How Severance’s Cold Outside World Enhances Dystopian Mystery

A lot Do not quit first season It took place in the Lumon Industries building, specifically the underground “cutaway” floor where the main characters work. It’s a stark, strange void where departments are kept apart to the extent that office culture drives them to fear each other. But maybe as indifference Do not quit‘s outer world promises to explore more in the show second season.

You’d think the audience would immediately connect more with the outside world. The Lumon we see is mostly populated by people who have chosen to undergo a procedure that creates an entirely separate identity for them – one that never leaves the office. It also contains a unique old technology used to make “mysterious and important” numbers that no one can explain; the room where the baby goats live for unknown reasons; strange rituals designed to lift spirits in an utterly soul-sucking place; and blatant idolatry of Kier Eagan, the founder of Lumo, and his descendants.

However, there won’t be much relief once the “innies” turn into their “outs” and head home at the end of the day. Having to deal with any unpleasantness, in addition to thinking that quitting is a serious career move – for Adam Scott’s Mark, it’s a mental holiday from remembering that his wife died in a car accident a few years ago – they live in Kier. society is as depressing as it is dystopia. And coldthough we haven’t spent enough time there to know if there are any seasons other than icy, wet, dreary winter.

Even if Kier has quiet summer months, it won’t melt away the sterile feeling that permeates the city, nor will it cushion the mystery of Kier, which is not really visible… anywhere. In season one, we were told that Kier and the nearby town of Ganz—home of Ganz University, where Mark taught history before Lumon—were located in the province of “PE,” which is obviously not a real place. The license plate of the car reads “Remedium Hominibus”, which means “Remedy for Humanity”. it seems Referring to Kier Eagan’s pharmaceutical dynasty.

But Do not quit There’s a footprint on our world, as indicated by certain geographical locations (Alexa, who briefly meets Mark, is from Montana) and cultural elements (Petey and his daughter jam to Metallica; Irving’s exterior paints the same dark picture as a Motorhead explosion). offer. Despite the vintage technology inside the office, which fits well with Lumo’s love of carefully crafted artificial environments, it’s clearly 21st century: they have cell phones and use the Internet.

However, there is a sense that Kier is a place separated from what we might be familiar with. It is clearly a company town. Restaurants are named after members of the Eagan family (“Pip’s Diner,” presumably named after the former Lumon CEO), and Mark’s existential dread takes place during nights spent in Lumon-subsidized housing—a generic townhouse on a street full of the same generic townies. Lumo has as many empty residences as there are empty offices.

In season one, we see Mark’s colleague Irving have a similar apartment setup, albeit in a different neighborhood (at least he has a dog; Mark only has a pair of sad salmon). We also learn in season one that Mark’s neighbor (Patricia Arquette) is actually his boss at Lumon, completely unaware of his appearance of course; he is not cut off, but takes on a different identity to better spy on his activities. Mark may not be aware of this fact until the end of season one, but it adds a sinister layer to an already lonely, joyless existence.

Not everyone who lives in Kier works in Lumon. In season one, we meet Mark’s sister Devon (Jen Tullock) and first-time parent husband Ricken (Michael Chernus), and their social life revolves around Ricken (a self-help author) and his ambitious friends. . Through these characters, and later as we follow Mark’s confused efforts to learn more about Lumo’s inner workings, we learn that there really is a resistance movement against the cut. We also get to see non-Lumon employees have conflicting views on the layoff—just the sort of conversation to make an awkward dinner party even more awkward.

To counter this, we also learn that Lumo has some powerful allies in the government, including a state senator who underwent a procedure so his glamorous wife could have a baby and not remember it, leading to several strange encounters both at home and abroad. facility where they both have babies.

How Do not quitIt’s yet to be seen if his geographical world will expand in season two – the anticipation of what’s to come suggests we’ll be spending more time outside, and we’re also heading into the season one finale. Mark and his co-workers, Irving and Hellie R., soon became immersed in their own lives. The season two premiere, which takes place entirely inside Lumo with innie Mark, reminds us what a big moment that is — not just because of the realizations they all have about their other selves, but not innies. always exposed to the outside world in a different way.

As the second season begins, one of Mark’s new co-workers excitedly asks him, “How’s the sky?” he asks; he also asks what condition they are in and how the wind feels. His lack of answers or even eagerness to see what is essentially a complete fantasyland is a disappointment. But maybe Kier would understand if he saw it for himself.

New episodes Do not quit Fridays are coming to Apple TV+.

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