Severance (Spoilers)

[Hemi-Cuda]

I think this show deserves it's own thread. Just watched the first 2 episodes of season 2 back to back and they're a fantastic 1-2 punch. One thing that really struck me in the last episode was the set design choices. The severed floor is very minimalistic by design, but it seems like the whole outside world is too. Every car we see is 30-40 years old, yet Mark has a modern smartphone so the series isn't set in the 90's. The diner and the town itself are as basic and boring as possible, makes me wonder if this is just a stylistic choice or if there's more meaning to it

[Finger Cookin]

I love how the Lumon tech seems just...off as well. TV screens and monitors are bulky with square-ish, interlaced screens. The cassette player/recorder was similarly bulky and had an unfamiliar layout. The remote control Helena used while.reviewing severed floor footage looked outright alien. It's a great, consistent design element.

[troutman]

David Lynch would seem to be a big influence on this show. Best show on TV.

https://youtu.be/NbkiMdUI1Qg?si=eAzAGhzZZN6ikTDK

[Finger Cookin]

I'm assuming we want to try and be a little cognizant about spoilers, so

Spoiler!

What, exactly, is Cold Harbor, I wonder? And how does it tie to Gemma?

Also, the credit sequence this year is even more unhinged and unsettling than in S1.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

I'm assuming we want to try and be a little cognizant about spoilers, so

Spoiler!

What, exactly, is Cold Harbour, I wonder? And how does it tie to Gemma?

Also, the credit sequence this year is even more unhinged and unsettling than in S1.

I modified the thread title, I hate wading through spoiler tags in TV show threads. If someone isn't caught up, then don't open the thread, simple enough

Speculation I read is that Lumon is trying to remove emotions from humans to create the perfect worker. So when the MDR workers delete groups of numbers that they feel an emotional connection to, it's removing those emotions from whatever brain their terminal is hooked up to

[getbak]

I think Cold Harbor is a plan to create the perfect hockey player.

No wait, that's Cole Harbour.

[troutman]

Speculation I’ve read is that Lumon is working on cloning.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by troutman

Speculation I’ve read is that Lumon is working on cloning.

i think that would be a very disappointing twist

[getbak]

I think they're either working on putting a dead person's consciousness into a clone's body or reanimating a dead person and restoring their consciousness.

Mark's wife/Ms Casey is their test subject, with the ultimate goal of bringing Kier back.

In this week's episode, we found out that Mark is required for the completion of the Cold Harbor project, but the other 3 are apparently interchangeable. I suspect that is somehow related to the emotional connection Mark has with his wife and the other three are basically a control group to help Lumon isolate the work that Mark does that connects to his wife.

[undercoverbrother]

Thanks for starting this thread.

This is a great show.

It slightly reminds me of The Prisoner vibes.

We binged season 1 again in 2 days before watching starting season 2, was the right choice.

[Erick Estrada]

I don't know if it gets talked about enough but they really knocked it out of the park with the casting.

[Kidder]

Did a waffle/watch party with friends (no eroticism) last week to rewatch the finale and then the premiere. First episode felt a bit meh but when paired with the second it’s looking like another great season.

I discovered this show by random almost a year after it debuted, thinking I was starting Succession.

It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this captivated by a show and excited for new episodes.

The cliffhanger episode to end season one is just an incredible episode of television. I got shivers on the delivery of “She’s alive!” and still do.

I pray to Kier they keep the momentum going and this show turns into an all time classic thru completion.

[DoubleF]

The thing I like about this show is how low key it is and how much of a slow burn it can be/how appreciated that it's a bit of a slow burn. I also like how it's a bit of a mind bender thriller without relying heavily on some form of violence and death like many other shows and movies.

I think ep 1 of season 2 is the first time IMO that the show heavily hints that Lumon might be straight up lying to everyone in MDR. In season 1, I think it's blatantly obvious that Lumon misrepresents or omits things to MDR (ie: Isolation, wellness, break room, O&D etc.) and with a heavy emphasis on a sort of company culture that is cult like (which TBH is sorta normal for a company). But IMO season 2 is when it seems much more obvious that Lumon is crossing lines/potentially being unethical. The vibe feels different. Maybe I'm misremembering or it's just a coincidence I noticed, or maybe it's intentional for season 2... but I thought it was noticeable.

On a side note, I still wonder if there are major clues in the intro of both seasons.

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I don't know if it gets talked about enough but they really knocked it out of the park with the casting.

The casting is unreal, and it surprises me how people like Milchick (Tramell) hasn't found more work since season 1. Even Britt Lower (Helly).

Maybe the fact that Season 2 was such a long wait, they were beholden per contact, but this should be a springboard for a few of these actors.

Of course, Adam Scott, John Tutoro, and Zack Cherry get quite a bit of work already (Cherry in more of a support/side role) but they all play their characters beautifully.

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by DoubleF;9316992[B

]The thing I like about this show is how low key it is and how much of a slow burn it can be/how appreciated that it's a bit of a slow burn. I also like how it's a bit of a mind bender thriller without relying heavily on some form of violence and death like many other shows and movies. [/B]

I think ep 1 of season 2 is the first time IMO that the show heavily hints that Lumon might be straight up lying to everyone in MDR. In season 1, I think it's blatantly obvious that Lumon misrepresents or omits things to MDR (ie: Isolation, wellness, break room, O&D etc.) and with a heavy emphasis on a sort of company culture that is cult like (which TBH is sorta normal for a company). But IMO season 2 is when it seems much more obvious that Lumon is crossing lines/potentially being unethical. The vibe feels different. Maybe I'm misremembering or it's just a coincidence I noticed, or maybe it's intentional for season 2... but I thought it was noticeable.

On a side note, I still wonder if there are major clues in the intro of both seasons.

It's a tv show that has done everything so well... and then has this mystery to it.

In my opinion, the mystery aspects of the show are a draw, but not what gets me to keep watching. The show is great enough that the mysteries are almost secondary.

For example, at no point in season 1, was I frustrated with the fact that nothing was revealed about the inner workings of the company or their job. That's tough to do now, i think.

[Russic]

My worry with these types of shows is they shine like early Lost. The mystique is part of the fun, and the truth is usually a bit of a letdown. It's hard to stick the landings on weird, messed up shows like this.

Love the guess about death/consciousness that getbak posted. That makes more sense than anything else I've seen.

[Torture]

So hard to have to wait week to week rather than binge them all at once.

"Cobelvig"'s scream at the end of the last episode.... So good!

[undercoverbrother]

What is the source material for the show?

Is it a book or is this a fresh story?

[Torture]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

What is the source material for the show?

Is it a book or is this a fresh story?

No book. Fresh story.

[MegaErtz]

I don't want to spoil the show for anyone, but the reddit group dedicated to this show has figured out most of the answers.

Pretty obvious that it was outtie Helena in Season 2 Episode 1, pretending to be innie Helly. Irving forces himself to stay up all night with loud music and coffee so that his innie will fall asleep and his subconscious will filter through. Notice how Lumon have a very strict no sleeping policy, and Selvig is always trying to get Mark to eat and drink things that will make him sleep? Dylan's wife is obviously in a wheelchair, which is why we haven't seen her yet, and his innie always talks about his muscles. He gets them from lifting her in and out of bed.

The whole Cold Harbor thing is pretty obvious as well. The numbers correlate to the five Kier values, which is why the heavyset dude has "frolic" tattooed on his hand. Gemma was a burn victim, which means they froze her body and showed outtie Mark S another body for identification. Notice how Miss Hoang was a crossing guard? They want young people who died in accidents so they can bring their consciousness back to life by recreating their personalities through DNA - which is where the MDT come into play. The ultimate goal is to bring Kier back to life.

The goats back this clone theory up. If you'll remember in the first season, the state senator's wife has been severed so that she won't have to go through the pain of childbirth. That's why she smells funny and chews oddly, and has scars on her head - from where the goat horns have been removed.

Pay special attention to how they put things in the drawers before they go down the elevator, or back to their cars at the end of the day. I strongly suspect Irving is using his watch to communicate messages between his innie and outtie.