It’s 9:00 p.m. An eager group huddled in the middle of an Irish Row apartment stare in anticipation at a TV mounted on the wall. Excitement and uneasiness lay thick in the room as the smell of fresh banana bread and suspense envelop the scene. With a trembling hand, someone grabs the remote and presses play.
OK, it wasn’t really that dramatic, but that was the site of my Thursday evening last week as I watched the seventh episode of Season 2 of the hit Apple TV+ drama “Severance” (when I should have been studying for my Italian exam the next day). But I regret nothing — “Severance” waits for no one, especially if you’re a member of Twitter’s expansive and spoiler-prone community dedicated to the show.
For those who are not familiar, the show follows Mark S. (Adam Scott), a grief-stricken man who — in the aftermath of the “death” of his wife — opts to undergo a procedure called “severance.” This procedure essentially splits his brain in half, giving him two consciousnesses: one that exists at work and cannot remember anything about his personal life, and one that exists everywhere else and cannot remember anything about his work life. Severance seemed to be a perfect way to forget his grief for a while, but Mark begins to uncover disturbing realities about the company (Lumon Industries) that severed and now employs him.
Season 2 debuted in January, and so far, it has been equal parts captivating and terrifying. Utilizing the mind-bending visuals and elaborate storylines that characterized the first season, the second season of “Severance” continues to provide its dedicated viewers with new twists and turns in every episode. So far, every episode has successfully left me in silent horror, mouth agape and hands covering my eyes — and that’s just because of Adam Scott’s disgustingly greasy but character-appropriate wig.
One can almost forgive the nearly three-year gap between Seasons 1 and 2, as creator Dan Erickson has once again masterfully crafted a world of familiar modern office life. Every stereotypical facet — unflattering fluorescent lights and trivial work incentives — has been meticulously dialed to the extreme. Every single detail, down to the shade of white on the walls of Lumon’s lower offices and the out-of-focus artwork in the background of the scenes, evokes a sense of uneasiness and possesses some meaning greater than mere set design.
The show’s numerous and often blink-and-you’ll-miss-them easter eggs are also in a masterclass of their own, much to the delight of the vast Reddit community of “Severance” fans. One brief Google search will lead you down a four-hour rabbit hole, investigating how the liminal states of Tibetan Buddhism can relate to a psychological drama about work-life balance.
This season has been masterful in normalizing the uncomfortable. Dynamic and frankly vertigo-inducing camera movements as well as not-so-subtle allusions to the Soviet regime characterize work at Lumon as torture, yet its workers keep coming back. But, to be fair, who wouldn’t? I know I’d endure anything just to behold the incredible sight that is Tramell Tillman’s ‘70s-esque moustache.
Season 2 of “Severance” continues to be a flawless and often visually horrifying representation of modern work culture. It also serves as a reminder that it actually could be worse — at least corporate hasn’t taken your wife hostage and attempted to indoctrinate you into a cult-like religion. So the next time you walk into your mind-numbing job that doesn’t pay enough for you to deal with that one co-worker you just can’t stand, sit down, take a deep breath, and remember that the work is “mysterious and important.”
