As a dedicated movie buff immersed in the captivating world of “Severance”, I find myself intrigued by the unique temporal existence of the characters portrayed in this show. In essence, their innie counterparts inhabit a different realm – a subterranean floor within Lumon Industries’ headquarters. This company is renowned for its innovative approach to employee separation, splitting some individuals’ consciousness into work and non-work selves.
While their outies enjoy the freedom of socializing, sleeping, and living life to the fullest, innie lives are confined to the office elevator and the world that lies beyond its doors. It’s as if they never truly leave this space at all – each day starting anew as soon as those elevator doors open.
Experiencing that peculiar feeling is akin to anticipating “Severance” Season 2 on Apple TV+. This long-awaited sequel has been in production for almost three years, making it one of the longest breaks between installments in a serial series. (Though shows like “Squid Game” and “Stranger Things” have also taken extended pauses, so “Severance” isn’t unique.) As the wait grew longer, especially considering Hollywood’s labor strikes, fan anxiety only escalated. The first season concluded with a double twist: Mark S.’s (Adam Scott) Lumon “wellness counselor”, Miss Casey (Dichen Lachtman), was revealed to be Gemma, his deceased wife who had undergone severance to cope with his loss; and Helly R. (Britt Lower), Mark’s workplace crush, was discovered to be the innie of Helena Eagan, the heir to the dynasty that has governed Lumon since its inception in 1865. This is quite a dramatic cliffhanger, and the gap between seasons might have weakened the show’s captivating atmosphere for some viewers. Let’s not even begin discussing their ability to recall the intricate plot details or any potential hints.
After hearing the distinctive bell and entering the brightly lit, distinctively recognizable hall, Mark’s worries swiftly dissolve. While Reddit discussions abound with theories and clues, “Severance” has always been more about setting a specific atmosphere than providing straightforward answers. The world portrayed in this series, created by Dan Erickson and executive producer Ben Stiller, who directs half of the new season, is born from pure imagination. (Erickson conceived the concept as a way to eliminate the monotony of his everyday job.) The solutions to the show’s central mysteries, such as understanding what Mark and Helly do in their “macrodata refinement” work, are not bound by traditional logic or reason. Instead, “Severance” thrives on maintaining an unsettling sense of surrealism. Season 2 effortlessly meets this essential requirement without causing much noticeable disruption for real-time viewers, while those who binge-watch later may hardly perceive a pause.
Advanced viewers have been given access to all ten episodes of Season 2 beforehand, but we’re asked to keep most plot details under wraps. The spoiler guide leans heavily on ambiguity, such as me not being able to disclose the exact time gap between when the characters from inside move into the real world, observe their counterparts’ lives, and then return to their original environment. (Their overseer, Mr. Milchick, played by Tramell Tillman, informs Mark that it’s been five months, but the discrepancy in information between those who are separated and those who aren’t makes for easy manipulation.) I can assure you, though, that there is significant progress made in understanding Lumon’s true objectives, and “Severance” neither stalls nor suggests a lack of strategic planning. We get plenty of hints, and eventually uncover some pieces of the puzzle, about a project called “Cold Harbor,” which seems to involve both Mark and Gemma working together on it.
The advancements primarily occur towards the end of the season, leaving the first half of Season 2 focused on atmosphere, building upon the vivid imagery and emotional resonance established in Season 1. “Severance” delves into the moral complexities surrounding whether innies possess souls, an intriguing question that arises within the narrative. The series is equally invested in understanding the cause behind this phenomenon as it is in exploring the ethical dilemma of two souls sharing a single body. Helly, the most skeptical and rebellious member of the MDR department, exhibits hostility towards her outie. On the other hand, Dylan (Zach Cherry), who has discovered his outie is married with children, experiences more of an envious feeling rather than antagonism. Standing out amidst a talented cast, Lower delivers exceptional performances portraying Helly’s discomfort over her love interest maintaining relationships outside the confines of their shared body, despite his lack of memory regarding these encounters.
In this iteration, the power output of the cast has increased significantly, with actors such as Bob Balaban, Alia Shawkat, and Gwendoline Christie among the new additions – more accurately referred to as the Music Dance Experience ensemble. What stands out most is the introduction of a young character, Miss Huang (played by Sarah Bock), who is surprisingly just a child; when questioned about her age, she simply states, “Because I was born that way.” While the fresh faces are a delight, it’s the main characters that undergo further development. Initially, only Scott had the opportunity to deliver two compelling performances. In this season, however, we delve deeper into Helena Eagan’s malevolent side, and the external version of Irving (played by John Turturro) grapples with the lingering effects of a doomed romance (between his counterpart and Christopher Walken’s former character, Burt) that he can’t seem to remember.
The heartfelt feelings provide a strikingly odd balance against the increasingly bizarre environment of Lumon, a cult-like organization dedicated to the doctrines of its founder Kier Eagan. (Indicating that “Severance” is set in an alternate reality, Lumon’s main building resides in “Kier, PE,” which doesn’t represent any familiar state.) Erickson, Stiller, and art director Jeremy Hindle have a talent for creating settings that mimic corporations’ unsettling, paternalistic strategies of control, yet they present something more obscure and enigmatic than direct satire. Training sessions, off-site gatherings, and performance evaluations are the most recent themes to be distorted through Lumon’s carnival mirror. Similarly, broader ideas like tokenization and sanitizing rebellion into harmless propaganda are also reflected.
So long as “Severance” continues to provide moments of peculiar brilliance, it’s simple to set aside doubts and the yearning for clear-cut details. Regardless of where “Severance” ultimately leads, its portrayal of the arbitrary regulations and segmented essence of contemporary work is unmatched on television. Moreover, one pressing question has been answered: after viewing Season 2, I now understand the significance of the goats.
On January 17th, right past midnight Pacific Time, I’ll be eagerly tuning in to catch the first episode of “Severance” Season 2 on Apple TV+. From then on, each new episode will drop every Friday for us to enjoy!
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2025-01-07 17:17