One other episode of Severance means one other assortment of moments that make us go, “What in Kier’s name just happened?”
Severance Season 2, episode 2, titled “Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig,” capabilities because the flip aspect of episode 1. The place the Season 2 premiere confirmed us the Innies’ perspective on the occasions following Severance‘s Season 1 finale, “Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig” exhibits us what was occurring within the Outie world throughout that point. We be taught that it hasn’t really been 5 months for the reason that Innies triggered the Time beyond regulation Contingency. As an alternative, Mark (Adam Scott) returns to work mere days after the OTC. (Clearly, which means that there was no huge celebration of the Innies or of severance reform, however episode 1 made that completely clear.)
However though we do not spend any time on the Severed Ground this episode, we nonetheless get a ton of moments and contours that made me freak out, theorize, and extra. Let’s break them down.
“Fetid moppet.”
How is Lumon CEO Jame Eagan (Michael Siberry) coping with the aftermath of Helly R. (Britt Decrease) hijacking her Outie Helena Eagan’s huge speech? By berating Helena with an immediately memorable — and admittedly, creepy — insult: “Fetid moppet.” Does this instantly clue us into how tough Helena and Jame’s relationship is? Sure. Have I additionally been murmuring “fetid moppet” to myself ever since seeing this episode? Additionally sure.
Mr. Milchick rocks a leather-based jacket and a bike helmet.
Tramell Tillman in “Severance.”
Credit score: Apple TV+
This entry is much less of a WTF second and extra of a trend appreciation second. Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman) has all the time rocked fashionable workplace put on. His blue turtleneck from Season 2, episode 1 alone is worthy of reward! However in “Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig,” we see a brand new aspect of him. And that aspect drives a bike and rocks a leather-based jacket as he does. If we did not know any higher, we would say he appears like a reasonably cool dude. However we do know higher, and know that inside the partitions of Lumon, Milchick is something however a cool dude.
Helena Eagan makes an apology video.
Britt Decrease in “Severance.”
Credit score: Apple TV+
To curb any backlash about Helly’s speech in regards to the Innies being tortured, Helena takes a web page from the ebook of disgraced celebrities and opts to apologize video. (Hey, no less than it isn’t a Notes app apology.) The complete sequence is extra of Lumon’s typical cover-up habits, full with Helena mendacity about her speech being a drunken joke in poor style. As if that weren’t unhealthy sufficient, Helena ends her apology by saying, “I’m also a human. Just like my Innie.” However keep in mind the way you instructed Helly she wasn’t an individual again in Season 1, Helena? The insincerity is staggering.
“Your Innie is a friend of mine.”
Mr. Milchick’s injury management tour across the city of Kier brings him to Irving’s (John Turturro) doorstep. Earlier than firing him, he tells him, “You know, your Innie is a friend of mine. I feel confident he’d approve of me saying so.”
Nicely, I do not really feel that very same confidence, Mr. Milchick — particularly not after you retired the love of Irving’s life! This line is simply one other instance of Lumon’s manipulation of its staff — each Innies and Outies — because of the data barrier created by the severance process. Nasty stuff by a nasty firm.
Severance‘s new opening credit sequence is quite a bit.
Severance Season 2 introduces a brand-new opening credit sequence from visible artist Oliver Latta (aka Extraweg), and they’re maybe much more terrifying than Season 1’s. This time round, we’re handled to nightmarish pictures of Mark diving deep into his personal severed mind. Plus, characters like Helly, Gemma/Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman), and Ms. Cobel (Patricia Arquette) are alongside for the journey. Not solely will the title sequence’s pictures of floating balloon heads and inexperienced mind matter hang-out your goals — they may additionally give hints at what to anticipate from the remainder of the season.
Ricken continues to be Ricken.
It would not be a season of Severance with out Mark’s brother-in-law Ricken (Michael Chernus) being the worst, and boy, does he ship in “Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig.” He is extra anxious about rescheduling his studying of The You You Are than about Mark’s Innie revealing that Gemma is alive or the near-disappearance of his daughter Eleanor. He additionally steers Mark into pondering his “She’s alive!” assertion was about Eleanor as a substitute of Gemma. Fortunately, Devon (Jen Tullock) is on the case.
Ricken’s finest second this episode? Developing with the portmanteau “Cobelvig” to speak about Ms. Cobel’s double life as Mrs. Selvig. It isn’t a lot, however it’s humorous.
Mashable High Tales
Helena is a bit too liberal with the replay button.
Britt Decrease in “Severance.”
Credit score: Apple TV+
Helena takes a break from her newfound interest of creating apology movies to interact in her different newfound interest: replaying the safety footage of Helly and Mark’s kiss. It is a deeply unsettling reminder of the extent of the Innies’ lack of privateness. However on the flip aspect, it should even be deeply unsettling to witness your physique experiencing a second of intimacy that you just weren’t aware about. What are the ethics of consent while you share a physique with another person? Not that Lumon would care, in fact.
Helena’s obsessive viewing of the Severed Ground’s safety footage does give weight to a principle that the Helly we see on the Severed Ground is definitely Helena disguised as her Innie. This scene could possibly be a part of her analysis for going undercover.
The door manufacturing facility provides Lumon a run for its cash.
After getting fired, Dylan (Zach Cherry) seeks out new employment at a door manufacturing facility. The interview with the supervisor (Adrian Martinez) is equal components surreal (the 2 males look and act unusually alike) and humorous (if Dylan could possibly be a door, he’d be a pocket door). Nonetheless, it takes a flip when Dylan reveals he was severed, main the anti-severance supervisor to reject him and ship the perfect description of severance we have seen on the present: “You want to circumcise your brain, that’s your business.”
The complete scene is an Easter egg for Severance creator Dan Erickson’s personal life. On The Severance Podcast, he revealed he got here up with the concept for the present whereas working at a door manufacturing facility. The actual query: If Erickson could possibly be a door, what type would he be? And what gloss would he use?
Burt is spying on Irving.
John Turturro in “Severance.”
Credit score: Apple TV+
After his firing, Irving goes to a pay cellphone to make a name. Severance does not reveal his dialog, or who he is speaking to, however I am guessing it has to do with the newspaper clippings and checklist of severed staff we noticed Irving had in Season 1.
Nonetheless, Severance does present that somebody is preserving tabs on Irving. It is none apart from Outie Burt (Christopher Walken). Severance did not present us what occurred between Irving banging on Burt’s door within the Season 1 finale and Mr. Milchick displaying as much as Irving’s place. Did the 2 males speak in any respect? Did Irving simply run away? Or are we in for a reunion down the road?
Lumon’s favourite new cursed meals? Pineapple.
Information flash for Lumon staff. Melons are out, pineapples are in.
Pineapples are a part of the flowery fruit basket Milchick brings to Mark, Dylan, and Irving in his efforts to deliver them again to Lumon. (Sidebar: Not one of the fruit is seasonal. Does Lumon have greenhouses particularly for its fruit basket wants?) This is not the primary time pineapples have come up this season. In episode 1’s “Lumon Is Listening” video, pineapple bobbing was introduced as one of many new perks for Innies, making it a brand new entry into the corridor of cursed Lumon meals, alongside eggs, melons, and waffles.
“We need Mark S. back to work long enough to complete Cold Harbor.”
Adam Scott in “Severance.”
Credit score: Apple TV+
Chilly Harbor comes up once more in “Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig,” when Helena reveals that Lumon desperately wants Mark to finish it. With this in thoughts, the most important query for the season up to now turns into, “Why does Lumon need Mark specifically to finish this file? Why couldn’t they put another employee on Cold Harbor?”
It is nearly definitely on account of Mark’s relationship with Gemma, who appears to be part of Chilly Harbor based mostly on what little we noticed of her in episode 1. However how precisely their connection will come into play is unclear but.
“The board’s going to give him what he wants. Including Helly R.”
“Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig” takes us behind the scenes of Lumon’s choice to cave to Innie Mark’s calls for and convey the remainder of the unique MDR crew again. That results in a chilling line from Lumon enforcer Mr. Drummond (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson): “The board’s going to give him what he wants. Including Helly R.”
Speaking about Helly as if she’s simply an object to be given is already creepy sufficient, however Helena’s response provides an additional layer to it. There is a discomfort there, doubtless on account of her contentious, violent relationship together with her Innie, but additionally probably because of the concern of ceding management of her physique in sending Helly again to the Severed Ground. The kiss with Mark was one thing Helena could not management, together with Helly’s suicide try — what may Helly do post-OTC? And can Helena’s worries about “giving” Mark Helly R. lead her to have any empathy for her Innie, or no less than take into account that her present worries about company are what the Innies expertise daily?
“I broke a fucking lease in Grand Rapids.”
Adam Scott in “Severance.”
Credit score: Apple TV+
On the best way into Lumon, Outie Mark catches sight of Mark W.’s (Bob Balaban) Outie as he is escorted out of the constructing by safety. Mark W. complains about being fired after three days of labor, and the way he uprooted his life from Grand Rapids to return to Kier. That is an terrible scenario in itself, nevertheless it additionally means that the Innies we met within the Season 2 premiere are nicely and actually gone.
Cobel lets it out.
It has been some time since we obtained a great Ms. Cobel freakout, however the ending of “Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig” doesn’t disappoint. Outie Mark confronts Ms. Cobel about her actions in Season 1, and even asks whether or not his time at Lumon has one thing to do with Gemma. Her response? Screaming, honking her automotive horn, and nearly working Mark over. So far as Cobel tantrums go, I would rank it simply above her hurling a mug at Mark and just under her tearing her Eagan shrine to shreds.
Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with a brand new episode each Friday.
