By Teagan Warren
Many people crave to escape the tedious, stressful or confining nature of work. These people live for life’s adventures and pleasantries. Other individuals find their refuge in work from difficult home situations, enjoying the empowerment of doing good work. If these ideas connect with you, perhaps I could interest you in a procedure called “severance.”
In season one of the hit television series “Severance,” Mark Scout received this procedure to escape his incessant grief after his wife was killed in a car accident. A company called Lumon surgically severs their employees who essentially become two distinct people living in the same body. The “innie” (as the work identity is named) has no knowledge of the “outie” (the original identity).
The first episode of the show sees a new employee, Helly R, brought into Mark’s department at Lumon. Mark struggles to get Helly to comply with the rules, and she leads the other department coworkers– Irving and Dylan–to doubt what Lumon is all about. Mark’s ponderings of what he is really doing in his job only increase after his outie runs into Petey, his innie’s best friend within Lumon. Season one concluded with a high-stakes stakes cliff-hanger, and the OG fans waited three years for season two.
This season became much more romance-heavy than the previous season. Because of this, certain characters I was intrigued by in season one were pushed to the side. I would have liked to see even more of the relationship between Mark and his sister. Season one demonstrated their bond to give a grounds for their trust when Mark finds himself in dangerous situations in season two. Devon’s husband Ricken served as a fantastic side character in the original season. His grandiloquent self-help book “The You that You Are” took a marvelously ironic twist in the first season. His peculiar concerns and whimsical nature created a stark contrast between Mark and his pragmatic nature, which was absolutely entertaining. Unfortunately, we saw little of him this season.
Compared to season one, this season took more risks. The setting varied dramatically from the wilderness to a rural coastal town. Explanations were not always given for the sudden switch in scenes, creating intrigue. Of course, this can create a sense of mystery and suspense to a certain extent, but I found the movement between scenes and characters to be more irritating at times, breaking the suspense and giving me whiplash.
Another bold move included episodes with unique tones. For example, one episode reflects on the memory Mark has of him and Gemma. This episode was unusually artistic. In contrast to the fluorescent light-filled, white rooms we see for part of this episode, we see the scenes from Mark and Gemma first meeting and later on in their marriage with vibrant colors. The usual tense background music of the show melts into soft piano music and romantic-sounding French music. Shots of plants and sounds of crickets grace the scenes from their marriage too. Other rose-colored glasses elements included fast-paced clips of Mark and Gemma that resembled film and had the antique cropping of old films.
Despite the fact season two feels less smooth than season one, the story becomes more immersive. Discovering the wickedness of Lumon chilled me. From the outside, Lumon looks like a normal company, but with an inside perspective, it is more of a cult. After all, how many companies speak that those who follow the founder, Kier, will find their soul’s rest in him after death? The profound coldness of the Eagan family is penetrating, particularly as the elderly Jame Eagan makes obscure remarks with a dry, whispy voice. He seems otherworldly, not even human. The cryptic board who only speaks through Natalie through an earpiece presents but another dimension that the employees do not understand.
The last episode concludes excellently. I got the perfect amount of closure and yet suspense. Sure, we understood what Lumon appeared to be up to, but other characters’ stories remain untold. Considering the mess at the end of the episode some characters will be entering into, what can they even do next?
Thematically, one question the show aims to answer is, “What does a relationship look like in one body but two split identities?” Innies and outies had different romantic interests. My first thought was, “That is so bad. How could the inside man do this to the outside man?” Yet, these innies are subjugated to the desires of their outies, but they in no sense share the same consciousness. Why should they care about this stranger and his or her desires who only speaks to the innie through a recording? When someone retires or is kicked out from Lumon, the innie dies, essentially. The outie of another person is of little importance to an innie.
Dissecting more the concept of split identities, in the second to last episode of season two, Mark has a conversation with himself. Through the use of video recordings, the two Mark’s are able to communicate with each other. Outie Mark apologizes to his innie for making a “nightmare” for him, all because he looked for escape. In response, innie Mark states, “You know, ‘nightmare’ is the wrong word actually ‘cause we find ways to make it work, to feel whole.” Innie Mark goes on to say this life he lives is all he knows which is why the particular request outie Mark makes is so terrifying. The scenes of the two Marks having a discussion that turns into an argument involves transitions that were expertly done.
Season two of “Severance” lives up to the hype and is a worthy successor to season one, contemplating a unique concept in a thrilling way. Considering the risks of going through with severance, I will dissuade you readers from the procedure. Rather, I would strongly encourage you to watch “Severance” season two.
“Severance” is now streaming on Apple TV
Teagan Warren is a junior psychology major who enjoys eating birthday cake-flavored foods, daydreaming and collecting “trash” (as her mom classifies it) that she really will use in the future.
Images courtesy of Apple TV
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