What Is 'Severence' And Why Is Everyone Obsessed With It?

TV & Film

Mar 28

Severence poster — Image Source: images.tmdb.org

This article contains spoilers for Sevence.

The notion of keeping work and personal lives separate gets the complete treatment in this recent science fiction thriller about employees in a biotechnology company undergoing a medical procedure—the titular “severance”—of having a chip implanted in their minds. The chip activates when the employee enters a “restricted” floor within their company to keep their work classified, or so it seems. A simple premise that earned the Apple+ series, aptly titled Severance, 14 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series. The acclaim of this psychological workplace dystopian series could be interpreted as a sort of trauma bond among dissatisfied workers, no matter their rank.

Diving into the work dynamic of Severance, Lumon’s “severed” staff are dubbed Innies when at work. According to Soapcentral, although Innies maintain “general knowledge”, they cannot recall anything about their lives, personal histories, or the outside world. An Innie never knows what it's like to go home or leave the building because their “Innie consciousness” only lives when they're at work. As a result, they believe that they are constantly working. On the opposite side of the spectrum are the Outies. When working outside, Outies are unable to recall their time working their job. Eight hours pass, but to an Outie, they arrive at work and then depart in the blink of an eye. The distinction between Innies and Outies is strictly enforced; they live two separate lives with different personalities and goals.

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Severence Cast — Image Source: wegotthiscovered.com

Innies and Outies are in danger, though the degree of risk varies. Innies exemplify company loyalty to where their lives are their jobs; they live for their job, their role within the company, and nothing else. On the inverse side, Outies are reduced to cogs within the machine. They are “useful” to Lumon as a whole. Outies do not know what their job is; they are bodies doing who-knows-what and risk being scapegoats for Lumon if something were to go wrong. They are loyal to a company, yet don’t have the means to defend themselves for the work tasks given. When granted permission to leave (quitting), Lumon ensures that “reintegrating” back into normal life can be fatal.

The classification of Innies and Outies contributed to the current zeitgeist of company loyalty in the workforce; what it meant to be loyal to your employer, and workers revealing the duplicity of company loyalty toward them on social media. Severance examines both sides of company loyalty. One employee, Dylan, enjoys his role in Lumon mainly for the perks his job title gives him, such as waffle parties and caricatures he keeps to reach his quotas. Meanwhile, Irving, one of the older employees, exemplifies a “religious-like reverence” for the company’s founder. Irving is the embodiment of his identity being tied to his job. Without his job, Irving would have no identity to hold dear. Dylan might fare better emotionally without his job title. Meanwhile, Mark holds a near-universal attitude—making the best of it.

Severance struck a nerve in the hearts of working Americans. In a time where job dissatisfaction and rebelling against traditional work dynamics are high, having to “make the best” of being in a questionable company working a mind-numbing role has become a commonplace ritual for those entering or re-entering the workforce. Sorting through numbers on a computer screen as if the fate of the world rests on your shoulders is a slippery slope from getting through the day to delusions of grandeur. Not to mention how the lines can blur between your time at work and your free time at home. Mark can go home after work, but he is at the mercy of running into his boss as they live in the same neighborhood. There is no escape. Not to mention Lumon creates a false belief that his wife died when she is actually alive and working as the counselor, Ms. Casey, in the seventh episode.

Adam Scott — Image Source: alphacoders.com

Workplace dystopian settings are on the rise in popularity, and Lumon’s harsh fluorescent lighting is no exception. Viewers have given the series an 8.7/10 on IMDB. One viewer recounted the series being a “cross between Black Mirror and 1984.” With little marketing and promotion of the series, Severance relied on their audience to spread the word of the series. Surpassing Ted Lasso on Apple+, Severance established itself as one of Apple’s “premier TV shows” with a “universally beloved first season”. According to Comicbook.com, Apple utilized innovative ways to promote the series’ return, including having the cast partake in a pop-up event at Grand Station Central in character as Lumon employees.

Creating a personal and immersive experience allowed Severance its own identity within the Apple+ streaming service and other workplace dramas of the same genre. Despite the desire to escape work, there is a sense of catharsis when watching someone else go through what others have already gone through or continue to do. Severance’s fan base is rooted in an audience who not only empathize with Mark, Helly, and the others but who feel as though their grievances of working for toxic companies have been validated. Nothing brings together the working class like bonding over shady company secrets, terrible bosses, and plastering on a smile just until finally clocking out.