Attention: Spoiler warning for Seasons 1 and 2 of Severance
My all-time favorite TV shows are Gossip Girl, Stranger Things, and The Office. Though I dip my toes into new shows every once in a while, it’s rare that my cult-classics change. However, as a Gen Z college student who spends a lot of time on social media, it’s near impossible for me to avoid online buzz about popular new shows.
Recently, my TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) feeds have been filled with theories, edits, and memes about Apple TV’s second season of Severance. It seems like the show is all anyone can talk about at the moment. So, I decided to join in on the fun and start watching.
I finished both seasons in six days.
The concept of the show is absolutely wild. It follows the story of Lumon Industries, a company founded and run by the Eagan family. The building they operate out of has many floors, but the basement level, called the “severed floor,” is the focus of this show.
Employees who undergo the “severance” procedure have a chip implanted in their brain, effectively splitting them into two people: an “innie” and an “outie.” The innie resides solely in the basement of Lumon, with no memory of the outside world. When the innie finishes their workday and leaves the office, the outie takes over with no recollection of the innie’s shift.
Severance’s main protagonist Mark Scout, played by Adam Scott, signs up for the severance procedure as a way to cope with the loss of his wife Gemma, played by Diechen Lachman. His innie, Mark S., leads a department composed of himself and three other innies, including Helly R., played by Britt Lower. Throughout the series, the innies work to uncover the real truth behind Lumon.
One of my favorite parts of season 2’s finale was the conversation between innie Mark and outie Mark.
Outie Mark tries to convince innie Mark to help him rescue his wife, Gemma, who fans learned was still alive in season 1. However, innie Mark learns that once Gemma is freed, his department will be shut down. Due to his blossoming romance with Helly R., he is hesitant to help his outie.
Thankfully, the Marks successfully free Gemma from her captivity. However, season 2’s final moments show innie Mark choosing between leaving the severed floor with Gemma or staying with Helly. Because he has no alliance with Gemma, innie Mark decides to run hand in hand through the halls of Lumon with Helly as the final credits roll in.
Personally, I wasn’t surprised by innie Mark’s choice. However, I can’t imagine Gemma’s reaction to watching her husband, who hasn’t seen her for two years, decide to leave her for another woman. It was truly a textbook cliffhanger to end the season.
Luckily, Severance fans all over the world will be able to see the next chapter of this story play out in season 3. Until then, watchers are left to theorize what could possibly happen next.
See you soon, Lumon.
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, watch us on TikTok, and read our latest Tweets!