We are gathered here today to remember one of Severance‘s greatest innies: the inimitable Irving B.
After years of loyal service to Lumon Industries, this tall drink of water with a marvelous mustache went out with a serious splash by attempting collegial murder in the pond of Woe’s Hollow, having an iconic face-off with his floor manager, and bravely giving his life to expose the truth and protect his friends from harm.
Irving’s “immediate and permanent dismissal” from the company means that although his outie is still alive, unless he accesses a severed space (or the company awakens his innie using a protocol like the Overtime Contingency), we’ve essentially seen the last of Irv’s innie persona. A tissue is available upon request.
As Dylan (Zach Cherry) said in his touching Season 2, Episode 5 eulogy, “It’s hard to pinpoint a favorite Irving story. For the least fun guy in the world, he was really fun. He put the dick in contradiction…He was awesome and I miss him.” SAME. Since our memories are fully in-tact, we felt it was only fitting to use them to remember our dearly beloved Irv, a singular, sassy, sensational severed employee.
When we first met Irving B., he was a diligent macrodata refiner, a stickler for the rules, and a proud Kier worshiper who frequently recited handbook passages from memory. Then Mark S. (Adam Scott) took over as head of the team, Helly R.(Britt Lower) arrived, he met his office crush Burt G. (Christopher Walken), and everything changed. As Severance progressed, the sophisticate, artist, handbook tote lover, and invaluable MDR asset transformed into an intrepid rebel willing to risk his own existence for his loved ones.
Always curious, observant, and spirited, Irving B. navigated the severed floor with rare gusto. Irving’s innie was generous. Irving’s innie was strong. Irving’s innie was fiercely intelligent. Irving’s innie was romantic. Irving’s innie was hot as hell. Irving’s innie had an underrated sense of humor and often delivered perfect one-liners in ways that made me cackle and howl. Let us each take nine seconds to silently remember some all-time greats:
- Hey, kids. What’s for dinner?
- Mark used to find it funny to interrupt Petey’s announcements. With gas having.
- You look trim, Mark. I wonder if you were food poisoned.
- Stop treating this like some kind of beer party!
- Mark, were you attempting to bed-sit?
- Burt’s not a fuck!
- It was only up for a month or so, but man, what a month.
- What time is it? I HAVE TO GO!
- I bet it’s a loyalty test. Remember the spicy candy?
- We need a manager!
- He needs a full tetanus toxoid panel!
- You smug motherfucker.
- Let’s burn this place to the ground!
- I’m your favorite perk.
- I’m on the ice. I’m on the fucking ice!
- We’re starving Mr. Milchick!
- Yes. Do it SEEEEETH!
While Irving’s innie cared deeply for his team, his affection for Burt (one of TV’s greatest office romances) ultimately softened his rigid devotion to corporate regulations. When their relationship was cut short by Burt’s forced retirement, the loss hardened him enough to get onboard with the “Macrodat Uprising.”
Irving’s innie kicked off his heartbreak/revenge era by delivering one of the severed floor’s most deliciously daring speeches, cursing Milchick (Tramell Tillman) out and saying, “You’re not severed. You walk out of here with your memories. You carry them home with you every night. No one can rip them away from you, snuff them out. Like they never existed. Like you never existed!” Following Burt’s “retirement,” Irving’s innie smugly smashed a deviled egg into the Lumon handbook while staring directly at a painting of Kier, emphasizing that despite his severed brain, he was wholly committed to taking down the company.
In Season 2, Irving returned post-OTC with the crushing knowledge that Burt’s outie was with another man. Despite his devastating heartbreak, he chose to remain on the severed floor with his pals in search of the black hallway his outie had painted in hopes that it would help further their mission. As Severance progressed, Irv learned to embrace his emotions and follow his intuition, which is how he came to the conclusion that Helly R. was really Helena Eagan. Though the astute realization ultimately cost him his job, it also reminded us he’s become fearless in the face of injustice and can be one heck of a badass when circumstances allow.
The impact Irving has on viewers is a direct result of John Turturro’s stellar Severance performance. Though we’ll hopefully see more of his outie — a quiet, introverted black coffee drinker who adores his dog Radar, wears paint-stained pants, listens to Motörhead, and appears to be actively investigating Lumon — the show won’t be the same without Innie Irv.
While we long for a way to see our favorite perk again and resist sinking our teeth into his creepy, albeit delicious looking watermelon head, let us think of him every time we admire a work of art, feel outraged about our jobs, stand up for what’s right no matter the cost, have a life-altering crush, and crucially, ask ourselves what’s for dinner.
New episodes of Severance Season 2 premiere Fridays on Apple TV+.
