And that’s a major part of Lumon’s hypocrisy, they preach balance but everyone who works for them is an obsessive devotee who doesn’t understand the meaning of balance.
That shot is incredible. They have Milkshake literally spin around and sit on the desk, just like his mind is spinning around to being ok with what Mark is asking/saying. He’s growing! Brilliant.
Mr. Milchick actually using only monosyllabic words to Mr. Drummond: "It's not my fault what Mark Scout does when he is not at work, it's yours" was a real mic drop moment.
I think in that moment he realized that Ms Huang wasn't the one who complained about him using big words. And he had just sent her off to live on the north pole as punishment. So he got sad, guilty and angry all at once.
I think he just hit his limit after being disrespected ALL DAY and decided he wasn't going to be Drummond's dog to kick and put up with his inferiority complex.
Yeah, they zeroed in on Dylan’s reasons for resignation, and he checked everything. It was also reasons that everyone thus far has experienced doubts over, right up to master Egan. “Guilt, frustration, exhaustion,” to name a few. It’s the cracks in the cult and the blind devotion to a looming corporation, everyone being pushed, and subsequently noticing what was done to other people, even if they did it themselves.
It’s why Milchick didn’t push when Mark talked about a life outside. He had his doubts. Severe doubts. He could’ve alerted the higher ups. Part of him feels compelled to fulfill his duties, but part of him is rebelling.
I love that the scene with Dylan telling her “it’s not your fault” is immediately followed by Drummond telling Milchik “this is your fault.” The lack of compassion with which Lumon treats its employees as opposed to Dylan’s basic human decency in that moment (would have been nice if he showed some of that to Helly, though)
I also think that compassion could be the father in Dylan instinctually coming out. I can’t help but imagine a time Dylan’s had to say that to his own children when his outtie and wife would fight in front of them. He wanted to comfort Huang as he does his own kids.
It’s also kind of paternal, telling the kid that it’s not her fault that the adults messed up and that she tried her best. He didn’t have to do that. Maybe I’m wrong it’s just very Dad of him.
I loved that after Dylan resigned, she immediately apologized because she thinks that this could have been avoided if she was just better at her job. She must know what it means for Dylan to resign, and it is so messed up that keeping the severed employees "alive" is a responsibility that she feels like she has to bear.
In episode 2 when Mr. Milchick is walking Helly to her severance procedure he mentions that Kier Eagan would drink three raw eggs in milk each morning, I think that he wants her to be more like Kier.
Given what Mark S knows he has to be thinking she might have been successful in seducing his outie in pursuit of that throuple Milchick mentioned at the beginning of the season.
Cobel saying "one of Jame's" at the birthing cabin. Dude's a rapist. probably lied about Gemma's fertility and they're trying to turn her into the next Imogene
I think he’s there for Cold Harbour, which it seems like no one informed him could not go forward today anymore.
Also, maybe this is too real and not sci-fi-y enough for Severance, but I also couldn’t help but get dementia vibes from that scene, as if he didn’t remember/know that this wasn’t his Helena.
He's a nice plot device to let Helly R. bash in the skull of her outie's childhood tormentor, as well as get an all powerful security card to access the exports hall elevator.
Eustice feels like a very authentically 1st or 2nd gen Asian-American name!!
There are so many younger Asian-Americans named Eunice, Esther, and Eugene. Those are incredibly popular names in our communities. I had peers either in my Saturday Chinese language classes or friends who went to Korean language camp with old-fashioned retiree names like Gladys, Pearl, Hortense, Elbert, Winnie, and Judith.
Eustice has the exact right vibe but is also just slightly different and feels like a unique in-world Severance version of the names I just mentioned.
Okay I may have noticed something. Based on Mark wearing a "Kommandirskie" Soviet watch we can quess that writers know something about Soviet culture. There's a massively popular soviet TV-show about a soviet spy in high command of Nazi Germany (17 Moments in Spring) named Stierliz (real name Maxim Isaev). The Soviet high command uses alias to communicate with him, where Eustice is Soviet HQ and Alex is Stierliz. Who knows, maybe it's an obscure easter egg, or Huang is some sort of spy.
The previous power dynamics between these two just took a turn to rebellionville. I bet she would make him eat his foot if he tried to take her to the break room now.
Yeah they did a good job conveying the sense that everything is unraveling. That Lumon building feels EMPTY compared to season 1. No work has been done for days. No one’s afraid of the break room. Milchick hasn’t managed anyone in awhile. The MDR team fell apart and the work fell apart with it.
Helly is fucked. Her swimming in the beginning of the episode, and then Miss Huang smashing the swimmer in the ring game using Jame Eagan’s bust…Excellent foreshadowing!
I'm thinking Helena's tryst with innie Mark was never part of the plan. And Jame is gonna blame her for distracting him from finishing the file or something.
I’m thinking Helly has finally had enough, realizes Jame is old, weak and frail, and she can hear Mark’s Allentown cube thing screaming “pick me up and brain him”
Helly isn’t like Dylan and Mark; she is way more hot tempered and straight up hates outies.
I think they save Gemma, and Eagon with his recent disgust for Helena will put her in her place. They run the incomplete cold harbor algorithm on her instead killing her outtie. Eagon will see it as his daughter shepherding the new era of the company in the only way she can.
Who says the empathy school is about improving your empathy, and not about removing it?
You have to be really unempathetic in order to do Mr. Milchick / Ms. Cobel’s jobs, particularly everything to do with the Break Room.
Plus, Severance seems to have central themes of Lumon suppressing natural human experiences/emotions (and I suspect one of the jobs of the refiners is training the chip to suppress emotions / the four tempers, but I digress).
Turturro said that Zach Cherry really stepped up dramatically this season and that he was exceptionally impressed. I can only assume it’s this subplot he was referencing.
Resigning is essentially suicide. He is petitioning his outie, in a brand new and unique situation where he believes he will accept, to cause himself to stop existing. He loves her enough that her rejection makes him want to kill himself.
Yeah, also outie Mark and Devon don't bother to get any info from Cobel with all the time they have? I know they want to keep the mystery for the viewer, but it didn't make sense for the characters not to ask wtf is going on.
Love the show but the pacing in this episode was so strange, like it just suddenly became night for both Mark and Helena as if they spent the whole day doing nothing
“I’m not sick. I just needed the day. I’ve just got life stuff.”
Felt really satisfying for some reason, and the delivery was great. I’ve definitely had some overbearing managers or other employees who need to hear that.
This scene was so shocking cuz you could see Milchick's "cracks" showing in his managerial façade. So well-acted. It may be the first time Milchick has shown a human side to Mark
Now that I revisit the scene, you’re right. It’s Milchick’s response that makes it all the more better. Very excited for next week now to see how he behaves.
He was straight up about to cry cause he doesn’t get the work life balance mark does he always has to be milkshake and seems he doesn’t get me time for himself😭😭😭
One of the more emotional scenes of the season and it's because it stripped away the entire show to expose the theme. EVERYONE has had a conversation like that at least once in their lives, and the sentiment is so universal it even made Milchick tear up.
Milchick definitely doesn’t have a work life balance. As for my own experience, it’s a brutal look into the guilt I’d feel for calling off work, to the point of overthinking a more rational reason than just “I need a fucking day off”.
I just hope the show won't stop pulling its punches about this rethoric, because this is something 90% of people should realize. Work is just work, its a fucked up concept, and we should re-think it, because its one of the reason why society is fucked up the way it is.
She is the best person on the show and it’s not even remotely close.
I don’t mean the best character (though she might be that too) I just mean the person who is the most moral and good. Everyone else has a LOT of shit going on. But she is pure. Please god let her stay that way. Having one nice person isn’t too much.
I love Devon and Jen Tullock. She and Mark are so believable as siblings. I can't remember if they ever said, but she seems like the big sister to me. There is not a bad actor on this show anywhere.
The 9th floor exists she was there and bought the thimble .. she forgot to go back to let next mannequin live .. she was a day late and the mannequin who was next up to live as human “sold” her the thimble
people on this sub noticed the name of the episode, so I watched it preparing for today. I’m sure many others did as well. surprised it had such an overt mention though!
I had read somewhere that this show was giving vibes of that twilight zone ep so I watched it today for the first time ever. When she said 9th floor specialities and looking for a gold timble my mouth dropped lol
Me neither, and it seemed out of place at first, but then I realized that this was effectively the death of Gretchen from iDylan's perspective, and there's already an established pattern of the effect that a person's permanent absence has on innies: Irving getting depressed and having a "nothing to lose" attitude after Burt's retirement, followed by Dylan feeling the same after Irving's forced termination.
iDylan was spot on in this episode when he said: "at the end of the day, we're still stuck down here, with no lives and no family". And when they're given a glimpse of that just to have it taken away, it messes them up.
Me TOO! Because at first, I was like, "there's no way this man screeched her name like that haha!" But on the replay, I tried to imitate it right after, and I felt the absolute desperation in that tone. Like many a trauma, first it was haha, then it was OHNO.
Honestly it’s interesting because it would be a bit of a mind fuck. Like, you’d feel a bit betrayed, but perhaps confused? I could see oDylan being more hurt because his innie can hold down a job and he can’t, and now he’s getting with his wife. Probably feels like a failure in comparison to himself.
Happy 🎂 day! Please enjoy each baloons Equally🎈🎈 😁🎁
pop!pop!pop!pop!pop!pop!pop!pop!work is mysterious and important!pop!pop!Be ever merry!pop!pop!pop!pop!pop!🍰!pop!pop!pop!pop!In your noblest thoughts and epiphanies shall be my voice.!pop!pop!And all in Lumon’s care shall revel in the bounty of the incentives spur.!pop!pop!pop!pop!pop!pop!pop!pop!Rise up from your deathbed and sally forth.!pop!whoo!pop!pop!pop!pop!pop!pop!be ever merry!pop!pop!Let not weakness live in your veins!pop!pop!pop!pop!pop!pop!hang in there!pop!pop!The surest way to tame a prisoner is to let him believe he's free.!pop!you rock!pop!pop!pop!We must be cut to heal.!pop!pop!pop!pop!you have brought glory to this company and to me.!pop!pop!ninety points, remains!pop!pop!pop!pop!boop!pop!pop!pop!pop!pop!Upon request, I can also perform a hug.!pop!happy cake day!pop!pop!meow!pop!pop!pop!The light of discovery shines truer upon a virgin meadow than a beaten path.!pop!Come now, children of my industry!pop!pop!pop!pop!pop!pop!pop!pop!Tame thy tempers!pop!pop!pop!dod!pop!pop!pop!Render not my creation in miniature!pop!pop!pop!pop!you da best!pop!pop!you’ve got this!pop!pop!The mouth which is busy smiling cannot bite.!pop!pop!boop!pop!Keep a merry humor ever in your heart.!pop!pop!pop!pop!pop!I am so proud of you!pop!pop!Should you tame the tempers as I did mine!pop!pop!pop!pop!dally not in the scholastic pursuits!pop!pop!pop!pop!The remembered man does not decay!
Oh yes, the dripping sarcasm there was simply divine. Shut it Drummond!
It’s funny because there’s that trope of constantly complimenting a Black person as “articulate” or “well spoken” and he’s being told to stop being that way and just accepting his place. It was so satisfying seeing that retort lol
i believe in the after-episode thing that week, Tramell said that he was playing the character as if Milchick believed that complaint came from Miss Huang
so is this how in the first season they kept "freely" going out the door, but it's shot like they just reenter the inside. but what was actually happening was, there outie shows up outside the door, and milcheck or someone explains "you just walk back in" and then the innie sees it as a mind fuck?
I’m predicting that cobel/devon can have Mark walk in and out of the door to talk to both innie and outtie Mark and do their own form of reintegration since Reghabi’s way seems to be taking too long to fully work.
I'm wondering cobel will be able to "speak" for either mark so that it appears to be mark speaking to cobel but really it's imark speaking to omark via cobel
Also keep in mind that when Petey was “fully integrated” he had some memories of his Innie and the severed floor. But, he was still in the process of experiencing memories that were “new” to his integrated self. We have absolutely no proof or example of reintergration where every single memory is clear or mentally concrete
Did anyone else get the sense that the egg was split multiple ways to symbolize Helena as having many innies like Gemma? I never thought Helena was an innie herself but I sure do now…
I imagine because it was supposed to be the day they finished Cold Harbor aka the most significant thing they have ever done. Got an inkling the finale is going to be dark as hell.
I was relieved, at first, when I thought it was Milchick because I thought maybe he’d venture with Helly to the Testing Floor and then it was a nightmarish shape shift into that ghoul, Jame.😱
Did anyone else get sad watching the Helly scenes? She was left there at work all by herself all day with absolutely no idea what’s happening out there. Irv’s gone.. innie Mark isn’t coming back … Dylan’s innie just peaced and didn’t tell her. Ms Huang is gone. She’s just all by herself figuring out these directions Irving left behind, thinking ‘Mark will be back tomorrow and we can solve this together!’ Then there’s Jame Eagan showing up. That’s scary. I can’t imagine him physically harming her.
I had a thought on this as I was watching that was sad as well - there's still comfort kinda waiting for everyone else's innies up top. Mark has a sister, friends - yes he has grief ans sorrow, but he has a life up there. So does Dylan. A wife, kids, a home.
Helena Eagan has none of that. While all the innies are upstairs as their outies, they are ostensibly living a life. What does Helena have? Being groomed for power and suffering.
Soooo sad. I feel like she’s staying late because she doesn’t know if she’ll be back ever again with the way people are disappearing :( the only people she has ever known in her innie life!
Its so crazy seeing Helly being cool AF, showing her empathy, caring about people around her, then we flash over to helena who is the product of her environment. It really goes so far down the nature vs nurture / carpenter vs gardener child rearing theories.
I wanna see the innies go homicidal-suicidal. We’re almost there. If oDylan rejects the resignation request, iDylan will be ready to paint the Lumon walls red 🩸
Yes exactly and that comes back to the whole theory that Helena isn’t as protected and in power as she thinks she is. She’s just another pawn in the game. Poor helly :(
I just had a thought: is it possible he’ll put her through all of those rooms we saw Gemma in? Torture the innie but leave the outie relatively untouched.
Helly is STARVING every minute of her existence no wonder she’s always so pissed off and trying to kill herself. Her outties swimming laps then eating half an egg for breakfast she has to feel like shit😩
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u/UltraDangerLord Mar 14 '25
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