Severance

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haven’t read a lot of the posts, but, agree that I feel puzzled by what decade it is meant to be set in as well as location. All desolate. Constant winter. Weird light at all times. What are we supposed to be taking away from all of that?

I've entertained the idea that the outies are all actually the first layer down in Severance world, a la The Matrix. So the real world is actually a construct, and not physical, which is why everything is slightly off, it's always winter, etc. But there are a lot of things that also contradict that idea.

I just get the impression that Mark is not a hapless victim of Lumon.

One other thing in hung up on—has there been any indication of what knowledge or information the innies vs. outties retain? I couldn’t work out that the innies believed the waterfall they saw during their outdoor adventure thingy was the biggest one in the world. They seem to possess some sort of baseline knowledge of the world-mark knew what sex was, and when we were introduced to Hellie, we didn’t see her go through some of start up programming to inform her baseline intellect. I guess I feel like I can’t reconcile that bit. Did I fall asleep at some point and miss something?

Yeah -- I've been wondering about this too.

I feel like Severance rules are a little like ghost rules - why can ghosts walk through walls but don't fall through the floor? Because otherwise you don't have much of a story, really!

But I think that the severed characters retain sort of the basic knowledge of being an adult human - they know how to go to the bathroom on their own; they know how to use a computer. But they don't have the knowledge specific to their own lives.

Though actually - SPOILERS ****



That's what was being tested at Cold Harbor, right? Whether the severed character retained any knowledge of their previous life, when put into what was essentially the most tragic and emotionally wrecking situation their outie had ever experienced (that we know of). And the answer was no - they don't remember - but also Gemma clearly had something going on that led her to trust Mark and run away with him even when she didn't remember him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haven’t read a lot of the posts, but, agree that I feel puzzled by what decade it is meant to be set in as well as location. All desolate. Constant winter. Weird light at all times. What are we supposed to be taking away from all of that?

I've entertained the idea that the outies are all actually the first layer down in Severance world, a la The Matrix. So the real world is actually a construct, and not physical, which is why everything is slightly off, it's always winter, etc. But there are a lot of things that also contradict that idea.

I just get the impression that Mark is not a hapless victim of Lumon.

One other thing in hung up on—has there been any indication of what knowledge or information the innies vs. outties retain? I couldn’t work out that the innies believed the waterfall they saw during their outdoor adventure thingy was the biggest one in the world. They seem to possess some sort of baseline knowledge of the world-mark knew what sex was, and when we were introduced to Hellie, we didn’t see her go through some of start up programming to inform her baseline intellect. I guess I feel like I can’t reconcile that bit. Did I fall asleep at some point and miss something?

Yeah -- I've been wondering about this too.

It was explained in episode 1 ("Delaware"), and then dismissed because you have to suspend disbelief to make the story work.


They know about general knowledge of the world (like the names of US states) but nothing about their own lives.

What's never been discussed is whether the innies can access knowledge about Lumon.

Also not discussed is this: if outies and innies both know "general knowledge", can that be used to smuggle information between the severe portions?

Or is general knowledge "read only"?
If Canada becomes the 51st state and the outie reads about that, will the innie know?

Good question - also, ouch. Too soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know I am backtracking…but when did Gemma discuss drowning?

In the beginning of the previous episode, that perilous looking nurse was asking her questions - I think it was how she would prefer to die - and drowning was an option.

That perilous nurse is the incomparable Sandra Bernhard!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was anyone else terrified by the massive cliff they kept showing? I was like why are you parking so close to that cliff!!!

Also, severance would be so great for authoritarian regimes. Think about if Trump could server us all and then we all just thought everything he was doing was totally normal. Without personal history and context, people are incredibly malleable.

But only up until a point - the innies rebelled, too. It turns out we all want freedom. We all want to live.

Except Republican lawmakers, I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love the additional members of the cast for the finale!

Yeah, the whole marching band and drum major addition increased the tension for sure.

I was thinking about Gwendoline Christie.

Yes, she was good. Especially with the makeup. I also love to see her in another fight scene.

She was amazing. I'm so glad she [spoiler]*****






protected the goat!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gemma will have access to Outie Mark in the real world , right?

Unless Innie Mark doesn't leave.

Exactly! Innie Mark wants to live and he'll "die" if he leaves the severed floor. He'll be severed from himself and from the woman he loves. But what life is there for them there? We'll find out next season (I hope!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gemma will have access to Outie Mark in the real world , right?

Unless Innie Mark doesn't leave.

Exactly! Innie Mark wants to live and he'll "die" if he leaves the severed floor. He'll be severed from himself and from the woman he loves. But what life is there for them there? We'll find out next season (I hope!)

And if Helly were to leave, would Helena ever return her to the severed floor?

[Anonymous]

Saw a comment on the Severance subreddit that the real proof severance works is that Mark didn't leave - he truly had no emotional attachment to the most important part of his previous life. He was the actual Cold Harbor - not Gemma and the crib.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gemma will have access to Outie Mark in the real world , right?

As of now, there is no Outie Mark. Lumon isn't going to let him out voluntarily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Saw a comment on the Severance subreddit that the real proof severance works is that Mark didn't leave - he truly had no emotional attachment to the most important part of his previous life. He was the actual Cold Harbor - not Gemma and the crib.

Hmm. Good theory, but I think Mark 100% had an attachment, but that attachment didn't win in that moment. Remember, one of the characters shouts during the chaos - "You don't understand. They'll all die!" referring to the innies left behind. That registers with Mark.

I think the question is, if Helly had not appeared, would Mark have stayed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Okay, so this would be a great ending if they don't pay for another season.

Agree. For a show all about duality, this was a perfect season finale. It can be the end of the show, or not. Works either way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love the additional members of the cast for the finale!

Yeah, the whole marching band and drum major addition increased the tension for sure.

I was thinking about Gwendoline Christie.

Yes, she was good. Especially with the makeup. I also love to see her in another fight scene.

She was amazing. I'm so glad she [spoiler]*****






protected the goat!

"Emile is the name of the goat."

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised there's not more discussion of this finale - which was great.

I felt like this ties everything that we know so far together and sets up the third season to be the last, and to answer the questions we have left.

I still think there's another "layer" out there that is going to explain how they all ended up in this situation in the first place - it's been pretty clearly telegraphed that everything in this "world" is run by Lumon and that it's at least a semi-closed world. I don't think that was random. The Corbel-focused episode was telling us more than she went to a Lumon school and that she actually invented the Severance procedure. There was a lot of Lumon lore in there.

I am excited for Season 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gemma will have access to Outie Mark in the real world , right?

Unless Innie Mark doesn't leave.

Oh, I forgot they share the same body!

So how were they talking by video? The brain kept switching back and forth but not the body?

I am still confused about how the numbers erased her memories (“passions”) while creating new innies??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haven’t read a lot of the posts, but, agree that I feel puzzled by what decade it is meant to be set in as well as location. All desolate. Constant winter. Weird light at all times. What are we supposed to be taking away from all of that?

I've entertained the idea that the outies are all actually the first layer down in Severance world, a la The Matrix. So the real world is actually a construct, and not physical, which is why everything is slightly off, it's always winter, etc. But there are a lot of things that also contradict that idea.

I just get the impression that Mark is not a hapless victim of Lumon.

One other thing in hung up on—has there been any indication of what knowledge or information the innies vs. outties retain? I couldn’t work out that the innies believed the waterfall they saw during their outdoor adventure thingy was the biggest one in the world. They seem to possess some sort of baseline knowledge of the world-mark knew what sex was, and when we were introduced to Hellie, we didn’t see her go through some of start up programming to inform her baseline intellect. I guess I feel like I can’t reconcile that bit. Did I fall asleep at some point and miss something?

Yeah -- I've been wondering about this too.

I feel like Severance rules are a little like ghost rules - why can ghosts walk through walls but don't fall through the floor? Because otherwise you don't have much of a story, really!

But I think that the severed characters retain sort of the basic knowledge of being an adult human - they know how to go to the bathroom on their own; they know how to use a computer. But they don't have the knowledge specific to their own lives.

Though actually - SPOILERS ****



That's what was being tested at Cold Harbor, right? Whether the severed character retained any knowledge of their previous life, when put into what was essentially the most tragic and emotionally wrecking situation their outie had ever experienced (that we know of). And the answer was no - they don't remember - but also Gemma clearly had something going on that led her to trust Mark and run away with him even when she didn't remember him.

And he was covered in blood! 😳