Just joining in on the very long discussion if that's alright :)
Looking at your answers about how innies view their outies, you mentioned how in the beginning innies view themselves as their outies and are basically the same. iDylan likes to speculate about body building or assuming there are plagues if his literal brain is severed. Idk abt Iriving but when iDylan mentions his son, Irving said it's his outie's son. So iriving clearly sees them as separate.
But do you think Helly and Helena also played a role in gradually changing that viewpoint?
Helena's "I am a person, you are not" seemed eye opening for the innies and made them realize outies might view their innies as different and less than them. Whereas Mark S views himself as his outie. Helly's outie is Helena Eagan, daughter of the literal CEO, so obviously not exactly a good look if her innie cuts her fingers get cut off. So maybe that combo was why they gave her the camera, too. I dont assume there are many innies threatening to cut their fingers off just to talk to their outie.
Also: you mentioned Mark's "what if we're all assholes out there?" That recording of Helena might have been their first proper exposure to an outie.
Like who knows if Mark's resignation request was actually given to his outie? You've mentioned that to Cobel, Mark S is her little guy, her little experiment with the severance barrier. She wants to mess around with his brain. And he is essential when refining Gemma's tempers. So I highly doubt it.
i just rewatched that scene from 1x07 where irving tells dylan that itās his outieās kid and i would argue that his viewpoint is a little more conflicted than just strictly meaning the words heās saying. irvingās belief in kier and the philosophy the innies have been fed was the strongest. and thus heās had the hardest time letting go of it. so at this point in the story i donāt think irving has been fully able to accept that everything he knows is a lieā¦ but he is STARTING to believe it. so when he says that to dylan i think heās trying to convince himself as well. heās saying the words that he would have always said. but he really isnāt able to follow through and offer any more kier philosophy to follow through with that. the thought of going outside scares him. heās says theyāre innies and theyāre supposed to stay inside to follow the rules. but then he immediately breaks the rules to go and see burt. and burtās dismissal is the final straw that breaks the camelās back.
i think dylanās idea of a plague demonstrates his fairly sympathetic and charitable view of his outie. he thinks that only someone left with no other options would do this to themselves. itās naive but very kind. dylan also says all this in a more fun scene when heās in a good mood. i think ghats important to note because under this kind viewpoint i think every innie harbors a great deal of fear for the outies, for someone who would do this to themselves. helenaās speech is slap a in the face but i also donāt think itās anything knew. it probably just confirms the fears they already have.
and on helenaās speech being harsh. i think it matches hellyās harsh threat of cutting her fingers. it honestly just shows how similar they are. how easy it is for them both to be cruel and go to drastic measures.
yes, i agree that helenaās speech was their experience with an outie other than the standard welcome videos all their outies submitted before surgery.
and yeah i doubt anyone was given their resignation requests. and i think helly doubts that too, thatās why she demands to make the video. my guess is that helena was only alerted of hellyās previous resignation that was denied right before she shot the video.
