‘Severance’ Season 2, Episode 1 Recap: What Happened?

Perhaps I am going to Even Purchase You a Drink at a Bistro Sometime

Mark efficiently offers his finest the whole lot’s effective poker face in the course of the ball sport, however he harbors a secret plan—which includes sneaking a threatening notice into the pocket of considered one of his new coworkers. Milchick sniffs it out instantly, understanding that Mark is making an attempt to border his fellow macrodata refiners in order that Lumon will deliver his outdated squad again. Mark straight-up sprints to Milchick’s workplace, begs the Lumon board to deliver Helly, Dylan, and Irving again, then Milchick cuts him off. He is pissed—that is the Milchick we all know and love! He pushes Mark into the elevator and says goodbye as if it is the final time he’ll ever see Innie Mark.

Then, similar to the episode started, Mark pops out of the elevator. This time, all three of his mates be a part of him. Lumon granted Mark’s want.

By the best way, let’s respect how rattling layered this present is. They reappear in entrance of a portray known as “Kier Pardons his Betrayers.” It depicts the heads of 4 folks poking out of the ground, whereas Kier seems to be down on them. On condition that, you realize, we’re following 4 of us who simply double-crossed the corporate, have been successfully sentenced to demise, and reappeared with a second probability at Lumon—yeah. You get it.

RTO by no means felt this good.

About The Video… Was That Keanu Reeves?!

When Milchick reassembles the crew, he takes them to a darkish room (no, not that darkish room) to indicate them a video. What ensues is a delectably Severance-y piece of company propaganda. Apparently, Lumon filmed a claymation video for all of its staff about how the “quiet braveness” of the MDR workforce led to higher working circumstances on the firm. New perks embody: Salsa and fruit leather-based! Yay.

Hilariously, the video (which is narrated by Lumon’s literal workplace constructing) doubles as a claymation recap of season 1—proper right down to a not-on-my-Severance–bingo-card reference to the Warmth Miser in The Yr With no Santa Claus. (Dylan: “What the shit?”) Severance additionally delivers the primary lore dump of season 2—the corporate is in 206 international locations, apparently. (There are 195 recognised international locations on the planet. Rely on Esquire for the Severance fact-check you most likely did not want.)

When the clip ends, the Innies focus on what they noticed within the Outie world. Mark catches everybody up in regards to the Ms. Casey/Outie Spouse/Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman) paradox. In the meantime, Helly tells a considerably odd story about waking up at a boring house, strolling exterior, and telling a gardener about her plight. Irving, at all times the skeptic, asks, “An evening… gardener?” Fascinating. As for our tall good friend, he later—whereas combating with the concept of leaving Lumon—tells Dylan about his Outie’s grim elevator work.

Earlier than we transfer on: did the constructing’s voice sound acquainted to you? And possibly even the water tower, too? Nicely, if you happen to thought the water tower bore the unmistakable Lengthy Island rasp of Saturday Night time Stay!’s Sarah Sherman—kudos to you. She is credited merely as “Voice of Water Tower” within the credit. As for the Voice of the Lumon Workplace? Uncredited. However please, shoot me an e-mail if you happen to hear something aside from the pleasant cords of 1 Keanu Reeves.

Okay. Nicely. We might cease there. However that is Severance. And Severance calls for that you just ask extra questions. Right here it’s: It’s important to assume that actual Lumon staff recorded the voices of Mr. Lumon Workplace and Ms. Water Tower, no? I am certain you possibly can see the place I am going with this. Till somebody proves me flawed, I am selecting to consider that Reeves and Sherman play actual characters in Severance—and so they’re on the market someplace.

Will we ever see the alt-universe MDR once more?

Reunited and It Feels So Good

That is the genius of Severance. Milchick offers the fab 4 the choice to retire—which, I need to remind you, is the equal of demise for an Innie—or stay on the mercy of Lumon. In the event that they resume work, Milchick says, he’ll assume that they selected to remain. On the finish of episode 1, Mark, Helly, Dylan, and Irving all hearth up their computer systems. They are not going anyplace. Your entire episode, clearly, was written particularly to take a seat the asses of the MDR again down, to allow them to work on regardless of the heck they do at Lumon. Once more. After all of that. Mark needs to keep it up and discover his Outie’s spouse. Helly needs to assist Mark. Dylan finds hope within the promise of someday assembly his Outie’s household. Irving, effectively—he is hanging on by a thread, however Dylan’s assist is sufficient to maintain the person at his desk.

Now, you could wonder if or not Severance is just operating season 1 again. That the inventive workforce could not write a second season that did not see the squad again collectively at their cubicles. Why would our favourite Innies work so rattling onerous to flee their oppressors and see the outer world, solely to finish up grinding away on bullshit numbers for the remainder of their lives?

Nicely, that is Company America, child. Is there a extra relatable sight than an workplace employee complaining about their thankless job day after day, solely to select stated thankless job day after day with out ever making a change? Perhaps they’re ready for a increase. Or a promotion. Or the hope of an early retirement. As a rule, none of these issues come. And but that individual nonetheless swipes into the constructing day-after-day.

Let’s face it. By ending the season 2 premiere proper the place season 2 began, Severance made what may simply be its most haunting argument but: That both we’re suckers for ache, or capitalism has a chokehold on us all. Or each.

Wait. What’s Chilly Harbor?

Get your pause button helpful, as a result of woo, boy. In episode 1’s closing moments, Mark is (fortunately?!) sorting numbers into little digital containers once more. However the pc glints and exhibits a special display, which it is best to parse by way of your self. It has an image of Gemma/Ms. Casey, with the heading COLD HARBOR. Really sick Severance followers know that Chilly Harbor is the codename Severance utilized in season 2’s manufacturing itemizing. Perhaps Chilly Harbor is not only a nickname. There are a number of scattered numbers across the display—is HR 80 referring to a coronary heart fee?!—that I might very very like the Severance Reddit to dissect within the coming days. Is Mark simply seeing Ms. Casey in his thoughts’s eye whereas he works? Or, no matter we’re seeing right here, is that this what Mark is definitely engaged on?

Hopefully, we’ll have some solutions by the point the finale airs. Within the meantime, thanks for studying, of us. We hope you may proceed to observe Esquire’s recaps of Severance season 2. I am going to see you subsequent week.

Wrathfully, your Innie,

Brady L.