Severance on Apple TV. I really need to talk about it.

[EileenBrysonsTeabags]

Late to the party. I Loved loved LOVED this series so much. So weird and unsettling and mind bendy.

So many unanswered questions.

I think I will personally go and stalk Ben Stiller for an answer about what the numbers are about if we don’t get a season 2.

Did anyone else watch it?

@Pemba I think lactation fraud is that Mrs Cobel/selvig pretended to be a breast feeding specialist in order to be around Mark's family

It is very interesting, although I can't really see that in real life the severance procedure would be useful, and there would be so many things that could go wrong. DP and I both said why would you subject yourself to brain surgery just to do a mundane job? And to willingly split yourself in two, why would you want to be so unkind to a part of yourself who never gets to leave the office?

Yes, you do have to suspend disbelief on how it could possibly work - the outie still has whatever trauma led them to sever, the innie setup seems designed to cause further psychological harm rather than heal (though no one is told that of course) so you'd think the outie would realise they felt worse and quit...hard to imagine anyone sending themself back in after a suicide attempt!

Yes and the creepily depressing colours in the homes. Should feel scandi cool but they are nauseating shades of blue green and blue grey. So depressing. Their colorist is a genius.

Unless Daddy who runs the company made her do it. Also she discovered her innie had found love. She rewound that bit of the tape where she kisses Mark a few times. But could equally be Helena pretending to be Helly.
And I SO want to know what really happened to Mark's wife and why his innie has no feelings for her as a counsellor.

Brilliant observation. I missed that. Will look out for it.

They were sacked for misconduct but Mark refused to work with the new team so they were reinstated. Both the men wanted their innie jobs back and Helly might actually be Helena or have been forced by her father to return.

What I don't understand is why they want Mark back so badly. Why is he essential to the programme.

I can’t take credit for it - I found out through a trivia quiz on Reddit!

I wonder this too. What are they using Mark for.

it’s all so insane and I love it. Such a brilliant show

I have to shout' what the fuck is going on' at the TV with alarming regularity.

I love it.

The end of season 1 was the tensest thing if watched in a very long time

Ooh, interesting ending to episode 3! Now have to wait a week for the next one! Still no idea what's happening though - why was Natalie talking to Ricken?

I find Natalie really creepy!

I was surprised that it was actually Dylan's wife visiting him. I thought it was going to be someone playing the part to give him false information

I assumed that too.

It was also interesting to see his home life. I’d assumed it must pay really well but it seems like that was a very ordinary home.

I think Mark’s related to someone significant at Lumen. One of their statues looks like him.

I loved the first series so much that I watched it twice ... and I might be tempted to have a third watch. I'm starting to wonder if cloning is going to be involved, and that's the reason for the goats (they are testing cloning techniques on them??) My current theory is that Miss Casey/Mark's dead wife is one of their first clones, and that's the reason it is possible for her to be dead on the outside.

I've seen the first two episodes of series 2, and I'm a tiny bit disappointed so far. It's not quite so fascinating, and there aren't such exciting surprises. I feel that it is plodding a little bit. I really hope it picks up.

I'm now following Lumen on LinkedIn 😄

Lumon not Lumen!!

Listened to the latest podcast episode. Wow Gwendoline Christie is dedicated to the role.

Another one late to the first season but now can't wait for Wednesday's episode to be shown!!!!

It is so gripping. Ben Stiller is a flipping genius. What a clever show.

Convinced that Mark's dead wife is either brain dead and has somehow been revived with a chip or is a clone. Can't tell if Helly is still Helly or is Helena pretending to be Helly. Love Dylan's character and fascinated by Irving. Feel like there are lots more layers of Mark to peel back too. Not to mention mad Harmony Cobel and the very strange Mr Melchet.

So many themes too! Depression, work-life balance, avoidance, lonliness, compartmentalising, cults and or religion, mental illness, coercive control, corporate power and so on.

I feel annoyed for Dylan that they didn’t tell him in advance and let him mentally prepare for the visit.

I know a lot of people think it’s Helena pretending to be Helly - but how would she get onto the severed floor without the chip activating?

Ooooooooh, good point @fingertraps !

I thought they had to go in the specific elevator for the chip to activate and they haven’t shown helly in it as yet I don’t think

How can she not bé pretending as she said some lies about being alone in a flat rather than being one of the top brass?

They did show them all getting in the elevator in episode 2

I thought she made up the story about being in a flat as she didn't want to admit to being part of Lumon

I thought she just didn’t want to admit to being an Eagan as @IPartridge says

You might well be right! But for me their innie selves are more open and childlike and less likely to lie to each other.

The management trying to split Dylan off from the others and him not seeing his new perks in that way seems to be in the same vein.

Roll on E04