# Severance (season one *spoiler* thread)



## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

The other thread has never been marked for spoilers, so here's one where we don't have to watch our language.

** SPOILERS for S01E01 - S01E5 "The Grim Barbarity of Optics & Design" FROM HERE **


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

Creator Dan Erickson reputedly had the season and beyond well mapped-out, so I really hope WTF moments like the room full of baby goats ("they're not ready!") isn't a random "let's throw in something weird here" detail. I have faith that it isn't. Ready for what? 

Mark's sister Devon is a great character. Funny, grounded, smart. It's a good performance, because on paper I can't see why on earth she tolerates Ricken, much less is having a baby with him, but somehow the performance makes it work.

Ricken, meanwhile, is an oddly pivotal character given the effect his book is having on the Mark he didn't give it to. 

I'm continuing to love Britt Lower's Helly. I wonder if we'll ever get to know why her outie is such a bizniatch. I felt a little bad for Mark S when Ricken's book finally gives him the tools to understand what she is struggling with and she throws his outreach in his face. "I'm not your new Petey." Fortunately they find baby goats after that and she realizes having an ally might be a good idea.

I love Dichen Lachman but I can't decide if she's giving a... not bad, but off maybe?... performance. The non-severed denizens of the floor like Harmony and Milchick are, as we've seen, putting on performances for the employees, but Lachman's Ms. Casey has this ethereal, spaced-out personality that seems like she might be severed but almost certainly isn't. It doesn't bother me and I think it works in context, but it's curious.

It seems ridiculous at first that the divisions could believe all these rumors about each other, but then I think that the innies are basically all infants, with no practical life experience to draw from that would tell them otherwise. So why not. Clever Milchick running a code-whatever on Irving with the copy machine to try to keep him from spending time in O&D.

None of these people actually get much work done!


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

Yes I am SO curious about Helly's outie. What kind of person do you have to be to consign _yourself_ to a hell so terrible that you're willing to commit suicide to escape it, even if you can't remember why? Will we ever get that story?

Ricken's book was absolutely hilarious.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

madscientist said:


> Yes I am SO curious about Helly's outie. What kind of person do you have to be to consign _yourself_ to a hell so terrible that you're willing to commit suicide to escape it, even if you can't remember why? Will we ever get that story?


Well, it's obvious that Outside Hellie doesn't think Inside Hellie is a real person. It's interesting that we already know more about how Outside Hellie (whom we've never really met directly) feel about her Innie than Outside Mark does about his.


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

I mean yeah, but what kind of person can decide that? Inside Helly is sentient and has total control over outside Helly's body, thoughts, feelings, etc. for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. How can someone utterly disregard that? Outside Helly must be a ... unique person.


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## cherry ghost (Sep 13, 2005)

cmontyburns said:


> The other thread has never been marked for spoilers, so here's one where we don't have to watch our language.
> 
> ** SPOILERS for S01E01 - S01E5 "The Grim Barbarity of Optics & Design" FROM HERE **


spoiler thread was created a couple days ago









Severance (Apple TV+) (All Season 1 Spoiler Thread)


(Since E5 has aired, spoilers from E1 to E5 may follow. Recommend marking when a new episode airs so people know to stop reading) Okay, with each episode getting progressively weirder.... Now my coworkers and I are all joking about how the goats are not ready yet.




www.tivocommunity.com


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

Thanks @cherry ghost, and my apologies to @kaszeta who was good enough to make that thread. The non-spoiler thread kept floating to the top and I’m afraid I never noticed the new one.


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## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

cmontyburns said:


> Thanks @cherry ghost, and my apologies to @kaszeta who was good enough to make that thread. The non-spoiler thread kept floating to the top and I’m afraid I never noticed the new one.


No prob. I'll have the mods delete the other one.


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## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

cmontyburns said:


> Creator Dan Erickson reputedly had the season and beyond well mapped-out, so I really hope WTF moments like the room full of baby goats ("they're not ready!") isn't a random "let's throw in something weird here" detail. I have faith that it isn't. Ready for what?


So much of the basement is bizarre enough I wonder if the implants mess with what the severed employees are seeing.



> It seems ridiculous at first that the divisions could believe all these rumors about each other, but then I think that the innies are basically all infants, with no practical life experience to draw from that would tell them otherwise. So why not. Clever Milchick running a code-whatever on Irving with the copy machine to try to keep him from spending time in O&D.


Speaking of Milchick and the Code 266 or whatever it was... This episode made it clear that they've got a _lot_ of cameras on the floor, so to me it's a little odd that Graner, Odel, and Milchick seem to get taken by suprise by some of the activities happening on the floor. Unless watching things play out is part of what they are up to.


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## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> Well, it's obvious that Outside Hellie doesn't think Inside Hellie is a real person. It's interesting that we already know more about how Outside Hellie (whom we've never really met directly) feel about her Innie than Outside Mark does about his.


What little we've seen of authentic outside Hellie, the folks performing the severance seemed to be impressed with her. I'm wondering if she's somebody really important in the management structure, like a board member.

My other random theory: What if the severance chip is more than just on-off? What if they can create a third personality as well? Then they could do something like this:

1. Hellie attempts to quit
2. Let's create a third Hellie. Do whatever training you need to get her to read that script.
3. Delete/stop using third Hellie.

It's a bit related to that new employee survey, which is obviously to check that whatever the severance chip is doing has the correct limits on it. We know it doesn't work perfectly (a handful of examples of memories bleeding through, including Mark's tree); what happens if someone fails that survey? Out of the program? Wipe and try again?


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

** SPOILERS FOR S01E06 "Hide and Seek" FROM HERE **



cmontyburns said:


> I love Dichen Lachman but I can't decide if she's giving a... not bad, but off maybe?... performance. The non-severed denizens of the floor like Harmony and Milchick are, as we've seen, putting on performances for the employees, but Lachman's Ms. Casey has this ethereal, spaced-out personality that seems like she might be severed but almost certainly isn't. It doesn't bother me and I think it works in context, but it's curious.


So Ms. Casey IS a severed (part-time) worker. OK. 

I just knew when Devon and Ricken needed a lactation nurse that Harmony/Mrs. Selvig would show up. How creepy she put the baby to sleep humming the Lumon song about Keir. At least we know Harmony is a true believer, judging from the fact that her bedroom in in the bunker-like basement next to a Keir shrine. 

Interesting! They can wake the innies up whenever they want. Mr. Milchick even wears his white short-sleeved shirt out into the world. Can't wait to see what Dylan thinks of having seen his outie's kid (and his closet) next episode. 

Also will be revealing what new security measures were installed. It seems to be a bit of a race now for Harmony, Michick and the rest to put the clamps back on the severed employees before the employees break too far free of their shackles. I was kind of hoping that Mark S. would refuse to go into the break room. What did they do to him in there? Rapped his knuckles? Made him punch the wall? 

I wonder if the pictographic card that Dylan stole was just a reason to show us activating an innie outside or if there will be more explanation of what those cards are for. I need to go back to that point and study what else was on them. 

In looking up who plays Alexa, Nikki James, I learned she is a Tony winner (for Book of Mormon). Even the small parts on this show have a pedigree! I like Alexa. I'd like to meet an Alexa.

So Mr. Graner is on the way to the school. Not sure how Mark got there ahead of him as it seemed Graner visited Harmony at home well before Mark and Alexa hooked up and Mark fished the phone out of the trash, but who knows. Maybe Graner didn't go right there. Seems like he had arrived right at the end of the episode though.

"F*** You Lumon!" is stuck in my head.


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

cmontyburns said:


> At least we know Harmony is a true believer, judging from the fact that her bedroom in in the bunker-like basement next to a Keir shrine.


That was really striking. I can kind of see how someone like Irving might embrace the Handbook, when it's effectively the only book he's ever read. But Harmony ought to know better.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

This is like a horror story, without the horror.

But still a horror story.


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## mooseAndSquirrel (Aug 31, 2001)

It’s purgatory! (Half joking ref to Lost)


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

** SPOILERS FOR S01E07 "Defiant Jazz" FROM HERE **

It didn't occur to me until Mark was taping his wife's photo back together with his thumb strategically over her face -- reveal obviously coming -- that she may have been someone we would recognize. Holy smokes, she was/is Ms. Casey?!? (Lucky bastard.) I'm not sure how that would work, but I am guessing it explains (or rather, is explained by) Devon's interaction with the other pregnant woman at the birthing retreat and later, and Devon's musing about whether people can be severed in the real world too. Otherwise how would Outie Mark and Outie Ms Casey not possibly think the other is alive/their spouse/etc. There would always be the possibility they could run into each other outside of Lumon. Cool twist. Let's see where they take it.



cmontyburns said:


> Can't wait to see what Dylan thinks of having seen his outie's kid (and his closet) next episode.


OK, so he didn't take it well. It's pretty cool how they've worked all the characters to this inflection point. It started with Helly, who came in that way and started putting ideas in their heads. Mark, who on some level was probably always questioning things, got Ricken's book accidentally and opened his mind. Dylan and Irving got the most primal of nudges -- Dylan seeing that he has a son ("you expect me to just walk around here every day knowing that?"), and Irving found love and then had it taken away from him. I was really wondering how they were going to get Irving over the line, since he has been such a Keir devotee. I have to assume that Milchick engineered Burt's retirement as part of his efforts to get MDR under control, but boy did that backfire. Irving's profane explosion at Milchick was pretty startling and also quite sad: "You're all just going to stand there and let him die?"

I have to say, I was kind of into the MDE until Dylan snapped.

Poor Mr. Graner. Never work alone.

I can't wait for the insurrection!


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## mooseAndSquirrel (Aug 31, 2001)

Sorry - who’s Ms. Casey? I thought I recognized the woman in the strategically revealed photo, but couldn’t place her.


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## mlsnyc (Dec 3, 2009)

cmontyburns said:


> Holy smokes, she was/is Ms. Casey?!?


I was wondering if that really was her or I just thought it looked like her but is someone different. Then I thought about it more and the way the lead-up was done was clearly to get to a shocking reveal. So it had to be a character we have already seen. Since it’s clearly not Helly or superfluous board intermediary, that leaves the Wellness person.


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## mooseAndSquirrel (Aug 31, 2001)

OK, got it - Ms. Casey is the “wellness counselor”


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## whoknows55 (Jun 17, 2001)

I was 80% sure it was Ms. Casey but wasn't 100%. Everyone in the outside world think she's dead, so where does she go when she's not acting as an innie?


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## cherry ghost (Sep 13, 2005)

whoknows55 said:


> I was 80% sure it was Ms. Casey but wasn't 100%. Everyone in the outside world think she's dead, so where does she go when she's not acting as an innie?


Possibly a permanent innie?


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

cmontyburns said:


> Poor Mr. Graner.


Don't feel bad for him, the guy was a thug. I just felt bad for Mark, becoming kind of an unwilling accessory to murder.


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## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

*SPOILERS FOR S01E08 "What's For Dinner"* *FOLLOW*

Weirdest. Waffle. Party. Ever.


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## Guy Fleegman (12 mo ago)

Whose face was the bride? I want to say it was the severed mother at the birthing retreat.


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## Guy Fleegman (12 mo ago)

and... Motorhead! +


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## Guy Fleegman (12 mo ago)

cherry ghost said:


> Possibly a permanent innie?


Looks like it, with her reference to only being alive for so many hours.


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## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

Guy Fleegman said:


> Whose face was the bride? I want to say it was the severed mother at the birthing retreat.


Ms. Casey, the Wellness Counselor


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## Guy Fleegman (12 mo ago)

That was my original thought.


Well, not my original, original thought.


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## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

Random thoughts from E8:

Irv: We learned a lot of random things from Irv's experience:

1. A few episodes ago Ms. Casey told him "Your outie loves the sound of radar". "Radar" is the name of his dog, so at some of the things the Wellness Counselor says are based on reality, perhaps as a way of testing for a reaction.
2. Irv's almost certainly been down the corridor leading to the Testing Floor Elevator (you can see the down arrow in his paintings), and it's leaking through. The paint is also leaking through to his innie.
3. That also explains the black paint under his nails, and the staying up all night drinking coffee explains why he dozes off at work.

Mark:
1. It's gonna be really weird if Mark wakes up while Ricken is talking from his book.

Overtime:
1. I _really_ want to know what a lot of those other modes aside from Overtime do, like Goldfish.
2. I'm tempted to see if there are easter eggs or other things to learn from the dozens of other names on the panel in that control room.

Things that bug me:
1. We've seen that the basement at Lumon has cameras everywhere, but it seems like they seldom watch it realtime; nobody saw the leadup to Helly's suicide attempt, and a huge number of the Data Refinement shenanigans should have been caught if anyone was watching the video feeds. You'd think that when the employees were caught after they put the locked door on their office, that they'd go back and review and see that Mark has a card he shouldn't have.


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## Guy Fleegman (12 mo ago)

Hopefully the Innies take the opportunity to leave information for their Outies


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

Guy Fleegman said:


> Looks like it, with her reference to only being alive for so many hours.


That was her perspective as an innie -- same as all of them, she only knows the time since she was severed. And to be fired is, effectively, to die.

We don't yet know what the deal with her outie is. Mark Scout thinks she's dead. I suspect she may have multiple "innie" personalities, with her original ("outie") permanently suppressed. But I don't know.



kaszeta said:


> Irv's almost certainly been down the corridor leading to the Testing Floor Elevator (you can see the down arrow in his paintings), and it's leaking through.


I thought his paintings might depict the entrance to the Break Room. I didn't notice the arrow; I'll have to rewatch.



> It's gonna be really weird if Mark wakes up while Ricken is talking from his book.


I think that Mark S. is going to choose Ricken as the person he confides in, because Ricken will be the only one there Mark S. will recognize, apart from his former boss. And because he's a fan.


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

Guy Fleegman said:


> Looks like it, with her reference to only being alive for so many hours.


That comment is because she is only used for wellness sessions and likely not nearly every day. She might be “alive” for only thirty minutes every few days. As far as she knows, the rest of the time she’s in Outie form, living her life. But it’s clear her outie, if that person even exists sentiently, never leaves the building (she was sent back to the testing floor). So that explains how she can be Mark’s wife whom everything thinks is dead.

By the way:

** SPOILERS FOR S01E08 "What's For Dinner" IN PROGRESS**


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

kaszeta said:


> Ms. Casey, the Wellness Counselor


Wait, the bride where?


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

kaszeta said:


> Random thoughts from E8:
> 
> Irv: We learned a lot of random things from Irv's experience:
> 
> ...


Yes, it was great connecting those dots. Both innie and outie are being haunted by the other's memories. It's a bit poignant that Irving apparently is going to wake up and find out he may have a more vibrant innie life than he has an outie one.



> Mark:
> 1. It's gonna be really weird if Mark wakes up while Ricken is talking from his book.


Who knows if the cuts are meant to imply this is all happening simultaneously, but if so it appears Mark will wake up while hugging Harmony/Mrs. Selvig. I hope it's not just a matter of plot convenience that she was just fired and is mad at Lumon and thus may not be inclined to do anything when she realizes she is suddenly talking to Mark S. I think the show is smarter than that though.



> Things that bug me:
> 1. We've seen that the basement at Lumon has cameras everywhere, but it seems like they seldom watch it realtime; nobody saw the leadup to Helly's suicide attempt, and a huge number of the Data Refinement shenanigans should have been caught if anyone was watching the video feeds. You'd think that when the employees were caught after they put the locked door on their office, that they'd go back and review and see that Mark has a card he shouldn't have.


My version of that nit is that they would likely have known Graner's body was missing his key card, and even if they didn't, they surely would have deactivated it. So that one is obviously a plot convenience.


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

Other thoughts:

Great line from Helly R. after she kisses Mark S: "In case we don't come back. Or... in case we do." I continue to be smitten with Britt Lower.

Another good line, this one a quip from Mark Scout to Devon. Her: "Brother and sister." Him: "Alone at last." Laughed at that one. I like their relationship.

Hysterically subversive that all their celebrations are so square, so we assume the waffle party will be as well. And then it is revealed to be decidedly some other shape -- eating waffles alone in Keir's house. And then it is revealed to be _WTF?!?_

Of course now that we've seen the room full of baby goats, one of the Waffle Party dancers is wearing a ram's head.

We got a glimpse of Helly apparently at a party. Looked too well-lit and fancy to be the party at Devon and Ricken's, but I had a moment of wondering.

Natalie was annoyingly smug in telling Harmony she was fired.

We knew Dylan was aware that Mark kept Ricken’s book. Hilarious that self-styled tough guy Dylan actually read it. “Page 198 slaps.” Now there’s a compliment Ricken won’t be hearing at his party.


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## Guy Fleegman (12 mo ago)

cmontyburns said:


> Wait, the bride where?


At the waffle party


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## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

cmontyburns said:


> Of course now that we've seen the room full of baby goats, one of the Waffle Party dancers is wearing a ram's head.


That waffle party was pretty much a live recreation of that weird painting Irv and Bert were looking at outside of Wellness.


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

Guy Fleegman said:


> At the waffle party


The dancers were all wearing masks. Did I miss a moment where somebody's face is revealed?


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

kaszeta said:


> That waffle party was pretty much a live recreation of that weird painting Irv and Bert were looking at outside of Wellness.


Ah, I had forgotten that.


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## cherry ghost (Sep 13, 2005)

cmontyburns said:


> We got a glimpse of Helly apparently at a party. Looked too well-lit and fancy to be the party at Devon and Ricken's, but I had a moment of wondering.


Wasn‘t it mentioned in Ep 7 there was an upcoming Lumon gala?


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

cherry ghost said:


> Wasn‘t it mentioned in Ep 7 there was an upcoming Lumon gala?


In this week's episode, they were setting up for a party as our people were leaving the building...


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

I would have been surprised had this news not come, but still, it's good to have it official now:









Apple TV+ Renews Popular Workplace Thriller 'Severance' for Second Season


Apple today announced that it has renewed the critically acclaimed workplace thriller "Severance" for a second season. The announcement comes...




www.macrumors.com





_"It's really exciting to see the response from people who are loving the show — and the level of fan engagement," said Stiller. "It has been a long road bringing 'Severance' to television. I first read Dan's pilot over five years ago. It has always been a multi-season story, and I'm really happy we get to continue it. I'm grateful to our partners at Apple TV+ who have been behind it the whole way. Praise Keir!"_


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## cherry ghost (Sep 13, 2005)

I’ve noticed some Friday mornings there are already comments here on new episodes. What time on Thursdays have they become available? I’d like to watch tonight if it’s not too late.


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## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

cherry ghost said:


> I’ve noticed some Friday mornings there are already comments here on new episodes. What time on Thursdays have they become available? I’d like to watch tonight if it’s not too late.


They become available at midnight GMT.


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## mlsnyc (Dec 3, 2009)

kaszeta said:


> They become available at midnight GMT.


Interesting. I could’ve sworn I’ve checked after 9pm ET on Thursday and the new episode wasn’t available yet. I’ll try again tonight.


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## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

mlsnyc said:


> Interesting. I could’ve sworn I’ve checked after 9pm ET on Thursday and the new episode wasn’t available yet. I’ll try again tonight.


I know I started watching episode 8 at 9pm ET last week.


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## mlsnyc (Dec 3, 2009)

kaszeta said:


> I know I started watching episode 8 at 9pm ET last week.


I don't want to wait until tomorrow to see the season finale, so hopefully the release time holds up this week.


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## Guy Fleegman (12 mo ago)

Woe, Frolic, Dread, and Malice.
I choose Frolic!


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## cherry ghost (Sep 13, 2005)

Ep 9 is available


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## Guy Fleegman (12 mo ago)

Helena Freaking Eagan!!!


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## Guy Fleegman (12 mo ago)

Is there green and blue in her earrings?


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## Gunnyman (Jul 10, 2003)

That was a wild ride.


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## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

Gunnyman said:


> That was a wild ride.


A wild ride, and I enjoyed it, but I really didn't get that much of a surprise from this episode, it unrolled pretty much the way I expected it:

1. I had long suspected that Helly was in management, and the short "party" shot of her at the tail end of E8 pretty much confirmed that.
2. I figured Innie Mark would eventually see a photo of his "dead" wife, and there's some 'splainin' to do.
3. Basic TV screenwriting means that we'd get the switch flipping off right as the episode ended.
4. I strongly suspected that Innie Mark would out himself by referring to Kobel by that name.

The interesting thing for me is that we still have no idea what the Innies actually _do_. So a huge potential amount of material for S2.

Other random comments:

1. I loved Britt Lower's facial expressions as she shifted between putting on the corporate smile to blend in, and her look of disgust when nobody was looking. An interesting byproduct of the premise is that I'm cheering for one version of the person, and hating the other
2. While Ricken and his groupies are quite annoying, part of me likes how self-aware he actually is, especially about what outie Mark thinks of him.
3. The particularly lame incentives that Milchick was offering to Dylan. Yeah, he's really going to go for a coffee cozy _right_ _now_.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

kaszeta said:


> The interesting thing for me is that we still have no idea what the Innies actually _do_.


If the show isn't as weird as it's pretending to be, it's entirely possible that they don't actually do anything. They're just proof-of-concept.

But the show just might be as weird as it's pretending to be...


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## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> If the show isn't as weird as it's pretending to be, it's entirely possible that they don't actually do anything. They're just proof-of-concept.


It's really just an implementation of The Turk


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## jdfs (Oct 21, 2002)

Amazing season. One theory I saw elsewhere. Father Egan mentioned about his revolving. After they (the Egans and maybe other founders) die they upload their memories/consciousness into the virtual world and are part of the board. The macro data refinement could have something to do with maintaining that virtual consciousness by filtering out anomalies and bad data.


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

That was brilliant.


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## gweempose (Mar 23, 2003)

cmontyburns said:


> That was brilliant.


Agreed. The entire season was great, but the finale was easily one of the best individual episodes of TV I've seen in a long time. The entire thing was perfectly executed from start to finish!


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## zalusky (Apr 5, 2002)

I am surprised nobody has mentioned the Scientology parallels. 

__
https://www.reddit.com/r/SeveranceAppleTVPlus/comments/t2h2lh


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

I don't know enough about Scientology to make the connection. But it's certainly interesting to see it pointed out!


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## mooseAndSquirrel (Aug 31, 2001)

My wife was tolerating this to watch with me. That changed with the finale. She’s all-in now!


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## gweempose (Mar 23, 2003)

Here's a great interview with Ben Stiller by Alan Sepinwall ...









'I Figured We Were All In': Ben Stiller on That Crazy 'Severance' Season 1 Ending


Ben Stiller spills on why Season One ended how it did — and when we might get to see Season Two




www.rollingstone.com


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

I was going to post that as well. Here are a couple more reads:

Interview with creator Dan Erickson, EW.com:









'Severance' creator answers (some of) our burning questions about that mind-blowing finale


'Severance' creator Dan Erickson answers our burning questions about that mind-blowing finale — some of them, anyway.




ew.com





Interview with Britt Lower, Vanity Fair:









‘Severance’ Star Britt Lower Unpacks an Illuminating Season One Finale


The breakout on getting into character, her favorite scene, and where Helly might go in season two.




www.vanityfair.com





Both Erickson, in the EW interview, and Stiller, in the RS interview, say that Erickson wanted to reveal a little more at the end of season one, but Stiller felt like where they ended it was the best choice, dramatically, and convinced Erickson to hold more back. Stiller has said this before, but it's still cool to read Erickson confirming that he knows the answers to all the stuff we are wondering -- what the MDR team actually do, how Gemma came to be Ms. Casey, what the goats are for, etc. We're not being shown things just for WTF purposes.


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

cmontyburns said:


> That was brilliant.


A few more substantial thoughts:

This was a wonderfully-directed and -edited episode. Steadily increasing tension throughout as we cross-cut between Irving, Mark, and Helly, wanting them to get to the point of learning or doing or saying the things they need to, and then back to Dylan, barely hanging on to the levers, and then time running out as Milchick works on gaining access to the security room. Edge-of-your-seat stuff. I was rapt the whole time. Of course this was all blatantly manipulative of us, and I have to imagine they put it together with at least a bit of a chuckle -- I mean, did they really need to make us wonder for so long whether Cobel kidnapped the baby? -- but it all worked to perfection. 

I agree with @kaszeta about Britt Lower's work in this one. As Helly R. wakes up and realizes who her Outie is and what she's been up to, we get that closeup of Lower on the elevator descending to the party and the expressions washing across her face are devastating. And then we get the scene in the bathroom, following the visit by her father, as Helly stares into the mirror and recites the apology koan from the Break Room. Of course she knows it by heart, having been made to say it 1,000 times, but ironically this is the first time it has any meaning for her, and she couldn't mean it more in this moment. 

At first I thought maybe it was a leap for Cobel to suspect Mark S. was now present -- she clearly thought something was up even before he called her "Ms. Cobel" and not "Mrs. Selvig" -- but then, who would know the difference better than she? She has plenty of time spent with both Marks and thus would pick up on differences in their affect that no one else would. 

Dylan has three kids, at least if Milchick is to be believed. I liked the realistic detail of Dylan's glasses sliding down his nose; we see them almost at the tip as Milchick is trying to break in, and bribing him with knowledge like his kids. He'd perspire a bit with the exertion of holding the switches on, and then of course his glasses would slide down. Nice touch.

Poor Irving. He comes to and finds out he lives a tortured life, and then tracks Burt down and finds out that Burt... does not, and seems happy. Of course, in the process, we get the knowledge that Outie Irving seems to have been doing some digging into Lumon himself. (This was the one place I thought the episode was a bit inorganically-plotted: Irving was able to move pretty quickly from "where am I" to finding out where Burt is, with the help of a convenient map that was conveniently-marked for Burt and in a conveniently-findable place, etc. Not entirely sure I bought all that, but it's a nit.)

I saw a supercut of all of Dichen Lachman's scenes this season. She was in the eight episodes for eight minutes total. That's quite something for a main-title credited actor. Seems like we'll be getting more of her next season, which is A-OK with me. 

I think they've done a good job with Ricken. He's kind of a ridiculous character, but as we see in this episode, he knows he's ridiculous. (He tells Mark, "I know how I come across to you.") And still quite human at the end of the day, with his self-loathing about his public speaking ability, for instance. 

Back to Helly R: "I'm going to kill your company." Wow. You go, girl.


----------



## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

cmontyburns said:


> Of course this was all blatantly manipulative of us...


That was the one thing that bothered me about this episode, and really cut back on the tension for me. It was all too artificial/scripted to have any real sense of stakes.

But it was all very well acted and directed. I just wish the story structure had been on quite the same level, instead of being so...structured.


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## zalusky (Apr 5, 2002)

Now if only Dylan had brought some tape to put on those levers then he could have held the door closed. Next time!!!


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## Guy Fleegman (12 mo ago)

If the show was about Scientology, wouldn't Helly be fat?


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

They never showed us what was in Dylan's award box. I was 100% sure it was going to be something that would help him keep the two switches open but then... nothing!

Argh!


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## mlsnyc (Dec 3, 2009)

madscientist said:


> They never showed us what was in Dylan's award box. I was 100% sure it was going to be something that would help him keep the two switches open but then... nothing!
> 
> Argh!


It was one of those laser-engraved glass portraits of the four of them. It was from the picture Mr. Milchick took when Helly joined, i think.


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## zalusky (Apr 5, 2002)

Guy Fleegman said:


> If the show was about Scientology, wouldn't Helly be fat?


Ha! In real life David Miscavige's is the current leader of Scientology and his wife Shelly Miscavige AKA Helly has been mysteriously not seen in public since 2007. Some people say she has been locked up in a Scientology prison so to speak.


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## Anubys (Jul 16, 2004)

zalusky said:


> Now if only Dylan had brought some tape to put on those levers then he could have held the door closed. Next time!!!


Of all the meticulous planning, they really didn't think of a better way to hold the levers open? seriously? that fat short guy motionless in that awkward position without a single flinch for an hour is absolutely impossible. And his glasses remained at the tip of his nose the entire time!

That was totally ridiculous.


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

Anubys said:


> Of all the meticulous planning, they really didn't think of a better way to hold the levers open?


I don't think they had any idea they had to be held open until they tried it.


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## jay_man2 (Sep 15, 2003)

wmcbrine said:


> I don't think they had any idea they had to be held open until they tried it.


The manual they read the instructions from mentioned it was a two person job because the switches had to be held open, IIRC.


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

Something I randomly stumbled on last night:



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kieran_Egan_(philosopher)



Probably not the inspiration.


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## zyzzx (Jan 22, 2002)

Anubys said:


> Of all the meticulous planning, they really didn't think of a better way to hold the levers open? seriously? that fat short guy motionless in that awkward position without a single flinch for an hour is absolutely impossible. And his glasses remained at the tip of his nose the entire time!
> 
> That was totally ridiculous.


I chalk it up to "it makes for better TV this way."


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

Of course. If he could have held the switches open indefinitely, all the tension drains out of the episode. Besides, they were limited to what they had in the MDR room, which was almost nothing, and since Dylan was escorted to the Waffle Party by Milchick, it's not like he could have carried anything besides his reward box anyway.


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## Aaron Malloy (Oct 30, 2019)

kaszeta said:


> While Ricken and his groupies are quite annoying, part of me likes how self-aware he actually is, especially about what outie Mark thinks of him.


That was a fun element of the series. Innie Mark thinks the author of 'The You YOU Are' is practically a prophet, when he fact he's just a buffoon writing self-help schlock.


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## Aaron Malloy (Oct 30, 2019)

gweempose said:


> Agreed. The entire season was great, but the finale was easily one of the best individual episodes of TV I've seen in a long time. The entire thing was perfectly executed from start to finish!


I only saw the finale tonight after bingeing it for the last few days. And I agree, what a tour de force. It was a 40 minute clinic on directing, acting and editing.

In regards to the second season, I feel a bit strange saying this, but I'm almost content with them leaving it all as-is. Leaving it to our imagination as to what happens to all those involved. Not everything needs to be spelled out and dragged out for us.


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

Aaron Malloy said:


> In regards to the second season, I feel a bit strange saying this, but I'm almost content with them leaving it all as-is. Leaving it to our imagination as to what happens to all those involved. Not everything needs to be spelled out and dragged out for us.


While I know what you mean, I would have wanted the plot knob turned a bit further to the right if that had been the series finale. I agree, I am content to let some mysteries remain mysteries, but I would have wanted to know a bit more about the fate (or the direction of fate) of our characters were we not to get any more.

As a season finale, though, that was incredible.


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## Aaron Malloy (Oct 30, 2019)

cmontyburns said:


> While I know what you mean, I would have wanted the plot knob turned a bit further to the right if that had been the series finale. I agree, I am content to let some mysteries remain mysteries, but I would have wanted to know a bit more about the fate (or the direction of fate) of our characters were we not to get any more.
> 
> As a season finale, though, that was incredible.


I hear ya. What they really needed was a a nice long episode 10. As for season 2, I might be interested in a prequel of sorts. Showing us how they got to where they were. Especially Mark and his wife. But if nothing has changed and they're all back at their desks, I'd be a bit less enthused.


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## ct1 (Jun 27, 2003)

I love how Dylan's glasses kept slipping down, then they're back up, all without his hands available.


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## Aaron Malloy (Oct 30, 2019)

ct1 said:


> I love how Dylan's glasses kept slipping down, then they're back up, all without his hands available.


He used his tongue? He's got almost a non-existent nose, so it would be a lot easier. 😋


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## zordude (Sep 23, 2003)

zalusky said:


> Ha! In real life David Miscavige's is the current leader of Scientology and his wife Shelly Miscavige AKA Helly has been mysteriously not seen in public since 2007. Some people say she has been locked up in a Scientology prison so to speak.
> View attachment 70584
> View attachment 70585


pretty sure they were making a Leah remini “joke”.


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

They even made the finger traps from scratch.

The Stories Behind Some of the Weird Stuff on ‘Severance’


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

I finally watched this season over the last two weeks and, well it was interesting and fun. On thought I had about Hally is that, now that we know she's management, and the daughter of one of the founders, I wonder if her outie put herself in because she knew something wasn't right and wanted to see exactly what that was. Perhaps there is something that helped push the others to rebel and that was her outie's plan. I don't know, I'm probably completely off base, but it was one thing I thought about...why would someone in "management" let herself become an innie?


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

Well, the finale pretty much told us explicitly why she did it, no?


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

cmontyburns said:


> Well, the finale pretty much told us explicitly why she did it, no?


It did for me, I thought they messaged pretty well she was supporting the company/family line and to use a much abused quote "failure was not an option" she needed to go through severance to prove it was acceptable and nothing was going to stop that.


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## cwerdna (Feb 22, 2001)

I finally finished the finale. I had totally stayed out of this thread as I didn't know how it was structured and was afraid there could be spoilers for eps I hadn't seen yet. I also didn't know anything about the release schedule as I started when most/all eps were already released. I'd heard it was good from some Slack posts at work + some posts from FB friends/former co-workers.

I was surprised too about Helly being an Egan. The incentives Milchick offers are pretty funny/lame. It took me awhile to realize that there were some folks who weren't severed (e.g. Cobel, Milchick and later Graner). I'm not familiar with most of the actors but they sure did a great job in casting Graner with the scowl on his face the whole time.

For awhile, I didn't realize that Cobel and Selvig were the same person until something I came across mentioned both character names for the actress and I had to take a closer look.

When I 1st started watching, I was surprised to see Ben Stiller's involvement. I don't follow him but I normally associate him w/comedies like There's Something About Mary and Meet the Fockers so to have him involved w/something so serious threw me off.

A few weeks back, there was Apple TV+ shows come to life with ‘Severance’ and ‘Ted Lasso’ among pop-ups at The Grove Apple Store [Gallery]. But, I don't live in So Cal. I went to that mall in Dec 2021 when I was down there visiting. It feels a bit like Santana Row here in Nor Cal but with the addition of a street car.


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

cwerdna said:


> When I 1st started watching, I was surprised to see Ben Stiller's involvement.


I read an article about this, and Stiller has a production company and somehow got the script/treatment for Severance and loved it, so he agreed to produce it.



cwerdna said:


> For awhile, I didn't realize that Cobel and Selvig were the same person


Wow.. really? Her mannerisms, appearance, and speaking cadence are so distinct, I can't imagine anyone not knowing they were the same person almost instantly.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

Hank said:


> Wow.. really? Her mannerisms, appearance, and speaking cadence are so distinct, I can't imagine anyone not knowing they were the same person almost instantly.


Yeah, they very clearly have the exact same face...which was the point. Not only were they not trying to hide that it was the same person, they were flaunting it.


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## Zevida (Nov 8, 2003)

Uggggh. What a disappointment. Almost nothing happens for 8 episodes and then finally something happens and it is a total cliffhanger with zero resolution. Not what I wanted or expected. I might not watch season 2 out of spite. This could have been a 2 hour movie.


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## Zevida (Nov 8, 2003)

Also pissed the cute old guys never made out 👎 Practically queer baiting! (Just like Helly and Mark if they’d been a hetero couple there would have been a stolen kiss somewhere)


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## cwerdna (Feb 22, 2001)

Hank said:


> Wow.. really? Her mannerisms, appearance, and speaking cadence are so distinct, I can't imagine anyone not knowing they were the same person almost instantly.


Well, I recall the personas were SO different. She was a cold mean woman as the boss w/her hair down.

As Mrs. Selvig, she seemed like a gentle, mild-mannered, confused woman (e.g. the bins) who wore her hair back.

I kinda suspected they might be the same person but then had it given away by what I stumbled across.

I kinda agree w/what Zevida said/implied in that the pacing could've been a bit faster. I didn't recall a method to watch at a higher speed on my Apple TV 4K box, which I rarely use.


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

I think the pacing added to the intensity.
Like a Stanley Kubrick movie.


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## Zevida (Nov 8, 2003)

Hank said:


> I think the pacing added to the intensity.
> Like a Stanley Kubrick movie.


I wouldn’t have minded the pacing I’d there had been any payoff at all. 

I don’t need everything wrapped up in a bow - for example leaving the not-dead wife stuff as a tease is fine- but they provided no wrap up on anything.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Zevida said:


> Also pissed the cute old guys never made out 👎 Practically queer baiting! (Just like Helly and Mark if they’d been a hetero couple there would have been a stolen kiss somewhere)


There was a stolen kiss between Mark S. and Helly R.

Loved the show overall. During the first several episodes I wished I could watch at a faster speed, but by the last couple the pacing really paid off. I knew the Overtime remote thing would end as Helly was on stage in the middle of her speech, but I was expecting we'd get some additional episode to see the fallout of the switch back. But I guess it makes sense that this was a prime place for a season finale cliffhanger.


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## Zevida (Nov 8, 2003)

DevdogAZ said:


> There was a stolen kiss between Mark S. and Helly R


That was my point - the hetero couple that had had much less narratively invested in building a romantic relationship got a kiss, while the queer relationship which had been nurtured across the entire season did not.

(My post would have been more clear if it read: Just like Helly and Mark_ got a stolen kiss because they are a hetero couple and the tiniest amount of sexual tension means there will be payoff,_ if _Irv and Burt_ been a hetero couple there would have been a stolen kiss somewhere _for Irv and Burt and instead because it is a queer couple we got a season full of baiting and no payoff._)


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Zevida said:


> That was my point - the hetero couple that had had much less narratively invested in building a romantic relationship got a kiss, while the queer relationship which had been nurtured across the entire season did not.
> 
> (My post would have been more clear if it read: Just like Helly and Mark_ got a stolen kiss because they are a hetero couple and the tiniest amount of sexual tension means there will be payoff,_ if _Irv and Burt_ been a hetero couple there would have been a stolen kiss somewhere _for Irv and Burt and instead because it is a queer couple we got a season full of baiting and no payoff._)


Gotcha. But I found it well done that Irv wasn't ready for a kiss because he probably didn't even realize he was gay, or even that there was such thing as hetero or gay, prior to meeting Burt. And he likely felt like he had plenty of time to work up to it since as far as he knows, his existence as an Innie is just going to be the same perpetually. It wasn't until he found out Burt was retiring that he realized he might be losing something he loved, and that was the catalyst for Irv to get on board with the plan.


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## gweempose (Mar 23, 2003)

cwerdna said:


> When I 1st started watching, I was surprised to see Ben Stiller's involvement. I don't follow him but I normally associate him w/comedies like There's Something About Mary and Meet the Fockers so to have him involved w/something so serious threw me off.


Stiller has recently started to produce and direct more serious material. If you haven't already seen it, I highly recommend "Escape at Dannemorra". Patricia Arquette was great in it.


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## gweempose (Mar 23, 2003)

DevdogAZ said:


> Gotcha. But I found it well done that Irv wasn't ready for a kiss because he probably didn't even realize he was gay, or even that there was such thing as hetero or gay ...


It's hard to know exactly what memories of the outside world they retain. I would assume they understand what straight and gay are, though, because they seem to remember basic stuff about society like that. What they don't remember are the things specific to their outie lives.


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## madscientist (Nov 12, 2003)

They clearly retain a lot of information about sex: consider the waffle party. The problem with Irv and Burt's relationship is that it's forbidden by their cult. As well, Irv and Burt are in different departments that aren't supposed to be interacting at all.

There are plenty of reasons for the relationship to play out differently than Mark and Helly's which don't have anything to do with any squeamishness on the part of the actors, directors, producers, or network with showing gay PDA. Although with Apple you never know.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

madscientist said:


> They clearly retain a lot of information about sex: consider the waffle party. The problem with Irv and Burt's relationship is that it's forbidden by their cult. As well, Irv and Burt are in different departments that aren't supposed to be interacting at all.
> 
> There are plenty of reasons for the relationship to play out differently than Mark and Helly's which don't have anything to do with any squeamishness on the part of the actors, directors, producers, or network with showing gay PDA. Although with Apple you never know.


The CEO of Apple is openly gay. I don't think there are any issues at AppleTV+ with depicting gay characters.


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## Zevida (Nov 8, 2003)

madscientist said:


> They clearly retain a lot of information about sex: consider the waffle party. The problem with Irv and Burt's relationship is that it's forbidden by their cult. As well, Irv and Burt are in different departments that aren't supposed to be interacting at all.
> 
> There are plenty of reasons for the relationship to play out differently than Mark and Helly's which don't have anything to do with any squeamishness on the part of the actors, directors, producers, or network with showing gay PDA. Although with Apple you never know.


I don’t remember what it was about their relationship that made it forbidden by the religion - was it just any fraternization?

I don’t think anyone proactively said “we aren’t going to let the gay couple kiss” and I think they probably felt progressive depicting the relationship that they did. I just think there are still unconscious biases that result in minimizing physical affection (or, any physical affection is such a Big Deal it has to be treated special) between gays couples while taking even the slightest opportunity to allow hetero couples to show physical affection. 

You could for sure argue (and I agree) that the moment when Burt and Irv had their heads against each other was more romantic and intimate than the Mark/Helly kiss - but then why not add a kiss to an already intimate moment?


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Zevida said:


> I don’t remember what it was about their relationship that made it forbidden by the religion - was it just any fraternization?
> 
> I don’t think anyone proactively said “we aren’t going to let the gay couple kiss” and I think they probably felt progressive depicting the relationship that they did. I just think there are still unconscious biases that result in minimizing physical affection (or, any physical affection is such a Big Deal it has to be treated special) between gays couples while taking even the slightest opportunity to allow hetero couples to show physical affection.
> 
> You could for sure argue (and I agree) that the moment when Burt and Irv had their heads against each other was more romantic and intimate than the Mark/Helly kiss - but then why not add a kiss to an already intimate moment?


I think it was better that they didn't kiss. Not for homophobic reasons, but because at that point of the story Irv was still very much a devotee of Kier and believed deeply in the rules. He was already stretching his limits by visiting Burt and holding hands. I think just completely abandoning all respect for the rules and kissing Burt at that point would have been a step too far. Plus, it would have minimized the dramatic change in Irv's attitude when he comes back from the retirement party and says, "Let's burn this place to the ground."


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

DevdogAZ said:


> I think it was better that they didn't kiss. Not for homophobic reasons, but because at that point of the story Irv was still very much a devotee of Kier and believed deeply in the rules. He was already stretching his limits by visiting Burt and holding hands. I think just completely abandoning all respect for the rules and kissing Burt at that point would have been a step too far. Plus, it would have minimized the dramatic change in Irv's attitude when he comes back from the retirement party and says, "Let's burn this place to the ground."


I totally agree with this. 

I think the fact that Irv and Burt didn't kiss heightened/intensified the portrayal of their attraction, and the internal conflicts they were both feeling. I feel that a 'stolen kiss' would have been too easy. The tension between Mark and Helly was nowhere near as intense of obvious as the pure attraction felt between Irv and Burt. I think the Mark/Helly kiss was just more impulsive/in the moment. What Irv and Burt were feeling was nowhere near impulsive, but much deeper.


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## Aaron Malloy (Oct 30, 2019)

ct1 said:


> I love how Dylan's glasses kept slipping down, then they're back up, all without his hands available.


If those are the kind of things you're focusing on, I guess the tension of the finale wasn't enough for you. Yes, there will always be continuity issues on any show or film. It's a given.


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## ct1 (Jun 27, 2003)

Aaron Malloy said:


> If those are the kind of things you're focusing on, I guess the tension of the finale wasn't enough for you. Yes, there will always be continuity issues on any show or film. It's a given.


I didn't think of it as a continuity error -- I was sitting on the edge of my seat as they focused on the sweat and the glasses sliding. I actually thought they were going to fall off at a dramatic point in the action.


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## Aaron Malloy (Oct 30, 2019)

ct1 said:


> I didn't think of it as a continuity error -- I was sitting on the edge of my seat as they focused on the sweat and the glasses sliding. I actually thought they were going to fall off at a dramatic point in the action.


But losing his glasses wouldn't have any effect on him holding those switches. A bigger quibble could be the guy cutting through the fabric belt holding the door shut. No more than a 20 second job got extrapolated out to close to 10 minutes. That is one dull blade.


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## dianebrat (Jul 6, 2002)

Aaron Malloy said:


> But losing his glasses wouldn't have any effect on him holding those switches. A bigger quibble could be the guy cutting through the fabric belt holding the door shut. No more than a 20 second job got extrapolated out to close to 10 minutes. That is one dull blade.


Kevlar belt because they're fashionable...


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## cwerdna (Feb 22, 2001)

Those in So Cal might be interested in this: Apple Hosting Apple TV+ Panels at San Diego Comic-Con.


> Comic-Con attendees will also be able to participate in a special "Severance" experience with Lumon Industries.
> 
> 
> > In addition to these must-see panels, attendees will have the opportunity -- if they dare -- to get "severed" as they immerse themselves in the world of Lumon Industries at an innovative "Severance" installation at the Hard Rock Hotel. The experience will take new Lumon employees through their first day on the severed floor where all of their senses will be required if they hope to be reunited with their "outtie."
> ...


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## cwerdna (Feb 22, 2001)

Severance creator Ben Stiller calls it 'really weird' that Apple doesn't share TV+ viewing data


Apple doesn’t like to disclose numbers. It is always unclear how many iPhones it sells, how many Apple Music subscribers it currently has, or how many people watch its original shows. This time, the company went a bit further as Severance‘s creator Ben Stiller called “really weird” the fact that...




9to5mac.com












Apple kept Ben Stiller in the dark over 'Severance' viewership | AppleInsider


Executive producer and director of "Severance" Ben Stiller didn't know what kind of audience the show would get on Apple TV , with Apple giving very little specific data about who is streaming its content.




appleinsider.com


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

That’s 100% typical at every streamer, unfortunately for the creatives.


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## spear (Oct 11, 2006)

Steve C. joins Lumon:


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## cwerdna (Feb 22, 2001)

Grubhub partners with Apple TV+ to promote Severance's 'Waffle Party' says the code is PRAISEKIER.

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1561745003596111875


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

It's unclear what the "gift" is or where you can order from to get it.

Great job, Grubhub marketing team. 🙄


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## cwerdna (Feb 22, 2001)

GrubHub offers $10 off orders, promoting Apple TV+ series 'Severance' | AppleInsider


For a very limited time, GrubHub is offering $10 off orders for National Waffle Day in a promotion for Apple Original series "Severance."




appleinsider.com


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## Dawghows (May 17, 2001)

Just now reading through this thread because my wife and I finally finished watching last night. We didn't start until all the episodes were available, but then as we got nearer to the end we started increasing the time between viewings because we didn't want it to be over. I don't think we've been so totally captivated by a TV show since Mr. Robot. 

I think the only thing I can add that hasn't already been mentioned is that, going forward, it should be standard that Turturro and Walken can only work _in tandem_.


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## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

I'm late to the party here. I put it in my Up Next list to watch back when it first came out and then never got around to starting it until recently, and just finished it last night.

So many questions! So much, "WTF????"

I thought a few episodes before they showed us the torn up picture of Mark's wife that it was going to turn out to be Helly. I didn't see Ms. Casey coming. I also did not realize for a while that all the management weren't severed. I knew that Ms. Cobel and Mrs. Selvig were the same person, but didn't realize she knew who Mark was the whole time. Once they revealed that Ms. Casey was actually Gemma, the question Mrs. Selvig asked Mark's sister asking her if Mark ever thought he saw his dead wife made a lot more sense.

Some other things that I'd like to know, other than the obvious WTF is going on at this company and with this creepy family and why is Mark's dead wife not actually dead are things like:

Who is Charlotte Cobel? At first I thought Ms. Cobel/Mrs. Selvig's creepy shrine had a hospital bracelet of her own, maybe she was saved or something with some technology from this company and that's why she's such a true believer? Do they have some elixir of life thing going on keeping people alive for a long time (because the DOB on it was back in the 40's). But then I realized her name is Harmony... so who is Charlotte? Maybe her mom? Why does she have her bracelet in her creepy shrine to Kier?
What's up with Dylan G.'s outie? We've now seen nothing of him other than the scene in the closet. When Milchick killed the Overtime protocol in his closet, he showed no surprise to be in the closet with this guy from work, so he obviously knows Milchick outside of work. All he said was something like, "are we done here?"
Also, that was NOT what I was expecting for the waffle party after all the other awards and experiences were so childlike and wholesome!


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

laria said:


> What's up with Dylan G.'s outie? We've now seen nothing of him other than the scene in the closet. When Milchick killed the Overtime protocol in his closet, he showed no surprise to be in the closet with this guy from work, so he obviously knows Milchick outside of work. All he said was something like, "are we done here?"


I don't think there is anything going on here. Dylan obviously knows he's severed, so very likely Milchick just went over and introduced himself and said he needed to talk to Dylan's innie that night instead of waiting until the morning, and Dylan agreed. Obviously that would have had to happen in the closet or somewhere isolated so that Dylan G would not see anything about his outie's life, so he agreed to go in there. 



> Also, that was NOT what I was expecting for the waffle party after all the other awards and experiences were so childlike and wholesome!


Wait, you mean your company doesn't throw you an orgy for doing a good job?


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

WaffleParty.com reviews the Waffle Party: The Severance Waffle Party: The Review You've Been Requesting


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

laria said:


> Do they have some elixir of life thing going on keeping people alive for a long time (because the DOB on it was back in the 40's).


Maybe 2040's? I assume this is set in the future, although the only real hint of that is the Severance tech itself, which we couldn't do today technically, and probably not legally. Or of course it could be an alternate past, like in the movie Brazil -- set "Somewhere in the 20th century". Some of their tech seems outdated (e.g. CRTs).


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## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

wmcbrine said:


> Maybe 2040's? I assume this is set in the future, although the only real hint of that is the Severance tech itself, which we couldn't do today technically, and probably not legally. Or of course it could be an alternate past, like in the movie Brazil -- set "Somewhere in the 20th century". Some of their tech seems outdated (e.g. CRTs).


I think it's supposed to take place about 2020-ish. We see shots of Mark's drivers license in the little drawer when he swaps his stuff for his badge. His DOB is in 1978 and his license expires in 2020.

I've seen people speculate that it actually takes place in the 90's, based on all the old tech inside of Lumon, but they have cell phones in the outside world, plus the drivers license dates, plus in the episode when they went to the Perpetuity Wing, they said Jame Eagan (Helly's dad) took over the company in 2003, so it's definitely after that.


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## kaszeta (Jun 11, 2004)

cmontyburns said:


> Wait, you mean your company doesn't throw you an orgy for doing a good job?


What happens at the five year anniversary party stays at the five year anniversary party


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## proxima2 (Nov 21, 2006)

I'm pretty confident that I know whats really going on with Severance after having watched it four times. For example what MDR really does with the numbers (teaching the chip to understand emotions beside memory), various symbols in "Kier's" waffle party, whats the deal about kelp? What we can expect next year? And my suspicion that Irv might actually be the inventor/creator of the technology. And all of the many Easter eggs that are easy to miss. (Cobel's runaway car for example)

Go here. I had a lot of fun writing this, so hope you'll enjoy it.


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## KungFuCow (May 6, 2004)

proxima2 said:


> I'm pretty confident that I know whats really going on with Severance after having watched it four times. For example what MDR really does with the numbers (teaching the chip to understand emotions beside memory), various symbols in "Kier's" waffle party, whats the deal about kelp? What we can expect next year? And my suspicion that Irv might actually be the inventor/creator of the technology. And all of the many Easter eggs that are easy to miss. (Cobel's runaway car for example)
> 
> Go here. I had a lot of fun writing this, so hope you'll enjoy it.


TL;DR

Seriously tho, good write up and some interesting theories.


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## cwerdna (Feb 22, 2001)

Mondo Announces Collectible Vinyl Soundtrack for Apple TV+ Series 'Severance'


Collectibles company Mondo today announced an exclusive vinyl soundtrack for the first season of the Apple TV+ series Severance. There are two...




www.macrumors.com


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## morac (Mar 14, 2003)

I had this sitting in my watch list for 8 months and finally decided to watch it after I saw some people saying it was their #1 streaming show of the year. I finished it in 3 nights. It was very good and not at all what I expected based on the premise.

I read through the thread and was surprised no one mentioned that the last sound you hear in epsiode 9 as it goes to black is the elevator ding sound. That means it’s almost a certainty at least one of them is ”waking up” in the elevator at the start of season 2, which would mean their plan failed. It doesn’t seem like Mark would go back, since his sister spoke to “innie” Mark. Irving didn’t talk to anyone so he could go back as would Dylan and Helly would force herself to go back. 

I guess the good thing of coming to this so late is I don’t need to wait as long for season 2.


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## Hank (May 31, 2000)

morac said:


> That means it’s almost a certainty at least one of them is ”waking up” in the elevator at the start of season 2, which would mean their plan failed.


I don't think it means that at all. Their only plan was to see what their "outie" lives are like and that succeeded. 
Now that they know, they might develop a bigger plan to bring it all down, but I don't think we're there yet.
Also, I wouldn't read too much into a single sound effect and what it "means". Could mean a dozen different things, or nothing at all.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Hank said:


> I don't think it means that at all. Their only plan was to see what their "outie" lives are like and that succeeded.
> Now that they know, they might develop a bigger plan to bring it all down, but I don't think we're there yet.
> Also, I wouldn't read too much into a single sound effect and what it "means". Could mean a dozen different things, or nothing at all.


Especially since S2 had not been greenlit (meaning it hadn't been written) when they made the last episode of S1 and inserted that sound, so it likely was just a cool sound to end the season on. Whether they'll use that as the jumping off point for S2 or not remains to be seen.


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## cmontyburns (Nov 14, 2001)

They have the story after that moment. Originally they were going to do one more episode in season one that shows what happens after, but decided it would be more effective to end the season at that moment.









The creator of Severance answers our questions about that ‘powerful fucking ending’


Digging into twists, what happens in season 2, and more




www.polygon.com


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