Discussion (warning: WITH spoilers) of the Severance tv show

Kyriakos said:
Watch Severance instead ^_^
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It's one of those series that would be difficult to binge-watch all in one session.
Trying to come up with explanations for what's going on is part of the enjoyment, even
if it's silly given that we're not even halfway through. :)
 
Ferocitus said:
It's one of those series that would be difficult to binge-watch all in one session.
Trying to come up with explanations for what's going on is part of the enjoyment, even
if it's silly given that we're not even halfway through. :)
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I wonder what the numbers will be - if they actually tie to something external in the first place.
I was thinking that it is likely that emotions have (something like) a larger cardinality number than thoughts, despite (probably) both being made of similar or the same basic parts. So in theory you could have such a machine-human interaction where emotions do interact with a code in a more direct manner, without the manipulator realizing what is done (a bit like that non-chinese-speaking room-employee).
I doubt that in the show it will be anything like that, but it's good to imagine ^_^
 
Kyriakos said:
I wonder what the numbers will be - if they actually tie to something external in the first place.
I was thinking that it is likely that emotions have (something like) a larger cardinality number than thoughts, despite (probably) both being made of similar or the same basic parts. So in theory you could have such a machine-human interaction where emotions do interact with a code in a more direct manner, without the manipulator realizing what is done (a bit like that non-chinese-speaking room-employee).
I doubt that in the show it will be anything like that, but it's good to imagine ^_^
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They have something to do with the 4 "tempers": Woe, Frolic, Dread, and Malice. The people
in Mark's section select a name of a town(?) suburb(?) and when they find certain number
patterns, they drag those numbers to a box on their screens labelled W, F, D or M. Maybe they
are categorizing everyone in the USA?

It seems to me there are many aspects of the workplace that are akin to Scientology. The strange
"psychiatry", the cult-like adherence to protocol, the reverence for the founders' sayings, the
disdain for non-cult books (idolatrous texts Irving calls them).

I can't work out why they use out-of-date computer equipment for the number processing.
Even more amazing to me is that Ben Stiller directs it!
 
Severance, random thoughts, through ep. 5
Spoiler :

  • I like that we don't get much of anything about the lives of the "Outies" except for Mark. A lot of these shows do "bottle episodes" that focus on one of the characters. Orange is the New Black did that, iirc, to good effect. But I'm glad this show is taking a different approach.
  • Helly's outie is interesting to me. She's hell-bent on Helly remaining on the Severed Floor (although we don't know how she reacted to waking up to find herself dangling in the elevator). My random hypothesis, based on nothing at all, is that Helly's outie is somehow trying to infiltrate the Severed Floor and/or Lumon. The outies and the innies can't be too different from one another, which was noted when someone (was it Petey?) told Mark that while he doesn't remember his trauma while he's on the Severed Floor, he still carries it with him. So Helly and her outie being so at odds - one of them is desperate to get out, but the other is determined to stay - strikes me as significant, somehow. [EDIT: What I mean is, there must be something that strongly overcomes Helly's 'natural' reactions, instincts, and feelings. They're fundamentally the same person. The difference between them is their factual memories - they have a kind of clinical amnesia - so the difference must be something that Helly's outie knows that Helly doesn't, and whatever it is, it has to be a game-changer.]
  • The speaker on Harmony's desk. I can't remember how they're referred to now. "The Board?" Anyway, they never say anything, they just lurk. There's something menacing there. I love it. It reminds me of the "Senior Partners" at Wolfram & Hart in Angel.
  • We only saw her for a second, but Petey's ex-wife is played by Joanne Kelly, from Warehouse 13.
  • I have no idea what I think the numbers on the computers could represent. I love the whole concept that they generate emotional responses, seemingly apropos of nothing (I mean, they're just numbers that wiggle around - what are people reacting to?), and that those responses are the key to the job.
  • I love whatever Dichen Lachman is doing. I have no idea what she's doing. :lol: Also, I've been mispronouncing her first name in my head all these years. I listened to a podcast the other week and someone said "dee-chen", not "dye-ken", and I looked her up and I think "dee-chen" is right.
  • I also love what John Turturro is doing. I think I'd forgotten that I like him. Nobody [fools] with the Jesus.
  • That house sitting in the big, brightly lit stone room freaked me out, visually. Not sure why. Just really bizarre.
  • In fact, all of the visuals in this show are weird as f. The four cubicles sitting in the middle of the huge room, with low ceilings. The corridor leading to The Break Room is narrow but tall. The elevator door is also very narrow. It's all very disconcerting.
  • I heard someone compare Lumon to the TVA in Loki, but Lumon has a much more sinister vibe to it. The TVA was kind of kitschy and weird-but-cool. Lumon is oppressive and vaguely threatening.
  • I can't remember any of them right now, but some of the "sage" quotes from Devon's book - "The You You Are" - were laugh-out-loud funny.
 
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Ferocitus said:
They have something to do with the 4 "tempers": Woe, Frolic, Dread, and Malice. The people
in Mark's section select a name of a town(?) suburb(?) and when they find certain number
patterns, they drag those numbers to a box on their screens labelled W, F, D or M. Maybe they
are categorizing everyone in the USA?

It seems to me there are many aspects of the workplace that are akin to Scientology. The strange
"psychiatry", the cult-like adherence to protocol, the reverence for the founders' sayings, the
disdain for non-cult books (idolatrous texts Irving calls them).

I can't work out why they use out-of-date computer equipment for the number processing.
Even more amazing to me is that Ben Stiller directs it!
Click to expand...

Wow, I didn't notice this... Maybe too busy being condescending about the pseudo-Galen ^_^
(obvious) Like in Dogtooth, Lumon use famous works of art as supposedly tied to their founder.

PS: Walken is ok too in this :)
 
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Liking it. Good mind-effery. I'm 3 epis in so far. I'm constantly having to rethink the perspective of the various characters like Arquette's. I think there is some sort of major twist coming at some point though I can't put my thumb on it. Anyone notice the odd technology presented here - kinda retro, yet don't think it is necessarily set in the past (though that may relate to some sort of twist)

While I think it much more than just this - it is a good satire of Corporate America as well. Having been part of that for a spell, there are things that make me cringe.
 
Severance - ep. 6.
Quotes from the book continue to provide a lot of laughs...
Most linguists agree that camaraderie is from the Latin "camera".

I wonder whether "severance" had its beginnings with severely injured patients who were
still mentally aware and capable, while their bodies needed care. Echoes of The Matrix?

Was Mark in the car accident that left him alive and his wife dead?

Are Dillon and Melchek married?

Are Lumon conducting Ganzfeld-like experiments ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganzfeld_experiment

So many theories, so little information. :)
 
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(please write in spoilers, I haven't yet watched all of episode 6 :D )

I would bet that the bearded guy is the most expendable.
 
Kyriakos said:
View attachment 622638 (please write in spoilers, I haven't yet watched all of episode 6 :D )

I would bet that the bearded guy is the most expendable.
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He's the only one I don't like so far. I'm trying to keep an open mind, but right now, I wouldn't miss him if he became an 'Ensign Redshirt.'
 
EgonSpengler said:
I haven't watched ep 6 either, so I'm not reading that post. :p
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There's no spoilers in it. :)
They have set up a great mystery so far. Let's hope they can keep it going without frustrating
us too much.
 
Kyriakos said:
I hate you, Lumen, it's never enough :rockon:
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I thought the amateurish rendition of Enter Sandman at the funeral was terrific, if extremely
grating because of the dreadful singing.
 
Ferocitus said:
Severance - ep. 6.
Quotes from the book continue to provide a lot of laughs...
Most linguists agree that camaraderie is from the Latin "camera".

I wonder whether "severance" had its beginnings with severely injured patients who were
still mentally aware and capable, while their bodies needed care. Echoes of The Matrix?

Was Mark in the car accident that left him alive and his wife dead?

Are Dillon and Melchek married?

Are Lumon conducting Ganzfeld-like experiments ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganzfeld_experiment

So many theories, so little information. :)
Click to expand...

Spoiler :

Melchek is the worst.
Maybe Dillon is homosexual in the office too, but tries to hide it by pretending to be into "milfs" etc :)
That said, I don't like that now they are showing "outies" of others apart from Mark.
Marks's brother in law might also be some Lumon goon (?).
 
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Kyriakos said:
I like the Torturo-Walken relationship.
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I haven't seen Walken in many movies or TV shows.
Why were you worried he was in Severance? Did he put in a shocker of a performance in something?
 
Ferocitus said:
I haven't seen Walken in many movies or TV shows.
Why were you worried he was in Severance? Did he put in a shocker of a performance in something?
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He has his Walken thing (voice and mannerisms) and due to that he used to be a liability in the same way Robin Williams was :)
But I like him in this show.
 
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