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

[Ferocitus]

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.

To me, the manuals they used seem like something straight out of Scientology.
But I've heard that similar ones are used by Walmart and telemarketers.

I've mentioned the odd computer equipment they use for the number processing.

The strange pulsation of the numbers on-screen reminds me a little of the Ganzfeld effect. I
sometimes get a similar, but very much less pronounced(!) effect when staring at code I've written
or numerical output.

Hallucinations that appear under prolonged sensory deprivation are similar to elementary percepts
caused by luminous ganzfeld, and include transient sensations of light flashes or colours.
Hallucinations caused by sensory deprivation can, like ganzfeld-induced hallucinations, turn into
complex scenes.

And something for @Kyriakos...

The Ganzfeld effect has been reported since ancient times. The adepts of Pythagoras retreated to
pitch-black caves to receive wisdom through their visions, known as the prisoner's cinema.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganzfeld_effect

 

[lymond]

Why are y’all blatantly discussing spoilers

 

[Samson]

Severance E1. Seems interesting, but WFT is with the CRT monitors?

 

[Ferocitus]

Severance E1. Seems interesting, but WFT is with the CRT monitors?

Maybe it helps the users "get into the zone" better than LED. There are other types
of screen in other offices. But some equipment is weirdly old.

 

[Kyriakos]

Severance E1. Seems interesting, but WFT is with the CRT monitors?

Iirc a tv set was old too (in the outie world), but they have mobile phones, so it wouldn't be set in those earlier decades.

Maybe when Lumon became a tech company, they had IBM-like ancient computers, and it became canon

 

[Ferocitus]

Iirc a tv set was old too (in the outie world), but they have mobile phones, so it wouldn't be set in those earlier decades.

Maybe when Lumon became a tech company, they had IBM-like ancient computers, and it became canon

But the printers were new.
And the 3D printers looked brand new.
For some reason the old equipment reminds me of Scientology and their E-meters.

 

[Kyriakos]

Optics department is almost futuristic.

 

[Kyriakos]

Regarding (Severance) the book of Mark's brother in law, it sadly seems that (vague spoiler I read, episode title-related)

Spoiler :

So it should be quite important - and already Mark was inspired by it to do things against protocol.

Season finale is on my birthday

 

[Kyriakos]

So what's the deal with the "stairway" part in Lumon's severed floor?

Spoiler :

Maybe being severed means you also experience some hallucinations? The numbers could be such a thing as well, I suppose; maybe they are images/other which would typically cause those emotions, but now you see them as numbers.
Might also explain why the stupid print stolen from the Optics department was of some value; in the outie world it may be picked up as bizarre/curious/a blur etc.

 

[lymond]

So what's the deal with the "stairway" part in Lumon's severed floor?

Spoiler stairway :

Are you referring to when Helly was try to leave early on? The stairway is real. She is just unsevered the movement she enters it, so when she goes back inside its like she was never there

 

[Kyriakos]

Spoiler stairway :

Are you referring to when Helly was try to leave early on? The stairway is real. She is just unsevered the movement she enters it, so when she goes back inside its like she was never there

Spoiler :

Yes, that would be a way (without other consequences in the plot). But if not, it can be tied to triggered hallucination and be of a type with the numbers
After all, why would the outie be aware of the stairway's meaning? (unless they were instructed about it)
Also, it'd be pretty easy to get two or more people there, and that seems very reckless (meeting of outies).

 

[lymond]

Spoiler :

Yes, that would be a way (without other consequences in the plot). But if not, it can be tied to triggered hallucination and be of a type with the numbers
After all, why would the outie be aware of the stairway's meaning? (unless they were instructed about it)
Also, it'd be pretty easy to get two or more people there, and that seems very reckless (meeting of outies).

Spoiler Milchick :

There is actually a scene in a later episode where they show that scene from a different perspective. Outie Hellie is standing in the stairway with Milchick who is explaining the situation. Outie Helly goes back inside and innie Helly immediately forgets all that happened in the stairway.

 

[lymond]

Spoiler With that said.... :

The numbers thing seems like one of the big mysteries of the show. Ofc, it all just seems like pointless nonsense what they actually do. But several characters have mentioned throughout the series that it's "important work" as they also question what it actually does...like killing goats or whatever.

The retro tech, as I mentioned before, also seems very suspicious to me. Seems like it should me something or has some bearing on a twist later, or maybe it's just there to add to the bizarreness of it all ...ha

oh...and I am caught up now on the show completely, but appreciate the spoilers for all who are not.

 

[Kyriakos]

In Severence, in episode 2

Spoiler :

Petey is shown to have recorded part of his session at the Break room. But (I suppose) he must have already had the re-integration procedure (to bring the recorder in), so how wasn't that item picked up by the security person?
Furthermore, can you move techy stuff in the elevator? Actually, if Melchek was worried (?) that his husbant/wife smuggled out a print, it would seem the elevator detectors indeed are a scam and the alarm simply is "activated" because staff see you prepare to smuggle something, though camera.
To be honest, I don't fully remember if Melchek thought the print may have been smuggled out, but if he did (and assuming it was equally visible outside) isn't it a really stupid decision to allude to this to the inie?
Unless some explanation exists, kids, we have to ask not only what's for dinner, but perhaps also whether plot holes already appeared.

I was also wondering if the severance tech

Spoiler :

is a lie itself. That is, they are just cloning people. The intro could refer to that (as well as "recycling").
Halley herself asked if she was created as livestock, in ep1, which might have been closer to the truth in such a case.

@Samson @EgonSpengler
@lymond @Ferocitus

 

[Ferocitus]

In Severence, in episode 2

Spoiler :

Petey is shown to have recorded part of his session at the Break room. But (I suppose) he must have already had the re-integration procedure (to bring the recorder in), so how wasn't that item picked up by the security person?
Furthermore, can you move techy stuff in the elevator? Actually, if Melchek was worried (?) that his husbant/wife smuggled out a print, it would seem the elevator detectors indeed are a scam and the alarm simply is "activated" because staff see you prepare to smuggle something, though camera.
To be honest, I don't fully remember if Melchek thought the print may have been smuggled out, but if he did (and assuming it was equally visible outside) isn't it a really stupid decision to allude to this to the inie?
Unless some explanation exists, kids, we have to ask not only what's for dinner, but perhaps also whether plot holes already appeared.

I was also wondering if the severance tech

Spoiler :

is a lie itself. That is, they are just cloning people. The intro could refer to that (as well as "recycling").
Halley herself asked if she was created as livestock, in ep1, which might have been closer to the truth in such a case.

Spoiler Tech :

The equipment is definitely not perfect. Workers are seen fixing(?) or upgrading(?) the elevators towards the end of the last episode, possibly in response to Dylan's smuggling out the card, and others getting maps out.

I guess there could also be red herrings for people who read too much into some things, or they could
be actual clues we won't discover until Season x.

Spoiler Red Herrings :

Like the goat's head in a painting in Devon's house, and one on the altar in Mrs Selvig's house,

 

[lymond]

Spoiler Tech :

The equipment is definitely not perfect. Workers are seen fixing(?) or upgrading(?) the elevators towards the end of the last episode, possibly in response to Dylan's smuggling out the card, and others getting maps out.

Spoiler Elevators? :

Pretty sure Arquette was adding an electronic door to the workspace to keep the Refiners from roaming around.

The retro tech really stands out to me, but I haven't paid enough attention to the more contemporary tech. We've seen cell phones that are at least late 90s/early aughts. I need to check out the cars but they've not stood out to me enough to notice.

(Another thing that did not register with me at the time was the video of Petey and his daughter at the funeral playing "Enter Sandman". I forget what devices were used)

Ofc, part of this may simply be that this program has been in place for some time and they've just not updated the systems and computer equipment. But what really caught my eye is all the analog recording and intercom devices. Though I think Helly was given a disc to record her message to her outie.

 

[Ferocitus]

Spoiler Elevators? :

Pretty sure Arquette was adding an electronic door to the workspace to keep the Refiners from roaming around.

The retro tech really stands out to me, but I haven't paid enough attention to the more contemporary tech. We've seen cell phones that are at least late 90s/early aughts. I need to check out the cars but they've not stood out to me enough to notice.

(Another thing that did not register with me at the time was the video of Petey and his daughter at the funeral playing "Enter Sandman". I forget what devices were used)

Ofc, part of this may simply be that this program has been in place for some time and they've just not updated the systems and computer equipment. But what really caught my eye is all the analog recording and intercom devices. Though I think Helly was given a disc to record her message to her innie.

You might be right about the "elevators".

Spoiler Problems at Lumon :

Some of the equipment is definitely high tech. And, yes, Helly was given a disc.

There seem to be problems with finding staff to fill all of the space available in the building.
Lots of empty rooms; the 3D printing room(?) had a huge number of unused machines.
Maybe that's why the politician, introduced in the last show, is pushing for more severanced people.

 

[EgonSpengler]

Severance, ep 6 "Hide and Seek"

You might be right about the "elevators".

Spoiler Problems at Lumon :

Some of the equipment is definitely high tech. And, yes, Helly was given a disc.

There seem to be problems with finding staff to fill all of the space available in the building.
Lots of empty rooms; the 3D printing room(?) had a huge number of unused machines.
Maybe that's why the politician, introduced in the last show, is pushing for more severanced people.

Spoiler :

That guy's wife appears to have been severed. I'm not sure which possibility is creepier: That Lumon has a grand design for using the severance procedure outside the "severed floor" with employees who volunteer, or he's using the severance device "off brand", as a means of controlling his wife, and she doesn't know it.

Also, what the heck was on that pictogram card Dylan pocketed? Whatever it was, it caused such a crisis that Milchik had to "flip the switch" while Dylan was at home. Maybe he was afraid Dylan took it home with him? I've been meaning to go back and look more closely at those cards, but I haven't had a chance to yet.

 

[Kyriakos]

I think we should have a spoiler discussion thread on Severance, in OT

Or even at arts, if it's not allowed.

 

[Samson]

I shall come to this thread when I am caught up.