Rewatching Severance turns it into a completely different show

Note: Although this post mentions the arrival of “Severance” Season 2, there are no spoilers or details for Season 2 here. However, there are spoilers for the first season of Severance.

A few weeks ago, the folks at Apple TV+ sent me screens for The highly anticipated second season of their hit show “Severance”. This was exciting: I was a huge fan of the first season, especially this amazing season finale. I played the first episode of Season 2…and by the time it was over, I had one main thought: “Me “I have no idea what the hell is going on here.” Although I’m not here to talk about what happens in Season 2, I can tell you that the first episode isn’t too confusing. However, it’s been over two years since the first season ended, and with the world being the way it is today, two years can feel like a lifetime. It was as if the majority of my memories of the first season had been cut off from my mind. I decided to go back and watch the first season again before continuing with the second season. This turned out to be a wise decision, as it greatly improved my memory. But a strange thing happened: the way I looked at the show as a whole changed.

I don’t know about you, but I have a memory of the first season of “Severance,” and, well, funny. Although the series doesn’t bill itself as a straight comedy, humor seemed to be a big part of the first season, at least in my fading memories. However, when I rewatched the first season, it became clear that my memories were flawed. There’s definitely comedy in the show, but as I rewatched the first season, one main thought kept running through my mind over and over again: “This is depressing.”

When the first season of “Severance” was released 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 almost immediately struck by its unique premise: a medical procedure has been invented that allows… TRUE Work-life balance. People who work certain jobs have their minds “wired”: When they head into the office each day, a whole new personality/mindset takes over their workday experience. When they stop working, their normal/ordinary mentality returns.

As a result, people essentially split into two parts: their work personalities, known as “Innies,” and their everyday personalities, known as “Outies.” Anyone who has ever worked a boring, miserable office job might cringe at the thought of that never Having to experience the drudgery of a 9-5. But there is an ethical dilemma embedded in this concept: Inians are forever trapped in work. They never experience the outside world. They can never spend time with friends or loved ones. They will never be able to see the sky. The workday may technically be over, but the Ennis family will never be able to go home. And when their Outie counterparts resign or retire, the Innie character essentially dies, ceasing to exist.

There’s a lot more to the show than this scenario. “Severance,” like “Lost,” is a mystery saga, and the company the characters work for, Lumon Industries, is mysterious and cult-like, with its own wild, sprawling, and confusing mythology that slowly presents itself as the show. It moves from one episode to another. It’s clear that Lomon is up to no good, but we don’t really know What Is the company even doing this, or what its bigger plans are. We only know that they exploit dismissal procedures in highly unethical ways, torturing their employees and treating them like slave labor. Why? Because they can. Outies have no knowledge of what goes on at work, and the company often lies to them rather than presenting the truth.

There’s a definite darkness lurking in this premise, and the first season is full of exceptionally dark moments. We learn that the main character Mark, played by Adam Scott, went through separation proceedings because he was so sad about his wife’s death. Cutting off his memories for 8 hours a day was a way to escape grief. Mark, in Outie form, is introduced to us crying in his car before he starts work for the day. Plus Mark’s depressing story (which became even more disturbing when we learned that Mark’s wife, Played by Dechen Lachman(apparently still alive and apparently in Lomon’s custody), there’s the story of new employee Hailey R., played by Brett Lauer. As the newest member of the Lumon team, Helly is our introduction to the world of the show, and her character is Innie no Happy to have to work for the rest of her life. After trying to quit smoking several times, Hailey resorts to threats of self-harm and suicide attempts.

As I write all of this down, you’re probably wondering how I could be so dense as to miss the depression the first time I watched the show only to notice it on rewatch. Not that I didn’t notice the display was dark (I’m not Which Stupid, I swear! However, I think rewatching “Severance” will change the way you approach the series. The first time I watched Season 1, I was so immersed in all the mystery box elements and surprise reveals, that I was floating through the season with a goofy smile on my face. Indeed, the first season is filled with plenty of comedic moments — Mark’s goofy brother-in-law Ricken (Michael Chernus) is a frequent source of comedic relief, and the series’ MVP, Trammell Tillman’s Mr. Melchik, gets plenty of laughs. But when I watched the first season, I had no idea what the show was going to do next. However, upon rewatching, I had a better idea of ​​what was to come. Because of this, I think I was able to focus on the depression more than I was the first time around. It stood out more, and it hit me hard.

I don’t want to give the impression that “Pieces” is a sad, miserable, depressing festival. The show is a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to see where it goes. But it’s also interesting that the often hopeless series has garnered so much attention. It seems like we’re all hooked on this dark and depressing series, and we can’t help but enjoy the ride. This is it Hazar A watchable show, but I can’t help but wonder how much darker things are going to get before it’s over.