Rewatching Severance turns it into a completely different show

Note: Although this post marks the release of Severance Season 2, it does not contain Season 2 spoilers or details. However, there are spoilers ahead for The Rift Season 1.

A few weeks ago, the Apple TV+ folks sent me screens for the long-awaited second season of their hit show The Breakup. It was exciting: I was a huge fan of season 1, especially the grand finale of that season. I fired up the season 2 premiere episode…and by the time it was over, I had one main thought: “I I have no idea what the hell is going on here.” While I’m not here to talk about what happens in Season 2, I can tell you that the premiere episode isn’t too confusing. However, it’s been over two years since Season 1 ended, and with the world the way it is today, two years can feel like a lifetime. It was like most of my memories of the first season were ripped from my memory. I decided to go back and watch season 1 again before continuing with season 2. It turned out to be a wise decision as it improved my memory a lot. But something strange happened: my view of the show as a whole changed.

I don’t know about you, but I remember the first season of The Gap as, well, funny Even though the show doesn’t call itself a straight-up comedy, the humor felt like a big part of Season 1, at least in my faded memories. And yet, when I re-watched Season 1, it became clear that my memories were wrong. Sure, there’s comedy in the series, but as I rewatched Season 1, one main thought kept running through my mind: “It’s dark.”

When the first season of The Rift aired in February 2022, I, like most people, knew next to nothing about the series. I knew the cast and some of the images revealed a distinct visual style. More out of curiosity than interest, I decided to give the show a try. I was hooked almost immediately by its unique premise: a medical procedure has been invented that allows a are real work/life balance. People who work certain jobs have a mind “break” where when they go to the office every day, they feel like a whole new person/mentality to experience the work day. When they switch off, their normal / ordinary thinking returns.

As a result, people essentially split into two: their working selves, known as “Innies,” and their everyday selves, known as “Outies.” Someone who worked in a boring, miserable office job could perk up just thinking about it never will have to really experience the hard work of 9-5. But there is a moral dilemma in this concept: Inny is essentially trapped forever. They never experience the outside world. They never get to spend time with friends or loved ones. They never see the sky. Technically, the work day may be over, but the Innies will never come home. And if and when their fellow Outies quit or retire, the Innie personality essentially dies, ceasing to exist.

The show is much more than this script. Severance, like Lost, is a mystery saga, and Lumon Industries, the company that employs the characters, is mysterious and iconic, with its wild, sprawling and tangled mythology gradually presenting itself as a show. moving from one episode to the next. Clearly, Lumon doesn’t think well, but we don’t know that what the company even does, or what their larger plans are. We just know that they are using the dismissal procedure in a very unethical way, torturing their employees and treating them like slave labor. why? Because they can. Spouses don’t know what’s going on at work, and the company often lies to them instead of telling them the truth.

There is an obvious darkness in this room, and Season 1 is full of exceptionally dark moments. We learn that the main character, Mark, played by Adam Scott, went through a break-up procedure due to the fact that he was heartbroken by the death of his wife. Shutting off his memories for 8 hours a day was a way to avoid grief. Mark, in Outie uniform, is even introduced to us sobbing in his car before getting to work. In addition to Mark’s depressing storyline (which becomes even more disturbing when we learn that Mark’s wife, performed by Dichen Lachmanapparently still alive and seemingly held captive by Lumont), there’s the story of new employee Helly R., played by Britt Lauer. As the latest member of the Lumon team, Heli is our introduction to the world of the show, and her persona Ini is no happy that she is forced to work for the rest of her life. After several attempts to quit smoking, Heli resorts to threats of self-harm and suicide attempts.

As I put it all down in writing, you might wonder how I could be so honest as to miss the bleakness the first time I watched the show, only to pick it up after watching it again. It’s not that I didn’t notice that the show was dark (I didn’t what stupid, I swear!). However, I think re-watching The Rupture changes the way you approach the series. The first time I watched season 1, I was so engrossed in all the mystery box elements and unexpected revelations that I kind of sailed through the season with a silly smile on my face. And indeed, Season 1 is filled with plenty of comedic moments—Mark’s goofy brother-in-law Ricken (Michael Chernus) is a frequent source of comic relief, and the show’s MVP, Tramel Tillman’s Mr. Milchick, provides plenty of laughs. But when I watched the first season, I had no idea what the show was going to do next. However, after watching it again, I had a better idea of ​​what was to come. Because of that, I think I was able to focus on the bleakness more than the first time. It stood out more and it really impressed me.

I don’t want to give the impression that Severance is a joyless, gloomy, pity fest. The show is very entertaining and I can’t wait to see where it goes. But it’s also interesting that a series that is so often hopeless has gotten so much attention. We all seem to be hooked on this dark, depressing series and we can’t help but enjoy the ride. This is a it’s fun show to watch, but I can’t help but wonder how much darker things will get before it’s all over.