Why Does Sergei Copy The Code?
Short Answer
Sergei copies the Devs code because he is spying for Russian intelligence and needs proof of Amaya's secret project.
Connected Story Threads
Lily refuses to accept Sergei's suicide story, making his death the emotional engine of the series.
Sergei copies Devs code in the bathroom because his handler wants proof of Amaya's secret technology.
The handler pressures Sergei to steal from Devs, placing him between foreign intelligence and corporate punishment.
Kenton kills Sergei after the code theft and Amaya presents the body as a public self-immolation.
Sergei copies the code during his first visit to Devs.
The handler wants the code as proof of Amaya's breakthrough.
Direct Answer
Sergei copies the Devs code because he is spying for Russian intelligence and needs proof of Amaya's secret project.
Evidence From The Series
After being invited into Devs, Sergei secretly copies code in the bathroom; the handler's pressure and Pete's reveal show foreign intelligence has targeted Amaya.
Why It Matters
The act is espionage, but the series also shows Sergei as terrified by what he has been ordered to do.
Related Characters, Places, and Concepts
More Questions About Sergei Pavlov
Yes. Sergei copies Devs code for Russian intelligence, but that does not justify Amaya murdering him and staging his death.
Sergei is killed because Amaya catches him stealing Devs code and chooses murder and a staged suicide over exposure.
Stewart is an older Devs engineer who sabotages the elevator carrying Lily and Forest because he believes the project has gone too far.
Pete is the man near Lily's apartment who appears homeless but is revealed as part of the Russian intelligence presence around Amaya.
The title Devs refers to Amaya's secret development division and also echoes the show concern with creators who behave like gods.