Mark Scout must face off against himself in a season two finale that finally addresses the season's overall main question: Will Gemma be rescued from Lumon? Overall, season two has been filled with hit-or-miss storylines, as Severance makes various decisions that feel somewhat out of place, from firing Irving's Innie from Lumon, only for the rest of his main plot to be completely disconnected from the rest of the main cast to its momentum-breaking two back-to-back episodes. Yet, Severance's season two finale, "Cold Harbor," finally brings back some of the excitement and intrigue that the show thrives off of, and it needs to, given its devastating cliffhanger ending. "Cold Harbor" also asks one main question: how much do Innies qualify as real people?
The concept of an Innie to the outside world, including those with the severed procedure, view their Innie as nothing other than someone who exists to work. They are not viewed as people with their own lives or relationships seeing as they never leave the severed floor. They exist in one space, but to the Innies themselves, they are very real individuals with their own questions about the world and feelings about other people. So, when Innie and Outie Mark finally come face to face in a conversation presented through video recordings, it is one of the most exciting and frustrating aspects of the episode for both personalities.
For Outie Mark, the opportunity to save and reunite with his wife Gemma has finally arrived. He had undergone the reintegration procedure to remember her on the severed floor in a desperate need to save her from being kept hostage. However, while, for Outie Mark, this is the moment he has been waiting for, Innie Mark has reservations. Outie Mark has one main goal, and as much as he may try to convince Innie Mark that he is part of it, that is not really true. Outie Mark wants Gemma back, while Innie Mark remains in love with Innie Helly. Each Mark has his own memories and experiences, and while Innie Mark agrees to follow through on the plan to save Gemma, that does not remove his own fears about what Gemma's rescue means for his life.
From the outside, the Innies may appear as personalities meant to keep the Outie's mind off of something they do not want to think about, such as anything from grief to PTSD to anything that suggests their outside life is not quite what they want it to be. But, when inside, the Innies are not mindless drones. They have their own emotions, something "Cold Harbor" is very much aware of as it forces Innie Mark to choose between leaving with Gemma or remaining in Lumon. Innie Mark ultimately decides that his life and the life he wants with Innie Helly is worth fighting for, leaving Gemma at the door and racing into an unknown fate with Innie Helly. It is an emotionally devastating cliffhanger in so many ways. Gemma, who had just reunited with her husband, watches as his severed personality does not have a strong enough emotional connection to her to stay. Innie Mark decides against his Outie's plan to take a risk at living his own life with Innie Helly in whichever part of the severed floor they ultimately hide in.
As a cliffhanger, it begs Severance to answer the question of what this deviation from the plans means for all the characters. Mark both finishes and prevents the finality of the Cold Harbor project in freeing Gemma. However, there also lies the question of how long it is until Innie Mark and Innie Helly are found, especially given Outie Helena's role in the company. Someone would likely be searching for them eventually, and that floor may not be big enough to allow them to hide forever. Gemma's escape could also result in a team-up between Gemma, Cobel, and Devon.
Severance's extended season two finale portrays a more emotional connection that exists among the members of the severed floor, as well as their views of their own lives. As a season-ender, it does exactly what it promised to do without the uncertainty of questioning if Gemma was truly going to escape captivity. Severance's renewal for season three means those answers are coming. In the end, "Cold Harbor" was able to regain some of its lost momentum from late in season two with such a big ending. However, in order to keep the excitement alive, season three needs to come earlier than another three-year wait.