Severance Gets Lost in Time

by

To delve deeper into the intricacies of Severance, consider joining our exclusive subscriber-only newsletter, dubbed the “Severance Insider.” Here, we’ll immerse ourselves in discussions, analyses, and debates about every aspect of season two.

In simpler terms, the “Severance” episode titled “Chikhai Bardo” is multifaceted. It’s a heartfelt tale of a couple struggling with time and distance. It breaks traditional storytelling conventions by not following a chronological sequence. It’s set during Christmas and shares many similarities with an outstanding television production, “The Constant,” an episode from the fourth season of “Lost,” which is often praised as one of the best in that series known for its complex mythology. While the creator of “Severance,” Dan Erickson, did not confirm whether “The Constant” influenced “Chikhai Bardo,” the resemblances are striking enough to warrant a comparison and possibly provide insights into where “Severance” is headed next. Interestingly, “The Constant” first aired on ABC on February 28, 2008, and “Chikhai Bardo” was released on Apple TV+ on the same date, February 28, 2025.

For individuals who may not recall “Lost” vividly or are open to 17-year-old plot twists, “The Constant” is a captivating episode that centers around Desmond Hume, a key character in the series. His consciousness, due to an unusual event, starts oscillating between two distinct periods of time. One is set in 1996, where he’s stationed with the Scottish Army and finds himself distant from his beloved Penelope Widmore. The other takes place in December 2004, which coincides with the show’s current timeline. In this period, Desmond has found himself on a ship far out at sea from the island where Flight 815 crashed. After braving a storm to reach this ship, Desmond becomes disoriented and can’t recall people he knows in the present. Over time, he gets tossed between these two eras, providing him with insights into their connection.

The title ‘Chikhai Bardo’ shares a similar non-linear structure with ‘The Constant’. Instead of jumping between just two timeframes, it leaps across various periods and viewpoints: Mark’s present, Gemma’s apparent present at Lumon, their past relationship recollections in reality, and the temporal shifts within each room Gemma explores as part of her job at Lumon. The seamless transitions between scenes, a characteristic also seen in ‘The Constant’, suggest that these moments are not just separate chronologically but exist on a continuous timeline. For instance, in one scene, Mark and Gemma’s visit to the fertility clinic intertwines with Gemma’s encounter with an unnamed doctor at Lumon. Watching this episode feels like watching jigsaw puzzle pieces fitting together, then falling apart, then coming back together again, without the entire puzzle ever being solved.

In “The Constant,” Desmond comes to understand that he needs to inform Penny, in 2004, about his plan to phone her on Christmas Eve in 1996. This action makes Penny a source of stability across both timelines, helping to stop Desmond’s mind from oscillating between the two realities. The entire episode culminates in the poignant moment when Desmond eventually calls Penny from the freighter on Christmas Eve, and she answers, allowing them to express their love for each other after years apart, thus healing Desmond’s fragmented mental state.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=iUaHMOWRYpI

If the terms “reintegrating” and “bifurcated” are causing concern, it’s understandable. The situation with Lumon’s former employees mirrors Desmond’s experience in “The Constant,” where he found himself existing in two realities. Like the members of the Macrodata Refinement team, Desmond was initially uncertain about how these realities connected, a similar predicament faced by Mark, Helly, Dylan, and Irving since they triggered the overtime contingency at the end of season one. They’re not just trying to figure out what’s happening at Lumon; they’re also striving to comprehend their identities in both their ‘innie’ (inside Lumon) and ‘outie’ (outside Lumon) forms, and finding a constant — something or someone significant to them in both realms — is key to feeling whole again.

In the storyline of “Chikhai Bardo,” Mark and Gemma, similar to Desmond, are nearing a less fragmented state. Mark is in a slumber, recuperating from the integration procedure carried out by Reghabi, which implies he’s close to being whole again. On the other hand, Gemma believes she’s about to wrap up her duties at Lumon, frequently moving between different rooms in the heart of the office building for reasons that are unclear even by the end of the episode. Those guiding her make her think she can revert to a regular life once more.

She queries Dr. Robby, affectionately known as “Dr. Robby” in honor of his role in The Pitt, about what will transpire once she’s finished with all the rooms. With a hint of optimism, he responds, “You’ll rediscover the world,” he says. “And the world will recognize you.” It seems like a hopeful indication that she might one day depart from Lumon. However, Dr. Robby has a questionable track record when it comes to fulfilling his pledges.

It’s made clear later in the episode during the Christmas scene that Gemma is writing an excessive number of thank you notes and asks how much longer this task will continue. This situation suggests that she’s not only tired of writing these notes, but also seems weary from a recurring performance where she portrays Dr. Robby’s wife during the holidays, implying a possible time loop scenario.

Dr. Robby said, ‘I’ve already informed you, and now it’s over. However, isn’t it peculiar how every year, Christmas manages to come back?’

Gemma replies, suggesting that this feels like a perpetual holiday season for her, hinting at the frequent returns she seems to make to this space.

For Desmond, Christmas brings optimism and anticipation; on Christmas Eve, he discovers that Penny still harbors feelings for him, and there’s a chance she might save not only him but everyone else on the island. However, Christmas is a painful reminder for Gemma, as she’s trapped in a situation where she must feign love for Dr. Robby and is separated from Mark, the man with whom she truly fell in love. Even outside of her reality, Christmas holds a melancholic tone for Gemma; her memories of sitting with Mark beside a tree adorned with tinsel are intertwined with their struggles to have children, and these memories seem to infuse her Christmas moments with Dr. Robby into a single bubble of seasonal sorrow.

In “The Constant,” the narrative builds towards a heartwarming, almost Hallmark-esque Christmas movie ending. Conversely, “Chikhai Bardo” takes a different route, spending nearly an hour delicately unraveling the bond between Mark and Gemma. The initial scene finds them positioned side by side, reminiscing about their first encounter when Mark adorably met Gemma while donating blood. With their bodies connected to IVs, they exchange introductions through awkward hand-clasping instead of the conventional handshake, hinting at their impending relationship before it’s even formed. As the episode progresses, Gemma starts to suspect that Mr. Milchick is keeping her trapped within Lumon, presumably because her counterpart has infiltrated the facility. She also appears to momentarily grasp that Mark had been informed she perished in an accident. In the concluding scene of the episode, Mark stirs awake and becomes integrated, glimpsing an image of Gemma’s eyes before tears fill his own. It seems as though he comprehends that unlike Penny and Desmond, he and Gemma might not be able to reunite. “Chikhai Bardo” is a love story, but it’s a melancholic one, in stark contrast to “The Constant.

Although the emotional resonance of “The Constant” is undeniable, its true impact lies in strengthening the broader narrative of Lost‘s mythology. Specifically, it underscores the unique way time flows on the island compared to the outside world. A character named Daniel Faraday, a physicist and professor versed in the island’s peculiar scientific aspects, posits that time behaves differently off the island, accounting for why the helicopter carrying Desmond, Sayid, and Frank appears to have been absent for an extended period according to those on the island.

In the fictional world of “Chikhai Bardo”, it’s not explicitly stated that time flows differently within Lumon compared to outside, but there are hints that warrant further contemplation. For instance, when Gemma visits Dr. Robby in his dental office situated in the Wellington Room, he claims it’s been six weeks since her last visit. However, Gemma argues, “But I was just here.” This discrepancy could potentially indicate a divergence in the passage of time within and outside Lumon.

As Gemma departs from that particular space, she queries the actress portraying the nurse, Sandra Bernhard, about the duration of her stay within. The nurse responds, “Two hours.” This response leaves Gemma perplexed, as if it seems significantly longer than what she had anticipated.

In my opinion, it seems as if time is flowing differently for me when I’m at Lumon. The evidence suggests that this is indeed the case, and one clear indication is the striking difference in Dr. Robby’s aging compared to mine. Over our interactions, he appears to have aged over multiple decades, while I remain unchanged, a constant presence as I always have been.

In the intriguing episode, we’re left pondering if all the ‘innies’ are out of step with the outside world’s timeline, or if it’s just Gemma who’s affected. Could Dr. Robby manipulate Gemma’s sense of time because he harbors feelings for her, preventing a genuine reunion between Gemma and Mark? The episode leaves these questions unanswered, but much like “The Constant” in ‘Lost’, “Chikhai Bardo” underscores the significance of understanding the ‘whens’ in ‘Severance‘ to decipher the underlying truths at Lumon. This thought-provoking television series conveys a similar message in a different setting, emphasizing that timing is crucial in relationships and sometimes, time simply isn’t on your side.

Read More

2025-03-03 22:07