Severance (Spoilers)

[DownInFlames]

Mark S is such a ####.

[FireGilbert]

Epic season finale. That elevator scene holy hell!

Innie Mark is the nice one with Outtie Mark is a bit of a jerk, understandable given his trauma, who treated his other half like a child. Compare their conversation with that nice note Dylan wrote his innie.

[Kidder]

Very enjoyable finale! Though I still rank season 1’s finals higher, one of the most tense, most incredible episodes of television I’ve ever watched.

This season’s wrap up was not a disappointment however.

Eager(Eagen) for season 3! Hopefully less than 3 year wait this time.

[Hemi-Cuda]

I wonder if we'll see some kind of innie revolt in season 3. Dylan had an entire marching band backing him up against Milchick, and the goat people don't seem happy with Lumon either. I wonder if they use Helly as a bargaining chip where she refuses to leave to get some concessions, or even kidnap mr no-soul Eagan himself (he looked like he was somewhere on the severed floor). Whatever happens we better get a lot more screentime for Gemma now that she's out, Dichen Lachman crushed what little time she did get this season

[Patek23]

Feel like Gemma definetely had a child. Hence the build up to her not feeling anything seeing the crib.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Patek23

Feel like Gemma definetely had a child. Hence the build up to her not feeling anything seeing the crib.

She had a miscarriage, which was shown in her episode

[getbak]

If we assume everyone on the severed floor goes home to an outie life at the end of the day, I wonder what Gwendoline Christie's character thinks every time she leaves work stinking like a barnyard.

[Patek23]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

She had a miscarriage, which was shown in her episode

I remember. But what other purpose would a crib serve to provoke such interest—why would they care whether you had an emotional response to a specific crib, unless it held a deeper meaning? Memories of a miscarriage, two years after being kidnapped and subjected to that kind of trauma? I’m not sure I can accept that at face value as the emotional detachment they were aiming to measure. Lumon was clearly monitoring her and planning the abduction, so who knows what kind of games they were playing.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Patek23

I remember. But what other purpose would a crib serve to provoke such interest—why would they care whether you had an emotional response to a specific crib, unless it held a deeper meaning? Memories of a miscarriage, two years after being kidnapped and subjected to that kind of trauma? I’m not sure I can accept that at face value as the emotional detachment they were aiming to measure. Lumon was clearly monitoring her and planning the abduction, so who knows what kind of games they were playing.

My 2 cents on the purpose of this "experiment":

Lumon's whole schtick is to remove the emotion from humanity in order for it to achieve greatness. This is what has been learned anytime they refer to the ideas of Keir. The story of his brother in the woods is about removing base instincts for a higher purpose.

The idea of "Severance" isn't to remove the work/life balance, it's to remove people from their own emotions, both good and bad. Every room she goes into is meant to evoke a strong temperament or emotional state. That yields "data" that is then refined by Mark S. by instinct or his own emotional connection to the numbers, but also because of his unique connection to Gemma. Over time, that refinement helps them to narrow the focus of Severance so that it can fully block any emotional attachment to anything. They believe this will result in utopia.

The final test of "Cold Harbor" is to deal with something so severe and intense that there has to be an emotional response, and when there isn't one, they believe they have the solution.

The solution to what is a more fascinating question. It's very similar to the principles of Scientology, and also bears a lot of the same hallmarks of that "religion" running through a leader with his close disciples being in his "family", but also the subtle psychological torture and passive aggressiveness that many people in that faith experience. I could go on, but it's a more dystopian mirror image of Scientology, along with money and industry attached.


All that being said, this episode cemented this as one of my all time favorite shows. It isn't flawless, and there is a slow burn, but when they have big moments, they reaaaally have big moments. As someone else said, the visuals on this show are so evocative. I think it's easily the best cinematography I've ever seen in a TV show. I also think Milchick might be one of the all time great television characters, in both his subtle maliciousness, and his absolute ineptitude despite his best intentions. It's a fascinating combination.

I'm going on too long, but for me, this is up there with Breaking Bad and The Wire as one of the all time great television shows.

[Erick Estrada]

IMO 2nd season was to me a bit of letdown after the first season. It's still a very good show but I just feel there was a bit too much filler to get to the finale. The Irving outie storyline was not satisfying and Dylan innie became kind of unlikeable. By the end I actually found the Milichick the most compelling character in the show because while we learned a lot more about him, it left me wanting more while other storylines kind of floundered. So all along the plan for Lumen was to create the perfect innie that is nothing but a mindless labourer 100% detached from the outside, which is interesting but doesn't explain how they would be able to full scale that on every innie. Still I am excited for a 3rd season and I hope the pacing and storylines are better so it can get back to the heights of the first season.

[Patek23]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

My 2 cents on the purpose of this "experiment":

Lumon's whole schtick is to remove the emotion from humanity in order for it to achieve greatness. This is what has been learned anytime they refer to the ideas of Keir. The story of his brother in the woods is about removing base instincts for a higher purpose.

The idea of "Severance" isn't to remove the work/life balance, it's to remove people from their own emotions, both good and bad. Every room she goes into is meant to evoke a strong temperament or emotional state. That yields "data" that is then refined by Mark S. by instinct or his own emotional connection to the numbers, but also because of his unique connection to Gemma. Over time, that refinement helps them to narrow the focus of Severance so that it can fully block any emotional attachment to anything. They believe this will result in utopia.

The final test of "Cold Harbor" is to deal with something so severe and intense that there has to be an emotional response, and when there isn't one, they believe they have the solution.

The solution to what is a more fascinating question. It's very similar to the principles of Scientology, and also bears a lot of the same hallmarks of that "religion" running through a leader with his close disciples being in his "family", but also the subtle psychological torture and passive aggressiveness that many people in that faith experience. I could go on, but it's a more dystopian mirror image of Scientology, along with money and industry attached.


All that being said, this episode cemented this as one of my all time favorite shows. It isn't flawless, and there is a slow burn, but when they have big moments, they reaaaally have big moments. As someone else said, the visuals on this show are so evocative. I think it's easily the best cinematography I've ever seen in a TV show. I also think Milchick might be one of the all time great television characters, in both his subtle maliciousness, and his absolute ineptitude despite his best intentions. It's a fascinating combination.

I'm going on too long, but for me, this is up there with Breaking Bad and The Wire as one of the all time great television shows.

I totally agree. Hence why, in my opinion, between a miscarriage two years prior or, from season 1, having your innie be exposed to your husband after all that time—when he thinks you’re dead and you’ve essentially been kidnapped—I do think that’s going to elicit a much larger response than the miscarriage.

So my theory is she’s been secretly raising their child downstairs, and the final and deepest bond they can “sever” is a mother’s bond. In my opinion, that’s why they’re so amazed when the crib means nothing to her. Maybe I’m just stuck on this, but I don’t see how this could be the final straw—the thing that proves they’ve truly been able to suppress every emotion and memory—unless it’s a child, especially after she and her husband have already been exposed to each other in their innie form.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by troutman

Milchik on Colbert tonight.

Suns out, guns out.

I hope this guy gets more roles. He's stealing the show IMO.

[Fuzz]

Coffee table book.

[MegaErtz]

Originally Posted by Patek23

I remember. But what other purpose would a crib serve to provoke such interest—why would they care whether you had an emotional response to a specific crib, unless it held a deeper meaning? Memories of a miscarriage, two years after being kidnapped and subjected to that kind of trauma? I’m not sure I can accept that at face value as the emotional detachment they were aiming to measure. Lumon was clearly monitoring her and planning the abduction, so who knows what kind of games they were playing.

The brand name of the crib was "Cold Harbor." They show outtie Mark building it in a flashback.

[Erick Estrada]

I wonder if Miss Huang still has a role in season 3 or if her storyline was just an example of the fellowship path Cobel went through.

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by Patek23

Maybe I’m just stuck on this

I think so. I think you're seriously discounting the trauma of a miscarriage.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I wonder if Miss Huang still has a role in season 3 or if her storyline was just an example of the fellowship path Cobel went through.

I think she will probably be back. Almost certainly.

What happened to Gwendolyn Y. (Alia Shawkat), Dario R. (Stefano Carannante) and Mark W. (Bob Balaban) - Mark’s new team of refiners?

[Kidder]

Sounded like Mark W.’s outie was preparing a lawsuit against Lumon for wrongful termination. Do you dabble in Innie law Troutman?

[woob]

That was an intense finale. The dialogue between animatronic Kier and Milchick was hilarious in a wtf way.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Kidder

Sounded like Mark W.’s outie was preparing a lawsuit against Lumon for wrongful termination. Do you dabble in Innie law Troutman?

I think Lumon would argue the innies are not legal persons, but merely aspects of their outies.