Severance

[Anonymous]

I think the Mark part of it is an attempt to sever two people to forget each other and not re-bond if they see each other again. This would allow for divorce, kidnapping, etc. I think it also relates to the mystery of why they have a little girl on the severed floor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the Mark part of it is an attempt to sever two people to forget each other and not re-bond if they see each other again. This would allow for divorce, kidnapping, etc. I think it also relates to the mystery of why they have a little girl on the severed floor.

She doesn’t seem severed though, at least I didn’t think so. Seems like all the lumon employees aren’t severed. The way she said not to let them throw a funeral because “it’ll make them feel like real people” or whatever. But it’s still weird…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loving this show - it feels very West World-ish to me. But was thinking, since Helly is an Egan, why would they risk giving her a “real” severed position? Wouldn’t they create some faux amazing position for her innie to ensure she had a great severed experience, so as not to risk exactly what happened (I’m sure they didn’t anticipate that her innie could ever get “out” but her innie being miserable/self harming could leak out, or could make Helena second guess things)

I had the same question as well. Why not give Helly a cushy job or no job at all? Possible explanations are that Macrodata Refinement is the cushy job or that they are incredibly shirt staffed and need all the bodies they can get.

It is a cult, so they may really believe in it.

Sort of like God making his only son become human, be crucified, etc.

[Anonymous]

My theory - there is something that happened in the world (virus that kills babies) or a Lumon sponsored project to conceive the perfect child.

Gemma and Mark signed up for the project and were giving blood as part of the project. They team up and “fall in love” and are trying to conceive this perfect project baby. As the time goes along, it’s not working, and Mark is getting cold feet/aggrevated at the whole Lumon project thing. He keeps asking her if she wants to give up and she says no, but he secretly wants to opt out.

Finally he rages at the crib because he no longer wants to be a part of it, and she’s actually pregnant (note: they don’t actually show the pregnancy test stick - I think it reveals she’s pregnant, not that she’s not pregnant).

Maybe the baby that is born is the new child supervisor? That’s a stretch!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, it made me really uncomfortable because she’s trapped and they are torturing her. She still chooses drowning and there’s a pointed exchange with the nurse. She uses the book and breaks protocol to attempt to escape. Her innie versions attempt to resist.

The “I don’t believe you line” is Gemma at least saying I’m not going down without a fight. Pie isn’t fun to eat if you live in a bunker alone and can’t trust anyone.

Interesting that both of the women Mark fell for resisted being severed (ie they tried to escape).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My theory - there is something that happened in the world (virus that kills babies) or a Lumon sponsored project to conceive the perfect child.

Gemma and Mark signed up for the project and were giving blood as part of the project. They team up and “fall in love” and are trying to conceive this perfect project baby. As the time goes along, it’s not working, and Mark is getting cold feet/aggrevated at the whole Lumon project thing. He keeps asking her if she wants to give up and she says no, but he secretly wants to opt out.

Finally he rages at the crib because he no longer wants to be a part of it, and she’s actually pregnant (note: they don’t actually show the pregnancy test stick - I think it reveals she’s pregnant, not that she’s not pregnant).

Maybe the baby that is born is the new child supervisor? That’s a stretch!

But they met each other for the first time at the blood drive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Other stuff
-the paper mark is grading is about the levels to which vets with it’s will go to alleviate their grief
-the paper Gemma is grading is about a character who spends the whole book waiting for his death but also within religion

-what was up with saying Ms Corbell was “raised” by lumon?

In season 1 we learned Cobel grew up in a girl's school that was run by Lumon

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other stuff
-the paper mark is grading is about the levels to which vets with it’s will go to alleviate their grief
-the paper Gemma is grading is about a character who spends the whole book waiting for his death but also within religion

-what was up with saying Ms Corbell was “raised” by lumon?

In season 1 we learned Cobel grew up in a girl's school that was run by Lumon

I didn’t remember this! Off to google…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah and isn’t drowning also basically suffocation?

Thank you for this. I was thinking, same difference, when that question was asked.

[Anonymous]

In the last scene between Mark and Gemma, he is typing on an old school electric typewriter. Why? Is that some indicator of time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Other stuff
-the paper mark is grading is about the levels to which vets with it’s will go to alleviate their grief
-the paper Gemma is grading is about a character who spends the whole book waiting for his death but also within religion

-what was up with saying Ms Corbell was “raised” by lumon?

In season 1 we learned Cobel grew up in a girl's school that was run by Lumon

yes and it seems likely that ms. Huang is at that school as well, and "interning" on the severed floor.

[Anonymous]

I don't see why Devon would trust Cobel more than Reghabi.

[Anonymous]

This episode wasn't for me. I feel like we didn't need a whole episode dedicated to what basically amounted to one revelation that I'm not terribly sure changes the narrative much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This episode wasn't for me. I feel like we didn't need a whole episode dedicated to what basically amounted to one revelation that I'm not terribly sure changes the narrative much.

Well, I've always been a huge fan of Patricia Arquette, so I'll take a whole episode of her any time. And, I think that what has made Lumon great and powerful is the Severance procedure, so if she has invented it, then she, personally, lays bare the lie that the Eagans are special. So, I think she's the key to breaking the hold that the cult has on everyone. Of course, we know that cults are not about logic, so there's a story to be told there, thus we get another season.

But, I also think that Mark is her son, and that's why she lives next door to him. Maybe he was adopted or something and that's why he has a sister who is clearly not her daughter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This episode wasn't for me. I feel like we didn't need a whole episode dedicated to what basically amounted to one revelation that I'm not terribly sure changes the narrative much.

I didn’t like the episode either but think the fact that Cobel invented the severance procedure may be helpful to helping Mark with integration. Maybe Cobel is now team Irving and will try to take down Lumon out of vengeance.