got Mark and Helly digging into wellness sessions with Ms. Casey—super creepy vibe there. Helly’s still pushing back, even tries to bolt, but gets caught. Outside, Mark’s outie finds Ricken’s weird self-help book in his basement, left by some random delivery. Inside, we see the team hit a milestone with their numbers, and there’s this freaky Kier Eagan statue that’s, like, watching them.

My Rating

This gets a 9 out of 10—it’s creepy, it’s building, it’s got layers. Matches up with Fall Out Boy’s “Dance, Dance”—tight, intense, and keeps you hooked with every beat.

Theories Out the Wazoo

• Okay, wellness sessions with Ms. Casey—what the heck is that about? They’re way too weird to just be therapy—Mark’s all calm, but Helly’s freaking out, and I’m thinking they’re brainwashing or something. Like, maybe they’re planting stuff in their heads to keep them chill—could be why Mark’s so okay with everything, but Helly’s fighting it. What if it’s hypnosis to reinforce the severance, making sure they don’t question anything?
• Helly trying to run—man, that’s ballsy. She’s not fitting the mold, and I’m sticking with her outie being in on it—maybe she’s a test subject, like Lumon picked her to see how far they can push this severance thing before it breaks. Her running and getting caught just proves it’s not perfect yet—could be why her outie won’t let her quit, they’re waiting to see if she cracks!
• The numbers milestone—alright, they’re celebrating, but why? I’m still on this memory theory—what if they just wiped a whole chunk of someone’s life? Like, every milestone’s another person’s past gone, and they’re just high-fiving over it—could be their own pasts too, and they don’t even know! That green MDR glow’s gotta tie in—it’s like the machine’s humming with whatever they’re erasing.
• That Kier Eagan statue—dude, it’s spooky as hell. What if Kier’s not just some dead founder but, like, still around somehow? Maybe they’re using severance to keep his mind alive or something—could be the numbers are building a digital Kier, and that statue’s there to remind them who’s boss, even if they don’t get it yet!
• Ricken’s book showing up outside—okay, that’s too random. I’m thinking it’s a Lumon plant, like Mrs. Selvig dropped it off to mess with Mark’s outie. Could be coded messages or something to keep him distracted—maybe they’re testing if stuff from outside screws with his innie, like a reverse wellness session for the real world!
• Ms. Cobel’s still out there as Mrs. Selvig—I’m convinced she’s running experiments. What if she’s tracking how Mark’s outie reacts to everything—like, every little thing he does, she’s jotting it down to see if the severance’s leaking? She’s too sneaky to just be a neighbor, man, she’s gotta be Lumon’s eyes on the outside!
• The team’s dynamic—Dylan’s snarking, Irving’s preaching Kier stuff—it’s getting clearer they’re picked for a reason. What if Lumon’s testing group dynamics with severance? Like, they’ve got a rebel (Helly), a cynic (Dylan), a believer (Irving), and a drone (Mark) to see how they balance—maybe it’s all data for some bigger plan we don’t see yet!