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Severance (Apple TV)


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11 hours ago, TexasHooch said:

I think you're missing something big.  I actually thought that they made it too obvious (which probably means I'm wrong).

This is just my opinion, but I'm pretty sure I'm right, so don't click on this unless you're willing to (possibly) rob yourself of what will be a big reveal.

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That's not Helly's innie in the office with them.  It's her outie.

 

But why would she do that? I don't see the purpose. 

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1 minute ago, HornOnTheBayou said:

But why would she do that? I don't see the purpose. 

Pure conjecture response if one were to buy that hypothesis, which also happened to cross my mind:

Spoiler

It might be because her outie, Helena Eagan, is truly devoted to the Lumen cause, as appeared to be the case when she was planning to give a speech in the Season 1 finale. For all we know, the existing team (or Mark S.) might be truly gifted at whatever "mysterious and important" work they're doing, so the company is willing to get the gang back together as he requested. And, if she is a Lumen spy, then they'd have no need for any sort of electronic surveillance, which is now absent, as was noted. Plus, she can manipulate Mark, if needed.

 

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I watched it.

Had not considered [mention=2568]TexasHooch[/mention] hypo. But it makes a lot of sense. For reasons mentioned by [mention=406]bolverk[/mention]

The possibilities of further tension and conflict in the story as a result are endless.

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2 hours ago, Red Five said:

Is it just me, or was Adam Scott a very good looking younger man, who is turning into a very strange looking middle aged man? To the point where I was wondering if they had some kind of prosthesis on him.  

I think it's a combination of age, lighting, hair, and makeup.

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What’s also confusing, in an entertaining way, is that we only saw the inside-Lumen view in this episode. milchick, aka milkshake, provided some info but it’s all suspect. We don’t know it’s 5 months later, or that the 4 became the face of the anti-severed movement. The fact that they’re back in Lumen tells me that everything milchick said was a lie.

Spoiler

Agree that we’re being led to believe that Helly is actually Helena as a spy. Makes sense to me this is the case but I’m also open to the idea that Helly is hesitant to say that she’s an Egan, perhaps being groomed to be the next CEO.

if she is Helena, what is the motivation there? Infiltrate this rebel group to stop them? You can easily stop them by kicking them out of the program or separating them, which they did try with Mark first. I’m along for the ride that not everything we see or told is accurate.

 

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On 1/17/2025 at 10:50 AM, TexasHooch said:

I think you're missing something big.  I actually thought that they made it too obvious (which probably means I'm wrong).

This is just my opinion, but I'm pretty sure I'm right, so don't click on this unless you're willing to (possibly) rob yourself of what will be a big reveal.

  Reveal hidden contents

That's not Helly's innie in the office with them.  It's her outie.

 

I knew what was in your spoiler before clicking on it, and I agree with you. 

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Spoiler

They need this specific group of four for some reason. Maybe bc they're really good at their jobs. One of the guys on the replacement team said his old team never met quota, while Mark's team always met quota. I don't think that's necessarily it though.  It could also be they were specifically selected due to their outside life situations. Maybe Gemma died and they wanted to test a cloning procedure while also testing how strong severance really was. Is it immortality they're trying to achieve by cloning dead people and making sure their friends and family get a chance to meet them again but in different situations?

 

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On 1/17/2025 at 10:50 AM, TexasHooch said:

I think you're missing something big.  I actually thought that they made it too obvious (which probably means I'm wrong).

This is just my opinion, but I'm pretty sure I'm right, so don't click on this unless you're willing to (possibly) rob yourself of what will be a big reveal.

  Hide contents

That's not Helly's innie in the office with them.  It's her outie.

 



If that's Helly's outie in the office with them in this first episode of season 2, how would she know who they are when she's in the office with them? How would she know how to do the work the data mining work that they are doing?

Edited by Hornius Emeritus
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16 minutes ago, Hornius Emeritus said:

If that's Helly's outie in the office with them in this first episode of season 2, how would she know who they are when she's in the office with them? How would she know how to do the work the data mining work that they are doing?

The folks at Lumon would have prepped her.

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If that's Helly's outie in the office with them in this first episode of season 2, how would she know who they are when she's in the office with them? How would she know how to do the work the data mining work that they are doing?

Because the outie Helly would have had a chance to be briefed on all of that in the interim.

My problem with the spy Helly scenario is how do they make her outie Helly in the innie space? We know you can flip a switch to an outie such that they’re engaged as an innie seemingly no matter where they are outside Lumon. But is the reverse also true? Can Lumon just flip a switch and disengage it an any time, thus making an innie an outtie? Or at least while at Lumon?
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41 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

I assume that Ms. Huang is not severed. Anyone with a last name is unsevered. Severed individuals have a first name and last initial. 

 

One of Milchicks roles as asst mgr was to take them into the break room. Which was a good name since it was about breaking them down after they misbehaved. Will that be Ms Huang’s job now, or is the new Lumon not into that behavior now?

on the question on how would Helena be taught everyone and everything, the place was crawling with cameras and microphones. In the cartoon, we saw how lumon had recorded basically everything they said or did. As for her being able to perform the macro data refinement, who knows since we don’t understand it. This is a show that is unlikely to answer every mystery.

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1 hour ago, Chad Fuck said:


Because the outie Helly would have had a chance to be briefed on all of that in the interim.

My problem with the spy Helly scenario is how do they make her outie Helly in the innie space? We know you can flip a switch to an outie such that they’re engaged as an innie seemingly no matter where they are outside Lumon. But is the reverse also true? Can Lumon just flip a switch and disengage it an any time, thus making an innie an outtie? Or at least while at Lumon?

Helena hated her innie so much and v.v. I wouldn't put it past her to remove the chip and this kill her innie.  It is, after all, what her innie tried to do to her.

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On 1/17/2025 at 10:00 PM, HornOnTheBayou said:

But why would she do that? I don't see the purpose. 

Spoiler

I think Helly is either a reprogrammed innie or it's unsevered Helena. Why? Maybe to spy on them from the inside? Her innie has been super volatile and rebellious and Helena doesn't want her doing anything rash or radical again. You can tell it isn't the same Helly though. Her mannerisms are super different. She's all happy go lucky. Awkward around Mark. Makes up a story that doesn't make sense especially a gardener in the middle of winter. Fumbles to turn on the computer when everyone else flips it on no problem. And you can tell that Irving automatically doesn't trust her. He knows she's not the same Helly and won't tell her what happened with Burt.

 

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2 hours ago, irishtexan said:

I assume that Ms. Huang is not severed. Anyone with a last name is unsevered. Severed individuals have a first name and last initial. 

 

She talks about being a crossing guard. Maybe she was run over like Ms Casey and kept alive as an innie now as the dept manager or whatever she is. There are reforms now so maybe she's less militant and rigid as Milchick was.

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2 hours ago, Chad Fuck said:


Because the outie Helly would have had a chance to be briefed on all of that in the interim.

My problem with the spy Helly scenario is how do they make her outie Helly in the innie space? We know you can flip a switch to an outie such that they’re engaged as an innie seemingly no matter where they are outside Lumon. But is the reverse also true? Can Lumon just flip a switch and disengage it an any time, thus making an innie an outtie? Or at least while at Lumon?

It's been 5 months. Probably enough time to either reprogram her or to take the chip out and reintegrate her safely while also briefing here on most things about the severed floor.

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On 1/18/2025 at 10:45 AM, gsoda3 said:

Yes why is miss Huang 8, is she a clone?

 

Spoiler

I don't think any of them are clones. But some are possibly comatose or something outside and kept as an innie on the inside ala Ms Casey to experiment in order to bring Kier back. What Cobel was hoping to do with her mom I believe.

 

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3 hours ago, Ted Lange said:

The folks at Lumon would have prepped her.


So you think that somehow, in the five months between the time she spoke at the convention, she was converted to the side of Lumon and is now a double agent?  That doesn't strike me as being true to her character, given how much effort her innie has put into trying to escape the clutches of Lumon. It also seems like a cheap "out"  on the part of the writers of the show.

 

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3 minutes ago, Hornius Emeritus said:


So you think that somehow, in the five months between the time she spoke at the convention, she was converted to the side of Lumon and is now a double agent?

 

Helena Egan was always on the side of Lumon. She's its future CEO.

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From the S1 finale, Helena (the outie) had not just requested to be severed, but she agreed to do so in a very public way, seemingly to generate positive PR for Lumon and the severance procedure.

Remember, all we saw was innie Helly that actually spoke at the Lumon gala

Edited by LonghornSean
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5 hours ago, usmc0331horn said:

She talks about being a crossing guard. Maybe she was run over like Ms Casey and kept alive as an innie now as the dept manager or whatever she is. There are reforms now so maybe she's less militant and rigid as Milchick was.

I don't think she's in the same "program" as Ms. Casey. Ms. Casey always seemed like she was sedated, Ms. Huang was much more with it. I assume Ms. Huang is not severed like Milchick and Cobel.

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Why are we assuming that anything Milchik told them was true? About it being 5 months since the incident, about there being reforms, etc? Hasn't everything Lumon told the innies been a lie? The innies would have no way to confirm how long it's been or what's been happening on the outside, or what their outies have been told (if anything). I figured everything they've been told since they got back is bullshit, but that Lumon needs this group for whatever reason, so they are trying to keep them as complacent as possible. 

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12 hours ago, austingirl said:

Why are we assuming that anything Milchik told them was true? About it being 5 months since the incident, about there being reforms, etc? Hasn't everything Lumon told the innies been a lie? The innies would have no way to confirm how long it's been or what's been happening on the outside, or what their outies have been told (if anything). I figured everything they've been told since they got back is bullshit, but that Lumon needs this group for whatever reason, so they are trying to keep them as complacent as possible. 

Exactly. Someone pointed out on reddit that the story about them being famous and what not is specious at best. Devon is likely the only one who heard Mark yell out she's alive and she may have even interpreted that as he was talking about the baby. No one knew of what happened with Irving. Helly was only talking to a small circle of Lumon people. Everything Milkshake presents to them is likely a lie or half truths. All the new perks seem like punishments as well. Anyway, I can't wait to see how everything plays out. Exceptional show.

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44 minutes ago, usmc0331horn said:

Exactly. Someone pointed out on reddit that the story about them being famous and what not is specious at best. Devon is likely the only one who heard Mark yell out she's alive and she may have even interpreted that as he was talking about the baby. No one knew of what happened with Irving. Helly was only talking to a small circle of Lumon people. Everything Milkshake presents to them is likely a lie or half truths. All the new perks seem like punishments as well. Anyway, I can't wait to see how everything plays out. Exceptional show.

Mark told his sister everything before he woke up, so she knows what's going on now. Helly's innie started the big speech and everyone at the party heard her say, "We're being tortured down there."

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41 minutes ago, HornOnTheBayou said:

Mark told his sister everything before he woke up, so she knows what's going on now. Helly's innie started the big speech and everyone at the party heard her say, "We're being tortured down there."

Right but if he only told Devon will everyone else believe her and will it get out? Same with Helly. She tells that to Lumon loyalists or whatever. Will it matter to them? Will they believe a childish innie?

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15 hours ago, austingirl said:

Why are we assuming that anything Milchik told them was true? About it being 5 months since the incident, about there being reforms, etc? Hasn't everything Lumon told the innies been a lie? The innies would have no way to confirm how long it's been or what's been happening on the outside, or what their outies have been told (if anything). I figured everything they've been told since they got back is bullshit, but that Lumon needs this group for whatever reason, so they are trying to keep them as complacent as possible. 

The fact that the reform cartoon/claymation video (narrated by one Keanu Reeves as the building) was all about them personally lends itself that Lumon reformed nothing except trying to get them back in line. 

It is fairly obvious that his newspaper headline of the 4 was fake since its their group photo from Helly's first days, superimposed onto a picture from an Eisenhower ticker tape parade, that the internet has identified. I don't think Mark was back at the office the next morning since it would have taken a minute to come up with a plan and produce the video.

As for Helly being Helena or not, there is a scenario where they want Helly there but they've promised her something else. Even if that's a lie. I'm still thinking it's not her but see the other as a possibility.

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No spoilers, no theories. This is just the technicalities of shooting that first scene where Mark S. is panicked running through the hallways to find the Wellness Center (12 minutes in length). Fun to watch if you're into that kind of thing.

 

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7 hours ago, bolverk said:

No spoilers, no theories. This is just the technicalities of shooting that first scene where Mark S. is panicked running through the hallways to find the Wellness Center (12 minutes in length). Fun to watch if you're into that kind of thing.

 

This is really cool - you should post in the tv/movie geeks thread.

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1 hour ago, austingirl said:

This is really cool - you should post in the tv/movie geeks thread.

I'm unfamiliar with that thread. Care to point me in the right direction? I will say that I probably don't have a whole lot to contribute (my daughter would), but it sounds like a fun read if it's got posts similarly geeky to that video.

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On 1/19/2025 at 1:13 PM, irishtexan said:

I assume that Ms. Huang is not severed. Anyone with a last name is unsevered. Severed individuals have a first name and last initial. 

 

That makes sense. 

They gave us a new hire post on linkedin 

image.thumb.png.bbc00a30931c08a7399d3e4c0d27f32f.png

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1 hour ago, hornbri said:

That makes sense. 

They gave us a new hire post on linkedin 

image.thumb.png.bbc00a30931c08a7399d3e4c0d27f32f.png

Well, yesterday I was thinking about that post I made and realized Ms. Casey is "presumably" severed, but is addressed similarly to those that we know to be unsevered. But that also lends credence to the idea that "something" weird is going on with Ms. Casey. She's not severed, and she's not unsevered. She's unique in some way. Maybe she's a clone... 

Either way, I don't think Ms. Huang is severed. How would you know you were a crossing guard before you started working at Lumon if you were severed?

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5 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

Well, yesterday I was thinking about that post I made and realized Ms. Casey is "presumably" severed, but is addressed similarly to those that we know to be unsevered. But that also lends credence to the idea that "something" weird is going on with Ms. Casey. She's not severed, and she's not unsevered. She's unique in some way. Maybe she's a clone... 

Either way, I don't think Ms. Huang is severed. How would you know you were a crossing guard before you started working at Lumon if you were severed?

Yeah, I would agree with this. The bosses are not severed and are referred to by their last name (Huang, Milchick, Cobel). Ms. Casey is a special case (notice she is referred to by her first name, but no last initial).

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