Severance (Spoilers)

[Torture]

All the folks that have seen tonight's episode already are raving about it.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Torture

All the folks that have seen tonight's episode already are raving about it.

Yes, that was really something.

It’s always Christmas.

I was really moved by the moment between Devon and Gemma.

I did not recognize Sandra Bernhard as the nurse.

https://collider.com/severance-seaso...isode-7-recap/

In Tibetan Buddhism, there are six bardos, three experienced in life and three experienced during and after death, before rebirth. The fourth bardo, the "chikhai bardo," describes the moments of death leading up to the final breath.

https://www.theringer.com/2025/02/27...-apple-tv-plus

All the characters on Severance have some version of the word “in” hidden in their names. Except, that is, for Mark and Gemma Scout ….

Dichen Lachman: flawless in any era.

[Cappy]

Great episode.

The episode director is the series cinematographer and it showed. Beautiful episode. Also her first directing gig

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Cappy

Great episode.

The episode director is the series cinematographer and it showed. Beautiful episode. Also her first directing gig

And also, she's from Canada!

[Hemi-Cuda]

So Gemma appears to be a guinea pig to see how many times one individual can be severed to avoid doing things they hate (going to the dentist, writing thank you cards, flying, etc). My guess for Cold Harbor then and why Mark is so important is that it's the endgame for avoiding pain or trauma, forgetting someone completely. Mark has been curating the room that once completed will remove any trace of Mark from Gemma's brain when she walks into it

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

So Gemma appears to be a guinea pig to see how many times one individual can be severed to avoid doing things they hate (going to the dentist, writing thank you cards, flying, etc). My guess for Cold Harbor then and why Mark is so important is that it's the endgame for avoiding pain or trauma, forgetting someone completely. Mark has been curating the room that once completed will remove any trace of Mark from Gemma's brain when she walks into it

I was thinking this, too, but then I started to think Mark didn't die so there really isn't any grief from Gemma's point of view aside from missing him being away from him all these years. You'd think it would make more sense to try something like that on Mark, to have him forget Gemma.

[Cappy]

Yeah, it seems like the overarching mystery of the series is that they are developing Severance for wider use than just the workplace. To essentially make it any activity you do not want to do.

When the show first came out, there was a lot of talk (still is) about which parts of our lives we would sever - going to the gym, airplane flights, etc. - and how great that would be; while missing the point that there is someone else on the other side of that door. It's horrific in a r/boringdystopia way

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

So Gemma appears to be a guinea pig to see how many times one individual can be severed to avoid doing things they hate (going to the dentist, writing thank you cards, flying, etc). My guess for Cold Harbor then and why Mark is so important is that it's the endgame for avoiding pain or trauma, forgetting someone completely. Mark has been curating the room that once completed will remove any trace of Mark from Gemma's brain when she walks into it

Does this really let Gemma forget something completely? I suppose that could be the next step - removing some memories while retaining others?

The only time she is actually Gemma is when she isn't inside one of the severed rooms. She already has no memory of Mark in any of them (or so it seems) - which I guess is what they are testing.

[CaptainYooh]

So, how does Lumon make money? Any good guesses?

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

So, how does Lumon make money? Any good guesses?

Government grants is my guess.

They also seem to be in the private healthcare space.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

Government grants is my guess.

They also seem to be in the private healthcare space.

They were the ones running the fertility clinic that Gemma went to, which is likely how they targeted her for these tests

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

So, how does Lumon make money? Any good guesses?

There is mention in Helly's speech in S2 E2 that she took "mixed alcohol and non-lumon brand medication" as an excuse for her gala outburst. So definitely in the pharmaceutical/healthcare space.

I suspect they are a conglomerate of some sort. many hands in many pots

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

So, how does Lumon make money? Any good guesses?

Snake oil. I mean, healing ether and pharmacare products. Oh, and chunky electronics.

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

Snake oil. I mean, healing ether and pharmacare products. Oh, and chunky electronics.

Can’t be snake oil. Cloned goat meat, maybe…

Seriously though, a corporation that practically owns the city they operate in, housing for their employees, huge office building, technologically-advanced means of frivolous research in multiple unrelated areas must be uber-rich. It all has to make sense even in a fantasy world of a TV show. Musk can screw around with Twitter and AI, because he makes billions from Tesla and SpaceX.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Cappy

Yeah, it seems like the overarching mystery of the series is that they are developing Severance for wider use than just the workplace. To essentially make it any activity you do not want to do.

When the show first came out, there was a lot of talk (still is) about which parts of our lives we would sever - going to the gym, airplane flights, etc. - and how great that would be; while missing the point that there is someone else on the other side of that door. It's horrific in a r/boringdystopia way

I'm confused by the mystery surrounding this? I thought it was obvious that there are severance applications beyond work from the Devin birthing arc with that other rich lady.

Beyond the birthing and workplace application, we aren't too sure what other "common" severance applications are out there, but IIRC, the writers did confirm the idea of being severed more than once.

I've been wondering if there's an actual hint in wording. Is there a difference between someone external saying something like "You're severed?" vs "I was a severed employee" (job search arc) that means that you can sever for reasons beyond work? But I haven't gone back to double check the script for the specific wording.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

So, how does Lumon make money? Any good guesses?

Pharmaceutical and tech company seem like hints from the Helly speech. Whatever MDR and the other science experiments are in Lumon HQ, intellectual property of some sort.

There's the birthing clinic/resort thing.
Property development is possible if they basically own whole towns.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Newfoundland gets a cameo this week.

[Hemi-Cuda]

That was the worst episode of the series. The "discoveries" alluded to by the episode description could be explained in 30 seconds, the rest of the runtime was just padding with bleak scenery and annoying Kier-speak. Polar opposite of the break-neck pace of the first few episodes of the season, and super annoying to have two side-story episodes back-to-back that don't move the main plot forward. At least Gemma's episode was interesting with a lot of new information given and a lot of new theories to work with. Cobel's episode had none of that

[troutman]

We needed Cobel back in the story but not for 45 minutes. Big reveal though.

https://www.avclub.com/severance-rec...-sweet-vitriol

Even a below-average episode of Severance can be an enjoyable time that expands the show’s mythology. However, season two has been on such a tear that, pacing wise, “Sweet Vitriol” feels like a setback. The return of Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette), who has been absent since “Who Is Alive?,” is most welcome. But the semi-deep dive into her upbringing comes at a pivotal juncture. There’s already too much tension and only a couple more installments left. To abruptly halt the action for a Harmony backstory now is jarring and, frankly, a little boring.

[Cappy]

Definitely didn't need to be a full episode in an "premier" tv show like this.

Beautifully shot, as always; and a nice backdrop for the mood of the show as well as Cobel.