As The Apple TV Plus series Severance continues to ramp up, things are getting a bit darker and the audience is starting to get a better look at just what goes into working at Lumon as well as what kind of people are willing to go through the severance process. While most of the other episodes of Severance have been equal parts humor and the absurdity of the work environment, there wasn't much to laugh at in this particular episode. The show probably needed an episode like this, because when push comes to shove, it's important to note that there really isn't anything funny about what's been going on with a company that sends people to some sort of weird torture chamber if they try and pass a note to themselves.
The darkness that surrounds the lives of the people in the show was certainly hinted at in the very first episode of Severance. After all, the first time the audience meets Mark, he's crying rather hard in his car. It doesn't take long to learn exactly why his Outtie is such a sad person. It also doesn't take long to learn why he's gone through the procedure. For now, viewers still don't know why any of the other office workers did the same. However, there were some hints done just well enough that it was a bit shocking.
Two Sides To The Same Coin
One of the most interesting things about the latest episode of the Apple TV Plus thriller is just how much more filled out several of the characters are. Helly, Mark, and Petey are all sketched out quite a bit more, though of the three Mark is perhaps the biggest enigma. In fact, as the series goes on, he might be the biggest enigma of all, despite the fact that viewers get to see what makes him tick more than any of the others.
Since Day One, Helly has been the fly in the ointment for Severance. For whatever reason, she simply cannot find a way to overcome the unease she feels about being stuck in an office with a group of men who constantly prod her to just get over things and start doing her job. Of course, the reactions to her from the other office mates might be hinting that her behavior isn't all that odd. The show goes out of its way to make sure you understand these aren't exceptionally stupid people. In fact, both Ms. Cobel and Mr. Milchick are not remotely stupid people. The show has gone out of its way to make it very clear they are plotting and conniving. The jury is still out on whether they are actually evil, or whether they are operating under something that is evil and just trying to make their own way.
It's a testament to the show that both of those characters seem to have more going on than what is apparent at first glance. On the surface, both people are nothing more than middle management who seem a little too happy to be doing things "by the book." On the other hand, Milchick especially has shown flashes of humanity. It's entirely possible he did it again in this episode of this weird Apple TV Plus series. He doesn't appear to be someone who makes the kind of mistake that was made by leaving an item laying around for the office workers to find. Considering the consternation it bred, it might have been intentional. Of course, one reason this episode especially is as good as it is is that the program does hide the motives of everyone quite well.
That's especially true of Helly, which had her personality filled in quite a bit, both her Innie and her Outtie. The Apple TV thriller also shed a bit more light on how the Innies and the Outties interact with one another, on the rare occasion they do interact. The show has gone out of its way to make it look as though the reason the employees never quite is either some outside pressure from Lumon, or because the Outties don't really understand just how weird things are inside the company.
It turns out that at least when it comes to Helly, the Outties are outwardly hostile towards their alter ego. The latest revelation might shed a bit more light on what's been seen in previous episodes. Mark has lost his temper a few times when people were talking about why they didn't understand why someone would go through the severance procedure. It seemed as if he was angry at people for not understanding why he did that procedure in the first place. It might be that the people in Severance have quite a bit more psychic damage than have been shown so far. Perhaps Mark hates his Innnie in the same way.
Mysteries Intensify
One of the things this particular Apple TV Plus series does really well is that it serves up more questions every time an answer seems to present itself. Even if that answer isn't exactly one that solves all the shows' mysteries. All kinds of questions happened to pop up in this particular episode. There's still the very big question as to why everyone involved in Lumon is as weird as they are. When it comes to Mark and the office workers, it's largely because all they know is a life where they are cooped up and never really seem as if they get any time off. That's not the case with the upper management people.
The fourth episode of this series also managed to pick up the pace compared to the third episode. It turns out that so far, Ben Stiller and company have managed to find a pretty good pace. The episode was able the humans that are behind the works of Lumon while not really dropping the ball when it comes to advancing the story. And then there was that cliffhanger of an ending. That part alone is likely to keep people talking about Severance all week.
New Episodes of Severance are available on Apple TV Plus each Friday.