Severance Recap: A Long Weekend

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To kick things off, here’s an exciting event from the episode that caught my attention. As I was watching, this is what I jotted down in real-time: The credits have been revamped! They’re brand new! They’re amazing! YYYYAAAAAYYY!!!

The latest, oddly captivating sequence by Oliver Latta, or Extraweg, offers a wealth of intriguing elements to explore. Despite the temptation to delve into each visual spectacle in detail, there’s simply too much other exciting content to discuss. For now, let me express my fascination with the use of balloons, the mysterious scene involving Innie Mark and Outie Mark passing through an elevator door, and the adorable red onesie sported by Outie Mark. The unsettling baby Kier that darts around Mark’s feet at the finale has already found a place in my nightmares. To add to this, the full rendition of Theodore Shapiro’s iconic theme (which also won an Emmy in 2022) was a welcome addition. While we briefly returned last week, it’s now that the real journey begins.

As a movie enthusiast, I find myself drawn back into the captivating world of Lumon in this latest installment, which seems dedicated to unraveling the enigma behind the Outies’ return. With a palpable “we must go back” atmosphere permeating the hour, we delve deeper into the lives of each refiner, reminiscent of Mark S.’s words to Helly on her first day: “Every time you find yourself here, it’s because you chose to come back.”

In this episode, we witness Mark’s curiosity piqued by the possibility of Gemma’s existence and his Innie’s inner life. Dylan appears to have found his place nowhere else but Lumon, while Irv seems driven by a quest for truth within the company’s walls. The riddle of their return unfolds, leaving me eagerly anticipating the next chapter in this gripping tale.

And Helena, well … let’s talk about Helena.

In the grand event, I found myself witnessing Helena Eagan, and her cool demeanor along with an undisguised snobbishness towards those she considers inferior made her rather unpleasant to observe. After the incident at the gala, where Helena appeared agitated, she’s trying to regain her composure when her father locates her. He scowls at her and hurls two words in my direction: “Fetid moppet.” It seems he’s suggesting that she was once cherished but has now turned into a spoiled, rotten child. How on earth will she manage to win his favor back?

Despite her father’s strong influence, Helena appears to be the primary mover in the aftermath of the OTC incident. Director Ben Stiller frequently presents captivating images of Helena from the highest floor of the Lumon skyscraper, where she strategizes her next steps. Dressed elegantly in a striking, jeweled gown, she seems like a malevolent mastermind, assessing her domain. However, we discover that she doesn’t make every decision alone; there are individuals who keep her in check. This episode is filled with corporate intrigue, and I can’t get enough of it.

In this episode, Helena engages with various high-ranking Lumon figures, including an imposing man who seems to act as her trusted assistant. This individual is known as Mr. Drummond (played by Darri Ólafsson). Interestingly, he bears a “Frolic” tattoo on the back of his hand, which could be associated with choking someone.

In addition to their encounter, Helena and Cobel engage in a chilly dialogue, during which Helena extends an apology to the former manager of the terminated department. However, she declines the opportunity for her to reclaim her previous position. In this interaction, Cobel asserts, “You are afraid of me,” to which Helena calmly replies, “We harbor no fear.” As a gesture of appreciation for Helena’s dedication to Lumon, specifically her decision to halt the OTC within 39 minutes, she is offered a position on the fictional Severance Advisory Council. Cobel expresses a strong desire to work among the separated individuals, but she indicates that she will ponder the offer.

Britt Lower is captivating to observe in these specific scenes, as she’s not the familiar Helly character we adore; instead, she portrays Eagan, who appears cold and calculating. However, there’s a scene where we witness her watching the playback of Helly leaping out of an elevator to passionately kiss Mark. Repeatedly pressing the rewind button with nervous urgency, it’s evident that this moment stirs deep emotions within her. Could she be envious of her Innie? Has she ever felt a genuine emotion in her life prior to this?

Contrarily, Dylan appears to be dominated by emotions. Interestingly enough, this is the initial encounter where we witness his Outie, and it seems he’s not much different from his Innie, just a tad more affected by life’s burdens, with drooping shoulders and a somewhat pessimistic demeanor. Nevertheless, when Milchick attempts to dismiss him and during his lively exchange with the door-factory owner, Mr. Sabila (played brilliantly by Adrian Martinez), Dylan exhibits qualities reminiscent of his usual self.

In the interview setting, reminiscent of the Monsters Inc factory, doors swiftly moving back and forth in the periphery, presents an enchanting and hopeful atmosphere. However, once Mr. Saliba learns that Dylan is not whole, everything takes a turn for the worse. He expresses his disgust towards the process, which is a significant blow to Dylan, a man who voluntarily undergoes what he perceives as an irreversible procedure, and also to the concept of severance within the broader context of the series. This is the first instance where we witness such open hostility from a non-professional towards the process, recalling Mark’s disagreement with the Whole Mind Collective in the previous season.

Regarding Mark, it seems like he could be having second thoughts about severance. Currently, Mark remains at Devon and Ricken’s residence, grappling with the aftermath of OTC, when Milchick pays a visit. It’s quite entertaining to watch how Ricken and Devon engage with Milchick, more so because Mark is the only employee Milchick approaches while there are witnesses present.

It seems that the team activated the OTC on a Friday, leading Mark to spend the next two days anxiously waiting for Cobel. He even went as far as knocking on her door, but she was likely occupied packing up her shrine dedicated to Kier. On Saturday, Devon and Mark convened at Pip’s to discuss the matter. Devon speculated that his brother may have been referring to Gemma when he exclaimed, “She’s alive!”, but Mark harbors serious doubts. However, Mark finds it difficult to entertain the notion of her being alive due to his intense and ineffective grief. As a result, he behaves rudely towards Devon about it and storms out of the diner in a fit of anger.

Later in the weekend, Milchick shows up at Mark’s doorstep with a basket brimming with pineapple and a cheerful grin. He takes a seat and shares numerous positive aspects about his Innie – he’s content, considerate, and amusing – to entice Mark to return to work. He also mentions Gemma, hinting that Mark’s Innie is content and has found affection. Mark’s puzzled reaction, “Love? With who?!” is met with indifference by Milchick, but it’s a multilayered line that starts as humor and then becomes somewhat melancholic when Mark swiftly dismisses the question. Milchick also proposes a 20% increase in Mark’s salary. So, one might speculate that the Innies are earning somewhere between $60,000 to $90,000 annually. A significant raise would be needed for me to agree to a supposedly permanent procedure on my brain.

For the remainder of the episode, the story revolves around bringing the team back together following Innie Mark’s confrontation with the board. Helena reviews a recording of the event, and her confidants, Mr. Drummond and Natalie (Sydney Cole Alexander), emphasize to her the necessity of Helly returning to work so that Mark S. can complete Cold Harbor. At first, she hesitates, clearly uneasy about revisiting the floor where she was injured. I may not be fond of Helena, but I understand her reluctance. After all, she attempted to harm Helena once! However, Natalie and Drummond persistently urge her to return.

In a sequence showing their return to work, we observe the employees, including Irving and Dylan, arriving for the day. They each discard their winter clothing in their individual lockers before boarding separate elevators. As they travel downwards, the familiar sound of the elevator signaling the ‘brain barrier’ crossing is heard, accompanied by a red light illuminating on the side of the lift. Next up is Helena. With a determined expression, she exchanges her identification lanyard and enters the elevator. The scene concludes without the usual elevator ‘ding’. That’s strange.

The noticeable lack of the familiar “ding” sound, signaling our transition into Innie World, seems to hint at a possible theory being validated in the show. Some of you have discussed this plot twist in last week’s comments, but for those who prefer not to delve into theories, here’s your heads-up to skip the rest of this passage! Have you skipped? Great. So… if the woman from the previous episode truly is Helena Eagan and not Helly, wouldn’t she have devised a more convincing alibi than “accidentally stepped out of my apartment wearing a ‘Save the Gorillas’ shirt to chat with a night gardener”? Does this suggest that Helena may be less intelligent or simply underestimates the Innies? If it’s indeed Helena, I suspect I would concur with her father’s opinion that she is a real “fetid moppet”.

Instead of joining the group on their way to work since we’ve been there before, we meet up with Mark later in the day. As he arrives home, he witnesses Cobel departing, seemingly for good. While she’s packing, Mark brings up the fact that he’s back at work. Upon hearing this, Cobel lets out a sigh and smiles mysteriously, asking “Was there a pineapple?” Indeed, Harmony. You know it was. Lend him a hand, girl.

In a surprising move, Mark positions himself in front of her car to extract more details, leading her to halt momentarily. Seized by surprise, she’s left speechless and deep in thought. Overwhelmed by a whirlwind of contradictory thoughts and facts within her mind, she suddenly erupts. In this scene, Patricia Arquette delivers an awe-inspiring performance. Her raw, animalistic scream mirrors the turmoil she’s unable to sort out internally. Just as Mark narrowly escapes, her small white Rabbit speeds away from the complex.

Farewell, Ms. Cobel. Greetings, Mr. Milchick. This week, the man truly proved his worth by handling both home visits for all refiners, fortifying Wellness, producing a thoroughly outrageous training video, expanding an entire MDR team for Mark – his labeling Dario R. as a “floater” was intriguing – and advancing Miss Huang. There’s simply no adequate way to articulate how extraordinary Tramell Tillman is; let’s just say my eyes are left in awe.

Seems it’s high time for me to bid a temporary farewell, so I’ll head towards the elevator now. See you again soon…

Severed Sentiments

It’s intriguing to note that Mark playfully nicknames Devon as “Persephone” when he returns to his normal state. Essentially, Persephone is known for being forced into the underworld. In essence: She’s the reason for winter. Since the story unfolds during the coldest time of year and Persephone’s situation somewhat resembles the employees — who spend their time between Lumon (which can be likened to a living hell) and reality — using this name seemed like an enjoyable Easter egg reference.

• Love how Devon and Ricken came up with Cobelvig!

• Who on earth was Irving talking to on that pay phone?

Given our new understanding that the first episode occurred just two days following the OTC activation, it’s puzzling why Milchick would mislead the Innies about a five-month time lag. When you ponder over the fact that the files the refiners work on have limited lifetimes – frequently expiring while they’re still being processed – it seems logical for Mark to suspect something was amiss upon his return to Cold Harbor, a file he had already advanced substantially. After all, wouldn’t he find it odd if the file hadn’t self-destructed as expected?

It appears that the door factory portrayed in the show might have been a tribute to Dan Erickson’s initial occupation when he wrote the pilot for “Severance.” He discusses this in the first episode of the official “Severance” podcast, which I highly recommend you listen to.

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2025-01-24 12:55