FIRST TIME WATCHING: Severance S2E9

So much meaning in this show. One metaphor that can be taken is severance as a separating the productive self from the feeling self-which was Kier’s obsession (taming the tempers). What is interesting is that the Lumon medical company started out as a factory in which people likely huffed ether to get through the work day. Cover and her child labor associates did. Huffing that substance is kind of like a primitive form of severance. Another interesting thing to notice is that many of these “innies” end up being more in touch with their feelings than their outies do.

The show didn’t make it obviously clear, but outie Burt has been working for Lumon since before the severance program existed. (He let that slip when he said he had been with them for 20 years during the dinner date). Outie Irving is some kind of under cover investigator, researching Lumon shenanigans and its association with missing persons cases. He had zoned in on Burt as one of their “goons”. Burt admitted the factuality of that assessment. Drummond wanted Burt to dispose of Irving. But Irving and Burt had fallen in love so he dropped him off at a train station with a ticket that can go to the end of the line, telling him not to let him know where he gets off, because that’s information he can’t have. Burt will likely be severely discipline for this.

From personal experience TENS doesn't do shit. I had to do proper physical therapy and spinal column surgery for my herniated disk between L4 and L5 because I worked at an IT job and was sitting the whole time and used a way too heavy backpack while walking from work to college every day. You need a chair that can recline back.

Miss Huang really shines in this episode. Her arch is a speed run of Milchick and Cobell, she has to get from seeing the innies as things and undermining Milchick to showing empathy for Dylan. The reason she betrays Milchick is because of her ambition and belief in her own importance, the same reason Milchick betrays Cobell and Cobell betrays herself by letting Jame take credit for her invention. Each of them realises on different timescales that they are replaceable parts. I’ve watched a few reactions and people get confused by Fields saying Burt worked at Lumon for twenty years. Most of that was his time as a goon/hitman/driver probably a Grainer type. Irving suspects him so doesn’t bring up his seperate investigation into the company. There’s a whole different version of this story from outie Irving’s POV that we haven’t gotten. Who is he phoning? Has he lost someone?

Hip, hip, hooray! :D Natalie G: "He...wishes she'd take the...eggs raw??...thats fucking weird..." ----- To Helly E at Orientation: Mark S: "Question 4. What is Mr. Egan's favorite breakfast?" Helly R: "Who is Mr. Egan?" Mark S: "Right? Ok next question.." Natalie G: "Riiight? Ha HA! Are we going to meet a Mr. Egan that's hysterical" ----- Next episode: Mr. Milchick: (looking at a Kier's face) "You know he used to eat 3 raw eggs in milk each morning? It was his favorite breakfast" Helena Egan: "I've heard" Natalie G: "That's disgusting...his favorite breakfast was 3 raw eggs?? What fucking psychopath...he was a psycho!" ----- So, all of this to say, Helena's father is disappointed in her because he sees no Kier in her.

have you tried chiropractic treatment?

I like how the roles are reversed with Burt and irv how irv is pushing for a kiss and Burt saying he can’t now

To answer your question about the town Mark lives in, it’s 100% a Lumon town. It’s named Kier haha

Sorry about your hip, that sounds awful. Hope you feel better. “Work is just work” is the same thing Mark said to Cobell just after she got fired and what started her break from Lumon, I hope it has the same effect on Milchick. It was a cool parallel to see Milcheck stand up to Drummond and Mark do the same to Milchick. Hopefully this isn’t the last we see of Dylan and Irving. Irving’s dog clearly wanted him to go back lol

We’re in the endgame now 👁️ The rebellion against Lumon is slowly growing, is Milichik gonna be the next one to defect? 👀 And Cold Harbour is frying my brain, what is it??? All the other rooms have been severed scenarios for Gemma to get tortured basically, would cold harbour be a room that people get sent to to die? Or is it just that after Gemma has tested all the rooms, she’s dispensable? And making Mark be the only one who can work on the “Files” used against Gemma… crazy Also really weird to root for Helly/Mark(⬇️) and also Gemma/Mark(⬆️). We’re gonna have to Mickey 17 this shit for a happy ending

Helena is one of my favorite characters in the show lol, the opening scene showing behind the curtain of what her personal life is like as the heir to the Eagan family, is really fascinating. It begs the question of how much of Helena that we see presented to us is a result of how she was raised, since we see what Helly is like when she's given consciousness from scratch with none of the baggage Helena has. I mean we see her look at her father with barely concealed hatred during that weird breakfast scene. Also, adds nuance to what Helena says to Mark during the ORTBO, that she "didn't like who she was up there". Relatedly, I think the iceberg on Milchick's wall is more general symbolism that there's a lot more beneath the surface than what we see for some of these characters. Good to keep in mind for real people in the real world, and doubly so for this wild world where innies & outies exist within a macro environment of this cult-like company shaping the world around it. Season Finale next week! Literally cannot wait.

Sorry your hip is in such rough shape. Feel better soon!

Based Nat's dad. Piling everything on the plate is the correct way to eat. It DOES all go to the same place anyway looool.

Schedule?

No schedule , for this week Nat ;) ?

Sorry about your hip, Nat. Take care.

Get well soon Nat! 💛💙🤎❤️🥰