Spoilers Severance on Apple+

[Kraig]

We also see a map of Kier.

Based on other clues it seems that Kier is a state (we know Delaware exists).

We know almost nothing about the outside world, but I'm pretty sure I remember Mark watching TV at his house.

I get the town being named Kier. It is either a company town, or the largest employer in the town. I figured the employees live in company housing, since Mr. Drummond has the key ring with all the keys to all the doors. The dinner invitation to Irving by Burt and Fields was to get Irving away from his apartment so Mr. Drummond can perform a search. As Mr. Drummond goes through Irving's notes, to see what Irving is working on, and what Irving knows, we see on the documents that Kier is in a state with the abbreviation of PE and a zip code of 07458. The real place on our Earth with that zip is Saddle River, NJ.

Now I remember, In the first season, Mark was watching a flat screen news show where a heated discussion between Natalie Kalen (Lumon Public Relations Representative) and the show host about severed employees.

 

[1001001]

Cities don’t normally have their own license plates, though.

But yes we really don’t know anything about the geography or even the basic culture outside Lumon. They seemed to have dropped the Senator/Wife thing at least for now, and that was our only real glimpse into the external politics.

 

[Kraig]

Cities don’t normally have their own license plates, though.

But yes we really don’t know anything about the geography or even the basic culture outside Lumon. They seemed to have dropped the Senator/Wife thing at least for now, and that was our only real glimpse into the external politics.

Maybe some type of specialized state plate. For enough money and political clout, the state (or commonwealth) of PE lets you get away with anything.

 

[tomalak301]

I keep trying to compare this series to Orphan Black, but this last episode had really strong Fringe vibes. For one, John Noble was guest starring. Also, the scene where Helly was telling Mark that it wasn't her when Mark was doing it with Helena, my mind immediately went to the scene with Olivia and Peter with her saying "It wasn't me".

 

[Campe]

This show is so good. Tonight’s episode focusing on Mark and Gemma’s relationship was so well done. Well acted, well told, beautifully shot, and starts to answer (while certainly asking more) questions we’ve had.

It does seem as though Gemma is her true self. No zombie. No robot. And I’m guessing the reason they took her is because she answered the questions right from the little cards.

I still don’t understand what the files are for. The answer can’t be simply they are for creating a simulation for Gemma.

Regardless, it’s nice to hear Cobel’s name, even if we don’t see her. I was fully expecting that she would be there with Devon after Mark woke up.

 

[Gepard]

Oh dear lord, Lumon just is Scientology now.

Edit: "written by Dan Erikson & Mark Friedman"

It really is a shame the two of them reportedly had a falling out. That was the best episode of the season, and possibly of the series as a whole.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Extraordinary episode. "Chikhai Bardo" felt like an insane collaboration between LOST's "The Constant" and the Charlie Kaufman film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The whole episode felt like not only were we learning about Gemma's history, but it also felt like Gemma herself was revisiting and reexperiencing all of her past, while also dealing with Lumon's mad experimentations on her. And yet somehow Mark, thanks to his reintegration, was also on the same journey at the same time, directly with her even if that wouldn't make any physical sense. In the words of one John Locke, we're going to need to watch that again.

With every answer about Gemma's history and her relationship with Mark, ten more questions arise. Gemma's mind appears to be severed and segmented multiple times over, as Lumon expands their...probing?...developing?...reestablishing?...Gemma's memories, personality, free will? I'm not sure. But it is curious how we saw Dr. Mauer recreate at least one memory of her past but with himself inserted, perverting and twisting the memory in the foulest manner. All of these different rooms Gemma visits, named after cities around the world, perhaps represent different aspects of her mind, and if so, what does Cold Harbor represent (and does its Civil War connection have any bearing with anything)?

Which all comes back to the original ponderings of Gemma's existence. Is she a clone, an android, a revived corpse, a computer program, or somehow even a reincarnation? I wonder about the latter considering the episode title refers directly the the Buddhist belief of intermediate state between death and rebirth. Everything Gemma appears to be experiencing throughout this episode directly suggests Gemma is living out her own personal bardo, even if it's a Lumon-operated one that feels closer to purgatory.

Whatever Lumon is up to, they're the coldest, cruelest, sinister bastards on the face of the fucking planet. I have often compared them to the Dharma Initiative from LOST but honestly Dharma could only dream to reach the levels of manipulation and scientific development that Lumon appears to be at now.

Also, let's take a moment to consider how not only is there whole another group of four people directly observing Gemma and doing their own form of macrodata refinement...but also how all four of them look bizarrely similar to Mark, Irving, Dylan, and Helly.

Again, we're going to need to watch that again.

 

[Kraig]

What did we learn on the show tonight, Kraig?

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The blood donation scene, where Mark and Gemma meet. The equipment drawing blood has the Lumon logo.
Dr. Mauer, the 'dentist' in the Wellington Room, is the Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgearld whistler. It looks like he is every room Gemma visits. That is a hint that Gemma is still below the severed floor in one of the experiment / experience rooms, and not just a flashback memory.
Why are you wearing that stupid sweater? It's for the Christmas room. An electric de-grouter, the perfect gift for Christmas.
The packets of teardrop shaped dehydrated food. Crispy Chip Wheel, Macerated Kale. Sounds so .... unappetizing.
Dr. Mauer lost his access card, that may reflect badly on his performance review.
Sandra Bernhard's character reminds me a lot of Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

 

[CaptainWacky]

One of the best episodes yet and I actually found it hard to watch at times. What Lumon did to Gemma was truly disturbing, particularly the Christmas room. Felt so bad for her at the end when she was walking back to the elevator. I was a big fan of Dichen Lachman in Dollhouse and she was fantastic here.

 

[tomalak301]

I've been thinking about that episode a lot. It was so dizzying, but in the end, it was heartbreaking. This show felt like it shifted from being Mark's story to being Gemma's story and seeing why Mark and Gemma were in that relationship just added more gravitas to this story. I really hope nothing bad happens to her (or Mark). Luman might be one of the most evil things I've seen on TV, at least in a very long time. This episode was really great and I hope the final 3 episodes really do stick this landing.

 

[1001001]

One of the best episodes yet and I actually found it hard to watch at times. What Lumon did to Gemma was truly disturbing, particularly the Christmas room. Felt so bad for her at the end when she was walking back to the elevator. I was a big fan of Dichen Lachman in Dollhouse and she was fantastic here.

Agreed.

The "Testing Floor" is literal, Scientology-level insanity.

That was brutal.

So it seems the "testing" is to see how far they can push the chip in terms of having multiple innies? The implications of what they're doing are staggering, assuming they plan to have "every person in the world" have one.

Oh, and...Robby Benson!

 

[Kraig]

Agreed.

The "Testing Floor" is literal, Scientology-level insanity.

That was brutal.

So it seems the "testing" is to see how far they can push the chip in terms of having multiple innies? The implications of what they're doing are staggering, assuming they plan to have "every person in the world" have one.

Oh, and...Robby Benson!

Even down to the nurse using the Lumon version of the E Meter.

 

[1001001]

Even down to the nurse using the Lumon version of the E Meter.

And what about the fact that they’re building mind control chips, but everything else looks like it’s from the 70’s and 80’s?

I mean…reel to reel music?

 

[Kraig]

And what about the fact that they’re building mind control chips, but everything else looks like it’s from the 70’s and 80’s?

I mean…reel to reel music?

I have a Pioneer RT 909 reel to reel player, I bought it in 1980 in the Navy Exchange catalog, when the ship was deployed to the Indian Ocean, and didn't have to pay import duties. I transferred vinyl LP records to 10" reels to replay, and keep the records like new. Also, the turntable is more prone to skipping as the ship would rock in heavy seas (stuff that would sink the Edmond Fitzgearld, as Robbie Benson, in character, likes to whistle).

 

[Gepard]

And what about the fact that they’re building mind control chips, but everything else looks like it’s from the 70’s and 80’s?

I mean…reel to reel music?

Remains to be seen if there's anything there or if it's just a style. Smartphones exist so it's more or less modern day.

 

[Nerys Myk]

The Retroisms add to the creep factor.

 

[Michael]

This and Silo are definitely some of the best shows on “TV” these days and we’re looking forward to each new episode on Friday, but I gotta say that my wife and I are a little frustrated by season two. It feels like the story is progressing at a glacial pace. Especially the last couple of episodes felt like nothing is really happening in the present day timeline. They basically had like three episodes ending on the status quo of Mark finally beginning reintegration, only to prolong the process with the next episode. It also sometimes feels like the authors will throw weird shit at you, just for the sake of introducing weird shit and with no real intention of ever actually giving any kind of answer what it all means. Personally I could do very well without the whole weird cult angle, but oh well, they seem dedicated to it at this point. I know, I know, we should probably just be patient. But this kind of storytelling does tend to be a little frustrating. At least for us as viewers.

Still, we remain very intrigued and are on board for the final stretch. What’s everyone’s guess where they will leave the story this season?

Oh, and one question regarding the O.R.T.B.O. episode: It ended the moment Irving is flipped from innie to outie (at least they show the visual cue for that), but they leave open what happens next and the following episode skips all over that. Wouldn’t they want to avoid Irving’s outie being able to meet the other innies? Not a biggie, but something I found confusing and possibly an oversight on the writer’s part.

 

[1001001]

Supposedly, a real behind-the-scenes photo from the episode:



The Goats!

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Now we understand why the obsession with the goats! They're in control of everything!

 

[The Nth Doctor]

The show has brought forth the greatest mystery yet:

How does one flip a two-ton snowplow?

But seriously, I hope those who've been clamoring to learn what Mrs. Cobel has been up to this whole time are happy. We finally learn more about her past, why she had been such an acolyte of the Cult of Kier, and why she's ready to burn them all to the ground now.

I can't remember when and where, but this wasn't the first time it's been hinted that Cobel had some involvement with the development of severance, but now we know that she damn well invented the whole process...and got absolutely no credit or even thanks for it. Just how a cult likes it.

I'm not surprised Lumon completely ruined a coastal town with child labor and gods knows what else. But I'm still curious to know what exactly they actually produced, which required child labor. Everything remains so damn vague, for better or for worse.

But at least we got to see Patricia Arquette chew the scenery with the likes of great character actors such as Jane Alexander and James Le Gros (I knew both of them looked really familiar but I drew blanks until their names appeared).

After two excellent hyperfocused character pieces, I hope the final two episodes return to the full ensemble as shit truly hits the fan.