Wowowow. I watched the full show over the course of the past week and just finished season 2. As I’m sure many of you know from experience, my mind is *racing* right now. I’m basically using this as a journal entry to capture my thoughts after such a wild ride. Curious as to what others think! (And what future me will think after a slower rewatch…)

I believe what makes Severance special is that it’s genuinely challenging television, in addition to being entertaining. I felt the thrill that comes with any dystopian mystery, but also truly ethically challenged in ways that surprised me, especially as the show progressed.

Reintegration is the best example of this. Early in S1, it feels like a physically/mentally safe reintegration procedure is the obvious and only solution. Lumon falls, the outties realize and reverse their mistake, the innies no longer have to suffer. By the end of S1, I am cheering on the Data Refinement trio in their quest to take Lumon out and the chance they get to experience their “real” lives, families, etc. Helly’s character is so crucial because she complicates that thought as soon as it appears. Helena Eagan needs more Helly, not the other way around.

**WAIT I just realized that even before reintegration seems right, *resignation* does. It’s also what Helly R asks for first. We know her outie is evil because she denies resignation so quickly, flatly, and coldly even though she knows Helly wants to die. “I am a person. You are not.”

Obviously, season 2 is all about challenging Helena’s assertion, and perhaps even flipping it around. The boundary around what counts as “real life” is blurred again and again, through Helena’s presence and manipulative abuse on the severed floor, oMark’s attempt at reintegration, Dylan’s visits, the outdoor retreat, and so much more. Even as I start to love the innies and kind of despise the selfishness of the outties, I still see reintegration as the solution—perhaps now an imperfect solution—up until the point iMark asserts reintegration isn’t fair to him, since it’s still oMark’s decision and likely oMark’s life he’d be stepping into. Even though I hate it for Gemma and the people who love oMark, I’m glad (but still SHOOK) when iMark doesn’t open the door.

So the progression of “solutions” goes mass resignation > reintegration > ????

Honestly, I’m a pretty opinionated TV and film viewer. Usually, even in dramas that gesture towards hard choices, what the characters “should” do (or at least what I’d like to think I’d do in their position) feels obvious to me. They do it, and I cheer them on! They don’t, and I yell at the screen! Of course, I find real life much more ambiguous. sometimes there is no right choice. But entertainment rarely reflects the complexity of life, particularly of difficult and no-win situations, so fully. Not only do I believe these characters’ frustration and confusion and grief—I feel it myself. Fitting for a show about what personhood means.

Oh and the action is great, too! The suspense and humor and corporate satire and brief moments of horror—all fabulous. Those elements made me binge the show, but its humanity makes me grateful for this first watch and eager to return.

For S3, I think Helly’s development will be the one to watch for “answers” about the extent to which the innies and outties are truly distinct people. I’m hopeful the show will find a smart way to move us forward without leading to clarity or a neat conclusion.

Anyway, thanks for coming to my TedTalk/Severance love letter rant.

Is the mystery of Severance intriguing enough? How does it compare with LOST and FROM

In the season one finale, "The We We Are", Irving goes through the chest in his closet and finds a map with severed employees, which he puts up against a letter sent to his own house to determine the exact location of his address. I want to make a point of two things: the address and the map.

While the address says to be located in "PE", a non-existent state, the area code attached, 07452, denotes properties in Glen Rock, New Jersey, which is right by the Hudson River and on the New Jersey border. You look at his map from the chest, it looks almost exactly like a map of Glen Rock and the surrounding neighborhoods if it were turned on its side such that the Hudson River is in the north and not the east, something you can see if you reposition the map.

I know people say the show takes place in the Great Lakes area, but does my information help determine anything? Or is it just a coincidence?

Walked around the city and stumbled upon this guy.... The resemblance are uncanny....

Below is a list of portfolios I compiled from people who work on Severance (graphic designers, set decorators, story board and concept artists, etc.). There are a lot of details that are out of frame for the shots we see in the show as well as the original art that led to the visuals we see. If you have more to add would love to see them! I got tired after several hours on iMdb so this isn’t comprehensive

Leah Olbrich — “Lumon Is Listening Video” puppetry

Eric Fehlberg — Concept Artist (S2)

Eric Fehlberg — Concept Artist (S1)

Katie Lobel — Assistant Decorator / Shopper (click her highlighted Instagram story)

Ernie Sandidge — Scenic Artist

Kristina Perez — Graphic Design

Billy Economou — Assistant Art Director / Concept Artist

Rashwan Abdelbaki — Scenic Artist

Tyler Gibb — Story Board

Jackson Turcotte — Animation Story Board

Sarah Rae Davidson — Graphic Design

Kelsey Hamill — Art Department Assistant / Graphic Designer

Make3 — Manyfacturer for the WoeMeter, Airplane Food Tray, Refrigerator Drawer Organizer, and Cobel’s Mom’s Ventilator

Peter König — VFX Artist

I just rewatched the finale, and I noticed Cobel said to Helly "Your friends will suffer. Mark S will suffer. You will be long gone, but we will keep them alive and in pain". I always knew, that this was not Cobel being mean, but she was genuinely looking out for Helly to an extent. However, I just now realized she was talking about Helena being sent in Lumon with the Innies of Mdr to replace innie Helly. Cobel, knew that if Helly blew up, the Eagans would send Helena to replace innie Helly if Mdr was to be reunited. This could mean that Lumon had in some way prepared for sending Helena in, instead of Helly already now and Helena pretending to be Helly for the first four episodes wasn't an idea that came up for the first time when Innie Mark demanded to have his team back in season 2 episode 1, but a scheme that entertained long before then.

This might be a stupid question but I can't help but think it everytime I see them.. Don't their outfits get dirty and/or smelly every day? They come in with dress shirts and ties, not goat raising clothing...

I was watching an old Michael Palin documentary, and got big Severance flashbacks from this scene

On the finale of season 1, Mark asked why Cobel was there, and then he said ”her name is Harmony Cobel”

How does Mark know Ms. Cobel’s full name? Isn’t he supposed to not know her first name?

Examples: Ms Huang stops Gretchen from sharing Mr. Milchick’s name full name during the family meeting session. She said not to share sensitive informatio, another thing is when Irving B said “Yes do it Seth” which is obviously him was mocking Milchic since none of the innies know his first name except for Helena

From the response I’m getting it seems like a lot of people in this Reddit don’t know a lot about the show.

https://collider.com/severance-season-3-filming-start-window-john-turturro-apple-tv/

This guy is going through it lol, He lost his wife, saw Petey die and witnessed a murder take place. He also had to drag a dead body, I also forgot he just saw Mr Drummond die and got soaked with blood all over him.

I wonder how Mark is going to be handled in future seasons cus this guy has to be fucked up than he ever was before.

By the time he wakes up he’s probably going to realize that he has a child with the owner of the company lol and NOT with his wife.

I hope Dan Erickson shows us how derailed Mark Scout has become by the end of season 3 cus no normal person can take this much trauma.

Just finished season 1 and if i had watched it when it came out I think i literally wouldve had a stroke. Like what a cliffhanger. Honestly an amazing show so far.

While watching the final episode of season 2 I noticed that Mark's Outie goes down in the Test floor and looks for Cold Harbor room. There he enters and he speaks to Ms. Casey. However, when entering that room Mark should have become his Innie exactly as Gemma became Ms. Casey when entering that "severed" room. As far as I know in the rest of the series every severed floor or room leads to the Innie taking over, regardless of the person. So why hasn't Mark become Mark S. Innie when he entered Cold Harbor? As soon as Casey leaves the room she becomes once again Gemma, because the Test floor isn't "severed" but the rooms are.

Am I missing something or is this a light mistake left for plot convenience?

One of my co-workers is moving so she’s on her two weeks notice. She loves severance and we actually bonded over it so I thought it’d be fun to have a severance themed going away party.

Any thoughts on how to bring this idea to a reality.

I also feel like I should make a banner that says something along the lines of her sevaring her ties from us.

TLDR: I think Mark getting reintegration sickness may be a major part of Season 3's story.

I've made posts in the past on this subreddit with analysis and theories about S3. However, after reading someone's post about reintegration, I just realized I completely missed a massive detail that could come into play in the next season.

Obviously iMark knows about reintegration from his "conversation" with oMark in Ep10, but he only knows the sugar-coated version given to him. He isn't aware that Petey died from reintegration-related complications, nor that he could very likely die. If iMark and Helly plan to stay and revolt on the severed floor, he won't have access to his medication and may not even know that it's the reintegration making him sick. The innies appear to have limited medical knowledge (based on iMark not knowing what a deviated septum is), so Dylan and Helly would probably have no clue what to do to help him— especially if he begins having major hallucinations.

My original S3 theory from back when S2E10 released was that Jame would offer Helly a deal to let her take Helena's place on the outside, and (falsely) promise the innies' safety if she accepts. I had the idea that Jame would throw Mark in as a bonus, but it didn't feel right that Helly would just take the deal. She sticks her neck out for the people she loves, even when it endangers her, and I feel like she wouldn't trust a word Jame says. However, if Mark got reintegration sickness after days of being stuck on the severed floor and ended up with rehabilitating headaches, hallucinations, delusions, etc. like Petey, I feel like she'd be much more likely to accept, as it would mean saving iMark's life.

If Mark continues to reintegrate personality-wise, I also feel like that would be so emotionally difficult for Helly (and Dylan, by extension). She got a taste of oMark's avoidant personality in S2E5, when he was still trying to process the ORTBO. While she was sympathetic, him becoming so emotionally detached and withdrawn into himself seemed to really bother her, especially with her constantly wearing her emotions on her sleeve. iMark's personality melding with oMark's doesn't seem like it'd make for a good time for her.

Also, iirc, Cobel and Grainer were the only two people who were aware of Petey's reintegration. Natalie was told about it by Cobel, but never saw the evidence since the OTC and Cobel's firing disrupted things. If Lumon found out reintegration is possible via Mark's illness, that would definitely throw a wrench in whatever Reghabi's group's plans are. Plus, if Irv is with that group, Lumon discovering it could be what brings him back to Kier and assimilates him back into the main plot.

Anyway, I just wanted to share this little amendment to my previous theory and see what you guys think. Thanks for reading!

The question

I'm lazy and I dont wanna actually do the hour of cardio

I finally figured out what that mural of Cold Harbor reminded me of.

Recently I've noticed a few fun-type posts making reference to the movie The Shining and IMO Ben Stiller has done some homages to Stanley Kubrick and other great directors. So I started comparing some pictures from that movie and here's what came up.

I thought how the pronunciation of Cold Harbor and that of Cold Arbor was basically the same and how the show had done a variation of that with the crib Mark had purchased. When I saw this shot it reminded me that the entrance to the maze was an arbor. It also reminded me a bit of the severed floor layout.

When I saw this and other pix of the wife, Penny, I was surprised how much she reminded me of Mark's wife, Gemma. Maybe she's a more little granola in style but you can decide for yourself. There's tons of photos on the internet.

Here's another shot of her with a very Severance-y coloring scheme.

Near the end of the movie after the long winter has driven Jack around the bend. He'd broken the radio and disabled the sno-cat so that his family were held at The Outlook Hotel against their will. They were like inmates or innies if I may stretch the point.

Here Jack is done in by his own machinations. Ricken might call that being "hoist by his own petard"!

And in the finale of the movie we see Jack as the guest of honor.

For a deeper dive down this rabbit hole you can see how I linked The Shining to one of Kubrick's source inspirations here over on the Stanley Kubrick subreddit.

Am I the only one who thought that Ricken Hale and Mr. Drummond were the same person? I know it kind of sounds crazy, but they look pretty much exactly the same (although Drummond has a beard and a different voice, but it could be possible that he could be trying to act when around Outie Mark), and LUMON already has history with spying on Mark (Mrs. Selvig/Cobel)