Severance Season 2 Star Breaks Silence on Irving's 'Death' (Exclusive)

Severance Season 2, Episode 4 ended with a massive twist that marked the death of John Tutturro's Irving's Innie—and it was an intense moment, to say the least.

Episode 4 began with Tramell Tillman's Mr. Milchick taking Macro Data Refinement's four innies out for an ORTBO, or Outboot Retreat and Team Building Occurrence.

What was supposed to be a fun, unique experience turned into pure chaos, as Helly was revealed to actually be her outtie, Helena Eagan, since the start of Season 2. The real Innie Helly was only brought back to reality thanks to Irving, who nearly killed Helena.

Because of Irving's actions, however, Mr. Milchick was forced to fire him—which, for an innie, is basically the same as ending their life.

The Direct sat down with Severance actor Tramell Tillman, who helped explain how Mr. Milchick was feeling in those shocking moments.

Tramell Tillman on Irving's Shocking "Death" By Verbal Execution

"If the Fans Didn't Hate Me In Season 1, They're Going to Hate Me After Episode 4, Season 2."

• The Direct: "I want to talk about one of my favorite scenes of the season so far, Episode 4, that harrowing scene when you're essentially just reciting an execution to Irving. What was it like filming that?"

Tramell Tillman: I said, if the fans didn't hate me in Season 1, they're going to hate me after Episode 4, Season 2. Because essentially, I kill [Irving]. I love John Turturro so much, and I really, really adore his Irving.

It was painful to watch that, and I wager to think that Irving is probably one of Milchick's favorite innies because he gets it. He understands the protocol. He understands what it takes to be in a position of leadership. In some way, there's a camaraderie that they share.

So, to see that, it made me think of the teacher who has to suspend or send their their favorite student off to suspension because of something that they did. Yeah, because I don't want to see that.

• The Direct: "Would you say, and you kind of talked about a little bit, but is Mr. Milhick more angry? Is he sad? What are the emotions going through [his head]? Because I have to imagine it's more than just a standard interaction. Obviously, there's stuff going on."

Tramell Tillman: It's a lot. You know, like you said, it's a death. I'm like, sending them to the guillotine. So I think the assault on Helena Egan is a very huge no-no, right? So he's pissed about that. He's taken these liberties. He stepped outside of his character. 

And again, Mr. Milchick is, he organized this ORTBO, this outdoor retreat, right? So, if anything happens, he is liable. So now an Eagan has been assaulted and almost drowned on Milchick's watch, and it was one of the innies who did it? Like, Dude.

So, he's like, there's gotta be fear, there's anger, there's resentment, there's pain, and the fact that he has to make this decision like you committed this crime, you gotta go.

• The Direct: "How often do you think he's done that execution recital, as it were?

Tramell Tillman: I took it that this was his first time.

How's Mr. Milchick Feeling About his New Lumon Promotion?

"The Tension Is High. The Pressure Is High."

• The Direct: "Mr. Milchick gets a promotion, but it's almost like a bitter, sweet promotion. It is a very complicated set of scenarios. How does he feel when he first gets that?"

Tramell Tillman: Well, it's interesting because it's complicated, because you Season 1, at the end of Season 1, I remember Cobell said something to the effect that, did Mr. Milchick turn me in, right? Because Cobell gets fired, and he's the one who ushers her out.

But that question has never been answered, so we don't know if Cobell has been moved out because of her own fruition or because of her own actions, or if it's because Mr. Milchick went to the board and said, No, this is what she's doing and pushed her on out. So, you know, as an actor, I made a choice, and now given this new responsibility because I have not really been fully trained at this level to have this leadership position.

The tension is high. The pressure is high. And so much has happened when we're looking at Season 1 because he's we're introducing the new break room. We're introducing the new visitation room within the first two episodes.

So, all of that is becoming all new information that Mr. Milchick was responsible for bringing to life. So, he almost doesn't have time to celebrate the fact that he is now the new floor manager because he's gotta do damage control.

It's a lot of work. He's a busy man. He's a busy man, and he has got to construct this new story about the innies. He, you know, this strategy and PR, and it's like, really fascinating. And so he's 10 toes down.

• The Direct: "How was it like working alongside with, you know, Miss Huang, a child who seems to [put] everyone else in the building [at unease], and you can kind of see her getting under your skin a little bit. But, yeah, it's hidden. It's hidden pretty well. But how does he feel about that dynamic? It is revealed that it's a fellowship at some point, so there is some information, right?"

Tramell Tillman: The age-old question that comes up through the first few episodes is like, where did she come from? Who is she? And I think Mr. Milchick asked that question himself, internally. It's like, what? Why is she here? And essentially, she has my old job. I was like, So what are you saying that a 14-year-old, a 15-year-old, can do my job? Oh, this is how we feeling now. There's a little bit of saltiness that's probably there... Lumon's a little passive-aggressive.

Mr. Milchick's Conflicted Feelings About His New Paintings

"Mr. Milchick Is Very Knowledgeable of His Blackness."

• The Direct: "When you get awarded your paintings [early in the season], you seem very conflicted about it. You don't really seem to love it. You even question it later on. What are those questions [what] is he having trouble dealing with?"

Tramell Tillman: Yeah. I mean, these paintings are supposed to celebrate his ascension into the company, but it becomes this misplaced gesture that really just ostracized him even more. It is very clear that Mr. Milchick is very knowledgeable of his blackness.

He knows who he is and this corporation, when we you see the people walking through, I mean, there seems to be people of color there every now and then, but I gather to think that there aren't a whole lot of people of color in the positions that Natalie occupy and that now Mr. Milchick occupies.

So, he's now in this new position. He gets these pretty offensive paintings. They're essentially blackface, and it is conflicting, because he's now expected to receive them with grace, right there on the spot, while another one of his colleagues, who's also identifies, or I think identifies as a person of color, has received the same paintings and has given me this pain[ed look]. You just gotta suck it up a deal. 

And now, because he's been othered, he's now has the responsibility of trying to figure out what is he going to do with this, if anything, and we see that in the moment he just decides to put it away.

And I think that speaks to so much of the human element that when we are rewarded or invited into a world that we ordinarily wouldn't be a part of how people do the work to make us inclusive, that the gestures become misplaced, that we either decide to confront it, or we decide to just leave it off to the side, or we just accept it fully, and we see how that plays a role as the season continues forward.

Severance is now streaming on Apple TV+.

Be sure to check out Tramell Tillman's other conversation with The Direct, where he teased what Season 2 would have in store for fans.