When Severance‘s first season was airing, I referred to as its opening credit sequence “the best on TV” — and for good purpose. With visuals by artist Oliver Latta (aka Extraweg) and typography by Teddy Blanks, this title sequence immersed viewers within the nightmarish world of Lumon Industries, in addition to the stress between Mark’s (Adam Scott) Innie and Outie lives. Uncanny and unforgettable, the sequence went on to win the Emmy Award for Excellent Major Title Design.
In Season 2, Severance reshapes its opening credit, sustaining the signature 3D CGI look however switching up the precise content material of the visuals. Some photos, like Mark leaping into his personal head, stay the identical, however for probably the most half, we’re seeing completely new issues right here.
One other change from season to season is the truth that, whereas Season 1’s credit are extra evocative of Severance‘s general really feel, Season 2’s credit gesture extra to the plot of the present. The sequence would not simply characteristic Mark anymore — Helly (Britt Decrease), Gemma/Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman), and Concord Cobel (Patricia Arquette) all make appearances, placing additional stress on Mark’s twin selves.
However what else can Severance Season 2’s opening credit inform us about what to anticipate from the season? Let’s break it down. Listed below are 10 fascinating particulars from Severance Season 2’s opening credit.
What’s with all of the balloons?
Latta included balloon-like photos into the Season 1 credit, with Mark carrying round a floating clone of himself, full with a number of legs, arms, and heads. In Season 2, although, we get new spooky opening credit score balloons. This time, the balloons are Mark’s inflated head, together with his tie performing as their strings. It is a enjoyable echo to the blue balloons Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman) provides Mark within the Season 2 premiere, every together with his face on them. But there is also a deeper that means to those head balloons.
Once we first see one in all these balloons within the trailer, it is arising by way of an elevator — presumably from the severed ground. May this counsel Mark’s Innie consciousness breaking by way of into the Outie world? That may solely be potential if Mark underwent the harmful reintegration course of Petey (Yul Vazquez) underwent in Season 1. Primarily based on the Severance Season 2 trailer, we all know reintegration pioneer Reghabi (Karen Aldridge) is again, so the concept of reintegration is definitely on the desk. Plus, the picture of Mark’s Outie determine making an attempt desperately to hold onto the pinnacle balloons evokes the concept of Mark making an attempt to recapture his personal reminiscences, one thing he might solely do by way of reintegration.
Let’s make a journey into Mark’s mind.
The Severance Season 2 opening credit proceed with Mark climbing down into the depths of his personal mind (rendered in a disconcerting shade of inexperienced). In a shallow pool of water, he sees his reflection change into first Helly, then Gemma, each of whom take off operating in numerous instructions. The second definitely serves as a visible illustration of Mark’s completely different selves having completely different love pursuits, however it additionally highlights simply how sophisticated these romances might be. Innie Mark needs to save lots of Gemma for his Outie’s sake, however what occurs to his and Helly’s romance if Outie Mark and Gemma resolve to flee removed from Lumon? Is a future even potential for them, when their Outies are accountable for whether or not they dwell or die?
Infants, infants, in every single place.
There are such a lot of creepy, faceless infants in these opening credit — and one child Kier Eagan on the very finish! So what is the cope with them?
Mashable High Tales
The infants might trace at numerous issues, just like the infantilization of Lumon’s Innies, who are sometimes handled like kids in work garments. (Later, Mark has what seems to be like jars of child meals on his desk, including to this concept.) However the infants might additionally level to a few of Lumon’s extra nefarious exercise: May they be elevating kids to dwell solely on the severed ground, like they elevate child goats? Is that Miss Huang’s (Sarah Bock) entire deal? (Lumon’s LinkedIn web page says in any other case.)
Innie Mark and Outie Mark are interacting!
Within the Season 1 opening credit, Innie and Outie Mark work together considerably — however to not the extent that they do right here. From recognizing one another with flashlights to carrying each other by way of surreal landscapes, the pair really appear to be working collectively. Maybe Mark’s Innie and Outie will discover a technique to talk with one another because the season goes on.
Mark removes his severance chip.
One other placing picture in these opening credit is Mark dragging his personal severance chip out of his mind. If that is not a transparent nod to reintegration, I do not know what it might be!
Is the sunken automotive a reference to Gemma’s automotive accident?
At one level within the credit, Mark traverses an icy physique of water. (One would possibly name it a… Chilly Harbor.) Within the background, a automotive lies half-submerged beneath the floor. May this be a reference to how Gemma (supposedly) died in a automotive crash, and the way the reminiscence and grief related to it all the time lurk in Mark’s unconscious?
The automotive additionally seems to be like Cobel’s automotive, which we see her driving away into the darkness on the finish of episode 2. Perhaps Severance is foreshadowing a automotive accident in her future — maybe by Lumon’s hand? — by which case it looks as if Lumon has a suspicious sample of automotive crashes.
A terrifying subject of goat-Marks.
Maybe probably the most weird picture of your entire credit sequence is when Mark carries himself by way of a subject populated by uncanny creatures. On one aspect of the sector, the place Innie Mark carries his Outie, headless Innie Marks roam on palms and knees by way of the grass, together with large rolling Gemma heads. The opposite aspect of the sector is the inverse: Outie Mark carries his Innie, headless Outies populate the sector, and the rolling heads are Helly’s as an alternative of Gemma’s.
The terrain is much like the new and improved Lumon goat room teased within the Season 2 trailer, and the entire tableau additional highlights the variations between each variations of Mark (particularly their love pursuits).
Ms. Cobel has her eyes on Mark, Gemma, and Helly.
Seems your entire subject scene was really taking part in out on a e book Cobel is studying, positioning her as the nice orchestrator and observer of Mark’s whole odyssey. Whereas it looks as if Cobel has lower ties with Lumon by the tip of episode 2, might we see her return and take the reins as soon as extra? It is clear she has a deep curiosity within the severed ground, and in Mark and Gemma’s interactions specifically. Maybe this season we’ll discover out extra about why she so invested. (And no, Mr. Milchick, I do know it is not as a result of she needs to be in a throuple with Innie and Outie Mark!)
Helly and Gemma alternate within the elevator all the way down to the testing ground.
In one of many title sequence’s closing moments, Latta conjures up the terrifying hallway and elevator main all the way down to the testing ground of Lumon. Gemma stands within the elevator, however as we draw nearer, she sparkles into Helly and again. As soon as once more, the credit are emphasizing every of Mark’s respective love pursuits, reminding us that that is one sophisticated love triangle. However the flickering imagery provides an additional layer to the second, because it remembers Petey’s fast adjustments between his Innie and Outie reminiscences throughout his reintegration course of in Season 1. If Mark does reintegrate, as these credit and Reghabi’s look within the season counsel, might he mistake Helly for Gemma? Or might his reminiscences overlay the 2, on condition that they occupy comparable roles in his respective lives?
Mark climbs out of his personal head.
Severance Season 2’s opening credit finish with a disturbing bang: a picture of the again of Outie Mark’s head opening up and Innie Mark prying his method out. Pair this with the sooner photos of Mark eradicating his personal severance chip and Innie and Outie Mark interacting, and the prospect of reintegration is sort of 100% sure. Nevertheless, given how eerie these credit are, in addition to the physique horror implications of this closing picture, it is clear that it will not be a straightforward (or fairly) course of.
Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with a brand new episode each Friday.
