“Severance” On Apple TV+

[Noeland]

I think the directionary doubles could be projections in the innies minds. Mark and Helena's doubles did not have cast shadows on the ground, Dylans's did, but the snow covered his feet in a very odd way, and there seems to be no footprints in the snow leading up to where they are standing. Just a thought.

Loving the second season so far.

 

[Astyanax]

If you blow up the twin of Dylan a little, it really looks like someone else wearing a Dylan mask, like a drawn face on a morphsuit style mask. Also, the twin's hair is different than Dylan's.

I'm pretty sure we are meant to think that Lumon used lookalikes wearing masks.

 

[Noeland]

If you blow up the twin of Dylan a little, it really looks like someone else wearing a Dylan mask, like a drawn face on a morphsuit style mask. Also, the twin's hair is different than Dylan's.

I'm pretty sure we are meant to think that Lumon used lookalikes wearing masks.

Yeah, the weirdest looking of the group I'd say.

 

[AnubisGuard]

If you blow up the twin of Dylan a little, it really looks like someone else wearing a Dylan mask, like a drawn face on a morphsuit style mask. Also, the twin's hair is different than Dylan's.

I'm pretty sure we are meant to think that Lumon used lookalikes wearing masks.

It was most obvious when the four doubles were standing atop the waterfall. Helly and Mark looked especially masklike.

 

[Bloop]

It was most obvious when the four doubles were standing atop the waterfall. Helly and Mark looked especially masklike.

They were actors in costumes made to look like the MDR team. I saw during the credits they listed actors for "shadow Mark" and so on for each of them.

I took it as them being animatronics, like the ones in some of the Perpetuity Wings. They got lucky, they could've gotten mops with paper plates faces like they apparently have at the "poor" Lumon locations!

 

[Bloop]

I found this website when I was trying to remember the name of the Perpetuity Wing. It doesn't seem to be too spioier-ish, just informative on what's been shown in the show so far:

List of Confirmed Lumon Departments in Severance and Their Functions

The intricate departments within Lumon Industries serve as the backbone of the enigmas unfolding in Severance. The office complex is a sprawling labyrinth filled with unexpected revelations, especially on the...

thefilibusterblog.com

 

[renaissance_man]

The show continues to go from strength to strength.
Episodes 6 and 7 have really opened up the world of Severance episode 7 especially giving us a real insight into what Lumon have been doing with Gemma.
I won't post spoilers yet.

 

[3Dsf]

This week’s episode, 7, was the director of photography’s first directing credit. The flawlessly intricate and beautiful cinematography, balanced with the subtle and complex emotions in the story, was masterfully done. Impressive work from Jessica Lee Gagné.

 

[ssdesigner]

This week’s episode, 7, was the director of photography’s first directing credit. The flawlessly intricate and beautiful cinematography, balanced with the subtle and complex emotions in the story, was masterfully done. Impressive work from Jessica Lee Gagné.

Could not agree more. Jessica absolutely crushed it. This episode needed a different feel to it with the flashbacks while keeping with the overall creepy vibe when inside Lumon. They nailed it.

 

[renaissance_man]

This week’s episode, 7, was the director of photography’s first directing credit. The flawlessly intricate and beautiful cinematography, balanced with the subtle and complex emotions in the story, was masterfully done. Impressive work from Jessica Lee Gagné.

Could not agree more. Jessica absolutely crushed it. This episode needed a different feel to it with the flashbacks while keeping with the overall creepy vibe when inside Lumon. They nailed it.

Jessica Lee Gagné is the series' cinematographer. I agree she did a fantastic job giving us a fresh look at the "real" world in the show, not as cold and sterile as has been previously shown. There was sunlight and warmth which even in the world outside Lumon is a rare thing to see, most shots outside Lumon are still snowy and cold, but this episode gave use something warmer to show the love between Mark and Gemma as well as the familial connect between them and Ricken and Devon.
A top notch episode.

 

[renaissance_man]

I thought this was worth posting here given how we all enjoyed the cinematography of episode 7.

 

[Bloop]

Yeah, I was waiting for the credits to see who directed it. I thought it might've been Ben Stiller himself. Since he hadn't directed the last couple or so, so I thought maybe it meant he took a break to concentrate on this episode. But it obviously didn't look like his style, at least not what we've seen from him.

The flashback sequences also used film grain & other effects to make it look aged, which worked well. Like renaissance_man said, less sterile, a lot "warmer." I've also noticed that I think they shoot with a wide-angle lens up close a lot, because Adam Scott's face often looks wider, more distorted to me. I thought it might just be him aging, but this episode showed him looking more like his "normal" self in the flashbacks. It makes sense that things inside Lumon appear as distorted reality, if that's the intent.

 

[Noeland]

I always appreciate when a "mystery box" show or movie finally declares itself and I feel like Severance finally did that with episode 7. Beyond being a masterful work of art, narratively it planted it's feet and said "this is what we are". As much as I have loved the hints, teases, and how well all that was handled on the show WOW did I ever love how the story unfolded in this episode. Robby freaking Benson. Dichen Lachman was absolutely incredible. And we finally learned who the doubles from episode 4 are!

 

[ssdesigner]

I always appreciate when a "mystery box" show or movie finally declares itself and I feel like Severance finally did that with episode 7. Beyond being a masterful work of art, narratively it planted it's feet and said "this is what we are". As much as I have loved the hints, teases, and how well all that was handled on the show WOW did I ever love how the story unfolded in this episode. Robby freaking Benson. Dichen Lachman was absolutely incredible. And we finally learned who the doubles from episode 4 are!

I agree! But I think that the doubles in the ORTBO are different people. At least the acting credits are different.

 

[Bloop]

I agree! But I think that the doubles in the ORTBO are different people. At least the acting credits are different.

I still believe the doubles in ORTBO are not meant to be real people but animatronic figures. It was likely easier (and cheaper) to dress up real people to act like mechanical devices than to build actual animatronics.

 

[ssdesigner]

I still believe the doubles in ORTBO are not meant to be real people but animatronic figures. It was likely easier (and cheaper) to dress up real people to act like mechanical devices than to build actual animatronics.

Totally agree. I don't think that any line in this series is said as filler, so the animatronic perpetuity wing Eagans that Gwendolyn mentions means that Lumon is into making them in the likeness of real people.

 

[renaissance_man]

I hope that want the last we see of Reghabi. I really like her character, even though she is very limited in what she says about what is going on at Lumon. I feel she knows more than she is letting on but doesn't seem to volunteer information.
Devon didn't push Reghabi on why to not trust Cobel, other than saying "Cobel was raised by Lumon".
The writers are clearly trying to preserve the mystery for as long as possible but given there are other mysteries still left unresolved it would be nice to give a bit more.
Maybe explain what the goats are for.

Don't get me wrong, I love the show.

I just think there is a bit of a risk that now the show is really popular, Apple will want the series to continue for possibly more seasons than originally planned and things get drawn out.

I would rather 3 absolutely tight, well executed seasons than 6 with 3 of those being slowly diminishing returns.
A perfect example of that was another Apple show, Servant. The first season of Servant was great, from there on it was a drawn out mess with no direction, plot threads that were season cliffhangers went unresolved and the show fizzled out.

Having said that, I have full confidence in Ben and Dan Erikson to keep delivering a tip notch show.

 

[ssdesigner]

I hope that want the last we see of Reghabi. I really like her character, even though she is very limited in what she says about what is going on at Lumon. I feel she knows more than she is letting on but doesn't seem to volunteer information.
Devon didn't push Reghabi on why to not trust Cobel, other than saying "Cobel was raised by Lumon".

For sure. I love the Reghabi character and I think that she will be around until someone else picks up the head of resistance torch. I don't see that happening given Reghabi is likely a doctor with very intimate knowledge that can't be passed on easily. I think that the "raised by Lumon" was enough for pause, but she also said that Cobel was a "solider", and that has deep implications. I suspect that we have a full Harmony backstory coming given what we see in the trailer that hasn't been addressed yet.

The writers are clearly trying to preserve the mystery for as long as possible but given there are other mysteries still left unresolved it would be nice to give a bit more.
Maybe explain what the goats are for.

I love the pace. The mark of a great show is giving some information while keeping the larger mystery until the end. We are getting a LOT of information each week. Bardo was a masterpiece IMHO. So much was revealed while leaving the "what is Lumon's end game" intact.

I just think there is a bit of a risk that now the show is really popular, Apple will want the series to continue for possibly more seasons than originally planned and things get drawn out.

Everything that I've read suggests that Apple hires great people with great ideas and gets out of their way. I think that Dan and Ben know how long they need to tell the story and they are mindful of it going stale if they drag it out. Ben has no shortage of projects so I'm hoping they stick the landing and it maintains the current pace and suspense level. Fingers crossed!

 

[Captain Dunsel]

I always appreciate when a "mystery box" show or movie finally declares itself and I feel like Severance finally did that with episode 7. Beyond being a masterful work of art, narratively it planted it's feet and said "this is what we are". As much as I have loved the hints, teases, and how well all that was handled on the show WOW did I ever love how the story unfolded in this episode. Robby freaking Benson. Dichen Lachman was absolutely incredible. And we finally learned who the doubles from episode 4 are!

Holy smokes—that is why I thought that guy looked familiar. Robby Benson…I can’t think of the last time I saw him in anything.

 

[AnubisGuard]

Sometimes I think the Firefly fans are lucky. They'll always have their one perfect season and the dreams of what might have been, unsullied by messy reality.