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“Chikhai Bardo,” episode 7 of Severance Season 2, is nothing short of jaw-dropping. The episode intertwines Mark’s memories of his and Gemma’s relationship with our first-ever look at Gemma’s experience on Lumon’s testing floor. Gemma’s storyline in particular offers up bombshell after bombshell. But perhaps most intriguing is the reveal that the files that the MDR team has been refining, like Allentown and Cold Harbor, correspond to various rooms Gemma is forced to enter every day. In classic Severance fashion, each answer “Chikhai Bardo” provides prompts even more questions.
Meeting Gemma Beyond Mark’s Memories
We’ve seen Gemma in such a diminished capacity at Lumon, where we’ve gotten to know her as Ms. Casey. With all the characters, when you see their Outie, the question is always, to what degree are their Innies different? But also, to what degree are they essentially the same? Ms. Casey’s traits of being intellectually curious and kind were a basis to start on for finding out who Gemma is. We also wanted to see on Mark’s side that this is the version of him that he was before his loss.
Interplay of Memories
In this episode, both Mark and Gemma are trying to get to each other. Gemma is literally trying to break out of the testing floor to reach Mark, while Mark is sifting through memories of their marriage, realizing that his recollection might not have been as perfect as he thought. Memory can be imperfect, but the way it gets patch-worked together creates your identity.
Answers and Unpleasant Scenarios
We now know that the files Mark was working on correspond to the different rooms that Gemma goes through, where she encounters different scenarios. The question remains of why they’re putting her through these experiences and whether they are affecting her emotionally. The throughline is whether anything is leaking through from these rooms.
Exploring Room Scenarios
A lot of the rooms feel like universally hated experiences. Were there any other scenarios that you and the writers’ room thought of for other rooms that didn’t end up making it into the show?
There were a lot. At one point I made a list of about 50, and then we winnowed it way down. You know, I happen to really, really hate flossing, and I was like, “Well, maybe there’s a room where she’s just flossing.” And then someone else said, “Well, I like flossing. It’s satisfying.” So we had an argument as to how nightmarish or wonderful that would be.
Exploring Mundane Scenarios
The rough flight room was one where I unfortunately thought to myself, “If I were given the option to sever myself for a flight, I might do it.” Which is awful, especially after watching the show and knowing so much about what Innies go through! But that relatability feels like a big part of Lumon’s project. Could you speak more to the mundane aspect of these scenarios?
One of the first things that some people ask after watching the show is, “What would you sever, if you could sever away anything in your life that you don’t like?” It’s really interesting to hear the different answers to that for different people, and then also to think of what the experience of that poor Innie would be who had to do that one task repetitively.
For example, the Christmas card room was just me being catty about having been forced to write a lot of thank-you cards as a kid and always being annoyed by that. I thought, “It’s not even worth it to get presents now because I have to write these long thank-you cards, and it’s annoying!” So when the writers were talking about things that you wouldn’t want to have to do over and over again, that was one that came to mind for me personally.
It’s funny, turbulence has never bothered me, although I know a lot of friends who are really, really afraid of that. But I am a very claustrophobic person. I hate elevators; I hate getting in an elevator ever, for any reason.
Challenges and Questions
Yeah, I hate elevators and Ben [Stiller] hates eggs, so we’re both working through something on this show.
But to me, what’s such a nightmare when you talk about potentially severing is that if you were having that experience that Gemma seems to be having in the plane, that’s your whole life. There’s literally nothing outside of this room for you. That was the element of it that really felt especially nightmarish to me.
This episode answers some questions, but it raises many others. We know Mark’s files are tied to Gemma’s rooms, but are Helly, Irving, and Dylan also working on what’s going on with Gemma? Are they refining for different people, or maybe doing other things that we don’t know about yet?
Then there are the people who are observing MDR’s work through their screens. They look very much like the shadow selves from the “Woe’s Hollow” episode. Are these similar Lumon creations?
Lumon’s Involvement in Gemma’s Life
Coming back to the memory portion of the episode, can you tell me about Lumon’s involvement in Gemma’s life before her abduction, and why she was targeted?
That’s definitely still an outstanding question on the show. But I think what does become clear is that there was something special about her. We see the Lumon tear drop on the machine at the blood drive, we see Dr. Mauer at the fertility clinic. The big question we’re asking ourselves now is, when did she first end up on Lumon’s radar? How long had they been watching her, and to what end? What exactly was it that they were looking for as they were watching her?
This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Friday.
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In the ever-evolving world of entertainment, streaming services have become the go-to platforms for consuming content. With a vast array of options available at the touch of a button, viewers are shifting towards the convenience and variety offered by streaming. From classic movies to original series, these platforms cater to every taste and preference.
Severance
One of the latest buzzworthy shows to hit the streaming scene is “Severance.” This psychological thriller has captivated audiences with its gripping storyline and stellar performances. Set in a mysterious company where employees undergo a procedure to separate their work and personal memories, the show explores the dark side of corporate culture and the consequences of blurring the lines between the two.
