If you haven’t seen Severance yet, then stop reading right now. Turn off your cellular device or whatever device you’re using to browse Her Campus—and go watch it. Dan Erickson did such an incredible job on this show, and the cast is so fabulous, that the last thing I would want to do is spoil it for you.
That being said, Severance is a thriller TV show streaming on Apple TV starring Adam Scott, Britt Lower, and others in what I see as the television show of the year. This series follows four employees and their choice to undergo a procedure called “severance,” which splits their memories, creating two personas of themselves within their own brains. They slowly but surely realize that something is off about the company, and the challenge begins as the “innies” (those who have memories of only work) try to discover what it is they are actually doing during their work days.
In this article, I plan to focus on the character developments that we see within the four main characters, Mark S., Helly R., Dylan G., and Irving B. throughout the series. It is obvious that their personalities are going to be the ones that change the most because their lifespans are significantly shorter than their “outies” (those who have memories of only life outside of work), and they still have much to learn.
- MArk s.
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To start us off, I have Adam Scott’s character, Mark S. In his first scene, we only hear his voice as he is posing for an interview with one of the new recruits, Helly R. From the beginning, Mark comes across as obedient and deeply loyal to the company, especially to his supervisor, Ms. Cobel. We find out in a later scene of the first episode that he has taken his old coworker’s and best friend’s position at work, titled as Macrodata Refinement Chief. It is apparent that he feels a sort of sadness since Petey, his old coworker, has disappeared without saying goodbye. I feel this is where he finds his brain wandering and realizes that there is more to life than work, like enjoying your coworkers and forming real connections with them.
Fast forward to the final episode of season two, and we can see that Mark S. is not taking anyone’s word for what life should or should not be, even his own outie’s. In the closing scene, Mark is faced with a choice that could benefit either his innie or his outie. After much inner conflict, he chooses himself, fully aware that this decision could cost him Helly R. and lead to serious consequences. I think he just turned into a person with so much faith in himself that he is less frightened of the unknown because of the challenges he faced within the Lumon work building. Although, in my opinion, I can find his selfishness to be quite annoying, especially when it interferes with the reunion of his outie and his real wife, Gemma. However, I do think it is understandable. He didn’t choose to be put down there to work day after day in isolation, yet he’s making himself a life worth living. #JusticeforMarkS
- Helly r.
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Next up, we have Helly R. She’s actually the first character we meet in the opening scene of the show, experiencing her first moments of integration. We later find out that her outie is the daughter of the CEO of Lumon, who strongly advocates for the severance process. The irony is hard to miss, especially given how fiercely Helly’s innie resists life at the company. From leaving desperate notes to her outie, to attempting to resign and even trying to take her own life, it’s clear she wants out, no matter the cost.
She later finds a love for each one of her coworkers, most importantly an intimate relationship with one Mark S., and decides to work with everyone as a team to bring down Lumon from the inside. In my opinion, Helly is fast to become one of your favorite characters with her witty remarks and the connection that she has with Mark. You can see her hatred for the company and life in general bloom into hope for what the future could hold, and that is one that I am excited to see in season three.
- Dylan g.
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A fan favorite we have next is Dylan G. Where to even begin with him? He is the comedic relief we need in a show as serious as this, and to be honest, in my opinion, that’s all he was when the show first came out. He makes jokes about what he thought his outie was like on the outside and never entertained the idea that maybe he could have a life similar to the things he joked about. I don’t think it was until the OTC (Overtime Contingency Protocol) when he was woken up in his own home that he realized all that he could have and should be able to have.
After that scene, he realizes he has something to fight for, a reality that is just within his reach. I think we see him at one of his bravest moments when he decides to stay back with the hope he will reunite with his family and does a two-man job where he switches the OTC so that his fellow innies can see the outside world. His character development is one of my favorites because I don’t think it is until you pay attention that you realize how much he steps up for his team.
- Irving B.
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Lastly, I have the dear Irving B., and all I can say is, wow, what a guy. He is the rule follower stereotype at the beginning of the show. He follows the handbook to a T and lectures others about what they should and should not be doing. Even at his height of stickling, I still found him to be an enjoyable character.
When Irving realizes that the company is cutting corners and playing dirty, he notices that to survive, he has to do the same. One thing that I admire about his character is that while he is a team player, he does look out for himself and follows his heart. But that is not to say that he doesn’t take one for the team, we are all aware he goes out as a hero while unmasking Helly’s outie, who was posing as Helly’s innie. I only hope to see his character return and be reunited with Burt to get the happy ending he deserves.
I think a common theme throughout each of these characters’ developments is realizing that they have something to live for. I believe each of the four is a complex characters that have ups and downs. Somehow, you find yourself in a position, like with Mark, where you are rooting for their innie and their outie and hope in some way that they’ll find peace amongst both of them, but that is just something you’ll have to wait and see for.