Every Main Character of 'Severance,' Ranked

Severance is one of the best, most mind-bending shows on television right now, arguably of all time. The Apple TV+ original psychological thriller explores the concept of being able to achieve a seemingly perfect work-life balance by undergoing a surgical procedure that literally severs the brain in two: an innie for work and an outie for home, neither of which knows what occurs in the life of the other.

As the story dives deeper, however, it appears the company handling the program is using severance in far more sinister ways. The characters who are caught up in its activities range from devoted cult-like followers, including new ones only just introduced, like Dr. Mauer, to vocal detractors who want to get to the bottom of things.

10 Burt Goodman

Played by Christopher Walken

Burt is a minor character in Severance, one of the most mind-bending psychological thriller shows, who runs the Optics and Design division on the severed floor in the first season. He has been working at Lumon for longer than the severed program has existed. He himself is severed, which leads viewers to question what his time was like prior to and right after being severed.

In the second season, Burt no longer works at Lumon, and he is back at home with his husband. But the best moments with Burt involve his workplace flirtations with Irving as the two share a special bond and clear romantic feelings for one another. Soft-spoken and kind, there’s also an air of mystery around Burt in that fans haven’t quite yet figured out if he’s a good guy, or whether he’s more deeply involved with Lumon than others realize.

9 Devon Scout-Hale

Played by Jen Tullock

Devon is the type of sister anyone would want to have. She looks out for her brother and is by his side as he grieves the presumed death of his wife. While she can’t control him, she is vocal about her disagreement with his decision to partake in the severed program. Even so, she does her best to help him uncover mysteries about it when strange things start happening to his “outie” at home.

Unafraid to put her neck out for her brother and never worried about letting her feelings be known about others, Devon is an inherently good person. Some of the best moments are watching she and Mark fight like, well, siblings.

8 Dylan George

Played by Zach Cherry

Dylan has proven himself more valuable at work than he is at home, as evidenced with the fact that his wife, once she’s able to visit, discovers that Dylan’s innie is far more driven and less the aimless dreamer than he is in the outside world. It’s Dylan who is integral to one of the wildest moments on Severance when he helps activate the Overtime Contingency Plan that lets Mark’s innie enter the real world for a few minutes, leading to the discovery that Gemma is still alive.

Dylan is always ready to help and be part of the pushback against Lumon, but he will also always put his own interests first if it comes down to it. This is evidenced when he quietly opts out of the search for Gemma once Milchick offers him the opportunity to meet with his wife from time to time. But he is also always there for his friends. It’s his inspirational speech, in fact, that convinces Irving to stay and help them uncover the truth after he becomes depressed upon seeing Burt’s outside life. With a fun sense of humor and a dedication to the job, Dylan is the perfect co-worker.

7 Gemma Scout

Played by Dichen Lachman

A dedicated season two episode finally revealed what happened to Gemma but also provided a glimpse into her life with Mark before. A sweet, kind, and intelligent woman, she had been through so much, including losing a child and trying unsuccessfully to become pregnant through IVF. Once she ended up severed and at Lumon, she was put through constant torture, used as a lab rat.

Even when under the influence of one innie or another, Gemma’s fierce personality shines through, such as when she talks back to Dr. Mauer, playing her husband in the Christmas-themed experiment. As the Gemma outie, the way she manages to attack Dr, Mauer and try to escape proves that Gemma has a strong will and spirit. Seeing more of Gemma outside of her stoic Ms. Casey's persona makes fans realize what made Mark fall in love with her in the first place.

6 Harmony Cobel

Played by Patricia Arquette

There’s arguably no one more entrenched in the world of Lumon than Harmony. She was effectively raised by the company, indoctrinated into its beliefs from a young age as she went to school there. She was groomed to run things at the company, and she knows no other way of life.

But there’s an indication that Harmony is starting to recognize that there are other ways of doing things, and that what Lumon is doing might not be the answer. This only comes to light once she is betrayed and replaced by Milchick as head of the severed floor after going out of her way to help protect the company. But her potential redemption is more important than what drove her to get there. The fact that she, in not so many words, confirms to Mark that Gemma is alive suggests that Harmony has decency in her that’s itching to come out.

5 Miss Huang

Played by Sarah Bock

One of the most interesting new character introductions in season two is Miss Huang. Deputy manager of the severed floor, she puzzles the team when they recognize that she’s just a schoolgirl, probably barely a teenager. She’s likely from the Myrtle Eagan School For Girls and has learned Kier Eagan teachings her entire life. She is prim and proper, behaving as if she was an adult in a child’s body.

The way she simply stands and stares at the workers as though their reactions do not affect her at all suggests that she views them merely as subjects, not people. In fact, she expresses this view as such to Milchick. The implication is that she is working there as part of an internship and, based on her rigid performance, she would fit right in. But her scenes add an interesting dynamic to the show, and prove that Eagan is working hard to spread his beliefs to every generation.

4 Irving Bailiff

Played by John Turturro

There’s something sweet and endearing about Irving, Mark’s quiet co-worker who has been working at Lumon for six years. He has a deep love for Burt, which often distracts him from his work. But there are many layers to Irving.

Through his outie, it’s learned that he suspects there are bad things going on at the company and is trying to figure things out at night, with inklings that he is starting to remember some things from his innie, such as the long hallway with the black door his outie has painted again and again. Perceptive and curious, Irving is the only one of the group to figure out that Helly was actually Helena the whole time in the first part of season two. It cost him his job, and while he has flown into a tailspin after learning that Burt has a husband outside of work, Irving may prove pivotal to the story going forward.

3 Helly/Helena Eagan

Played by Britt Lower

There are two sides to Helly: there’s the sweet and kind Helly, who works with Mark in the office and has developed a deep affection for him. Then there’s her true self in the outside world, Helena Eagan, the woman behind the severance program and the daughter of the company’s current CEO.

There’s a lot of complexity to Helena as she is seemingly toying with her innie by tormenting her with romantic rendezvous with Mark, and effectively stealing her identity to infiltrate the severance floor using one of the most brutal override protocols in Severance. Once the two sides collide, it could be explosive. But both Helly and Helena are steadfast in their beliefs, which fall on opposite sides of the spectrum, which makes her one of the most intriguing and complicated characters on the show.

2 Seth Milchick

Played by Tramell Tillman

One of the most complex, difficult-to-read characters is Seth Milchick. He seems completely devoted to the Lumon cause with a cult-like mentality and a complete lack of geniuine emotion. He never deviates from what he needs to do, though moments of doubt suggest that Milchick could be turned, such as when he receives a troubling painting from Kier Eagan that he can’t bring himself to express his true feelings about.

Milchick always has a smile and a charming demeanor, combined with his incredible vocabulary and articulate manner of speech. Let's not forget his fantastic dance skills, too! But he’s also dangerous and evil, even though anyone from the outside looking in would never know it, and believe he’s the model boss who looks out for his employees.

1 Mark Scout

Played by Adam Scott

Mark is the protagonist of the show and, not surprisingly, its best character. Dealing with the monotony of life at work and the intense depression at home as he deals with the grief of the loss of his wife, Mark’s entire mentality changes when he realizes that Gemma is actually still alive. Fearless, determined, and willing to do what it takes, his character has fans rooting for him the entire way through.

With Mark undergoing the reintegration procedure, his innie and outie could converge, spelling real-world complications, especially relating to his experience with both Helly and Helena. But deep down, he’s a good guy who just wants his wife back and wants to stop a company from doing awful things to people.

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