Irving Bailiff, known as Irving B. when working at Lumon, is a macrodata refiner at Lumon, who worked there for nine years before agreeing to undergo the severance procedure, where his consciousness and memory are divided into two parts.
History[]
Irving's father served with the US Navy, while Irving himself was also implied to have served in another branch of the military, judging by the medals displayed in his home.
He lived in the company town Kier within the neighborhood Leonora Lake, where he shared a one-bedroom apartment with his dog Radar. Irving lived a lonely but comfortable life, devoid of any real emotional attachments or relationships (bar Radar), as he openly admitted to Burt Goodman that he had never really been loved in his life.[2]
Joining Lumon[]
Irving was hired by Lumon Industries nine years before Petey Kilmer's reintegration, serving in an unknown role until, six years later, he agreed to have the Severance Procedure performed on him, surgically separating his consciousness into two distinct personalities: the Outie who lived in the outside world and the Innie who only existed to work on Lumon's underground severed floor. His Innie, known as Irving B., would become a Senior Refiner in the department of Macrodata Refinement, eventually becoming the longest-serving member of the four-man team: himself, Mark S., Dylan G., and department head Petey K.
Undercover investigations[]
Unlike other Severed employees who dismissed the true nature of their work, Irving began investigating and gathering information on Lumon and the Severance Procedure, managing to get his hands on a list of known Severed employees in Kier, as well as news articles reporting on the procedure itself. He was in contact with an unknown person who also seemed committed to exposing Lumon's unethical activities; he spoke with them through a public payphone near his home.
Though an impossibility due to the Severance operation, Irving was somehow aware of the Exports Hall and its appearance. Beyond meager things like walking Radar and reading books, Irving's Outie would obsessively paint numerous versions of the Exports Hall with acrylics, blast Ace of Spades by Motörhead through a boombox, and drink copious amounts of coffee. All of these strange hobbies apparently amounted to a plan his Outie had to bleed memories through to his Innie via dreams, as Innie Irving was known for frequently falling asleep at his desk, suffering terrifying nightmares of black goo (which resembled the acrylic paint) pouring into the MDR office. This was later confirmed to be an intentional plan by Irving and his outside contact to get messages down to the severed floor[3].
Irving worked on the severed floor of Lumon Industries. Every day, when he got to work, he opened with the same joke, asking his coworkers, "Hi, kids. What's for dinner?" He continued even after they told him that they hated it. When Petey, their department chief, didn't show up one day, they were told he no longer worked for Lumon and Mark was named the new department chief. Irving then helped Mark train his replacement, Helly R., who was immediately combative and resistant.[4]
When Irving noticed the group photo of himself, Mark, Dylan, and Petey was missing from his desk, he asked Mark about it and Mark said he'd removed them in anticipation of a new group photo with Helly being taken that day. Irving told Mark that was a violation of protocol and printed out the relevant section of the handbook for Mark to read.
Before the party to welcome Helly, they played a game where each of them introduced themselves and shared something about them. Irving shared that he'd worked at Lumon for three years and knew all nine core Lumon principles. When Milchick asked which was his favorite, he said all nine, but for the day, it was Cheer. After the game, while enjoying the melon, Irving noticed something black under his fingernails.
The next day, Irving learned that Mark wasn't at work. Irving hoped they hadn't fired him like Petey because the quarterly deadline was coming up. While working at his station, Irving briefly fell asleep and dreamed of black ooze seeping into his cubicle. Milchick told him the time he spent sleeping would be deducted from his outie's paycheck and that he'd be sent for a Wellness check with Ms. Casey.
While waiting in Wellness, Irving admired a painting of Kier that was hanging on the wall. It had previously been in the perpetuity wing and Irving was sad when it was moved. Burt came out of the Wellness room and they talked about the painting. Burt revealed that he was the department chief of Optics and Design so he was responsible for the painting being there. Their conversation ended when Ms. Casey called Irving in for his session. During the session, she read him facts about his outie. She told him not to try to enjoy each fact equally. When he reacted to a fact, she deducted ten points, leaving him with ninety. When he reacted again, she deducted another ten and warned him that if he talked again, the session would be ended early. When Irving returned to MDR, he was in a markedly better mood and told Dylan about meeting Burt. Dylan said he'd met Burt before, but didn't have a good impression of him. Their conversation was interrupted by Helly finally getting the emotional response from the data that allowed her to refine it.[5]
When Mark returned after missing a day, Irving told him that Dylan had taken over Helly's training for the day and had done well and Helly had finally started earnestly working. He later suggested to Mark that they take Helly to the Perpetuity Wing to give her a deeper meaning for the work. Mark went to ask Cobel for permission and then came back and told them they were going on a trip.
As they walked to the Perpetuity Wing, Irving talked about the Eagan family and their legacy. When they ran into Burt and Felicia, Irving and Burt were happy to see each other while the others had a contentious interaction due to mutual distrust between the two departments. Once they got to Perpetuity, Irving continued speaking reverently about the history of Lumon and emphasized how Helly was now part of that history. When Irving perceived Dylan and Mark as being disrespectful, he became angry and they started arguing. Their conversation was interrupted by Mark realizing that Helly had left the room.[6]
Irving worried when Helly didn't return from the Break Room for the rest of the day or well into the next day. While he was talking to Mark and Dylan about it, Burt came in, bringing the new handbook totes he'd talked to Irving about. He also invited them to come for a tour of O&D, an offer only Irving took him up on. Irving followed Burt's directions to O&D, where Felicia pointed him to where Burt was working. When Irving mentioned a painting he had loved that was no longer where it was, Burt told him all paintings ended up in O&D once they were done circulating departments and pulled it out to show Irving. While they were admiring it, Burt put his hand on Irving's. Irving soon pulled away and excused himself before leaving to return to MDR.
On his way back to MDR, Irving found a book, The You You Are, on a chair in a room. He immediately went back to MDR and told Mark about it. Mark and Dylan came back to the room with Irving and discovered that the book was signed to Mark. Irving believed it was a loyalty test and was pleased when Mark said he'd be taking the book to Milchick. When they got back to MDR, they found Helly missing. She had gone to Cobel's office and threatened to cut off her fingers if Cobel didn't allow her to record a video to her outie. Once she'd recorded the message, they all escorted her to the elevator to leave. She quickly returned with a message from her outie refusing to let her quit.
Irving went to see Burt again as he replaced paintings. Burt said he was worried he'd embarrassed himself. Irving said he hadn't and Burt invited Irving to join him as he made four more stops. Once they were done hanging the new paintings, Burt returned to O&D. Irving then went inside O&D and found a door with noise coming from behind it. He opened it and saw many workers in there despite Burt having claimed that only two people worked there.[7]
In light of Helly's attempted suicide, Irving suggested hanging inspirational handbook quotes around the department for Helly to find. After having the black goo dream again, Irving decided he wanted to go see Burt again and seek his counsel. Mark asked him to copy the directions before he left in case they needed to go find him. When Irving tried to do so, what came out of the copier was instead two copies of a painting of O&D attacking MDR. Milchick told him it was meant to be a joke for Cobel and denied such a coup ever happening at Lumon.
When Ms. Casey told him that Burt was in the conference room, Irving went to see him. Their conversation was quickly interrupted by Dylan coming and closing and locking the door. He believed that Burt and O&D were a threat to MDR. They confronted him about his lie that there were only two employees in O&D. Burt said he lied because they didn't trust MDR. There were stories that went around about MDR employees having pouches where they incubated larvae that eventually took them over. Dylan then tied Burt's hands with his belt and they took him back to O&D. Burt invited them both to come in. While Irving and Burt looked at The Courtship of Kier and Imogene and talked about their relationship, Dylan found a painting similar to the one Irving had seen and confronted Burt about it. Irving pointed out that it wasn't the same painting and in the one Burt had, MDR were the aggressors. Burt said it had never gone into the hallway rotation and was called The Macrodata Refinement Calamity. Dylan questioned why there would be two versions of the same painting. Burt then took Dylan and Irving into the storeroom and introduced them as friends to the rest of the O&D employees.[8]
Burt took Irving to a plant-filled room. He said he'd found it a while back and used it as a secret place for himself and wanted to share it with Irving. They talked about their relationship and Irving decided that he wasn't ready for a romantic relationship with Burt. Burt said that was fine, but asked him to stay in the room with him.
Irving told Dylan, Helly, and Mark that he wanted to return to O&D right away as a team so they could unite the departments as Kier intended. When Mark learned that Ms. Casey had been sent to the break room over failing to supervise Helly, he decided to take the entire team to O&D in direct defiance of Cobel's order.
Burt led them into the storeroom and introduced the two teams. They shared their mutual lack of knowledge of what they were actually working on and decided that Burt and Mark, as the department heads, would reach out to the goat room, the other department they were aware of, and figure out what they knew. Their conversation was interrupted when Milchick came in and returned the MDR team to their department. Cobel was waiting for them and sent Mark to the Break Room.[9]
Irving arrived to work to find that MDR now had a door that required a key card to open. Despite this, Milchick denied that they were trapped. Later that day, Milchick brought in a cart for a Music Dance Experience to celebrate Helly getting to 75%. When Irving pointed out that she was only at 73%, Milchick said they all needed something nice. He put the music on and all of them except Dylan started dancing. The Music Dance Experience abruptly ended when Dylan lunged at Milchick, knocking him over and biting him. Once Milchick left, Dylan explained that he'd been woken up outside Lumon. Helly realized they could do that for themselves and Mark showed them the key card he'd found in his pocket, which he thought was Graner's. They used it to leave MDR. Dylan stayed behind to distract Milchick if he came back. Once they were out, Irving left to go to O&D to check on Burt while Mark and Helly went to the security office. Irving was upset to find that O&D was having a retirement party for Burt. He tried to object to them letting Burt die, but Milchick silenced him and only allowed him to stay at the party on the condition he didn't say anything else. After the party was over, Milchick escorted Irving back to MDR, where he told the others they should burn Lumon to the ground.[10]
Mark, Dylan, Helly, and Irving prepared their plan to activate their innie selves while outside Lumon. This involved pushing to meet their quota, which allowed one of them to have a waffle party. When Helly finished the Siena file, Mark met with Cobel, who celebrated their success, and told her the waffle party would go to Dylan.
Mark went back to MDR and told the others about his session and Ms. Casey being fired. He asked if they were sure about their plan, but before they could answer, Milchick came in with their pre-waffle party egg bar social, which they enjoyed. At the party, Irving took out a compliance handbook. He read a bit of it aloud and then smashed an egg into the book.
Before leaving for the day, Mark, Helly, Irving, and Dylan talked over what Dylan would do. Mark said it was important for them to be prepared to wake up in any possible situation, as they had no way of knowing what their outie would be doing. Then they needed to find someone they could trust as quickly as possible and tell them everything as they had no idea how much time they would have. Mark, Helly, and Irving then got on the elevator one at a time. Before Irving left, he told them it was time to figure out what was for dinner.
At home, Irving repeatedly painted the same long, dark hallway while drinking large amounts of coffee.[1]
When the Overtime Continency was activated, Innie woke up just as his Outie was painting another painting. He immediately started searching his own home. He found medals, indicating that his father was a decorated member of the Navy. And then he found that Irving was investigating Lumon and had a list of severed employees in a trunk in his closet. He used that list to get Burt's address and used a map to drive there. He saw Burt inside with another man and ran up to the door, calling for Burt.[11]
After activating the Overtime Contingency, Milchick came to see Outie Irving and told him he was fired. Irving was upset to hear. He spent time sitting in his living room, looking at the many paintings he'd created and looked at the map Innie Irving had left him with an X marked "Burt Goodman." Then he went to a phone booth and left a message for someone saying his innie had gotten his message. Later, Milchick came to Irving and re-hired him.[12]
Five months after their coup, Irving, Dylan, and Helly returned to the severed floor for the first time. Mark had returned a few days prior and caused problems until they agreed to bring the others back. Once they'd all arrived, Milchick to them to the new, improved Break Room, where he showed them a video about the Macrodat Uprising and how it led to reform at Lumon. Then he told them they had until the end of the day to decide, as innies, if they would continue working there or leave. Irving wanted to leave because he'd seen Burt with another man and wanted his existence to be over, but after talking to Dylan, he decided to stay, along with the others. They all sat down to get to work.[13]
Mark and Helly made flyers with a drawing of Ms. Casey declaring her missing. They planned to take them to other departments to ask if anyone knew anything about her. They gave one to Irving to take to O&D, where he hadn't been since Burt's retirement. After Mark and Helly left, Irving told Dylan he'd recreated his outie's paintings of the hallway and wanted them to go look for it together. Dylan said it might be better for Irving to go alone for stealth.
Irving went to O&D, where Felicia happily greeted him. He showed her the poster and then shared stories about Burt with Irving. Irving showed her the drawings he'd made of Burt, one for each day he hadn't been able to see him. Then she saw a drawing of the hallway. She recognized it as the exports hall. They used to take a lot of shipments there, but then Lumon started sending a guy. Irving asked her if she remembered where it was.[14]
Irving woke up one day in a frozen tundra. He soon met up with Helly, Mark, and Dylan. They found a television, which played a video that explained that they were on a corporate retreat that would last two days, during which they would traverse the terrain of Dieter Eagan National Forest. The answer to the question of who Dieter was is in the fourth appendix of the compliance handbook, which was forbidden on the severed floor. They would follow Kier's path in the forest, which is where he first tamed the four tempers, and they would have help along the way. They saw what that help was when they spotted a figure that looked like Mark across the way pointing them in the right direction. With no other option, they followed his directions. Next, they came across a figure that looked like Helly and they followed her directions to a cave containing the fourth appendix. Helly started reading it and it told the story of Kier and Dieter's journey. They continued walking, following that path. When Irving noticed Mark and Helly talking privately, he asked Mark about it. He admitted he didn't trust Helly because her story of what she saw outside didn't add up. Mark brushed off his concern.
As they continued walking, they found a dead animal. Irving suggested eating it because they didn't know if there would be food waiting for them whoever they were going, but they decided not to. Irving admitted that he didn't trust Lumon to take care of them, which caused an argument. Finally, they reached a waterfall and Milchick appeared to tell them they'd followed Kier and Dieter's path and reached Woe's Hollow. He led them to their tents, where Miss Huang had prepared a grill for them to cook their meat. He also told them all about the amenities.
Helly came to see Irving in his tent and he asked her what she really saw during the overtime contingency, but she insisted that she'd already told them.
That night, they sat around the fire as Milchick read the rest of Kier and Dieter's journey, which ended with Dieter dying. Mark and Helly laughed about it, which upset Milchick, who had Miss Huang toss their marshmallows in the fire before leaving. Once they were gone, Irving asked Helly again about what she'd seen, pestering her with questions. Helly said he was just upset because he could never see Burt ever again. Irving took his torch and walked into the woods alone.
Irving walked until he tripped and his torch was extinguished by the snow. He leaned up against a rock and fell asleep out there. He had a dream about being at work and seeing Woe working at another station. When he woke up, Irving ran back to the camp. When Helly came to him, he said he'd slept outside and nearly frozen to death. Then he told her what she'd said about Burt was cruel and Helly was never cruel. He asked who she really was, who would have the power to send their outie to the severed floor. He grabbed her and called for Milchick. Once he had Milchick's attention, he started to drown her and told him to bring Helly back, as he knew this wasn't her. At a time when Helly's head was above the water, she yelled for "Seth" to do it and Milchick had someone end the Glasgow block, bringing Helly back. Irving cradled her and told her he was sorry. Mark then came and wrapped his coat around her. Milchick then came and told Irving that he was fired and his outie would be notified. Dylan said he was sorry for not believing Irving and Milchick ordered them to cease communication. Then he had Irving walk into the forest and said it would be like Irving B. never existed. Then he told someone on his radio to do it now.[15]
At home, Irving looked over all his paintings and then took them down. Then he walked to a phone booth and told someone on the phone that he'd been fired and he believed Lumon was aware of what his innie was doing. He ended the conversation when he noticed Burt watching him. He confronted Burt and Burt explained that he wanted to know who came to his porch and started yelling his name. When talking to Irving, he realized it wasn't him at all, but his innie. He told Irving he'd been let go from Lumon a few weeks prior and was told it was because he had an inappropriate relationship with another worker. He and his husband Fields both believed it was Irving. Burt invited Irving to join him and Fields for dinner the next night and Irving said he'd be there.[3]
Irving went over for the dinner and Fields prepared a ham and corn for them to eat. At the dinner, there was some awkward moments when Burt and Irving's innies' relationship was mentioned. They also told Irving that Burt had decided to get severed after their pastor said that their church's position was that innies were separate individuals with souls and would be judged on their own after they died. Since Outie Burt had had a sordid youth, they saw it as a way for a part of Burt to go to heaven with Fields. As they continued talk, Burt said that they used to call each other Hon, but about ten years ago, it became Attila. Fields corrected that it was twenty years ago, which he remembered because they were out to dinner with Burt's Lumon partner. When Irving pointed out that the first severed office opened twelve years ago, Burt played it off as him being confused and suggested he quit drinking for the night. Fields ignored this and took another sip of his wine. Then he pointed out that there was a non-zero chance that Burt and Irving's innies had had unprotected sex. Despite this, he said he wasn't mad, that he truly believed that innies deserved to experience love. As Burt walked Irving out, he told Irving that Fields would be embarrassed once he sobered up, but he'd be okay. Irving suggested they do it again and said he was okay with it being with Fields or just the two of them.[2]
Irving came home one day to find Burt waiting for him, reading Irving's notes, which suggested that Burt was a low-level enforcer or goon for Lumon. Irving backed off, saying he'd realized he was wrong, but Burt asked Irving to go for a ride with him. Burt drove Irving and Radar to a train station. On the way, he told Irving he never hurt anyone. He just drove people placed and didn't ask what happened once they go there. When they got to the train station, Burt gave him a ticket that went as far as Irving could go. He said he couldn't know where Irving got off and he could never return to Kier. Then he told Irving he severed because he liked the idea of part of him being innocent again. Then that part of him fell in love with Irving. Irving said he wanted what his innie had and leaned toward Burt, but Burt said they couldn't and pulled back. They shook hands, said goodbye, and Irving got on the train.[16]
Personality[]
Irving's Innie was a sedulous and loyal Lumon employee who firmly believed in the company's mission to help humanity, as well as a devoted follower of the Lumon ethos and beliefs. He was known within MDR as the least troublesome and expressed fanatic interest and knowledge in Lumon's history, particularly of the Eagan family, something which the rest of the department taunted him about. Diligent as he was, Irving's character began to change when he met Burt G., slowly breaking through his hardworking shell as a romance began to blossom between them. When their relationship was abruptly cut short by Burt's retirement, Irving began to openly rebel against Lumon by antagonizing and challenging supervisor Seth Milchick, sparking an intense animosity between them. Distraught by Burt's "death" and fuelled with rage against the company, Irving agreed to join the rest of MDR in hijacking the Overtime Contingency safeguard to awaken themselves on the outside and expose Lumon's mistreatment of the Innies. Irving became distracted from the mission and sought out Burt in the outside world, crushed when he discovered Burt's Outie lived comfortably with his husband. Regardless, he tried in vain to reach Burt, but awoke a second later back on the Severed Floor after the OTC was shut down, devastating him into a deep state of depression. Irving became suicidal, wanting to end the pain of never seeing Burt again despite MDR's objections, though he ultimately decided not to after being moved by Dylan's words, returning back to the department to work as a team. Later, during the ORTBO, Irving gradually became more suspicious of Helly and her confusing story of being on the outside, questioning her relentlessly until, after an intense dream, he realized she was an Eagan and in Outie form. Despite knowing there was no way he'd survive, Irving ambushed Helena and attempted to drown her until Milchick ordered she be reverted back to Innie form, helping Mark and Dylan realize he was telling the truth. As Milchick immediately fired him on the spot, Irving marched away and faced his "death" with bravery, accepting the end with a smile.
Irving's Outie could best be described as the stark opposite to his Innie self: a rebellious, cloak-and-dagger man determined to uncover the mystery behind Lumon's work. Motivated by an unknown history with Severance, Irving relentlessly investigated the company, even going so far as to attempt to pass a message to his Innie on the Severed Floor. In spite of his determination, Irving also displayed naivety and underestimated Lumon, as Mr. Drummond was aware of his investigation despite his efforts to remain secretive. Irving's lack of emotional attachment also acts as a great flaw, as he openly admitted he wanted to pursue a romance with Outie Burt, despite both of them knowing it was impossible, and was seemingly willing to risk ending his investigation of Lumon for this.
Physical Description[]
Irving is tall and thin, with light brown skin and brown eyes. He has curly grey hair that he keeps cut short and neat, and a thick, well-groomed moustache. Irving wears a suit to work, and often has a vest under his jacket. When at home, Irving dresses very casually, and often gets black paint under his nails from his late night activities.
Relationships[]
Burt G.[]
Mark S.[]
Dylan G.[]
Helly R.[]
Quotes[]
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Notes and Trivia[]
- He believed his work at Lumon was cutting swear words out of movies.[5]
- He knows all nine core Lumon principles.[5]
- Irving is generous.[5]
- He is fond of music and owns many records.[5]
- He is a friend to children, the elderly, and the insane.[5]
- Irving is strong and helped someone lift a heavy object.[5]
- He attends many dances and is popular with the other attendees.[5]
- He likes films and owns a machine that can play them.[5]
- Irving is splendid and can swim gracefully and well.[5]
- He values water.[5]
- A photo of Irving's outie with a trophy was once in a newspaper.[5]
- He has no fear of muggers or knaves.[5]
- Irving likes the sound of radar.[5]
- He is skilled at kissing and lovemaking.[5]
- Irving lives in the neighborhood of Leonora Lake, named after Leonora Eagan.[1]
- Irving drives a Chevrolet Nova sedan.
Gallery[]
Promotional[]
Screenshots[]
Appearances[]
| Season 1 | |||||
| #01 | "Good News About Hell" | #04 | "The You You Are" | #07 | "Defiant Jazz" |
| #02 | "Half Loop" | #05 | "The Grim Barbarity of Optics and Design" | #08 | "What's for Dinner?" |
| #03 | "In Perpetuity" | #06 | "Hide and Seek" | #09 | "The We We Are" |
| Season 2 | |||||
| #01 | "Hello, Ms. Cobel" | #05 | "Trojan's Horse" | #09 | "The After Hours" |
| #02 | "Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig" | #06 | "Attila" | #10 | "Cold Harbor" |
| #03 | "Who Is Alive?" | #07 | "Chikhai Bardo" | ||
| #04 | "Woe's Hollow" | #08 | "Sweet Vitriol" | ||
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 What's for Dinner?, 1x08
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Attila, 2x06
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Trojan's Horse, 2x05
- ↑ Good News About Hell, 1x01
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 Half Loop, 1x02
- ↑ In Perpetuity, 1x03
- ↑ The You You Are, 1x04
- ↑ The Grim Barbarity of Optics and Design, 1x05
- ↑ Hide and Seek, 1x06
- ↑ Defiant Jazz, 1x07
- ↑ The We We Are, 1x09
- ↑ Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig, 2x02
- ↑ Hello, Ms. Cobel, 2x01
- ↑ Who Is Alive?, 2x03
- ↑ Woe's Hollow, 2x04
- ↑ The After Hours, 2x09