Severance Star Dichen Lachman Reveals Heartbreaking Truth About Gemma's Captivity

Heads up! Here’s a sneak peek at the thrilling events from episode 7 of “Severance” season 2, currently streaming on Apple TV+. I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds!

She’s alive!

At least one iteration of her is imprisoned in Lumon’s Testing Facility, being moved from one room to another. There, she triggers her Severance device, fragmenting herself into numerous distinct personalities.

Discussing Gemma, undeniably the pivotal figure in “Severance,” her health and location have been key aspects of the show’s intrigue. This week, we catch up with Mark’s wife, portrayed by Dichen Lachman with a captivating mix of sexiness and vulnerability – transitioning to a haunting emptiness – through poignant flashbacks and chilling glimpses of the Testing Floor.

It’s important to note that Gemma is different from Ms. Casey, who is among several characters portrayed as Gemma’s “innies.” In the portrayal of Gemma and her husband Mark in the film by director Jessica Lee Gagné, Gemma appears charismatic and lively, contrasting significantly with the robotic wellness counselor persona she adopts on Severed Floor.

The narrative commences with Mark and Gemma’s adorable first encounter, happening at a blood donation event on their shared workplace campus – a college. They exhibit an immediate connection, yet destiny seems to have already set the stage for them – a Lumon emblem is noticeable on the medical equipment. Over time, they build their life together filled with dancing, festive seasons like Christmas, and playful acts such as putting flowers behind each other’s ears. A flashback uncovers that Gemma was expecting, but unfortunately suffered a miscarriage. They then opt for IVF treatment, only to discover another Lumon logo at the fertility clinic and a brief glimpse of Dr. Mauer from Lumon, portrayed by the cold Robby Benson. As their attempts to conceive prove unsuccessful, their relationship deteriorates. We observe their final tender moment where they express their love for each other before Gemma departs from the house on the eve of her “passing.” The last flashback depicts Mark being welcomed at the door by police officers.

On the Testing Grounds, currently, Gemma engages in role-play, with a nurse leading her into various rooms that trigger distinct personas. In one room, Dr. Mauer takes on the persona of her husband, observing her during Christmas morning while she struggles with cramps in her hand from writing numerous thank you cards. Another room is dedicated to dental procedures, where the identity associated with this particular ‘innie’ is strapped to a dentist chair. After crossing the boundary between identities, Gemma still experiences pain in her hand and teeth, and Lumon is assessing how her emotional state, or ‘temperament’, translates across from ‘innie’ to ‘outie’. The question remains: How impermeable are the barriers of severance, and what, if any, aspects of the ‘innie’ seep through into the ‘outie’?

The rooms are labeled based on files Mark has finished working on, and only one remains: Cold Harbor. We’re unsure of what will transpire for Gemma once Mark finishes that file, which is said to be a significant milestone for Lumon. However, it appears ominous for our estranged couple. It seems unlikely that the corporation that abducted Gemma and detained her for years will release her unconditionally after testing is done.

In the episode’s finale, while my character, Mark, is unconscious, embarking on this integration process, I, Gemma, take matters into my hands. I clobber Mauer with a chair and hatch an escape plan from Lumon. However, when I reach the elevator, my own mind traps me. I find myself on the Severed Floor – now Ms. Casey – and Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman) orders me to return to the Testing Floor willingly. It’s a struggle between my inner and outer selves, and we’ll need both to pull through and escape Lumon.

In the conversation below, Lachman talks to EbMaster this week about the latest episode of “Severance,” delving into Gemma’s ordeal during captivity and her heart-wrenching effort to break free, while pondering on how Lumon might have simulated her initial demise.

Until now, we hadn’t really seen Gemma in her element. We’ve seen Ms. Casey and really brief glimpses of Gemma. How did you go about shaping that character and how she would behave?

To ensure that the relationship between Mark was solid and realistic, we found ourselves consistently focusing on this aspect during our discussions. They were experiencing challenges within their bond, which we felt was crucial to address: How could we make this connection feel authentic and well-lived? Due to my limited presence on set until Episode 7, I hadn’t had much opportunity to develop a rapport with fellow cast members. However, Adam Scott’s generous acting style and the comforting atmosphere made me feel at ease. Essentially, Episode 7 represented my first day of school for Season 2, as I was just joining the group. I felt a significant amount of pressure to excel in my performance. In our scenes with Gemma, we put a lot of emphasis on refining the dynamic, sometimes adding more intensity and other times dialing it back for a softer approach.

What did your schedule look like for Season 2? There’s even a meme about how Gemma pops in for a few seconds in each episode to “serve face” and then vanish. Would you come in for like one day to shoot those little flashes of Gemma?

Absolutely, I’d occasionally pop in to capture those intricate beats. One particular scene, the one inside the tent (in Episode 4, where Mark and Helena sleep), was quite complex. There was a monitor I had to focus on, and I had to align my face perfectly with Britt Lower’s face. They used some advanced equipment to make it possible. That specific shot took hours of stillness from me to get just the right moment. This series is filled with such details that viewers might not even notice. The effort put into creating some of the technical shots is truly remarkable, and we spent nearly half a day trying to perfect that two-second shot.

Were there any scenes from Episode 7 that were similarly challenging, technically speaking?

For the model airplane structure, they constructed its mobile section using hydraulics, which made me feel quite queasy as I spent the entire day inside it. The entire setup seemed to be in constant motion, simulating a plane experiencing intense turbulence or about to crash.

This episode feels like the answer to the Season 1 cliffhanger of “SHE’S ALIVE!” But how alive is Gemma, really? She’s been held captive for years and seems pretty depleted. How much of Gemma’s true self is left?

It’s clear to me that a significant aspect of her – her cheerfulness, lightheartedness, and playfulness – seems absent or diminished, to some extent. Instead, she appears solely focused on returning home to Mark. Ms. Casey may appear unsophisticated at times. Upon receiving the script for Episode 7, I contemplated how to portray such a straightforward character, who can seem simplistic in many ways, possibly due to her mind being divided numerous times. Unlike a severed floor where there’s just the work persona and the real-world persona, perhaps because Gemma has so many different versions of herself within her mind, this might have impacted her. This is just my personal theory – that she may have lost a part of herself. However, I believe she remains essentially present, and her love for Mark, her resilience, and her determination continue to shine through.

In the flashback to when Mark and Gemma first meet, they’re giving blood at the school they both work at, and there’s a Lumon logo on the machine. At the fertility clinic, there’s a Lumon logo on the intake form. It seems to indicate that Lumon has been a part of their relationship and their lives for a long time. What should we take away from that?

They’ve undoubtedly been observing this couple for quite some time now. I suspect that Lumon selected them specifically for surveillance due to some unknown reason. You might notice Dr. Mauer [Robby Benson] at the fertility clinic, he just passes by. It seems like everything is under Lumon’s control. Even the restaurant Pip’s belongs to them. I believe that during Gemma’s visit to the fertility clinic, they discovered something in her blood tests which could be connected to why they chose Mark and Gemma. Interestingly, the Christmas tree tinsel in the testing room at Lumon resembles the one in their living room. When I pointed this out to the writers, they neither confirmed nor denied anything.

So you have your own theories, but the writers don’t tell you if you’re on the right track?

I absolutely abstain from that. However, delving into other fans’ theories online is one of my favorite pastimes. The level of detail they provide is astounding, and it’s incredibly gratifying. Some of these individuals possess a skillset that rivals professional writers; their talent is undeniable.

Earlier in the season, Mark tells Devon that he identified Gemma’s body after the supposed car accident. Clearly, she wasn’t dead. Do you know the logistics behind how Lumon faked her death?

My hypothesis is that they may have administered a potion reminiscent of Shakespearean times, concocted by Lumon. This could be a mixture of salves, balms, and similar substances. It seems plausible that this might contain an ingredient to temporarily halt her heartbeat and respiration, creating the illusion of her death. I’m venturing into the details here, but…

I love the weeds!

If Mark had witnessed Gemma looking utterly burnt, he could easily believe Devon’s assertion, as the appearance would no longer resemble Gemma. Instead, it would seem like a charred corpse. That’s my hypothesis.

In Episode 7, Dr. Mauer tells Gemma, “Kier will take away all of [Mark’s] pain just as he has taken away yours.” What pain is he referring to?

For a woman, it can be extremely challenging when one’s body seems unable to perform its intended functions. The authors didn’t provide specific details, but it seemed clear that Gemma found her inability to give birth particularly distressing, and this situation brought about feelings of guilt and inadequacy within her.

Can you talk about the dynamic between Gemma and Dr. Mauer? He blatantly lies to her about Mark remarrying and having a child, and he clearly has some sort of fixation on her.

She undeniably dislikes him. There’s no mistaking her disdain. His interactions with her are unlike any other due to his access to various rooms with her. He seems to be treating her like a child in an unsettling manner. I suspect she may realize they spend time together that she isn’t aware of, which is extremely disturbing. This situation could easily take a dark turn. Gemma has been on the Testing Floor for so long that she appears detached. Eventually, she reaches her limit, especially when he feeds her the deceptive information about Mark. I don’t believe this is the first time she’s attempted to escape, as Drummond questions Mauer, “Haven’t you broken her fingers?” Thus, she’s experienced moments where she’s lost all patience and makes a bid for freedom. It’s disheartening to see her confined by her own thoughts.

One of the most heartbreaking moments is when she makes it to the elevator but then turns into Ms. Casey on the Severed Floor. She doesn’t know how she got there, and that allows Milchick to lie to her and send her back down.

We filmed that scene four times in a single take. The actress moves towards the elevator, transforming from Gemma to Ms. Casey, then back to Gemma and interacts with Sandra Bernard’s character. This was arguably the most difficult task I faced as an actor.

Mark is reintegrating, merging the memories of his innie and his outie. His innie is in love with Helly. How might his reintegration complicate his search for Gemma?

Absolutely! How significantly will the inner self (Innie Mark) impact the outer self (Mark’s outie)? And what kind of journey is this life likely to take? Frankly, it seems quite challenging. I’m uncertain where it might lead, but that’s what makes it intriguing. The philosophical implications are vast and thought-provoking.

There’s one popular fan theory that links Ms. Huang [Sarah Bock] with Gemma, that she’s some sort of lab-grown child between Mark and Gemma, or that they’ve somehow shrunken Gemma? It doesn’t really make sense to me, but have you seen that?

It’s not unreasonable for people to hold that theory, given the brief flash when Mark first looks at her in Season 2’s premiere. Initially, I too pondered if she was connected to Gemma, but my certainty wasn’t absolute. I never got the chance to ask about it, and I must admit, I find myself torn on whether I like or disapprove of that theory. The connection seems plausible to me.

So it’s not completely out the door?

As a cinephile, I find myself pondering over this intriguing plot point: if the story takes place in the present, her age seems incongruous. Yet, it’s fascinating! What on earth could bring a high school student to this location? Why isn’t she in class? These questions swirl around my mind. However, Sarah’s performance is nothing short of extraordinary. Her portrayal is captivating and the suspense she generates is palpable.

At this point in the show, what do you view as the biggest looming question?

As a fan, my curiosity revolves around the individuals or group responsible for the events unfolding, and their motives behind these actions. Specifically, I’m intrigued to understand why they selected the people they did, given that Lumon appears to have volunteers on a global scale, as demonstrated by the Italian man in Episode 1. The purpose of Lumon, the extent of their influence, and how much control they exercise are questions that pique my interest. However, I appreciate that this season is providing more answers rather than leaving everything shrouded in mystery for the sake of it. It seems like the storyline is not only revealing answers but also posing even more intriguing questions.

2025-03-01 01:48

Severance Star Dichen Lachman Reveals Heartbreaking Truth About Gemma’s Captivity