The penultimate episode of Severance Season 2 had several moving parts, involving every major character, including the surprising departure of Irving.
Severance follows employees at Lumon Corporation, whose memories are split between work and personal life, starring Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro, and Zach Cherry.
The show maintains a winter setting throughout its episodes, with one of the coldest moves happening in the latest episodes: Burt (Christopher Walken) sending Irving on a train trip with an unknown destination.
Why Did Burt Send Irving Away?
John Turturro's Irving was sent away on the train by Christopher Walken's Burt without much explanation in Severance Season 2, Episode 9, leaving many viewers confused and looking for answers.
Reading between the lines, it seems this was an act of protection, with Burt seemingly believing that Lumon was going to kill or permanently remove Irving for investigating the company.
While the show does not explicitly confirm this, many fans speculate that Burt, who may have previously transported employees to the testing floor, was ensuring that Irving did not meet the same fate as Gemma and other missing workers.
By giving Irving no clear destination and urging him to never return, Burt likely attempted to sever any Lumon connection that could be used to track him, ultimately saving his life.
Executive Producer somewhat confirmed this idea, telling Variety that Burt is "probably putting himself at some risk" by sending Irving away:
"I get the feeling that what he's doing is definitely on his own, and he's probably putting himself at some risk by doing that."
When it comes to what this means for Burt's future, Stiller teased that "we don’t know what's going to happen to Burt after that:"
"Lumon is a very powerful company, and Burt knows that. He makes this choice, and we don’t know what's going to happen to Burt after that."
One of the series most complicated Innie/Outie love affairs between Burt and Irving may also been done, with Stiller leaving some room for the future, saying, "For now it is."
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Turturro discussed his role as Irving in the latest episode, looking back on his two-season on-screen will with Walken.
Turturro reflected on his dynamic with Walken, emphasizing the deeper connection between them as actors, "One plus one doesn’t equal two with us:"
"Burt has his own reasons for why he wound up getting severed, and how he wound up working for Lumon. But here… I don't know, some things are meant to be. With Chris and I, the sum of our parts are greater than whatever it is. That's just how it is with us. One plus one doesn’t equal two with us. That’s how it is when you have a certain kind of chemistry. It’s innate. You can’t force it. It’s there, or it’s not.
He also revealed how small, unscripted moments shaped the farewell scene, "I can’t remember if that was in the script, or if that was just something we did:"
"There's this moment [in the farewell scene] where I fix his hair or touch his cheek, something like that. I can’t remember if that was in the script, or if that was just something we did. Sometimes, one gesture can be as strong as an entire written scene. Somebody does something and by doing that, they show you exactly who they are. If you can find that from some sort of unconscious place… that gets to be very revealing."
As for whether this was Irving’s final goodbye, Turturro gave a firm "No." When it comes to what's next for Irving in Severance? It's totally unclear, with only one episode left, it's unlikely he's back this season, so fans may have to wait until Season 3 (which may take years to release) for Irving's return.
Severance Season 2, Episode 10, streams on Apple TV+ on March 21.
