Dylan’s Sarcastic Takedown

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Be cautious! The following discussion contains significant spoilers for the second season of ‘Severance’. If you haven’t watched all episodes yet, remember to catch up by streaming them using your Apple TV+ account.

The second installment of the TV show “Severance” concluded on the 2025 television schedule, and although I’ll undoubtedly ponder over Gemma in that heart-wrenching final scene until “Severance” Season 3 debuts, there’s a different Lumon employee whose image keeps resurfacing in my thoughts: Dylan. The depth of Zach Cherry’s character was significantly expanded this season, making it all the more striking when I revisited the series premiere. With our current knowledge, one joke from “Good News About Hell” has taken on a whole new significance.

In Season 1 of “Severance”, it felt like a more peaceful era. Following the physical torment of “Chikhai Bardo” and all the events that unfolded in Season 2, I longed for the innocent oblivion provided by puzzle boxes and the highly desired egg bar. Hearing Irving’s casual remark, “Hi, kids. What’s for dinner?” brought a sense of comfort to my spirit. Yet, instead of the usual laughter that Dylan’s smart remark would have provoked, his question now leads my mind down a thought path related to Dylan.

Dylan’s Sarcastic Takedown Has Deeper Meaning After Learning More About His Outie In Season 2

When we’re introduced to employees at Lumon’s MDR for the first time, it’s clear that each one has their unique character and interpersonal relationships with others. It’s reminiscent of dynamics found in numerous work environments, where the ‘macrodats’ serve as a sort of dysfunctional family unit. Interestingly, Irving’s (John Turturro) greeting seems to have caused some friction among his coworkers, particularly Dylan, played by Zach Cherry, for quite some time.

Mark (Adam Scott) expresses his confusion about the “What’s for dinner?” question, asking instead if, in this situation, the kids had prepared dinner for Irving. This query leads Dylan to join the conversation.

Yeah. What kind of a shit dad are you?

In 2022, Dylan’s response to Irving’s joke seemed quite naive, perhaps reflecting the innocence of the characters known as “innies.” However, we didn’t fully understand Dylan’s background or his role as a father at that time.

It Turns Out Outie Dylan’s Fathering Skills Might Be Less-Than-Ideal

As a devoted fan, I discovered later in Season 1 that Dylan is unique among the macrodats in having children, aside from Petey who had parted ways with Lumon before the series began. However, what really struck me was learning that, well, he’s not exactly the best father figure out there.

It might be an overstatement. Certainly, Dylan doesn’t appear to mistreat or neglect his three children, but it’s also not evident that he spends quality time playing with or engaging them regularly.

His widespread apathy seems to pervade everything, and it appears that his tendency to watch TV instead of baking the store-bought cookie dough is a reflection of his broader impact on the household he shares with Gretchen.

While Gretchen politely implies that her husband didn’t quite discover his passion, it’s clear that innie Dylan has more demanding expectations for his exterior self. He likely wouldn’t shy away from challenging his other half with labels like “dumb,” “arrogant,” or “somewhat inept.

Everything Changed For Innie Dylan When He Learned He Had Children On The Outside

In Season 1, we were unaware of Dylan’s larger life beyond Lumon and his thriving innie on the lower floor. It wasn’t until Milchick (Tramell Tillman) triggered the Overtime Contingency to discover the stolen card from O&D that Dylan began to understand there might be a greater purpose to his life outside of Lumon.

Waking up in his father’s closet and having his child rush in to embrace him, completely altered every understanding about existence that little Dylan had built up. The significance of becoming a parent became instantly clear. The Music Dance Experience no longer held any appeal; he yearned instead to cherish the memories of his children being born. He found a new purpose to strive for.

In the heart-stopping scene that unfolded, I witnessed the spark that ignited the Macrodat Uprising – an event that forever altered the lives of every innie. It wasn’t just Dylan’s desire to be a good father that was unveiled in that moment, but it seemed as though he rekindled that same fire within his outie too.

I Think Innie Dylan Got His Outie To Stop Taking His Family For Granted

There’s been plenty of debate among the characters, creators, and fans of Severance regarding how much an innie’s (inner office self) character leaks from the outside world. What qualities can’t be wiped away by separating one’s brain? I believe that scene where Irving was shot in Season 1, Episode 1 could provide a significant hint about Dylan’s behavior.

Humorously speaking, when Irving questioned, “What’s for dinner?”, Bob Dylan’s initial thought surprisingly leaned towards pondering over the well-being of Irving’s hypothetical offspring. It turned out that his inner self displayed a fatherly concern before any of us, including himself, were aware he was one.

Despite everyone being puzzled about Ms. Huang being a child in Season 2, it was only Dylan who showed concern and inquired if she required assistance, as evident in the episode titled “Who Is Alive?

I’m not accusing, but rather checking in. Are you feeling alright? Is anyone making you stay here against your will?

Dylan’s bellybutton (innie) experienced a tough conclusion to the season. He found himself smitten by Gretchen, but she ended their relationship, favoring someone else (Dylan’s navel, or “loser outie”). Yet, that heartbreak might have served as the much-needed wake-up call for Dylan.

“The heart-wrenching call of ‘Gretchen!’ will always echo within my mind, yet it might have been the most joyful conclusion we could’ve imagined from this peculiar love triangle. Though innie Dylan couldn’t support Gretchen, he indirectly made his outie a more devoted spouse and ultimately, a better parent.

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The joke about Irving’s supposed lack of children was the start of many humorous barbs aimed affectionately at Dylan’s MDR comrades, and it’s amazing how well-developed their complexities became even when we knew so little about Lumon’s inner and outer workings.

It’s unclear if Dylan’s remark about Irving being a “bad father” was meant as a hint into the inner thoughts of the character or an expression of the actor’s own feelings, but given that it was one of the earliest things we heard from Zach Cherry’s character, it certainly seems more significant now, after observing his character develop significantly over two seasons.

Following the final episode of “Severance” Season 2, I’m at a loss as to where Ben Stiller, Dan Erickson, and their new team of showrunners and writers might steer this exceptional Apple TV+ series next. Here’s hoping they keep crafting rich, multi-dimensional narratives for these intricate characters.

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2025-04-14 18:08