Woe's Hollow

"Woe's Hollow" is the fourth episode of the second season of the American science fiction psychological thriller television series Severance.

They find a television at the edge of a mountain containing a recorded video of Milchick (Tramell Tillman), who explains that they are in the Dieter Eagan National Forest as part of a 2-day "Outdoor Retreat and Team-Building Occurrence" (ORTBO) that their Outies authorized.

They eventually find the cave with the appendix inside; the text reveals that Kier had a twin brother Dieter, with whom he lived in the woods.

They find a map in the appendix leading them to an area called Woe's Hollow and realize they are to retrace the Eagan brothers' footsteps.

Milchick gathers the group around the campfire to read another chapter from the appendix, which recounts Dieter's otherworldly death, and Kier subsequently encountering the temper Woe at the waterfall.

[1] On the scene where Mark has sex with Helena (believing her to be Helly), Dan Erickson explained, "It's a strange thing, because in a way both characters have been used.

"[2] Adam Scott gave his own interpretation, "For Mark's Outie, Helena is someone he finds frightening and who is responsible for so much tumult and grief in his life.

"[3] Britt Lower was content with the decision to reveal Helena's identity early in the season, "To me, the placement made a lot of sense.

[7] Lower estimated that the episode took four or five weeks to film, and due to the amount of daylight scenes required, the crew was "racing against the sun every day.

How would he respond to Milchick or someone else from Lumon suggesting that he give up the next few days of his life, right now, to allow Innie Mark to enjoy a field trip?

But even my frustration with that was quickly washed away by all the ice and snow, by what is not the tallest waterfall on the planet, and by all the impressive sights, sounds, and plot twists we found in 'Woe's Hollow'.

In a show where every severed character essentially forms an identical duo, Season 2 also introduced a number of scenes involving Helly/Helena that, while perhaps curious or notable at the time, now invite two distinct interpretations.

The tension and emotion that the entire Severance team creates in this sequence is right up there with the last few minutes of the season-one finale, but here, it all pivots on Turturro's magnificent performance.

"[13] Sean T. Collins of Decider wrote, "Shows that try their hand at mystery-box storytelling would do well to follow the example set by Severance in 'Woe's Hollow'.

It's much more compelling to let the nuances of performance and writing reveal a character's layers over time, the way they do in a regular drama, than to constantly pull rabbits out of hats like a stage magician.

You have to wonder if Lumon and Helena — knowing that the team will be crushed by Irving's death — will return Helly to the severed floor, if only to keep Mark happy enough to finish Cold Harbor.

Awosting Falls at Minnewaska State Park where the episode was filmed.
John Turturro received high praise for his performance in the episode.