Who Dieter Eagan Is & What Happened To Him In Severance
Warning! This article contains spoilers for Severance season 2's episode 4.
Severance season 2's episode 4 delves deeper into Kier Eagan's past by revealing some secrets about his brother, Dieter. While many new revelations about the Eagan family's lore seem a little too over-the-top to be believable, it is hard not to question how much of it is true. The Apple TV+ sci-fi show has gradually unraveled the tapestry surrounding the mysterious figure, Kier Eagan, the founder of the central company, Lumon Industries.
Eagan's history reveals he was born in 1841 and suffered immense sickness during his early years due to his parents' "close biological relationship." The show has also disclosed how he met his wife and started Lumon Industries from the ground up. However, many aspects of his past remain shrouded. Severance season 2's episode 4 initially paves the way to reveal more about his family and late-twin brother, Dieter. However, it leaves one with more questions than answers surrounding Kier's origin story.
Dieter Eagan Was Kier Eagan's Twin Brother
He Persuaded Him To Live With Him In The Woods
According to the story presented in Kier's 4th Appendix, Dieter was his twin brother. Written by Keir in his final hours, the 4th Appendix in Lumon's Compliance Handbook is described by Milchick as "a text of such sanctity that it is forbidden upon the Severed Floor." According to the text, Dieter convinced Kier to leave their home and live in the forest as "paupers." Since Kier loved his brother, he followed his lead and agreed to live with him in Woe's Hollow. However, their journey was short-lived when Kier noticed something about his brother that deeply distressed him.
Dieter Eagan Died After Being Punished For Masturbation
The 4th Appendix Hints Kier Might Have Killed His Brother
The story in the 4th Appendix discloses that Kier “had no choice but to listen as he [Dieter] spilt his lineage upon the soil,” suggesting that his brother masturbated during their time in the wilderness. According to the text, he was soon punished for this act after his left eye popped out, and his scalp fell out of his head like moss. Horrified by his brother's cries, Kier went closer to the Hollow's waterfall to drown his brother's screams. This is when, as the 4th Appendix describes, Kier met Woe, "a gaunt bride, half the height of a natural woman."
Although the story in the 4th Appendix's first chapter seems like a religious parable, Milchick claims its events actually happened. Based on the details provided in the story, it is hard not to believe Kier himself killed his brother by drowning him in the waterfall at Woe's Hollow after he became resentful towards him. His brother's defiance and disrespect towards their family line and resistance towards working their father's ether mill seemingly bothered Kier, encouraging him to kill his brother. By murdering his own brother, the Lumon founder learned to control one of his four tempers, Woe.
Kier Eagan's Fourth Appendix Uses Dieter's Death As A Moral Story About Woe
It Reflects Kier Eagan's Values Surrounding Work
By describing his brother's behavior as "wantonness" and calling him "chaos' whore," Kier seems to demonize him and his actions. He not only criticizes him for disrespecting their family line by spilling his lineage on the soil but also expresses his hate towards him for his unwillingness to return home and work with their father at the mill. The tale establishes that while Kier always carried himself with the highest values and principles, his brother sinned and wasted his potential. As a result, his brother was brutally punished while he was rewarded with the ability to tame one of his tempers.
Since Kier even refers to his employees as his children in his quotes, he hopes to instill feelings of loyalty and commitment in them through the tale.
Regardless of whether Kier killed his brother, Dieter, the 4th Appendix's Chapter 1 seems to serve as an over-the-top parable about the value of respecting one's lineage and working diligently instead of chasing freedom and autonomy. Since Kier even refers to his employees as his children in his quotes, he hopes to instill feelings of loyalty and commitment to Lumon through the tale. By antagonizing someone like his brother, who chose the "immoral" path of defiance and self-indulgence, Kier positions himself and his company as an embodiment of order, discipline, and tradition.
Is Dieter Eagan Actually Real In Severance?
Helena Strangely Makes Fun Of His Story
Despite being an Eagan herself, Helena does not seem to take the Dieter story too seriously. She laughs at it and even makes fun of the segment that describes how Dieter was punished for masturbating. If Dieter was actually a part of the Eagan family, Helena must have known about him and would not have laughed at a tale that described his brutal death. This suggests that Dieter may not have existed at all, making the tale purely fictional.
Severance Key Facts Breakdown | |
Created By | Dan Erickson |
Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Score | 97% |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score | 83% |
Streaming On | Apple TV+ |
However, another possibility is that the Eagans do not discuss Dieter's story in the outside world because of how Kier "sacrificed" him to gradually build his legacy. While the story in the 4th Appendix is undoubtedly a mere parable to teach Kier Eagan's values and principles in Severance and is meant to enhance his message about taming the "Woe" temper, it might have some semblance of truth. As Dieter's tale in Severance suggests, Kier's journey to the top might have been paved with many a sacrifice, both literal and metaphorical.
Severance is a psychological thriller series featuring Adam Scott as Mark Scout, an employee at Lumon Industries who undergoes a "severance" procedure to separate his work and personal memories. However, as work and life personas mysteriously begin to collide, it quickly becomes clear that not all is as it seems. Created by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle.
- Cast
- Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry, Tramell Tillman, Jen Tullock, Dichen Lachman, Michael Chernus, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, Patricia Arquette, Sarah Bock, Marc Geller, Michael Cumpsty
- Showrunner
- Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman
- Directors
- Ben Stiller
- Writers
- Dan Erickson
- Main Genre
- Drama
- Seasons
- 2
- Story By
- dan erickson
- Streaming Service(s)
- AppleTV+
