‘Severance’ takes workplace drama to whole new level

Season two of the Ben Stiller-directed psychological thriller ‘Severance’ dropped on 17 January and was an absolute wild ride.

This chilling series revolves around a medical procedure that allows one to implant a chip into their brain and ‘sever’ their work memories from their personal memories.

When they are at their office, they have no recollection of who they are on the outside, and once they leave at the end of the day, they are completely in the dark about what goes on between 09h00 and 17h00.

The reasoning is that the work is so highly classified, it’s better if you go home not knowing what you see and do all day.

The first season introduced us to widower Mark Scout’s and his work version, the ‘innie’ Mark S, newly appointed leader of Macro Data Refinement, dealing with the sudden departure of his closest friend Petey, and the disruptive orientation of reluctant new hire Helly R.

On the outside, an unfamiliar Petey approaches Mark and tells him he has had the procedure reversed, something previously thought to be impossible, and that Lumon is not who they say they are.

This series takes the concept of working a never-ending, soul-crushing, mind-numbing job, and cranks up the absurdity to the highest level. The mega corporation, Lumon, is not just a greedy company, it is a cult that deifies its late founder.

Helly’s arrival on the Severed floor and her refusal to accept her fate – one where she’s virtually always at work, has no idea what happens when she leaves, can’t even dress herself and is punished severely for non-compliance – sparked the spirit of revolution among her team (including Irving B and Dylan G), leading to the season finale that saw them overpowering the system that controls their chips, and making contact with the outside world.

The second season picks up with Mark S returning to work alone, unsure if he is in trouble or if the rest of his team is still alive. When they are all eventually reunited, an effort is made to bring all other ‘innies’ together to stand up for their rights.

This series is a commentary on so many deep themes, though it is also not difficult to get lost in the fantastical premise and expertly shot visuals.

The idea of creating an empty shell of a human, someone with no memories and experiences, so that you can have the perfect, most malleable and loyal employee, is probably something most real life corporations would get behind. What Lumon tells you is that they can provide you with work-life balance, a good pay cheque, a chance not to have to sit through the tedious tasks; when in reality, they are running a totalitarian nightmare.

More questions are raised the more you see just how cruel it all is. Like, are the inside versions of employees separate consciousnesses? Do they have rights? Do they deserve to see the outside world? To fall in love? To have dreams and aspirations?

And how do the two sides of the same person reconcile that they have differing objectives? The whole team finds themselves battling against the system against themselves in some way.

The two Marks must work together, even though both of them are in love with two separate women. And again, you can’t help but ask: Is Mark’s life on the outside worth more than his life when at work? It’s really a big mess, and the strangest love triangle you’ll ever come across.

This show takes the phrase ‘work wife’ to its absolute extreme, but in a way that is well scripted, mysterious, detailed and deep.

As Petey said in season one, before the reintegration process killed him, the rabbit hole goes quite deep and the conspiracy is a lot more thought out than we could have ever imagined.

If you love a slow-burning puzzle that allows you to pick up clues, piece things together and make your own theories, this is the show for you.

– Anne Hambuda is a poet, writer, and social commentator. Follow her online or email her at annehambuda@gmail.com for more.