Severance

Super-creepy OP! The dystopian workplace of the future!

But what happened to Adam Scott’s face?

Adam Scott still has great hair, though.

R1 One of my first thoughts was, 'Fuck. Adam Scott's got old.'

I give new shows at least 3 eps before it's a yay or nay. It's a provocative premise. I liked ep 3 - it's warming up. I'll keep watching.

I love this show! I've been waiting to see what other DLers think of it.

Episode 4 with the drill was freaky as fuck -- and the girl's action in the elevator was too (don't want to give anything away).

I'm on the edge of my chair!

what's it streaming on?

Try this, R-C.

thanks r6!

R2, I’m almost 100% certain he’s been given a wig for the series. That shit doesn’t even seem to move naturally in the wind.

I love the series, though.

I love this show but I'm finding it hard to ignore the terrible wig.

Haven't we picked up any fans yet? I still love this show!

R1, that’s not Tig Notaro?

It's funny how, now he has aged, his small mouth has gone from cute to pursed cat-butthole.

It's a weird, discomfiting show, yet I am compelled to watch it.

Yes, it's a very bad wig he wears. And the bottom half of his face doesn't seem to go with the top half. The bottom seems smaller.

This show reminds me of Vivarium.

The pursed mouth and large wig gives him a very Liberacian look at times.

Any guesses yet on what the hell is going on?

It feels like they’re in an alternate history where the US is communist. The whole Lumon workplace seems like a laboratory experiment to see what they can get employees to do.

It’s weird and I’m enjoying it.

I have no idea what's going on but I kind of love it.

It's a fascinating show and if it blows up at the end with something David Lynchian, I am gonna scream bloody murder at Ben Stiller for making me invest so much time.

SPOILER ALERT

At the end of episode 7, is Mark’s wife the psychiatrist character at Lumon?

I think so r19! Trying to figure out if she’s real and permanently severed or robotic? She seems kind of off in her scenes

I will watch it tonight.

Elements of Scientology here, or a criticism of it. The break room is reminiscent of how the auditing process has been described. The founders scene in the perpetuity roomplus the etching of the old man head on lobby wall, very L Ron Hubbardesque.

If this runs into another season I'll probably bail because I dont like the slow pace of the reveals. I have no patience for that. I also think Nelly R. is his (presumed dead) wife.

True, r22, but most of it is also typical of any totalitarian regime, right down to the ubiquitous effigies and cultish shrines set up for "worship" of the (divine) leader.

I'm hooked on the show, but I'd caution against bingeing it—it is not an uplifting or optimistic take on the world.

This last episode (8) was so wild I decided to binge the series again from the beginning, and it is amazing how much is foreshadowed when I paid attention.

In one of the early episodes, they show Irv picking black paint out of his fingernails. In another, Mr. Melchik (sp?) mentions how proud they are to have Helly join Lumon in a way that makes me believe she was/is a quite prestigious person IRL. To me, that explains why Helly's "outie" will not allow her to quit. Apparently she has some special skill set the outie had hoped to have her use at Lumon..?

After Ep. 8, I am hanging on by my fingernails waiting for the next one! I wish they had released these all at once!

Wow, I just watched episode 9 and my heart is racing. What a tense, edge-of-your-seat finale. I can not wait for season 2!

LOVE this show--really makes you think about all the possibilities. The last episode was amazing

Looking at Adam Scott's quickly wilting face, it's obvious he had a chin implant. It's sort of tilting now

My heart is beating out of my chest after seeing episode 9. What a wild ride!! I'll be counting down the days until the next season!

BTW, Helly was looking pretty hot!

Yup. What a great final episode!

I can't believe more DLers haven't watched this. There's even a gay couple!

Why aren't more of you checking this series out? It's only nine episodes, and they're all out there now. Do yourself a favor and watch it now!

I’m on episode 4. Does it get less boring? I’m tempted to just skip ahead to the last episode.

It's not boring -- you're just not paying attention to the details. And if you skip ahead, you'll have no idea what's going on.

But IMHO, you do need to have a certain level of intellect to really "get" this show.

'Nuff said.

Oh, gtfo here, R32. And get over yourself. A show can be intellectual AND boring.

It’s a very slow burn but the season finale was incredible. It all builds up to a fast-paced brilliant last episode.

Stick with it!

There should have at least been some clues as to what the hell Lumon is or what they’re doing. If S2 comes along a year from now, I can’t imagine I’ll have the patience to watch it.

God, you’re vapid.

And you’re blocked, R36.

It was just renewed for season 2. Can’t wait.

I feel like the slow pace actually really paid off in the finale. I was so impressed.

I started binging last night!!! This is one of the best shows ever. I’ve got 3 episodes left.

Streaming channels are knocking shows out of the park! Watching Girl from Planfield on Hulu. Another outstanding show.

I liked the slow pace - it worked for this show. Maybe if you binge watch rather than week to week, it might seem too slow.

Yes there’s still lots of explaining to do—what is Lumon, why are people willingly getting severed, etc.

I hope this doesn’t go the way of Lost, where the writers clearly hadn’t mapped anything out and seemed to be making it up as they went along

CAUTION ****************SPOILERS*******************BELOW

We already know why two people got severed: Mark because he lost his wife (or did he?) and Helly to prove a point to her family's company, stockholders, etc.

I have so many questions! But I'm pretty sure they've had the answers planned out already. I attached a list of articles published in Variety which may answer some of the questions you've had to date.

Love Irving and Burt G.

Cutest eldergays on TV currently.

The ending of Episode 8 was a true cliffhanger. I finally saw the finale, Episode 9, today and OH MY GOD. I was sitting on the edge of my seat until that last few minutes, which I was standing in front of the TV. Yes, heart pounding. When Mark called her Mrs. Cobel my heart almost leaped from my chest. Mr. Milchick trying to bargain with Dylan for perks was some real black humor. A truly awesome series.

Also really enjoyed the actresses who played Helly R. and Mark’s sister. Weren’t familiar with either of them. Both were understated and funny.

Mark's wife is severed but her "outie" lives in the Lumon building. Remember the descending elevator. I'm curious to see what kind of sick, twisted hell she lives in.

[Quote] When Mark called her Mrs. Cobel my heart almost leaped from my chest.

Mary!

I am glad I waited until all the episodes were up…I watched all 9 episodes this last Friday-Sunday. I love a slow burn series, and what a pay off! That finale was insane and awesome.

It's MS. Cobel, if you please!

I love this show. It was sweet how innie Mark venerated his sister’s wacko husband and was so happy to meet him. I really want to learn more about that whole clique of strange people and why/how Mark’s sister ended up in that relationship. Maybe some kind of personality cult swept the US along with the severance movement?

R47, you got that right!

One question I have is with the stairwell as it appears to be the only “magic” component. You run toward the door, seeing the stairwell beyond, and yet when you open it you are back where you started in a white hallway.. What accounts for this? A post-hypnotic suggestion placed in each employee during their procedure?

SPOILER QUESTIONS

What didn't make any sense to me is: Helly is an Eagen and they wanted her to do well at Lumen. So why did they put her in a terrible job that would only make her miserable?

Also, why is it that people in this cold snowy place don't put their cars in the garage? Why is the brother-in-law;'s book, considered highly dangerous by everyone in management, completely forgotten about when Mark takes it? Why do they let a half-crazed hippie who's just been fired past security into a party that she was specifically not invited to? Why does a man who works so much have a dog at home whom he clearly ignores?

You called it about Helly, R24.

Finale was brilliant. Renewed? Is that so, R38? That's good news. Looking forward to Season 2.

It seems like outie Helly doesn't give a fuck about innie Helly so she doesn't care what happens to her. Remember the vicious video that was played when Helly threatened to cut off a finger if she couldn't leave?

The whole photo gallery and prompt to say in the speech that her innie is her sister was just propaganda.

The theme seems to be that by using severance, you can get workers you can torture and mistreat and it won't matter to the outie.

[quote]When Mark called her Mrs. Cobel my heart almost leaped from my chest.

Same here, R44! I actually grabbed my head with both hands and my jaw dropped. Loved that!

I still don't get why the innie versions didn't recognize anything in the outies' lives, though. They were "waking up," right? Not switching places. So why didn't they integrate the two spheres?

Their "innies" woke up in their "outies" environment instead of while descending in the elevator.

Makes perfect sense to me.

The innies know nothing about their outie lives. Nothing. And the outies know nothing about their innie lives.

That's why Mark calling her Mrs. Cobel was such a giveaway that the innie was present.

But what is "reintegration," then? Or does it not happen immediately when you're wakened?

Reintegrarion is something that has to be changed about the implant, obviously, which was done by that black female doctor (do we know her name? I forgot) who met up with Mark at his old college workplace. That's why Petey's implant had to be removed by Cobel and examined to find out how it was done. The "overtime contingency" procedure just wakes up the innies when they're not at work in case of a dire emergency, which is what happened when Dylan stole the card from O & D and was awakened so he could tell Milchick where it was hidden.

***Episode 7 spoilers at link***

Regabhi is the name of the doctor who reintegrated Petey and beat Mr. Graner to death.

Weird name. Maybe an anagram for something else?

I just realized that what I took as abstract art from Irving B is actually a black hallway leading to the elevator.

I realized that R63 - but what do you think is the significance of it was? It looked very similar to the hallway where Mark’s wife had to go after they fired her but how would Irving know what that looked like?

Or was that the hallway to the break room?

Irving’s outie was puzzling. How did he have all that information in the trunk?

Pretty sure Mark’s wife really died and Miss Casey is just a humanoid robot created by someone with a perverted, sick sense of humor.

That WAS the hallway to the break room. That's why I mentioned in R24 that I noticed that, in the early episodes, Irv is picking black paint out of his fingernails. The question is, how/why does his outie remember the hallway? And why is he researching Lumon employees and where they live?

I almost wonder if he's a plant by 1) an intelligence agency, 2) an organization opposed to the severance procedure, or 3) something I cannot even imagine with only the information we currently have.

Any other ideas?

Good points R66.

I think the creators in one of those interviews said Mark’s wife was alive - which would hopefully mean she’s not a robot but who knows.

I hope they bring back Burt G in season 2.

I love how innie Irving is such a arse licker and pro-authority, but on the outside he's obviously a rebel.

Irving is great!

Loved the eldergay story! Wish they hadn’t wimped out on the kiss. Not that I’m dying to see John Turturro and Christopher Walken kiss, but it would have been nice. Maybe next season when they are outies.

All of the characters are great in all their different ways. I've started to re-watch the season and I'd forgotten what a company yes-man Irv was to start. But when they took Burt away from him...

Milchik is one of the most interesting characters, so calculatingly in his interactions, always with the ominous undercurrent.

What a great show! I'm getting ready to watch the last two episodes. Every character is interesting and well acted.

Thanks so much for that explanation, R61. I was confused by "awakening" vs. "reintegration." xxo

I’m trying not to read too much into it. Usually, readers’ guesses are usually way better than what the authors actually come up with

I just finished binging the whole series (I waited until the finale was up.) I watched the whole thing yesterday and today. I thought it was terrific. I loved the creepy, weird atmosphere, and the slow rollout of information. I love Adam Scott, but man, he is looking rough, and I love Patricia Arquette. The rest of the cast was terrific, as well.

I can't wait for season 2.

Adam Scott is horribly unphotogenic. I almost gave up watching this because of that but I’m glad I stuck with it.

It is a shame. Ben Wyatt was pretty much my dream man (aside from being straight and fictional.) He looks better than he did during the Parks and Rec Covid special, but he looked like he was at death's door in that.

R76 LOL me too! I was like Jesus Christ I have to stare at this guy for an entire series? Ended up loving the show but definitely felt the same way.

The pinched, cat's bum mouth and hideous wig made Adam Scott very hard to look at.

He looks like Liberace.

I'm not convinced it even was a wig. He's got incredibly thick hair, and it could just be a bad style with all that hair kind of plastered down.

I really liked the show, and the dynamics between characters, especially when the shit hits the fan. Discomfiting is a great description, I’m frustrated because I know already my husband wouldn’t be patient enough to watch the show and I’d have to explain certain things. The season finale, when she’s walking through the auditorium with huge blowups of her outie, I was just aghast , “Wow, just wow.”

I wonder if this kind of revelation on the other side- is what we wake up to when we die!

Oh My God! What a show! I just finished it and wasn't expecting that at all.

And how is DL not discussing the absolute booty on Tramell Tilman? That thing is in its own damn orbit and stole the show in every scene. The women on Reddit can't stop talking about it, which is how I found out about the show. Even straight guys are noticing and that in itself should tell you something. Direct quote from a straight man: "It's impossible not to look". I'm a socialist and think it's unfair for the universe to give all that ass to just one man.

From a DL perspective, we should all be thankful that this fine specimen of manhood, by far the sexiest in the entire cast, is family. UGH! What I'd give to see those ample cakes bouncing on my dick. I bet he gets prime dick (I'm assuming he's a bottom because it would be a scandal if he wasn't).

Hands down the best show on TV, and I'm not even a sci-fi guy.

Milchik is like a piece of sculpture Beautiful, dark skin, bright, radiant smile and, of course, that ass.

I mentioned his ass earlier and later realized wardrobe opened the flare at the bottom of his pants to balance out his profile of his bodacious backside otherwise it would border on the obscene. I had a Puerto Rican boyfriend like that and stealth tops would ALWAYS comment,

“Nice pants”.

R84, great observation about the cut of Tillman's pants.

He wore a suit jacket in the first episode only. After that, short sleeves and tight pants ruled.

Loved his dancing too. That scene was bizarre in the best way.

Christopher Walken is great in the British comedy series Outlaws. Very funny.

Short clip of the jazz scene during Ben Stiller's appearance on The Late Show.

Our man proudly waved his pride flag.

R90, nice to know he’s gay because he’s sexy as fuck

I love this show. I hope it doesn't get lost because it was on Apple TV and many won't be able to see it.

Hel-LO, R92? Ever hear about Ted Lasso? That’s on Apple TV +.

It really is masterful to have a first season where the pace is slow but steady - leading to a season finale where you are on the edge of your seat the entire time. And none of it felt forced.

The show is truly brilliant. I have new respect for Ben Stiller.

[quote]I have new respect for Ben Stiller

I don't know that I'd go that far even though I absolutely loved the show. He's still a total cunt.

Just watched the first episode and found it depressing. Does it get better?

R96, do you really think a series called “Severance”, which is ostensibly about the way postcapitalist society has forced us to divorce, or sever, our intimate selves from our workday slave selves, is going to become a laugh-a-minute farce?

In a word, no.

Watching the first episode and knowing nothing about the series - it seems like a kind of rip-off of Eternal Sunshine of the Whatever and Never Let Me Go. Very confusing.

Stick with it. It's a slow burn but it picks up and the finale is incredible.

I found I couldn't watch it right before bed in the first half of the season. too dark and disturbing and complex.

Love the show though. The last two episodes were barn-burners.

one of the best shows on TV in years! so stylish too! the redhead woman is hot too the male lead makes me think of a haggard tom cruise but he's really brilliant in this show.

Don't tell people to stick with it, r99. No one should be begged to watch anything if they don't feel like it. This show is not for everyone and frankly, I'd rather it stays that way and not become a mass TV event. Remember how interlopers were jumping in the Succession threads complaining how slow it is and suggesting soap opera plotlines? We don't want that for this masterpiece.

Why does Patricia Arquette's character care what happens to the company that just fired her? Butt out!

Because she was indoctrinated into it as a child. Lumon is very cultish.

I wonder what Cobel's extreme interest in Mark is. She's so invested in his life, unlike with the other innies'.

Maybe she recruited him R104 but he doesn’t remember that.

And they're more or less like the only two people living on that street? Did I hear right? Does that happen often?

I can't tell what the deal is with the housing development where they both live. It seems like it's owned by Lumon, right?

Also - we still don't know what data the severed employees are even working on - correct? So it could be something really fucked up or it could be something totally meaningless.

I’m in the camp which believes that Scientology is the main inspiration for Lumon.

They should have Tig Notaro play Mark next season.

The interdepartmental rivalries hit so close to home for me. A reminder of why I don't miss the soulless job I quit.

Finally, the Americans have rivaled Black Mirror.

What is that?

Nah, Severance is a B grade rip-off of Black Mirror. Today Variety announced Netflix will finance a third season of Black Mirror.

It’s six seasons, R113. Try getting your facts straight before you piss on anything as brilliant as Severance.

I thought Black Mirror lacked humor while Severance is sometimes very funny Example: Walken's retirement speech.

Black mirror never had anything as lovely as Walken and Turturro as eldergays.

Loved Irving and Burt G.

Black Mirror is like a collection of interesting short stories. Severance is a complex, rich novel with characters you are eager to follow to see how they develop and the plot twists they'll encounter.

Severance wins.

Hated Severance. Loved (most of) Black Mirror. I still have nightmares about those creepy robotic dogs.

I loved BLACK MIRROR. During the first stages of lockdown, I tried rewatching the whole thing but found there were some episodes I just couldn’t watch again. That said, “San Junipero” and “Nosedive” are two of the finest hours of television ever.

Black Mirror is a weak imitation of the original Twilight Zone (the black and white version, for all you young'uns), which nothing will ever rival.

If you don't believe me, watch some of the best TZ episodes (may I suggest the linked classic "The Eye of the Beholder") and remember the stories for the most part were written in the 1950s.

Severance is completely original and isn't derivative of anything.

Late to the party, but I just finished bingeing this and LOVED it. And that FINALE! So so so so good.

I, of course, immediately checked to see if any news has been leaked about S2, and they’re adding a bunch of new cast members, including Robby Benson (seriously) and Gwendoline Christie. Casting info and some S2 storyline hints at link.

Gwendoline Christie is great in Wednesday. She's turning out to be the most interesting actor post Game of Thrones.

I'll be sad when weird and wonderful Walken dies.

While I like the idea of expanding the world of the show, one of the things I loved most was how claustrophobic its world felt — the small cast of characters, the stark and/or sterile environments, etc. — and how effective the storytelling and character development were despite, or perhaps due to, those narrative constraints.

I really want S2 to be as good as S1.

So...anyone watching season 2? It premiered last Friday and hooo boy, did it deliver.

I am! I was disappointed by the first episode, but the second one explained it. Looking forward to more!

Miss Casey is a clone of Gemma’s right? And the little girl is a clone of their dead child?

Same experience, r127. The first episode entirely on the severed floor felt a little flat, but ep2 was one of the best of the series so far. All the scenes with Helena Egan were just amazing. I also just love the way Patricia Arquette has sunk her teeth into her role (and the scenery, to great effect).

I wonder if they will keep alternating between the severed and non-severed world in this fashion for this entire season.

This show is almost dizzying in its storyline complexity, yet it also feels all very carefully planned and plotted. There's not that "LOST"-style sense that it's being made up as they go along.

I'm also obsessed with the blandly menacing setting. It's described as taking place in "Kier, PE" -- which of course is not the abbreviation for a US state or Canadian province. Also, while it seems to be set in the relative present -- there are smartphones -- almost every vehicle in the show seem to be from the '80s/'90s. This may only be an aesthetic choice, of course ...

What dead child, R128?

R128 There are NO CLONES. The writers and creators have been very explicit about that on podcasts. No clones and no bots. This isn't Westworld.

Arquette's mid Atlantic accent is bothering me. I really don't like Ms. Cobel. I hope Burt G and Irving can end up together somehow. I fucking love Ricken, god he's ridiculous. I laughed so hard on the first episode when Ricken showed that he had all three beds for his child already in the child's room because changing out beds can "harm a child irreparably" and then the next day Mark tells his sister he drinks to drown the memories of getting new beds as a kid. It was perfect comic relief for this odd, dark show.

Oh and for Adam Scott fans that want to see him less haggard, there's a new season of Party Down, another excellent show.

"Mahhhhhhhk"

Yes R134! It bugged me so much. Oh also, I love Dylan, he's the type of co-worker I like. He's so funny and proud about his finger traps and waffle parties. I notice they are only ever given healthy snacks like fruit, I guess that's good.

I wondered if Petey wearing that robe that Ricken had given Mark (maybe handwoven on a Baltic loom like the pajamas?) had any significance, like that they would trace him back to Mark, but I guess it never came up. I also wonder about the "scary" numbers. What is disconcerting about them? I really hope they have answers to these questions and they don't fuck up and derail like Lost.

Severance watchers! Where are you?

I loved this last episode. The goat ranch was fun, although the people were creepy. And I suppose those people have pouches...? We still don't know why the goats are there. Experimentation?

Ms. Cobel was odd as usual. Helena is a cold bitch IRL! And the wife's visit with Dylan's innie was very strange. But at least we got to hang out with his outie.

And what's going to happen to Mark now? Will the procedure work?

Stay tuned for more frolic!

Is there a new one? Yay! I'm all over it, I'll be back later.

R136 SL I loved, loved, loved S2 E3. It’s so weird and wonderful.

I also really enjoyed the first and second episodes as a matched set regarding the false timeline the innies were given.

I don’t know about other folks, but one thing that really stands out for me when watching this is the degree to which we accept the world as it is based upon our experiences. I mean I look back at younger me sometimes and think why did I think somethings were normal and watching this show I am going to show younger me and young people in general people a lot more grace.

After I watched Ep. 2, I went back and watched Ep. 1 again, and then Ep. 2 again. It's great to watch a sophisticated TV series that invites multiple viewings -- and not next year or a few years down the road, but practically right after you've seen the episode.

For someone who barely watches TV anymore, this show is such a rare treat.

I liked episodes 1 and 3 but didn't really care for episode 2, which felt like the show spinning its wheels a bit tbh.

I love Geendoline Christie but damn, she was awful as the goat lady. Her make-up was awful and her watered down English accent sounded dead wrong for the character. Merrit Wever was wonderful, though, of course.

Who's seen Episode 4?

I was so befuddled at the beginning of the episode I had to go back and watch the last 30 minutes of Episode 3.

Ep. 4, however, had a satisfying ending.

I spent most of the episode annoyed. I hate when shows end an episode on a cliffhanger and then ignore it the next one. And I hate when shows become weird for weird’s sake, which this episode felt like (not a fan of the goat room for that reason either). Those last few minutes totally redeemed this episode, though.

“LEAVE HIM ALONE”! That brought a tear to my eye, I will admit.

Britt Lower and John Turturro deserve Emmys for their performances.

Adam Scott continues to be ridiculously unphotogenic.

The new season is disappointing to me. Not loving it as much.

Well, if you find this Season 2 disappointing, don't watch Silo. That Season 2 [bold]really did[/bold] suck.

Severance continues to be fantastic, IMHO.

I loved episode 4, especially the dream sequence.

Anybody here read The Lexington Letter?

I need to do more research, but apparently this was supposed to be released before Severance premiered. I don't know why I just found out about it.

Now you know I (and my bff back home as well) have officially become Severance fan freaks!

Britt Lower and John Tuturro are fantastic but I’m starting to get Lost vibes as in this series ultimately isn’t going anywhere. Hope I’m wrong.

Never watched Lost. I don't think I missed anything.

I never watched Lost either.

Even Severance goes nowhere I find the way it explores how constrained our knowledge is by our experience, and therefore how easily manipulated we are fascinating. How much of us is us and how much is experience and all that.

Adam Scott has always had a thick full head of hair. Hard to think that he wears a wig. Lumen should be duplicating his hair follicles.

Thank you, R148. I've heard of the Lexington Letter but haven't read it.

This week's episode felt like a lot of wheel spinning again. Also, where is Patricia Arquette?

[quote]This week's episode felt like a lot of wheel spinning again.

Why do you say that? We're starting to see hints of the answers to some of the mysteries.

Perhaps you missed that.

The plot is plodding and feels untrustworthy however I enjoy the art direction, performances and overall vibe. Eero Saarinen's Bell Labs looks AMAZING in this series.

Does anyone think this a stink eye towards scientology?

Could be! But no one's ever going to tell us that outright.

Yes R157 its obviously about clams!

I really love this show. I hope that they've mapped out an ending for the story and will stick with it. Sadly, most shows like this, if they're successful, just keep churning out new seasons simply for the purpose of keeping it on the air instead of telling a coherent story.

I head that they already have the entire story planned, but I could be wrong. Or they could change their minds.

But I'll still keep watching.

I mean, hey -- I (just barely) managed to make it through the second season of Silo, didn't I?

^^^heard

Do you know how many seasons R161?

I think I read five somewhere, but don't quote me on that. I'll look around and see if I can find it again.

In my opinion getting the group back together involved overwrought plotting. So I don't trust this narrative. But I enjoy the ride. Daniel Earling Erickson, show runner writer, has no track record, and Ben Stiller is hardly a genius director. I'm getting Yellojackets vibe - quite good first season and then.... what.

Nice to see Robby Benson, Gwendoline Christie. New Jersey guido Stefano Carannante is AWG Italian-American but also sexy with that big nose! I would like to see him in other series, please.

Not reading this thread because I just started s2 and there are bound to be spoilers, but this is my absolute favorite thing on tv. In fact I think the last time I enjoyed something so much was Mad Men.

Where is Patricia Arquette? Each time Christopher Walken shows up, I expect him to say that they need more Cobel.

I think Cobel is on the other end of those phone calls Irv is making.

R157 —Yes and Mormonism, that loony made-up religion invented by a con man in the mid nineteenth century.

That watermelon head of Irving was bizarre.

R167 Ugh, who cares, I hope she stays gone.

Patricia was sinister in Season 1.

Oh I'm sure we'll see her again, R167. Her backstory is too compelling to just leave hanging.

Superb season. Episode 4 was a masterpiece of TV. I texted a friend that Malcheck should win the Emmy- ten minutes late I said nm John Turturro should win.

R170, yes. It looked like he'd been skinned.

Imagine is Inny Mark impregnated out Helly!

Elon Musk must be taking notes and measuring Trump for an innie chip. The fun is soon to happen.

I love that Irving is always listening to Motorhead when he's at home. And I fucking love Dylan. And honestly, there's worse places to work, they all get along and have fun at least. They eat only healthy foods, and they get to hear the theremin sometimes. I don't get how long Helly was supposed to be her outie, this whole season till the trip? And I assume Irv is talking to Reghabi like all the disgruntled workers do. Jfc, the review for Seth, done monthly?! and half of it about paper clips and big words (that cunt Miss Huang, no doubt). How much do these jobs pay do you think? It must be a fucking lot to put up with that shit. Anyhow, I hate Cobel. I much more enjoy looking at Seth.

R178 - Since Helly made that speech in front of the bigwigs, they knew she was her innie, so when she changed back to Helena, the jig was up. It was decided that she should go back to the severance floor and pretend to be Helly. So Helly's experience was that she was making that speech during the last episode of season one and next thing she knew, she was arriving at the floor at the beginning of this season's episode five. In-between, she was always Helena.

Well she very briefly awoke to being drowned between that.

I have a low IQ and that plotting at R179 taxes my little bird brain.

Same R181, so they had turned her off that was the Glascow block thing? Also, such a huge hint in like episode 2 when Seth says something like, "it's a real honor to have you here." I was kind of shocked they did the whole OTC thing in the first place, clearly Dylan couldn't have taken that card that he stole home, so they could have just asked him the next day, but I guess it advanced the plot. It's also weird Reghabi never mentions Helena to Mark, as in, this whilstleblower chick works with you, try and concentrate on her. Like how does no one know about that?

Also, listen for Keanu Reeves playing the animated Lumon building in the new stupid thing they make them watch, and I believe Ben stiller plays Kier's voice on the parts with him.

No comments about last night’s episode???

Just finished 6 and I have to say this is the best thing on TV right now.

Agreed!

(Although any real Lutheran would know even scoundrels go to heaven.)

I look forward to Miss Huang's comeuppance.

Just watched Ep. 6. Still trying to process all that happened. This episode had so much stuff in it it was making my head spin!

I'm going to take a nap.

So! Do we think Helena's actually going to introduce Mark to her dad? She certainly seems to have a thing for him!

When will Mark's reintegration procedure actually kick in? And when it does, will he be able to fake his work persona long enough to find Gemma? Will he even want to find Gemma? I mean, I think Helly R. is pretty hot, an she seems to be chasing him for real.

And what's going to happen when Cold Harbor is completed? It's going to be earth-shattering, remember?

So--many--questions! Every now and then they throw us a bone, but all it does is create more mystery...

Only four more episodes left in the season!

I finally got into this season at episode 5. Looking forward to episode 6 now.

Ever notice how all of the technology in the show seems a little outdated? That's because the story it's based on took place in the 1990s. "Lumon" is based on a company that was pretty well-known back then--the "Publisher's Clearing House." It's the story of the development of their "$XX/Week for life" promotions.

Link, please, R191.

The mysterious and important work they're doing is fucking bringing balloons and large checks to idiots' houses? I call bullshit. The reason the things they use are old is because they don't need new things. The shit they're doing isn't high tech or anything. I would call it more minimalist than old. And the shit on the floor where they do the severing is certainly not old fashioned! I think they have it like they do because that's how Keir liked it.

Publisher's Clearing House started in the 50s and the sweepstakes in the 60s. I assume the poster above is writing satire.

This fucking show is the definition of watching paint dry.

As long as that paint is drying to the strains of Motorhead's "Ace of Spades", then I'm okay with it.

Then I love watching paint dry.

[quote] How much do these jobs pay do you think? It must be a fucking lot to put up with that shit.

The outies collect the pay and decide whether to quit or stay. They know nothing about what the job is actually like.

Oh thanks R198, but I was talking about the non severed, Seth, specifically. "This is Seth Milchick's MONTHLY review" They do that shit to him every goddamn month? Uh uh, fuck that. 6 hours long and assholes like Miss Huang smirking about it...no way. I hope he gets paid a lot. And not just in fucking creepy portraits and finger traps.

But it's not just a job -- it's a calling to "serve Kier." If you're not severed, I'm going to guess that is more of a reason to work for Lumon than money.

IIRC, there are Scientologists (do they still do this?) who sign billion-year contracts to work for the Sea Org for like a buck a week.

[quote]Sea Org members make a lifetime commitment to Scientology by signing a billion-year contract officially described as a symbolic pledge. In exchange, they are given free room and board, as well as a small weekly allowance. Sea Org members agree to strict codes of discipline, such as disavowing premarital sex, working long hours (on average at least 100 hours per week) and living in communal housing called berthing. They are allowed to marry, but must leave the Sea Org if they have or want to raise children.

There ya go.

BTW, when I lived in St. Pete, a hop, skip and a jump from Clearwater Scientology HQ, I used to see these folks walking all over Clearwater in their uniforms. The uniforms were pretty non-descript, but you could still pick these people out from 50 paces.

[quote] The reason the things they use are old is because they don't need new things. The shit they're doing isn't high tech or anything. I would call it more minimalist than old

Things break over time. Even the cars they drive are old. And no one has smart phones.

It might be their town, which is Lumon owned. Again, they must get paid a lot, not the severed but actually yeah, them too. So if the money is good enough, fuck yeah I'll get rid of my smart phone, it's a pain in the ass anyhow. If you read the employee guide/letter, you see that the woman in that was not in the cult of Kier at all, but she had just gotten fired, and the Lumon job paid really well and she would be doing "serious and important work".

This week's episode was okay but I don't care that much about Ms Casey. It was good to see Robby Benson and Sandra Bernhardt though. So was Gemma doing these things because she thought Lumon was a fertility clinic? I loved the decor in the Christmas house (Allentown?). And I was furious that Devon was going to call Cobel, I hope she really did hang up, Reghabi is not fucking around about that. I just want to see Dylan and Mr. Milkshake, I love them so. And I want Milkshake to give Miss Huang more shit.

Sandra Bernhardt got fat.

Today's episode was just fantastic. Performances and writing, but especially direction, editing and cinematography were just *chef's kiss*

I'm wondering about Adam Scott's hair. Was he wearing a wig in the scenes on the couch? He looked so great in his life with Gemma flashbacks with shorter hair

Sandra Bernhardt was unrecognizable to me. I was shocked when I saw her name on the cast list

To R189 I'm assuming he's reintegrated now, and now will fake it. I'm wondering how much of what we saw in previous episodes takes place with time jumps.

Is Sandy stinking up Severance?

Sandy doesn't have to do much to look scary with that face, so she fit in perfectly.

The delightful shocker to me this week was Robbie Benson as the dentist or whatever he is supposed to be! I haven’t seen him in anything for years!

I used to love Sandy but now she's a really acquired taste. Wouldn't the appearance of Sandy knock this down a bit left from pretentiousness into camp. I mean first Gwendoline Christie, now Sandy? Christopher Walken is of course supreme camp, so good he's both camp and not camp. Anyway, they seem to be going full stunt casting.

Why does Patricia Arquette have such high billing and an EP credit?. She’s hardly been in this season at all.

The tech is quite confusing. The medical equipment is ultra modern, but the monitors are cathode ray tubes and music is on a reel-to reel tape. I was trying to see what the tech and cars were like in Mark’s pre-Lumen flashbacks, but they didn’t really show any.

The disorienting mixture of tech from different decades is intentional. It's one of the many thoughtful aspects about the show I love.

From wiki:

"Erickson said the mix of cars and technologies from different eras was meant to "give a slight sense of disorientation" and make Lumon "feel unmoored from time and space". To this purpose, the production team sourced an anachronistic collection of 400 cars, largely commonplace boxy vehicles from the 1980s and 1990s, all in remarkably good condition. Each car, even in the far background, was intentionally placed to curate the retro science fiction aesthetic. Characters' cars, chosen to show more of who they are, include Mark's Volvo S90, Cobel's Volkswagen Rabbit, Helena's Lincoln Continental, and Milchick's Royal Enfield. All the office equipment is labeled as Lumon products. The prop designers reconstructed old computers with functional trackball devices so the actors could actually do the work presented on the show in order to get adjusted to the office setting. These computers lacked an escape key, as a metaphor for the lack of control the innies have while in Lumon's offices."

I didn’t think it was accidental, but I was trying to understand what it means. Apparently, not much beyond atmosphere.

I felt a couple episodes into S1 that I should consume Severance as Ben Stiller and Dan Erikson doing a rich bros exercise in style and genre. There is a lot of flexing in so many choices and that's almost all the pleasure. I decided I shouldn't expect there is any synthetic meaning to the story. I shouldn't PAY THAT MUCH ATTENTION to what it might all mean. I will be happy and surprised if finally there is more substance to it, but I doubt that will be the case.

Why do you fuckers at the DL always want to put a “t” on the end of my name?

I have to watch this latest episode 1 or 2 ore times but it is my least favorite at this point. The information on the back story is interesting, but I found it very depressing.

I thought the scary nurse resembled Bernard and had to check to see who it was. She didn't seem as tall (supposedly 6'1"), unless the actress playing Gemma is quite tall.

R216 Damn it! I agonized about that, I really did, just not enough to look it up. I'm sorry.

r218 That actress who plays Gemma is a model too, I'm fairly sure she's tall.

With only a few eps left, I don't care to see any more back stories, I want to know about the now. I don't want Devon calling Cobel back in, and I want to hear from Reghabi what she has found out so far.

Bernhard, Christ.

Useful

I'm with you, R217. This episode was so sad, I tried to watch it again last night (I usually watch them twice to glean as much information as I can), and I couldn't make myself do it. Too depressing. I hope this gets resolved in a palatable way. Soon. But probably not.

Bah.

I'm rewatching season one and I don't get why they didn't put together the fact Petey died in that hand woven Balinese (or whatever) robe that Ricken gave Mark. When Mark told him it was a gift from Ricken, I thought for sure that when they did find the dead Petey, they would know he had been in Mark's house and have many questions for him. I guess it was a red herring.

What about the goats and that tall British woman being mean to everyone?

It's funny; I was thinking how much this show reminds me of Dollhouse, and then Dichen Lachman showed up.

I’ve been wondering where Patricia Arquette has been all season and now I wish I didn’t know. That episode sucked.

Patricia Arquette's character icks me the fuck out

A whole hour of bleak, cold sadness, loss and ick was more than enough

I thought it was great, R226. Sorry you didn't enjoy it.

And I loved the scenery.

I was glad to see her back too, and acting like a human being for a change. The episode was very short for some reason, but I liked it.

All our times have come here but now they're gone.

Newfies!

I loved the Cobel episode. Terrific casting with James LeGros and especially the great Jane Alexander. I also totally did not see the big twist coming.

My crew friend worked Season 2 and she told me my suspicion about the snow in this episode being CGI’d was correct because there was no snow on the ground in Newfoundland in May/June 2023 when the episode was actually shot.

Please try to enjoy each episode equally and not show preference for any over the others.

Didn't like this either. Felt intentionally drawn out with "style" used to mask the reason for the slow pace. Didn't believe the crying on the bed and time passing scene (what were sissy and the ex boyfriend doing all that time?) If Sissy called Lumon right away, why did we have to wait for the sun to set (so they could have nice lighting). If the house wasn't being watched then why did Lumon show up? If it was being watched, why did it take so long? I just felt like a lot of logic was skipped for the moody scenery and lighting to be forced on us and that irritated me. Also, the show is not longer funny.

Season 1 had the dry Kubrick humor. That’s totally missing now and the show isn’t as good. Too much of a downer now.

This show was supposed to be [italic]funny?[/italic] Really?

I know it's a satire, but I never expected it to be LOL funny.

A guess a lot of you watch this show after smoking copious amounts of pot, silly!

I don’t know where we are supposed to think the action is taking place, but on Fogo Island the days in the winter are incredibly short so sun rise to sun set would only be a couple of hours.

Not funny ha ha but dry satire on corporate life. At least that is what was in Season 1. Now it’s a depressing slog.

“Slog” being the key word.

It's supposed to be depressing! There's nothing about this that's [bold]not[/bold] depressing! Can you imagine working in a place where the work is so painful, excruciating, boring, and useless that your employer doesn't even want you to remember what you do all day at work?

Honey, [bold]that's[/bold] a bad job.

It's a horrifying thought when you think through the implications (for example, what's happening to Gemma). And no wonder it was Cobel who invented the procedure! As a child laborer, exposed to toxic (but somewhat intoxicating) fumes, she was trying to make sure no one who worked for Lumon would have to dwell on that suffering again.

It's a satire all right, but no dry humor is involved unless you 1) have never worked in a truly horrible job (I personally worked in a meat packing plant at 22 for two long and exhausting years) or 2) have no compassion at all.

There. I said it.

I have to say the color grading on this show is gorgeous. The dark forest greens and icy blues, Hellys audience hair and that one pale yellow dress she wore. If I were redecorating my house I’d take notes.

Also is it just me or is marks haircut designed to make him resemble a less attractive Tom cruise?

Audience= auburn

r242, that could be. I just watched an interview clip with Adam where he says that Ben Stiller told him to model his running on the show after Tom Cruise. Ben has always been obsessed with Tom Cruise.

It’s really noticeable in profile.

In general all of the characters seem costumed and groomed to resemble Lego people

Dylan was unintentionally funny in Season 1 with his comments.

I dislike how they have defanged Mr. Milchick's character now. He's no longer feared. What made him interesting was how charming and friendly he could be and then turn on a dime into a chiller. That's no longer the case. Even when he's angry, no one is afraid of him.

Irv and Burt's relationship is developing.

This show was singularly excellent until it went downhill the first ten minutes of episode two of season one.

And that's what you came here to say, R247?

Thanks a lot.

BTW, I don't know if any of you noticed, but Hampton (James Le Gros) was a series regular in Ally McBeal in 2000-2001.

I bet Dot was a good lay back in the day. She obviously still hankered over Hampton pumping inside her quite deeply.

I had to turn on the subtitles to figure out what Cobel was saying. A lot of mumbling this episode.

I did too.

Was one of my favorite episodes BECAUSE of her, have always liked her and her work but she blows me away in Severance. Also, let's go huff ether. But the bleakness of the town, and further evidence of Lumon/Egan malice made it work for me. I bet this will replay better after more is revealed.

What is with the baby goats and the strange and oddly protective British goat lady?

This episode had plenty of black humor, and anyone who can't see the comedy/camp in Arquette's performance isn't looking for it. Bitch shows up in a dead town full of ether huffers, stops to brush her teeth and then tosses a plastic bottle on the ground. Then she steps into the desolate ass bar, sees someone she hasn't seen for years, and mimics his response: "Harmony Cobel, well flip my toboggan."

Why did she drive off in his truck leaving him stranded with a woman he hates?

It was very gothic.

R256, she was being followed by someone from Lumen, probably. He was letting her get away.

Why couldn’t he go with her?

R259, I guess you'll just have to put your thinking cap on!

Or I could ask —if only I could find a group of people who enjoy talking about the show. Does anyone have any ideas where I could find such people?

[quote]Why couldn’t he go with her?

OK, let me do your thinking for you. Perhaps he stayed to throw the folks from Lumon off track. Or to contradict the story Sissy was about to tell them. Or to say it was he who did all the evil and sacrifice his life for Harmony. Or just to say, "She went that-a-way!" in the wrong direction like an old Bugs Bunny cartoon.

See how easy that was?

However, we can never know for sure what actually transpired unless the writers put that ending in a later episode. We can only conjecture. So do you understand now why no one wanted to answer you?

R261, try the subreddit severance on Reddit.

No thanks. I’ll just ask here.

Oh, god forbid we engage in conjecture in discussing a mysterious show. I hope it wasn’t too painful for you.

The Lumon people would believe Sissy over Hampton, or anyone else for that matter. And I think they'd be able to follow her lights in the dark just fine.

Hey -- I was just trying to jiggle R259 's brain cells. I didn't say that any of my conjectures made any sense.

Then again. I really didn't give two shits about how that story line ended.

Episode 9 = excellent episode!

Can't wait for the 75 minute finale.

Why didn't I know that the woman who plays Devon is a lesbian? She's even married to a woman!

So many loose ends right now. I hope the majority of them are answered next week.

Kinda a filler episode where all the necessary pieces were put into position for next weeks extra long and apparently violent season finale

I fucking hate Cobel. Not as a villain, but just as a character. Everything about her I hate, and it makes me sad that Patricia Arquette, who was so vibrant and full of life as a young actress back in True Romance, is playing her.

But that was a fucking great shot of her in front of the fireplace at the episode's end

I didn’t understand the notes Burt was reading. Why would Irving think Burt was a “Lumon goon?”

Irving's outie was investigating Lumon and his note indicated some negative stuff about Burt. The notes were from before the thing started with their innies. Funny thing was that at the time the conversation was happening, Burt was their as a Lumon goon, tasked with dispensing of Irving.

It’s not clear to me that Burt was acting for Lumon. I thought he was protecting Irving. Did I miss something?

I hope we see the crazy British goat lady in the finale. She is a true oddball and funny, so I hope they use her more.

R275 - Since Burt showed up at Irving's place right after Helena said something about taking care of Irving, I assumed he was sent to dispose of Irving, one way or another. If he was meant to kill Irving, he sent Irving away so Lumon wouldn't know Irving was still alive; if he was meant just to send him away, then he did his job.

But you got me thinking--it could be the Burt wasn't tasked with getting rid of Irving, it could just be that he knew that Lumon was going to do so, so he sent Irving away so Irv would be safe. That makes sense.

I kind of fell in love with the idea, though, of Burt being there in his role as "Lumon goon" and defying his orders to save Irving.

I do think Burt was just sending Irving away before the shit really hit the fan.

I still want to know who Irving was talking to on the phone. I wonder if we will ever find out.

Burt worked for Lumon similar to the IRA drivers who drove people to be disappeared. I think he was tasked to do that with Irving but instead sent him off on the train. He told Irving he couldn't know which stop Irving got off at and he could never come back home. Burt was saving his life. It was a heartbreaking good-bye.

[quote] Burt worked for Lumon similar to the IRA drivers who drove people to be disappeared.

Based on what?

^never mind. I see Burt sort of told Irving that, though it’s only clear in the context of accepting the “goon” characterization. For me, this “goon” idea came out of nowhere since I didn’t know outie Irving was investigating Lumon. I missed something.

[quote]I didn’t know outie Irving was investigating Lumon. I missed something.

Final episode of last season. When the Overtime Contingency kicked in, innie Irving found files & maps in outie Irving's apartment, indicating that he had been investigating Lumon on the outside. That's how innie Irving discovered where outie Burt lived.

Thanks, r283

I find I really have to listen closely to the dialogue, many times replaying it.

Poor Ms. Huang banished to Svalbard.

Between that, Fogo Island, the perpetual winter setting and “cold harbor” I need to watch the show with an anorak.

In case you guys missed this, here's a YouTube. I don't have the patience to listen to the whole thing, but it explains the "secret words" Cobel exchanges about Devon with the woman at the tunnel.

Ms. Huang was on Jimmy Kimmel the other night and she is a freshman at Northwestern. She has some career ahead.

The actress’ name is Sarah Bok. I agree that she will no doubt do well at whatever she chooses to do.

Dylan’s “Innie Resignation Request” form where he checks all the boxes was absolutely a true LOL moment for me.

I didn’t get why Innie Dylan could quit. I thought only outies had that option.

I thought that too, R291, but I guess that was based on Helly R's attempts to resign. So I'm going to assume that there are more iterations of the resignation process than we've been privy to.

I just watched the Gemma episode again, and I was surprised at all that I'd missed. Lots of clues!

Outie Helena wouldn’t accept Helly’s resignation.

I know that. I'm just saying that I don't know whether the innie or the outie has to instigate the resignation process.

wouldn't Outie Dylan have to agree to it as well?

My favorite performances last night were Mark and his sister responding to Cobel’s demented, teeth-clenching, glaring, muttering behavior in the woods. When they reacted like she was completely nuts it was so refreshingly real.

Obviously he did, R295, being irrationally jealous of his innie's and his wife's interaction.

So it'll be back to looking for work for Dylan. Or being a househusband.

I'll never understand why Devon blew off the doctor and called Cobel.

I don't think she's the sharpest knife in the drawer.

r295 - I had the same thought. But then, Helly's situation was different. There was no. way Helena was going to let Helly resign. But, for normal employees, I'd think that if the outie wants to resign, it's usually a done deal--otherwise, how would it look to the outside world. The outie has the choice, and if they're told their innie wants to resign, the outie can choose whether that matters.

R298 - I believe that when Devon called Cobel, Reghabi had disappeared for some reason, so Devon was left with no one to tell. her what to do. (I didn't catch the disappearance, but heard it mentioned in recaps.

Regabi disappeared because Devon had her phone out and was going to call Cobel. Regabi said, "Don't call her -- she's a true believer! She was raised in Lumon!" Or something like that. Devon was going to call Cobel regardless, so Regabi GTFO because she was afraid of what Cobel would do to her. And probably rightly so, regardless of whether Cobel had "lost her faith" in Lumon or not.

I assume Regabi must have worked with Cobel at some point early in their research into the severance procedure.

The stuff with Burt and Irving is honestly kind of confusing and could have been a bit more clearly handled to date. I didn't quite get the "Lumon goon" reference either, or understand what Burt was up to, until the post-credits segment where Ben Stiller basically explains it. And I still don't understand the whole "outie Irving is investigating Lumon" thing -- how did innie Irving know, during the Overtime Contingent, where he'd find that map, etc.? I feel like we're missing info, or else it's been sketched in very loosely.

In my post at R280, during the car ride in Episode 9, Burt told Irving about how he would drive people to places but never hurt anyone himself. Outie Irving apparently already had some knowledge of Burt's activities, since he had referred to Burt as a "Lumon goon" in his investigative notes.

Regarding innies' ability to resign, I think in Episode 2 Mr. Milchick told the MDR team about changes that Lumon had made after the Overtime Contigency fiasco, and one of those changes was that innies had the ability to resign.

I felt sorry for Sarah Bock's character, Ms. Huang, and how angry Milchick was for believing that she had complained about him when she hadn't. The requiring her to smash her favorite toy scene was so cruel. I saw a segment of her interview on Jimmy Kimmel and they were laughing about how she had to be taught how to use a landline phone. She didn't even know which end of the receiver to speak into at first. Kimmel couldn't even remember what the dial was called, calling it "the circular thing." It made me feel so OLD.

R291 It is an “Innie Resignation Request” form, not an actual resignation. The Outie has to agree. On the form Dylan fills out, you can see at the bottom an “Outie Response” section.

Ahhh, R304 -- I missed that.

And of course, his dim-witted outie will agree.

Also of note, I would have loved to be the staffer that was given the “Create the Innie Resignation Request” form assignment.

The last three episodes were good. I’m looking forward to the finales. Although the Burt and Irving relationship seems very muddled. When did Burt become a bad guy?

Burt and Irving need to show some skin together to make it real.

R307 Maybe he was always a bad guy and we just didn't know.

We always knew Burt was a Lumon loyalist. Does that make him bad?

R310 But he said something implying he was one of the "goons" who would rough people up, so that part would make him bad.

R24 Same, I am showing it to my sis now and yes, Milchick said how great it was to meet her and how honored they were to have her on, or something, showing that she's some kind of VIP. I never noticed that the first time I watched it. So yeah, that's why SHE especially can't quit.

I feel bad for Sandra Bernhardt (I added the t but probably still spelled it wrong). She was never a looker but always had a fantastic body, remember her on Roseanne? To have to be in scenes with Gemma, the ex model, must make her feel sad about how she's not that girl anymore.

Tomorrows season finale better have more cowbell.

On rewatching it, I'm paying attention to the "The You You Are" book by Ricken, and holy shit, it is hilarous. It sounds like Jack Handey wrote it. "Office workers are a lot like robots, except they aren't metal" (or something to that effect. "Let's take the word bullies apart, "it's BULL and LIES" It's so Deep Thought like, it's great. I still don't get why that bitch took the book off his porch to begin with. Did she think it would motivate him to quit his job or something? That part made no sense.

Plenty of illogical plot contrivances driving the narrative in this show

We still didn’t find out exactly what Cold Harbor was all about. I know it involved a goat but that’s it,

I think Cold Harbor was the manifestation of a Gemma persona that was designed to be the most emotionally fraught for the real Gemma. Unlike the more generic "traumas" in the other rooms (dentist, turbulance, etc.), Cold Harbor specifically related to her inability to have a child. As it was the closest to her real situation, it was the supreme test as to whether the severed bond would hold. And it did.

It was a pretty wild finale. (I particularly liked the discussion between innie Mark and outie Mark. Excellent work by Adam Scott.) Overall, although we got a lot of big answers, there are still a lot of little questions remaining. Although Apple hasn't officially renewed it yet for a third season, Ben Stiller said recently that they've already assembled the writers' room and are moving forward. As to where they go from here: I have no idea.

That Mel Tormé rendition of Windmills of your Mind is really beautiful, I've never heard it before. I'm less positive about the rest of the season finale. I will say Tramell Tillman is a terrific physical actor.

I wish I could get into Severance but I can’t.

I dislike this “trapped in a bizzaro memory wipe land/alternate universe” kind of fantasy/sci-fi whether it is Alice In Wonderland, The Wizard Of Oz, Peter Pan or Black Mirror, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind and Severance. It is so nightmarish to me I can’t concentrate on it.

I prefer world-building like Dune, Star Wars and The Hunger Games.

I JUST started, god, it’s so existential already !

You’re right r321 I am only 4 eps in but I can tell it will be a philosophical drag.

It's official.

Tillman deserves an Emmy nod. Although the marching band scene was weird.

That was an awful lot of plot for one episode, comparatively.

I’ve severed myself. I’m done with this dumb show. Whenever I see Beau Willomon’s name in the credits, I know it’s going to be a superficial pile of shit. And so it was.

I loved the finale up until the end. I don’t buy that Helly R. wouldn’t have told Mark to run, especially after acknowledging that she’s an Egan. There’s no way they’d ever let them be together. It would have made more sense if Helly had been grabbed by a Lumon goon and Mark went after her. Or even a video from Helena saying she’d never step foot on a severed floor again and would never reintegrate, basically killing Helly unless Mark went back.

I think the innies are like love-starved teenagers. They are ruled more by emotions than logical reasoning.

Season 1 was excellent. It should have ended there. Now every season will get worse. It’s just how these things go. They’ll never resolve any mysteries as long as there’s money to be made from another season.

Drummond’s death was one of the most satisfying things I’ve seen on television in a long. time.

It lose the plot. Or maybe I lose it. Can keep up anymore and honestly don't care.

* Can't keep up

Drummond is like a MAGA Potus, same ugly attitude, bye gurl! Loved the goat lady...she kicked ass

Did Dylan seem to gain weight from Season 1 to Season 2? He seems a bit heftier now.

[bold]For those of you who didn't like it, fuck all y'all! Don't watch it then and leave your whiny remarks out of the thread![/bold]

That said, I still feel like my heart's going to leap out of my chest! I kept yelling, "Hurry up! Hurry up!" And the Windmills of my Mind music was perfect. I have never watched anything so stress-inducing. When I finished watching it, I called my bff (who's also a fan) screaming, "Pick up the phone pick up the phone pick up the motherfucking phone right now!"

When she answered, I said, "Guess what I just did!" She said, "You watched Severance?" She hadn't seen it yet, so she's watching it now. I can't wait to hear her reaction.

What a great way to take my mind off of all this political craziness! I can't wait until Season 3!

Yeah, I didn’t know what was going on for the last 3 episodes. And what was with the birthing house? Why was it like the Lumon building?

And what’s so special about Gemma and Mark Stout?

The whole “Kier” thing feels like such a Get Out rip-off.

[quote]And what was with the birthing house? Why was it like the Lumon building?

It was explained over and over again. It is exactly like the Lumon building. When pregnant outies go into the cabin, severance is activated, and their innies then experience the pain of childbirth.

what the fuck was this ep? I felt like I missed an episode before

My one area of confusion this episode was Gemma stepping out of the Cold Harbor room and recognizing Mark as her husband. So the real Gemma has knowingly been shuffled from room to room for the last 2 years?

Yup.

Good question, r338 If she’s kidnapped outie Gemma when she steps out of the rooms, why is she so calm? Why is she cooperating?

Season 3 will commence with Mark’s sister Devon lapping up Gemma’s labia, you mark my words.

The more we learn about Lumon the dumber it gets.

The dangers of a half baked & implausible world when world building

[quote]If she’s kidnapped outie Gemma when she steps out of the rooms, why is she so calm?

One of the remaining mysteries is how Gemma ended up on the Testing Floor to begin with. But I don't think she was kidnapped. My theory is that she signed up for "A New Lumon Procedure to Enable Pregnancy" or some such nonsense, and is therefore a willing, albeit reluctant, test subject. (We previously saw her filling out a Lumon questionaire, when she & Mark were trying to have a kid.) Outie Gemma doesn't know what she's experiencing in the rooms and probably believes that she is taking part in a program that will enable her to get pregnant. What part she played in faking her death is unknown at this time—although, since she was told that Mark had remarried, she can't be unaware of that aspect.

I believe you're right or very close, R343. And that's why they're so concerned about the severance chip "holding."

The problem for me is I don’t really care about Mark and Gemma. And the chemistry between Mark S. & Helie R. was never really developed well enough to make me care about their fates so, for me, it was just like watching pieces on a chess board.

Also, Patricia Arquette was pretty terrible in this with her stilted line readings like she can barely choke out the terrible dialogue.

Not for me.

Why would Lumon set things up so that if an innie gets to the testing floor they become their outie? Other than plot convenience?

I'm guessing that no severed person is an innie on the testing floor unless they're in one of the testing rooms.

But why is Irving so intimately familiar with the black hallway?

R326 Lumon goon? No, this billion dollar corporation is secured by one Mr. Graner and one Mr. Drummond, not even killer robots, just those two dudes. Fucking Drummond and his fat ass and Dutch Boy haircut, sure. Wow, I just finished and I like what you all said, especially about Gemma being tricked into going there for some pregnancy bullshit. And that is why I choose Helly R. Fucking not being able to get pregnant being treated like such a goddamn tragedy is so incredibly white, middle class. Who cares? And no way Mark gave that much of a shit about getting pregnant or not. That's such a contrived plotline, as well as the married for 4 years thing. You're north of 45, Adam, you're not trying to have a kid and only just now getting married. And the fact that Gemma is a fucking Russian Lit prof. God, the pretension and boredom that must accompany these people. Helly R is at least funny, you know Gemma is a goddamn drag.

And why would you get "severed" for childbirth? If we're in a reality where this is possible, why not be put in an induced coma or something? I would believe people would get severed if they were shipping off to war or something, but to have a kid is absurd. Especially when drugs exist. The baby craziness of this show is a big flaw for me, unless there's some allegorical bullshit I'm missing.

Milkshake has a great body, but half the time I expected Cobel to call him a great, big, dummy, with his Lamont Sanford face. So who is Miss Huang? Is she the cultie future daughter of the Scouts? I guess in this Lumon world she could be anyone, since kids are raised in Scientology, they would be raised in this shit too.

I do think that they had planned another season since they still have Janey, Miss Huang, the trach tube in Cobel's house, why the fuck Milkshake would work there, and why exactly the Scouts were selected for this thing, and what it even is. If I were Helly R, I would flirt with Milkshake daily, partly because his bangin' body, and partly to see if I could break him and get him on my side. I mean, shit, Harmony turned, so why not him? I miss Irv and Burt and hope they film season 3 soon because I can't imagine Walken will live that long.

I hope that S3 sees the innies revolt, with an army of soldiers comprised of Choreography and Merriment being led by Helly, Mark and Dylan. They take over the severed floor and set up their own rules for existence.

I guess there's a podcast for this (of course there is, jfc) where they talk to the writers, and one of them said this;

How do all these wacky moments end up in the show?

The idea for the crazy moment usually comes first and then we try to fit it into the show.

And that enraged me. It's insulting that these motherfuckers think this show is so great and it's fans so devoted, that they can just make up ridiculous things and then write baffling shit to frame it. This guy seems like a smug asshole. Maybe next season he can write a wacky scene that ends with Mark on a car chase that takes him through two men moving a plate glass window and ends with him coming to a stop in a farmer's market with a cage of chickens.

The show has some provocative things to say about work, identity and love, but it’s always been clear to me that the practices and objectives of Lumon are just there for comic relief and are not going to amount to anything profound. We are meant to understand that it is vitally important to them that Gemma has precisely 25 interchangeable innies, but I don’t think we are meant to care WHY this is so important. File under ”Cult Nonsense.”

After what the goat lady did, will she be coming back for Season 3? Lumon has cameras all over and will soon find out how she helped bring down the fat one.

So if a Helly/Helena pregnancy is inevitable how would you like it to play out? I think Helena should abort it and Helly is so furious that she plots “revenge” against Helena.

There are drugs that can make you forget the pain of childbirth. The birthing cabin is just a convenient plot device so Mark can talk to his innie. Cheap trick.

[quote]For those of you who didn't like it, fuck all y'all! Don't watch it then and leave your whiny remarks out of the thread!

Do I need to say this again??

If you don't like it, STFU and get off the thread. And FFS, don't ever watch it again! Nobody's making you!

There are so many things I love about this show.

One of the things that really struck me this episode was how much higher innie Mark’s voice was than outer Mark’s. It’s such a minor detail, but so true to the world where the innies would not have ingrained performative gender influence voices.

Both Reps and Dems love the show, so they are doing something right

R351 My take on all her innies is that each one is a test. She is subjected to basically different versions of torture like the dentist office to see if the barrier holds and the outie has no crossover effect from it. Then Cold Harbor is the final reverse test. Can the pain of losing her baby on the outside be blocked from the innie doing the most triggering thing possible: disassembling a crib.

That makes a lot of sense, but what were they killing the goat for?

To lead Gemma to Kier in the afterlife?

There’s the “science” side of Severance, and then the “religious” side. The goat sacrifice clearly belongs to the religious side. And just like in real life, I don’t understand religious things at all.

It’s a mistake to give too much thought to this.

They have not established any problem with emotions “leaking” between innies and outies, so why would the Gemma tests be of such vital importance? And why 25 identities?

Book of Mormon shit.

If it weren't for the Mormons, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

I read somewhere that if the barrier held (which it didn't), they would be reversing her chip to reverse engineer it, which meant extracting the chip, which meant killing her. Somewhere in the first season it was stated that removing the chip meant death. So, she would be killed for the chip and the goat buried with her to lead her to the afterlife, per weird Kier religious rules.

I'd like to know why Kier looks like Mark Scout. Also, it seems that animatronic thing is supposed to me alive.

R362 They do state several times that Gemma’s barrier “held” and how that was great news. My guess would be that there is some next level coming up, and that they needed these advanced tests for it, whatever it is.

Hey you don’t break out Choreography and Merriment for nothing!

They have an application for women who can’t have an epidural but don’t want to remember the pain of childbirth. Maybe they’re working on one for people who are afraid of dentists.

Silly but cute. "Gays in Severance" by the Homo Sapien Experience

Didn't Reghabi remove Mark's chip?

No, she "flooded" it with some liquid I don't remember.

"Dieter Eagan" is an anagram for "AI-generated."

I think the way to view Lumon is like something halfway between a massive, privately held corporation like Koch Industries or Cargill on one hand; and a religious sect, ala Scientology, which is high profile, is built on some truly bizarre beliefs and ideas, and has largely evaded government interference despite employing various heavy-handed tactics against its critics.

I used to hate Miss Huang but now I understand her more. I do want Natalie to get viciously slapped though. She's a smug asshole. All that "the board has signed off" bullshit and then acting confused about Seth wanting to talk to her about what it's like to be black and work for Lumon.

I almost feel sorry for Ms. Huang.

Did they ever get into any explanation as to what happened with Lumon after Helly's speech about torture at the big gala? No corporate or government backlash?

Also, who the fuck would voluntarily have a baby at that depressing "birthing center"? It looks creepy as hell.

R373 Yeah, Miss Huang doesn't have any pleasures except the theremin and the ring game, and Milchick smashed it! I used to think it was her who complained about Milchick's big words, and I hated her, but now I think it was Drummond.

I also thought it was weird there was no backlash, and that the outies didn't watch the coverage?

I’m guessing the birthing center will be revisited next season, with Helena/and or Helle being pregnant.

There was a figurine of a pregnant man at the Center too, so it's modern times.

[R373] Yes, they showed Helly a video Helena taped apologizing to the public and stating she was drunk, implying that her outie has a drinking problem (also implied when Natalie is talking to her at the gala)

I thought this was lovely and the top rated comment cracked me up

It doesn't seem like many of you are playing close attention to what's going on.

You sure have missed a lot!

Well said.

Yeah like the Office UK, Gervais knew when to end it. The Office here was fucking horrible at the end. Kathy Bates and James Spader and all kinds of ridiculous shit. I think Severance could do one more season though. I did dig the ending, and of course it was intentional because they didnt know if they'd been picked up for a 3rd season. The ending so reminded me of some 70's movie, Logan's run maybe?

R380 - That article is so reflective of my own feelings about the show. I wish that, with these shows, they'd just write a beginning, middle and end before even shooting. If a show is successful, the networks are compelled to keep that show on as long as possible. Eventually, we'll be watching and something strange or mysterious happens and we'll all think "well, that's 'Severance' for you." Eventually people will get fed up so the show will have a painful and unsatisfying final season where the loose ends are tied up. The smoke monster is vanquished, Bran sits on the iron throne, and Tony Soprano is locked up in a box with Schrödinger's cat.

That is awesome, R378. Thanks.

R382 Right. Look at "Lost". Lost is now synonymous with shitty endings and meandering shows. How many people have said, "I hope this doesn't end like Lost!" That's not the kind of famous you want to be. I hope to never hear Severance referenced that way.

That bitch Helena is so selfish- she steals both Helly's and Gemma's man/men. And Robbie Benson is entering his Joel Gray era.

Is it even an option for premium shows like this to close up shop after 2 episodes? Or one (thinking of you, Westworld).

[Quote] Why didn't I know that the woman who plays Devon is a lesbian? She's even married to a woman!

Oh just like on the show!

I want that Ricken photo on a t-shirt