If anyone else felt like Mark S. running off the elevator at the beginning of Episode 1 by the time those credits rolled…you’re in good company. Let me tell you what, you might not get closure when it comes to Severance. Ben Stiller and co. really decided to give the audience a masterclass is mystery and intrigue, each AND every episode.
Also, Ben Stiller, or whomever selects the music featured in Severance, is a fan of The Who. They might just be on a kick, but my thought it it goes much deeper than that. If you haven’t listened to their Live at Leeds album, it’s a fantastic one, and there’s a great rendition of a song featured in today’s episode.
If you want a taste for the vibe, hit play below, and keep reading about Severance Season 2 Episode 2.
Now, this episode gives us more parts of this growing story. Who’s who, what really happened during that protocol, and who are the outies that correspond with our friends in MDR?
The bit we do see this episode will still leave us with questions, so we hope no one got miffed at the lack of full transparency. But hey, we know better than that by now, don’t we?
As a quick aside, the question arose: what year is Severance supposed to be set in? In this dystopian-nostalgia amalgam, I can at least spot certain indicators that state this is into the 2000s based on vehicles shown in the show. An observant writer on another site caught the fact that on his license, Mark S. was born 1978 and the license is set to expire in 2020, so we must be into the late 2010’s at the earliest. But…there are pay phones?
So…why the outdated tech? Why the grainy computers and old clackety-clackin’ keyboards?
We don’t yet know, but maybe one day we’ll find out. And if we don’t, we can assume it’s more to sell a vibe and feeling than it is to make logical, face-value sense. Perhaps it’s anachronistic to anger the logic nerds? Perhaps it’s meant to suggest that office drones that work day and night in their cubicles, disconnected from their true selves, may as well be working on old 1970s-80s machine, but let’s lean more into Occam’s Razor than not on this one.
Throughout the episode, we discover that the outies are having questions about that fateful night, not unlike our innie crew. Each has their own levels of reckoning and interest, but at least for Mark S., he seems surprisingly well-adjusted to the fact that the Overtime Contingency Protocol was an uncommon occurrence, but not earth-shattering. At least, not at first.
It’s fun to see Mr. Milchick interact with Lumon employees outside the severed floors, and beyond his cheerful disposition, I for one enjoyed his preferred method of transportation. And I’m not the only one! Just ask Ricken.
In addition to the severed employees, we get to dive back into Mark’s relationship with his sister, Persephone. There’s a banter, sensitivity, and care there that we got to see in the first season, and yet something’s changed. Persephone interacted with Mark’s innie, how could she not see him in a different light now? Her interests go beyond his morning routine before work though, which raises questions of boundaries between the pair.
About halfway through the episode, we get to see another example of attitudes towards severed employees. The first season’s dinner party did a great job at setting the stage for the audience to understand that being a severed employee is more oddity than not, and this firm reminder puts us back in that reality. Severance isn’t solitude, it’s secrecy. Severance isn’t glorified, it’s grotesque to many people. At one point I wondered if Severance had some parallels to the LGBTQ+ experience, but uh, in the wake of the last few weeks, I’ll save that conversation for a publication with writers who can better articulate that story. But, something to ruminate on for those would-be ruminators.
A theme came back and back again, as it had in the first season, and undoubtedly will in this season until something rocks it off its course.
Severed employees don’t just tolerate their ignorance—they cherish it. The idea that something else, someone else, is doing the work while they remain blissfully unaware? That’s the real benefit package. So, the prospect of knowing more about their job? That’s not opportunity—that’s a burden.
Now, if Episode 1 left us staring at a locked door, Episode 2 creaks it open just enough to see what could be waiting on the other side. Not a ground-breaking revelation, but a teaser. Ben Stiller and his breadcrumbing are truly second to none.
So, faithful members of the Lumon family, let’s put our keys in the locker, grab the correct badge from our lockbox, say hi to Judd, let that wand check us for metal objects, and make our way into the elevator. Press that button, watch it light up, and let’s get ready to uncover the truth on the severed floors.
If you haven’t yet, check out our review for Severance Season 2 – Episode 1 before you leave!
SEVERANCE – SEASON 2
The highly anticipated second season of Apple’s Emmy and Peabody Award-winning workplace thriller “Severance” has made its global debut! From the unsevered minds of director and executive producer Ben Stiller and creator, writer and executive producer Dan Erickson, the first episode of “Severance” season two debuted on Apple TV+ Friday, January 17th, 2025, and one new episode will drop every Friday through March 21.
From AppleTV+:
“Severance” Season Two
In “Severance,” Mark Scout (Adam Scott) leads a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a severance procedure, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in “work-life balance” is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and of himself. In season two, Mark and his friends learn the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe.
Season two of the broadly acclaimed workplace thriller from director and executive producer Ben Stiller, and creator Dan Erickson, reunites its ensemble cast of stars including Emmy Award nominee Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, Zach Cherry, Jen Tullock, Michael Chernus, Dichen Lachman, Emmy Award winner John Turturro, Academy Award winner Christopher Walken and Academy and Emmy Award winner Patricia Arquette, and welcomes new series regular Sarah Bock.
“Severance” is executive produced by Ben Stiller, who also directs five episodes this season in addition to directors Uta Bresiewitz, Sam Donovan and Jessica Lee Gagné. The series is written, created and executive produced by Dan Erickson. “Severance” season two is also executive produced by John Lesher, Jackie Cohn, Mark Friedman, Beau Willimon, Jordan Tappis, Sam Donovan, Caroline Baron, Richard Schwartz, Nicholas Weinstock. In addition to starring, Adam Scott and Patricia Arquette serve as executive producers. Fifth Season is the studio.
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