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Everything You Need to Remember Before Watching Severance Season 2

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In the TV series “Severance,” we delve into a layered narrative of corporate intrigue, unsettling technological innovations, and the monotony of office drudgery. The company Lumon is at the heart of this mystery, as they develop and employ a unique technology that separates an employee’s memories between their professional and personal lives.

In a casual context, the two distinct aspects of a person split apart are often called their “outgoing self” and “introverted self.” Every morning, the outgoing self reports for duty at Lumon, while the introverted self takes control. The outgoing self has no recollection of events during work hours. Conversely, the introverted self is confined to the windowless floors of Lumon and never experiences daylight.

The procedure undeniably brings up numerous moral dilemmas: Are inner selves distinct entities with individual wishes and entitlements? When an individual departs from Lumon permanently, what becomes of their inner self or “innie”? Is it possible for the innie to perish?

Despite the fact that most of the first season of Severance unfolds within Lumon’s confines, brief peeks at the world outside hint at the company exploiting vulnerable individuals. The protagonist Mark, portrayed by Adam Scott, opted for the severance procedure following his wife’s death in a car accident. Struggling with depression, he uses severance as an escape route.

Over the course of the initial nine episodes, it’s evident that Mark has a unique quality: Lumon seems particularly vigilant towards him. In response, Mark gradually grows suspicious that something underhanded is occurring within Lumon. The first season offered numerous unexpected developments, ultimately culminating in an ending that left jaws dropped across the television landscape. After a long wait, the second season will finally be released on January 17, over two and a half years after its premiere. Here’s a refresher on the key points of the science fiction narrative.

The show kicks off with the death of Petey and introduction of Helly

Initially within the series, Mark, an employee at Lumon, discovers that his closest workmate, Petey, has unexpectedly left, implying Mark will no longer cross paths with him. In his stead arrives a spirited individual named Helly (played by Britt Lower), who seems unresponsive to the traditional innie initiation process.

At Lumon, employees are maintained under control with unconventional incentives such as a dull office celebration featuring cubed honeydew and cantaloupe, which is highly desired by Mark’s colleague Dylan (Zach Cherry). The corporation also endeavors to indoctrinate the eerie lore of Lumon and its founder Kier Egan into its workers, transforming some of them into corporate-like devotees. One such fervent Lumon supporter is Mark’s coworker Irving (John Turturro).

In a department called Macrodata Refinement, Mark, Helly, Dylan, and Irving spend their days organizing a sequence of numbers according to their emotional responses towards them. They are supervised by Mrs. Cobel (Patricia Arquette) and Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman), who keep the true objective of this data refinement process hidden from them.

It appears that Petey (Yul Vazquez) has completed a process called “reunification” to align his inner and outer thoughts. This operation was carried out by Dr. Regabhi (Karen Aldridge), a former Lumon scientist who has since distanced herself from the company and is working to expose its wrongdoings. Petey tracks down outie Mark to warn him about Lumon’s nefarious activities. Outie Mark initially resists getting embroiled in corporate misconduct. However, Petey insists that Lumon is trying to harm him, so Mark agrees to let Petey take refuge in his basement.

When Mark returns home, it’s discovered that his supervisor, Mrs. Cobel, lives right next door under the alias of Mrs. Selvig. She has a secret devotion to Kier Egan, whom she venerates in her closet. It seems she’s been keeping an eye on Mark for unspecified purposes. Not long after reaching out to Mark, Petey suddenly passes away due to a supposed aneurysm linked to reintegration.

Helly clashes with her outie

Helly repeatedly makes attempts to break free. She resorts to making threats of physical violence until she’s granted permission to create a video message for her outer-consciousness, where she begs for her release. The outer-consciousness responds with a video, stating that Helly doesn’t have the authority to decide her own life because she isn’t considered truly alive. In desperation, Helly attempts to take her own life in the elevator that changes innies into outties, hoping that her outie will be jolted awake by choking on air.

Management stops Helly from harming her alter ego and assigns the wellness director, Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman), to keep tabs on the unruly employee. Mark is equally troubled by Helly’s alter ego’s actions and becomes intrigued by Helly. As a result, they join forces to explore the mysteries surrounding Lumon. Their relationship deepens over time, leading to them sharing a kiss at one point.

Mark’s brother-in-law accidentally becomes an innie prophet

Mark receives a copy of his brother-in-law Ricken’s (played by Michael Chernus) humorous self-help book. The book is brimming with cheesy phrases such as, “Although your manager may control the clock on the wall, remember, the hour truly belongs to you,” and “Machines are crafted from metal, but humans are fashioned from skin.

Mark delivers the book to work, but at first, management takes it away. However, the employees eventually locate it. They’ve only ever read the Lumon handbook before, so Ricken’s intellectual musings appear deep to them and serve as a catalyst for their revolt against Lumon.

(In this version, I tried to maintain the original structure while making the language more accessible and natural.)

Irving falls in love with Burt

In this scenario, the process of refining macrodata moves to a different division, named Optics and Design. This department specializes in tasks such as displaying artwork depicting Lumon’s ritualistic gatherings and producing various 3D objects that may appear randomly generated. Within the Optics and Design team is an individual named Burt, portrayed by Christopher Walken. Burt and Irving share common interests in art and spirituality, leading them to develop a professional rapport. Their relationship evolves into a playful office romance.

Dylan shares with Irving a tale of strife, hinting at a rumor suggesting Optics and Design had previously clashed violently with Macrodata Refinement in the past. Remarkably, Burt also admits to having heard whispers about Macrodata Refinement being the aggressor against Optics and Design. The contrasting narratives serve as evidence that management may be intentionally stirring up conflict between these departments.

The Macrodata Refinement group seeks collaboration with Optics and Design to unravel the mysteries of Lumon, but Mrs. Cobel suddenly restricts employee access to the halls and makes Burt retire, effectively putting an end to his relationship with Irving.

Severance has other applications

Additionally, there are indications that severance is being applied in various scenarios. At one instance, Mark’s pregnant sister Devon (portrayed by Jen Tullock) visits a birthing sanctuary where she encounters the spouse of a pro-severance legislator who has undergone the procedure to avoid labor pains. This implies that this woman’s innie, having only experienced the agony of childbirth and the immediate removal of her newborn, has never known the joy of motherhood or the comfort of a full-term pregnancy.

At some point too, Mark and Helly traverse the maze-like corridors on their floor that are bathed in light, making them difficult to tell apart. They open a door and encounter a man tending to baby goats being fed milk. It’s puzzling whether these goats have any connection to severance, but it leaves one questioning what Lumon’s true business operations could be.

Dylan finds out his outie has a family

Dylan’s inner self stumbles upon a stack of cards depicting cartoon characters in work attire learning self-defense. It isn’t clear what these cards are for, but Dylan picks one haphazardly, causing chaos among the management. Later, Mr. Milchick awakens Dylan from his regular life, using a process called “overtime contingency,” to ask him to return the card as it holds confidential data. In his brief glimpse of the outside world, Dylan discovers he has a son, which significantly alters his viewpoint on existence.

Inside Lumon’s office, Helly receives a “Dance Party Experience” for hitting her target. The group starts dancing with Mr. Milchick until Dylan loses control, assaulting Mr. Milchick who swiftly ends the celebration. Dylan reveals the overtime contingency to his colleagues. They plan an escape, aiming to explore their outer selves. Innie Mark finds a keycard that could aid their plan. The doctor who re-integrated Petey and led Mark to discover his innie had given him the card, advising Mark that his innie would know how to use it.

The season ends with the overtime contingency

As a devoted fan, I found myself reaching my target, which granted me an extended stay at work for a delightful waffle gathering and an intriguing movie night featuring something akin to the enigmatic atmosphere of “Eyes Wide Shut.” However, I chose to slip away unnoticed. Once hidden from view, I triggered the overtime plan, rousing innie Mark, innie Helly, and innie Irving to the reality beyond our confines.

It’s revealed that Irving’s alter ego, or ‘outie’, has been obsessively depicting a specific dark corridor within Lumon, which leads down instead of up towards the surface. We’ve previously witnessed Miss Casey using this elevator. Furthermore, it’s found out that Irving’s outie has been delving into the concept of severance and tracing Lumon workers, including Burt, at their residences. In a hurry, Irving heads to Burt’s home, but unfortunately, Burt is already married. Despite this knowledge, Irving still decides to knock on the door.

As I sat down to pen my thoughts on this cinematic masterpiece, I found myself reflecting on the shocking revelation that I am none other than Helena Egan, heir to the Lumon fortune – a discovery that was subtly veiled as propaganda to bolster support for the contentious severance process. The film takes an eerie turn when I cross paths with my father, a man who sends shivers down the spine of even the most hardened moviegoers.

Fast forward to a black-tie event celebrating the very procedure that has shaped my life, and there I stand – Helena Egan herself – taking the stage as the keynote speaker. As I look out at the sea of faces, I can’t help but feel a sense of unease, knowing full well that my experience has been nothing short of tormenting. In sharing this with the audience, I hope to shed light on the truth behind the glamorous facade of severance and warn others of the perils that lie ahead.

At a gathering for his brother-in-law’s book release, Mark encounters a woman who cares for Devon and Ricken’s child (quite nerve-wracking!). Unbeknownst to him, this lady is known as Mrs. Selvig in her life outside of Lumon. In a slip-up, Mark mistakenly addresses her as Mrs. Cobel, unintentionally revealing that his ‘inside’ identity is circulating in the ‘outside’ world.

In a more chilling turn of events, Mrs. Cobel was let go from Lumon due to her inability to manage Mark and his colleagues effectively. Desperate to regain her position, she decides to thwart the uprising among the innocents and dismantle the overtime contingency plan. However, as she attempts this, Mrs. Cobel panics and disappears, with the baby mysteriously going missing in the chaos.

Before Mr. Milchick could deactivate the overtime emergency plan, Mark confides in his sister Devon all that he has learned about Lumon and urges her to uncover what’s going on there. While searching for the baby (rest assured, the baby is safe!), Mark stumbles upon a framed photo from his wedding. Upon closer examination, he realizes that the woman he believed had passed away was actually Ms. Casey, who he had previously seen alive and well within Lumon, though he hadn’t recognized her at the time. Excitedly exclaiming, “She’s still alive!”, Mark tackles Dylan just as Milchick attempts to shut down the overtime emergency plan, thus bringing an end to Season 1.

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2025-01-15 19:07

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