Exploring the Depths of 'Severance': Insights and Intrigues
The primary focus of this episode resides in our discourse surrounding the critically acclaimed series "Severance," an intricate narrative that delves into the dichotomy between personal and professional identities. Hosts Pastor Will Rose and Rev. Laura Wittman endeavor to unravel the complexities presented in both Season One and the recently concluded Season Two. The conversation aims to foster a deeper understanding of the ethical dilemmas and emotional ramifications inherent in the concept of severing one's consciousness, inviting listeners to contemplate the implications of such a reality on their own lives. Additionally, amidst our analysis, we provide a tantalizing sneak peek into bonus questions directed at our sponsors, encouraging audience engagement through subscriptions to our Patreon and podcast platforms. This episode serves not only as an exploration of "Severance," but also as an invitation to connect more intimately with our community.
The latest discourse in the podcast series navigates the intricate landscapes of the critically acclaimed television series, 'Severance.' Esteemed hosts Pastor Will Rose and Rev. Laura Wittman delve into the thematic profundities of the show, particularly emphasizing its exploration of consciousness and identity. Through a detailed examination of the show's narrative structure, they dissect the duality of the characters' experiences—specifically, the dichotomy between their 'Innie' and 'Audi' selves. This exploration prompts listeners to consider the ethical implications surrounding the severance process employed by the fictional corporation, Lumen, raising pertinent questions regarding autonomy, consent, and the essence of what it means to be human. Furthermore, the hosts offer insights into the emotional resonance of the characters' journeys, particularly focusing on Mark's struggle with grief after the loss of his wife, juxtaposed against his work life, which is meticulously severed from his personal experiences. In this rich discussion, listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own lives and the societal constructs that dictate the boundaries between work and personal identity, urging a reconsideration of the often-blurred lines between these realms.
Takeaways:
- In this episode, we thoroughly analyze the psychological implications of the Apple TV series Severance, particularly its portrayal of corporate culture.
- The discussion delves into the ethical dilemmas presented within the show, particularly concerning the separation of work and personal identities.
- We explore the complex emotional landscapes of characters, emphasizing how grief and trauma influence their decisions and relationships.
- Our hosts provide insights into the show's artistic direction and narrative techniques that enhance its gripping storytelling and viewer engagement.
- Throughout the episode, we aim to raise awareness about mental health and the importance of consent in personal relationships as depicted in Severance.
- Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own work-life balance and the societal pressures that shape their identities, mirroring themes from the series.
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Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker A:Have you ever wished that you could separate your real life from your life at work?
Speaker A:In the words of Harmony Cobell, in season one of Severance, the surest way to tame a prisoner is to let him believe he's free.
Speaker A:In today's episode, we're going to be diving into the world of Severance, which thankfully just got renewed for a third season.
Speaker A:Thank goodness.
Speaker A:Because after that ending on season two, I need more.
Speaker A:Or maybe I don't.
Speaker A:Maybe that's the problem, is we need less severance.
Speaker A:Who knows?
Speaker A:But just a warning, this episode will contain spoilers for season two, so join us hopeful.
Speaker A:Enjoy our conversation today.
Speaker A:Our goal in this episode is to discuss and to think deeper about one of Apple TV's most confusing and intriguing shows.
Speaker A:We also hope that if you haven't watched it yet, you'll leave and want to go watch all of it and then come back and talk more about it.
Speaker A:So we're gonna dive in here in just a few minutes.
Speaker A:So welcome, friends.
Speaker A:I'm Laura Whitman.
Speaker A:I'm one of our hosts for today, and I'm joined by Will Rose.
Speaker A:Will, do you wanna say hi and introduce yourself?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Hey, everybody.
Speaker B:And so, yeah, even if there are spoilers in the show, you listen to this entire episode, there's no way that we're gonna solve all the mysteries.
Speaker B:You can go back and watch it like you're watching it for the first time.
Speaker B:No matter what we say in this episode, you'll probably forget or get confused and then go back.
Speaker B:Cause that's what it is.
Speaker B:And that's why it makes it so intriguing and alluring and why I can't stop watching it.
Speaker B:So, yeah, I'm a huge fan.
Speaker B:And there's other hosts on systemic ecology who wish they could be a part of this conversation.
Speaker B:So this will not be the last time Severance before season three comes out.
Speaker B:So there'll be more episodes about this for sure.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:So, Will, what have you been geeking out on lately?
Speaker B:Oh, man, it is March Madness.
Speaker B:And so I love this time of year.
Speaker B:Springtime, it's getting warmer outside.
Speaker B:I could do without the pollen and the allergies, but flowers are blooming, the waters, ocean is warming up, and then, I love college basketball.
Speaker B:I love March Madness.
Speaker B:I love this tournament.
Speaker B:And even though Laura and I stand on opposite sides of the spectrum of fandom, when it comes to Duke and Unc, we are modeling for you how two enemies can come together and work together in a good podcast episode.
Speaker B:So I'm extremely jealous of how well Duke is doing.
Speaker B:And that you guys have Cooper flag and I'm disappointed in UNC's season but you know, it's a tournament and we'll see what happens.
Speaker B:There's a big game tonight as we're recording.
Speaker B:We'll see if Caleb Love strikes again.
Speaker B:Duke Blue Devils.
Speaker B:But that's what I'm geeking out on.
Speaker B:I can't get enough basketball.
Speaker B:It's so much fun.
Speaker A:I am definitely also geeking out on basketball right now as a Duke fan.
Speaker A:And yes, we will model civility and I will not say anything else about Duke except Tyrese Proctor is amazing and we did get to go to the tournament last Friday, which was really fun since it was closed in Raleigh.
Speaker A:But my current geek out obsession is Dungeon Crawler Carl.
Speaker A:I'm a little bit late to this game, but I'm on Book five and it is so good and the story keeps getting better and better.
Speaker A:And I mentioned this in the office conversation last week too, but Dungeon Crawler Carl is where it's at.
Speaker A:You got to read it.
Speaker A:All of it.
Speaker B:Nice.
Speaker B:Yeah, I heard that episode and TJ is a bookhound and definitely I heard in his voice as you talked about that particular book, him getting like, ooh, maybe I'll check that out.
Speaker B:There was definitely a good recommendation.
Speaker B:I think he's going to get into it so you guys could talk about it later.
Speaker A:Since my geek algebra, it's so good and as an ADHD person, like it is the most ADHD book I've ever read in my life and so it just speaks my love language.
Speaker A:But anyway, if you're on a laptop, please consider rating and reviewing our show on podchaser or Good Pods.
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Speaker A:This will also help to prioritize our show and these apps algorithms.
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Speaker A:We'd also like to thank our supporter Trip Fuller.
Speaker A:We couldn't do it without you.
Speaker A:Remember, if you'd like your own shout out, you too can support our show for just $3 a month on one of these three platforms.
Speaker A:I mean, that's an investment, y'all.
Speaker A:So $3?
Speaker A:What else can you get for $3 a month?
Speaker B:Oh, not much.
Speaker A:Literally nothing.
Speaker B:Not much at all.
Speaker B:Nothing.
Speaker B:Not these days.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker B:Not these days.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker B:We won't put tariffs we won't put tariffs on your support of Cismaki Gallagher.
Speaker A:We promise Exactly.
Speaker A:So that we're going to start our main discussion now.
Speaker A:And the topic of the day, as we shared, is all about Severance, one of my favorite shows.
Speaker A:I was obsessed when season one came out, and I felt like I had waited forever for season two to come along and give us more answers.
Speaker A:And I'm not sure if it gave us answers or questions.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:So, Will, how long have you been a fan of Stonewall?
Speaker B:Since the beginning as well.
Speaker B:I can't remember how we got turned on for the show or how we found it.
Speaker B:We knew we're Adam Scott fans, and we had Apple and we finished Ted Lasso, and we were kind of like, what's the next TV show?
Speaker B:And maybe we heard rumors that Ben Stellar is directing a serious TV show, not necessarily a comedy.
Speaker B:And I think we hopped right in there at the beginning and watched each episode.
Speaker B:And it's definitely a methodical, sl.
Speaker B:Intentional, artistic TV show.
Speaker B: day and you're really tired,: Speaker B:At least I do.
Speaker B:And I have to go back and watch it the next day because you'll miss a lot if you don't pay attention.
Speaker B:But, yeah, we watched all the way through, and then it ended on some big cliffhangers.
Speaker B:And of course, they were going to do a season two.
Speaker B:It was a very popular show.
Speaker B:But then writer strike, then the world happened, then all this kind of stuff.
Speaker B:So it was really put on delay for a long, long time.
Speaker B:So we were definitely that family because it was appointment television for us.
Speaker B:Whenever it came out, we had to watch immediately.
Speaker B:But, yeah, we were watching and pulling up.
Speaker B:When Does Severance Season 2 coming out?
Speaker B:When is he?
Speaker B:And there'd always be, like, the latest headline of when that would come.
Speaker B:So, yeah, we were there at the beginning and very excited when season two dropped.
Speaker A:Yeah, that was pretty much how we ended up there, too, was Ted Lasso.
Speaker A:And then we're like, oh, this is the next thing that Apple TV told us to watch.
Speaker A:So we did.
Speaker A:And I remember, though, the thing that got us hooked was the opening song and the theme song and the opening little sequence, because it's so weird and it's so good and the way it's put together.
Speaker A:I was like, oh, what else is gonna happen in this?
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:But yes, that was us, too.
Speaker A:Pretty much how we ended up there.
Speaker A:So why do you think listeners should know about Watch and love Severance?
Speaker B:Okay, let's see.
Speaker B:All right, so you wanna.
Speaker B:Let's give a little summary here.
Speaker B:Let's see.
Speaker B:I had to kinda write this down so I could try to like summarize the show and like, less than a page.
Speaker B:So here we go.
Speaker B:A guy named Mark.
Speaker B:Mark lost his wife and has debilitating grief.
Speaker B:And so in order to escape that grief, he goes to work for this mysterious company, Lumen, who has developed the tech to sever your brain to separate your work life self with your real world self.
Speaker B:So your work life personality and your real world personality are two separate people, yet you're embodied in one body.
Speaker B:So at work, you have no ide who your outside work self is.
Speaker B:And then when you're in the world, you have no idea who your at work personality or person is.
Speaker B:And so there's this, of course, this character development and you care about the characters and what they're wrestling with and why they made this choice.
Speaker B:But there's also this ethics and mystery around the process and this corporation, Lumen, who made this.
Speaker B:And out in the world, people have written books and there's a lot of media around like this company, and whether this is actually like something ethical to do with people and whether it's their choice or not.
Speaker B:And then as the show goes on, you get to know Mark's like work buddies, and then you get to know his real life interpersonal relationships and the loss of his wife and his sister and those kinds of things.
Speaker B:So as we said, it is very methodical, intentional, slow paced, gripping, artistic show.
Speaker B:And then, you know, how would you classify this, Laura?
Speaker B:Would it be dystopia?
Speaker B:Sci fi?
Speaker B:Is it conspiracy thriller?
Speaker B:Is it psychological thriller?
Speaker B:All of the above.
Speaker B:If somebody says, all right, you have to give like one sentence tagline of what you would classify this show.
Speaker B:How would you classify it?
Speaker A:Ooh, that's rough.
Speaker A:So I think the first thing that pops to mind, it's like a.
Speaker A:There's like a dystopian.
Speaker A:It is a bit dystopian to me.
Speaker A:And I think part of that has to do with the mystery of where we're located.
Speaker A:Like, we don't ever get a real setting like where we are and where all of this is happening.
Speaker A:So there's this.
Speaker B:Other than it rains and snows a.
Speaker A:Lot, right, Sort of everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
Speaker A:So there is a bit of a dystopian vibe.
Speaker A:But then there's that also maybe because I see religion and ethics and everything.
Speaker A:There's a part of me that's like, this is just meant to be a really good case study on ethics and consent and all Sorts of things that go on within the show.
Speaker A:What about you?
Speaker B:How.
Speaker B:Yeah, I, when I didn't think dystopia until someone else kind of was like, maybe it's kind of a futuristic dystopia because you do see, like broken down factories and hometowns and you're not quite sure where you are in the United States or in the world.
Speaker B:And it's very cold and there's empty parking lots and, you know, there's this big corporation that looks like it's making a ton of bank on whatever they're doing.
Speaker B:And then people out in the real world who are, you know, just trying to live their everyday lives.
Speaker B:But yeah, conspiracy psychological thriller, you know, because there's definitely the people that you get invested in and their characters and really care for them and you want to see what you care about, the choices they make, whether they're at work or not.
Speaker B:But there's also tech that this chip you put in your brain to literally sever two personalities and whether it's ethical or not.
Speaker B:So, yeah, that's kind of where I am.
Speaker B:Conspiracy psychological thriller is where I would go with that.
Speaker A:Yeah, I agree.
Speaker A:On a scale from 1 to 10, how would you rate this show?
Speaker B:Oh, man, it's up there.
Speaker B:It's close to a 10.
Speaker B:It's hard to give things tens, I mean, I guess.
Speaker B:Yeah, 9.7.
Speaker B:There's a reason why it surpassed Ted Lasso as like the most watched show.
Speaker B:Because it's so gripping, because it's hard to look away.
Speaker B:There are times when you feel disturbed and uneasy and you should.
Speaker B:That should be your response if you're not feeling that there's something.
Speaker B:We need to have a conversation or it gets.
Speaker B:Yeah, there's deeper things we need to talk about because, yeah, it is hard to look away.
Speaker B:But they lay out the story and the plot in a way that keep you coming back.
Speaker B:And so it's hard.
Speaker B:Like once one episode ends, you're like, oh, yep, they probably didn't answer a ton of questions that I have.
Speaker B:But I can't wait to the next episode to see what they roll out next time.
Speaker B:So it's up there.
Speaker B:It's definitely different from Ted Lasso.
Speaker B:It's not a comedy.
Speaker B:There's definitely character work and you care about the characters.
Speaker B:So if you like dark, methodical, slow paced, intentional, very artistically directed tv, then this is for you.
Speaker B:You have to be in the right mindset, I guess, for it.
Speaker B:But yeah, if you're in the right mindset, I'm up there.
Speaker B:One of the Best shows on tv for sure.
Speaker A:Yeah, I think it's up there.
Speaker A:For me, it would definitely be a 9ish.
Speaker A:I think my full review will happen when we get a full picture and a complete story and actually see where it's going.
Speaker A:Because, you know, we could get to season three and then my review drops to a six because I don't like the ending or.
Speaker A:Or maybe it goes way up because it answers all the questions in a way that I wanted.
Speaker A:The ending of season two really annoyed the heck out of me.
Speaker A:I totally understood it and I got it, but I was like, this is so frustrating.
Speaker A:What are you doing?
Speaker A:And we can come back to that some in a minute too, but.
Speaker B:Well, yeah, and also share that I was a big fan of Lost when it was coming out on the weekly tv.
Speaker B:I don't know what your feelings on Lost if you are a Lost watch, but in terms of the mystery of who these characters are, the flashbacks, the flash forwards, the company behind it all the conspiracy theories and them answering questions along the way, it has that kind of Lost vibe for me, which is I really like that.
Speaker B:And so yeah, my headcanon, if they wait too long, I wait to season three for a couple years and I write in my head what I think should happen.
Speaker B:And if you do it too long and you don't answer.
Speaker B:So sometimes I get disappointed.
Speaker B:But I'll let them tell the story that they want to tell and then, yeah, it's not over yet.
Speaker B:We'll see.
Speaker B:But for now, season ones and two, gripping tv, fully worth my time and investment to really be invested in the show.
Speaker B:And then, yeah, hopefully season three and it's a moneymaker.
Speaker B:Who knows whether it's the last season or they do five seasons, I don't know.
Speaker B:There's a lot of material there.
Speaker B:They could go forever if they wanted to, but hopefully they land the plane, right?
Speaker A:No, it was funny because we got to that when we watched the season finale this weekend.
Speaker A:The next thing that popped up was Ted Lasso and I was like, don't you want to watch this?
Speaker A:And my husband's like, this is way too happy.
Speaker A:I can't jump from severance to happy and funny.
Speaker A:I need something a little darker to ease me into all the joy.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker B:Emotional whiplash.
Speaker B:Emotional whiplash, yes, exactly.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker A:So what are some of the themes of the show that stood out to you?
Speaker B:I think.
Speaker B:Well, I immediately taken, especially with season one, is this kind of work, life balance.
Speaker B:You know, I think people work a lot and they have their people they work with and what they're invested in, then they go home.
Speaker B:What do they do at their home?
Speaker B:Their kind of work life balance and separations and what that looks like.
Speaker B:It takes it to the extreme of, you know, I couldn't imagine if I didn't know what Pastor Will is like in the church office and then Will Rose outside the church office doing whatever, you know, two separate people.
Speaker B:But there are times, yeah, I wish I could clock out and not think of things and not, not wrestle with what happened during the day and just live my life separate, totally separate from that.
Speaker B:But then, yeah, so work life balance is the main thing that I think about.
Speaker B:And then the interpersonal relationships of who we get close to and whoever you work with and whoever you live with is hard not to be entangled with who they are and what they care about and what they wrestle with in their daily lives.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I think the relationship part is a big thing because you see with Mark especially, right, he has two different, very real relationships.
Speaker A:And one of the best things I think we see in season two is when he has this whole conversation with himself.
Speaker A:He's got this video camera, which by the way, again, to the dystopian loss of time thing, he's using an old Sony Handycam sort of thing.
Speaker B:Yes, he is.
Speaker A:Which is hilarious.
Speaker A:And so there's this back and forth dialogue with himself where he's explaining his relationship and why he wants to find his wife.
Speaker A:And then the real kicker moment is when he doesn't get Helly's name right.
Speaker A:And you see any Mark sort of have this, this moment where he's like, oh, you don't care about me at all because you don't even know the name of the person I'm in a relationship with.
Speaker A:And we see this sort of, this shift from caring about Audi Mark to suddenly having this real resentment.
Speaker A:Are you just using me?
Speaker A:And so there' mystery that he can't even trust himself.
Speaker A:Like you don't know who you are on the outside, who you are on the inside.
Speaker A:And are both of those the real Mark?
Speaker A:And yet you don't know because.
Speaker A:Yeah, that sense of trust that comes in and you see that with Heli too, with her.
Speaker A:Audi versus her any.
Speaker A:And when they're on the camping trip and you see Audi heli, but they don't know that it's Audi Heli really.
Speaker A:And so there's all of these things that happen that are an interference of another person's relationship.
Speaker A:Even though it's them, it's not them.
Speaker B:So yeah, yeah, I like that aspect, yeah, that was one of the most brilliant parts in the final episode of him literally arguing with himself and trying to make the point.
Speaker B:Because they are almost two separate personalities and characters at this point in the show.
Speaker B:And they're having a conversation.
Speaker B:And that trust.
Speaker B:Do you trust yourself in those things?
Speaker B:And when we talk of like, Audi and Enni, those are some of the language and codes that they use in there.
Speaker B:Yeah, if you pull up Audi and Ennie on the Internet, you're gonna get like, belly buttons and severance.
Speaker B:Severance will come out first and then they'll talk about belly buttons.
Speaker B:But, like, there's definitely this understanding of the.
Speaker B:In these elevator scenes in the floor that they work on, you see the shift of the special effect of like, their eyes rolling back in their head.
Speaker B:And when they get off the elevator and get on their work floor, they're, you know, mark s on the inside, they're inny.
Speaker B:And then when he leaves the elevator, boom, he goes to his parking lot and he's a different mark out in the world.
Speaker B:And that dichotomy, but yet they're the same person adds a lot to that.
Speaker B:And then his co workers and his family that care about him on the outside.
Speaker B:And then some of the mystery of season one and two is that he's neighbors with his boss on the outside and he doesn't know that that's his boss on the inside.
Speaker B:So those are the things you're like, oh, snap.
Speaker B:Like, that's his boss on lumen floor.
Speaker B:But he doesn't know that when he's in the world and he's just trying to, like, fall asleep through self medication, all those things.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's powerful.
Speaker A:Well, and then we have this whole mystery of what it is that they actually do when they're working.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So like they're rolling around and there's clicking on these clusters of numbers that look like they mean nothing, but they're looking for a feeling.
Speaker A:And then he files them away.
Speaker A:And then we see that all of this stuff that he's working on is affecting what his wife is going through and experiencing on the other side of wherever it is that she's in within this building and being basically, you know, tortured.
Speaker A:We see this scene with her going into a dentist office.
Speaker A:And for that particular version of her severed soul, she.
Speaker A:All she's ever experiencing is the dentist office.
Speaker A:So even though her Audi, you know, leaves and recovers somewhat, she's always.
Speaker A:It's almost like a.
Speaker A:Like an eternal damnation, for lack of a better Term where she's living within that.
Speaker A:And yeah, it's.
Speaker A:That's awful.
Speaker A:I mean, it gives us some.
Speaker A:How do we wrestle with the consequences of what we're doing to another part of ourselves?
Speaker A:Because we're detached from it.
Speaker A:What are we missing with what's going on in that inner part?
Speaker B:Yeah, I think that's.
Speaker B:That's a big theme of the shows.
Speaker B:What is this company doing?
Speaker B:Why are they doing it?
Speaker B:What are they actually working for?
Speaker B:And there's a lot of.
Speaker B:A lot of part in season one where they're just working.
Speaker B:They don't know they're just working to work, and that's what their job is tasked for.
Speaker B:And I think we can relate.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Many of us go to work, we do our thing.
Speaker B:And why are we doing what we're doing?
Speaker B:Well, I guess we're working for a corporation so that they can make money, so they can pay me and that I can pay my bills, and then we can disperse that wealth through my health insurance and retirement.
Speaker B:And why are we doing this?
Speaker B:Why are we in this loop?
Speaker B:I'm just kind of a loop.
Speaker B:Each every day wake up and do the same routine.
Speaker B:You definitely feel that aspect of the show.
Speaker B:But then the grief of his losing his wife and the big cliffhanger at the end of season one, spoiler.
Speaker B:You know, you'll forget by the time you watch all the way through at the end is that his wife is actually alive and in Lumen with him.
Speaker B:And season two unpacks and you get to find out that they're actually working, that she's the main experiment of how many personalities, how many consciousness, what her soul, how many times they can separate a particular person for Lumen probably just to have, like a mindless workforce or they could control people or whatever.
Speaker B:That's kind of the mystery of why.
Speaker B:But we'll talk more characters in a minute.
Speaker B:But yeah, you find out that all what they're doing is deeply connected to this person.
Speaker B:Mark unconsciously has a deep connection with and for.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:It's really.
Speaker A:It's difficult.
Speaker A:And again, another spoiler alert.
Speaker A:Although we've given lots of spoilers, don't.
Speaker B:Click on this if you haven't watched it.
Speaker A:At the very end of season two, we see this encounter where he finally gets.
Speaker A:Gets Gemma right, and he gets her to the stairwell and he pushes her through, and then he turns around.
Speaker A:Any Mark turns around and he sees Kelly there and they run off.
Speaker A:And where they're running to, I don't know.
Speaker A:Because there's no escaping from that particular area, they're running back into the craziness of whatever is going on.
Speaker A:And you see Gemma just there, like, crying and, you know, begging for him to come out because she's also been waiting for him.
Speaker A:All she's been asking this whole time is, can I go home?
Speaker A:Can I?
Speaker A:So there's a.
Speaker A:We get it.
Speaker A:There's a whole lot of ethical stuff to talk about in this show.
Speaker A:And I.
Speaker A:I think this is one of those particular things, is the ethics of what we don't mind putting other people through for the sake of self preservation.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Like Audi, Mark is thinking about Addie.
Speaker A:Mark.
Speaker A:Any.
Speaker A:Mark's thinking about any Mark.
Speaker A:But there seems to be almost no hesitation with watching Gemma in the stairway, just like crying, because all she wants is to get that peace that she's been looking for.
Speaker A:And yet he wants the relationship he's been working on.
Speaker A:And so he doesn't have the attachment to her at all.
Speaker A:Which is crazy.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And does she know he doesn't have the attachment or like Mark come back, come back.
Speaker B:But his attachment at that point is with Helly.
Speaker B:And so, yeah, it was heartbreaking for Gemma.
Speaker B:You've been pulling for her this whole season, and then to see him turn his back on her.
Speaker B:And I really see, you know, if we want to do, like, speculation for season three, but really she's gonna go back out and hopefully meet Mark's sister and Coble and be like, all right, what do we do now?
Speaker B:How do we get Mark from the inside?
Speaker B:And yeah, you see, it's not just Mark wrestling with their internality.
Speaker B:Like the whole cast of characters, they do a great job over the course of these two seasons, getting to know these characters.
Speaker B:And Helly, in terms of being in the family who owns Lumen, man, my favorite part in season two, or I think it was the last episode, maybe second to last or last episode, when Helly sees her dad she really doesn't know is her dad who runs things.
Speaker B:And she was like, God, you're effing weird.
Speaker B:And she just whispers that under her breath.
Speaker B:And she's speaking for us.
Speaker B:We're like, yep, he is weird.
Speaker B:It makes you uneasy as creepy.
Speaker B:And her to just voice that out loud was like, yep, that's what I'm feeling.
Speaker B:You've legitimately how I'm feeling at this point in the show.
Speaker B:But, yeah, that's why I was gripping.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker A:Yeah, well.
Speaker A:And it reminds me a little bit, I think, the way I felt with some of the choices that were made in the show is how I felt watching like Handmaid's Tale.
Speaker A:So, you know, there's.
Speaker A:I don't know if you watch that show at all, but in Handmaid's Tale, it's hard every.
Speaker A:It is.
Speaker B:And especially because I would go down that road.
Speaker A:The book, I love, I love.
Speaker A:Yeah, I love the book and I love especially the first season of that show.
Speaker A:But every season of Handmaid till you get to the end and like, there's a light and there's freedom and yet somebody always goes back in to go save the other people.
Speaker A:And I'm like, this is so great.
Speaker A:And also, why are you doing that?
Speaker A:Just go, be free, get out, run to safety.
Speaker A:And I felt that way about Mark a little bit.
Speaker A:And yet he couldn't abandon Helly at the same time.
Speaker A:So it's just.
Speaker A:There's so many things I'm watching and I'm like, ah.
Speaker A:And yet.
Speaker A:But you also understand everything they do, which is just so weird to me how they're able to manage that.
Speaker A:So I think for me, one of the most difficult things in this show is dealing with ethics and dealing with consent.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So when we think about Gemma and what she's going through with all of these different rooms and these severed pieces of her life, where does consent come into the picture?
Speaker A:Because there's no way that, that she has consented to all of this.
Speaker A:Like, she's being tortured.
Speaker A:She opens up a closet every morning and sees a different outfit and it indicates where she's going to go for the day.
Speaker A:And even though she doesn't remember what's happening in those spaces, she knows how she feels when she comes out.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Like there's a feeling associated with each of those things.
Speaker A:And then we see that relationship also with Mark and Heli, where it's Heli's Audi that he has a whole relationship with thing going on while they're camping.
Speaker A:And you know, he doesn't know that and any heli didn't consent to it.
Speaker A:And so there's all these different questions of like, how you're using technically someone else's body for your own needs and purposes.
Speaker B:Yep, huge theme.
Speaker B:And you know, you see them even wrestling and being jealous of themselves or their inn ear and outer selves or.
Speaker B:Right, you know, is it a separate person?
Speaker B:Is it really them or it's really you, but it's not really me, that kind of thing.
Speaker B:Same way with Dylan and like in season two with his.
Speaker B:His wife going to go visit him in the innie and she's fallen more in love with the Innie Dylan versus the Audi, because the Audi has become a kind of a different person than any.
Speaker B:There's a charming innocence when it comes to any Dylan.
Speaker B:And so is she cheating on her husband with a different personality of her husband?
Speaker B:You know, that kind of thing?
Speaker B:Is it me?
Speaker B:Is it not me?
Speaker B:And that kind of jealousy when it comes to that.
Speaker B:So, yeah, I think consent and what we're signing up for and what we know we're signing up for or not being that disclosure of what you're really getting to is really important.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Well, and we talked a little bit about, like, the theme of grief, too.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So, you know, Mark's way of dealing with this sort of grief is contributing and being part of this program.
Speaker A:And there's this whole part of his life that he's just sort of passing on to help with his own grief and his own loss.
Speaker A:And it.
Speaker A:You know, for me, one of the questions that brings up is how much of our lives do we just want to skip over or get past because we can't deal with it, or we don't want to deal with it, or we don't want to feel certain things?
Speaker A:What are the consequences of that?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So almost like he needs a break, but his Audi doesn't know that he's getting a break.
Speaker B:But he's like, I just need this time away from my grief.
Speaker B:But yet, when.
Speaker B:When he gets back to his normal self, I wonder the toll it takes on his body and mind.
Speaker B:And eventually through this, he does.
Speaker B:In season one, he has a friend that he worked with that left and then came back, and he's trying to warn him.
Speaker B:And you see the toll that takes on his body, too, and the mindset of what that means.
Speaker B:This chip, the side effects of being severed and having a chip put in your brain is super real.
Speaker B:And so they try to merge the two in season two, which you're worried because you've seen how it does with his friend that literally killed him in season one.
Speaker B:And so you're worried for Mark.
Speaker B:He's the headliner.
Speaker B:He's the main character.
Speaker B:So I don't think they're gonna kill him off for at least a little while, but you see where that happens.
Speaker B:And again, I think we learn more about Gemma in season two, and we get the full episode backstory of their relationship and having to drive kids and having a hard time and infertility and going to the fertility doctor.
Speaker B:And was she kidnapped?
Speaker B:Did she really have a car wreck?
Speaker B:And they faked her death so they could experiment on her or did.
Speaker B:She was really frustrated with Mark and the situation, that she went ahead and signed up for this because she saw this as an opportunity for her to escape, but she didn't quite know what she was getting into.
Speaker B:They're doing certain things to her that she didn't know she was signing up for.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:So did she fake her own death?
Speaker B:Did they fake her death?
Speaker B:All that still needs to be answered.
Speaker B:But, yeah, they're both trying to escape things.
Speaker B:And then this company, this corporation, is commodifying their grief and working off profit of or trying to change the world through what they've discovered and using people.
Speaker B:There's this whole underlying thing of animals and goats, which totally freaked me out.
Speaker B:And I have no idea what.
Speaker B:What it's about.
Speaker B:They're just sacrificing them.
Speaker B:But are they.
Speaker B:It's like animal.
Speaker B:It's like experimentation on animals.
Speaker B:That's kind of the image.
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker B:We use animals to help pharmaceuticals and people know what they're getting into.
Speaker B:And test rats or mice and what we're doing to help us understand medicines and tech and the effect on animals before we introduce them to humans, we introduce them to animals first.
Speaker B:And so maybe goats are part of that.
Speaker B:But, yeah, these people are just a herd of people that they're being used for this company for whatever their purposes are.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And we see this whole, like, altar table scene with this baby goat.
Speaker A:And the whole time the animal lover in me is like, he's so cute.
Speaker A:It's this beautiful little baby goat.
Speaker A:And he's so cute.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And he's just.
Speaker A:Oh, he's precious.
Speaker A:And you can see this is how good her acting was.
Speaker A:The lady.
Speaker A:I can't remember her name, but she.
Speaker A:Yeah, and so she's.
Speaker A:She's got this goat.
Speaker A:And you can see the frustration in her face because she asked that question, how many more do we have to do when they're trying to sacrif this goat?
Speaker A:And, man, she just lets him have it.
Speaker A:Afterward, when there's this moment with Mark and the fight ensues and she gets all that aggression out and.
Speaker A:But it's, you know, I'm like, oh, no, not the goat.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker A:But, yeah, no, it's.
Speaker A:There's all these other themes that are happening.
Speaker A:And then right as that scene is taking place, you know, we see Mark.
Speaker A:Any.
Speaker A:Well, I'm confused at that point as to where we are.
Speaker A:I think we're at Audi.
Speaker A:Mark.
Speaker A:And then any.
Speaker A:Mark is in the elevator and he's got the.
Speaker A:The gun to this guy.
Speaker A:And he comes into consciousness and just boom, shoot some minutes.
Speaker A:If you haven't watched this, what I just said for the last 20 seconds makes no sense.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker B:But we're geeking out about this and talking together because we have to process it.
Speaker B:I love.
Speaker B:You know, there are all these shows.
Speaker B:Like, I remember Walking Dead had like talking dead after, because things would happen in the show that people just needed to process and have therapy about afterwards after they see their favorite character die.
Speaker B:And I feel like what.
Speaker B:What we do at Sysmac Ecology is we're gathering with friends to geek out on things, but also help process what we're watching and the content that we're consuming.
Speaker B:So, yeah, if you don't understand what we were saying, just know that Laura and I are nodding our heads at each other because we're both in the same boat trying to figure out what's going on and we're in solidarity with each other and it's going to help us in our work life today as we continue the rest of our Audi lives later on this evening.
Speaker B:We're at.
Speaker B:But yeah, I mean, I think that's the brilliance of the show is that they do kind of lure you and bait you with clues and little Easter eggs along the way.
Speaker B:And they may answer and may not, but you're like, what is that about?
Speaker B:What is going on?
Speaker B:But yet it has to do with the story.
Speaker B:I mean, you can go on YouTube and find like 30 Easter eggs in the finale of Severance.
Speaker B:And they're interesting, but they're all intentionally.
Speaker B:The craft of storytelling and directing is just top notch creativity in storytelling.
Speaker B:In my.
Speaker A:It really is.
Speaker A:Yep, it really is.
Speaker A:It compels you in a way that at the very least, even if you're not entertained, you just want someone to answer a question and tell you, tell you what in the world is happening.
Speaker A:It's like, I mean, the show is a little bit like a really weird dream at some points.
Speaker A:You're just, you know, you're there.
Speaker A:But are you really there?
Speaker A:Who knows?
Speaker B:That's a good point.
Speaker A:I think one of my favorite things in the first season is this really weird interaction with Gemma before we know that she's Gemma or his.
Speaker A:His wife.
Speaker A:She's the sort of like, I guess like counselor or you know, mental health person that's working there.
Speaker A:And they're sitting in the room and she starts giving these descriptions of your Audi.
Speaker A:She's like, would you like to know three things about your Audi?
Speaker A:And it's always really weird stuff that doesn't actually tell you anything.
Speaker A:It's like your Audi likes the warm sun, and your Audi likes to go for a walk.
Speaker A:And like, things that are just totally like, horoscope.
Speaker B:Horoscope, trut truths.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:Exactly, Exactly.
Speaker A:Today will be filled with love and someone that you know will surprise you.
Speaker A:And suddenly you're surprised by everything.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Because just the pure intentionality of it, which is so funny.
Speaker A:But I'm a.
Speaker A:People who know me know that I'm a big fan of woobles, like crochet kits.
Speaker A:And I crochet 24 7.
Speaker A:Like, there's like 10,000 of these things on my desk.
Speaker A:I have a problem.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:They're everywhere.
Speaker B:Nice.
Speaker A:But the other yesterday, they posted on their social media page, there's a little character called Pierre the penguin.
Speaker A:And they listed all of these things like it was a great severance reference.
Speaker A:So there's Pierre the penguin, and he's like, your Audi only works on one crochet project at a time.
Speaker A:Your Audi actually finishes the things that they start.
Speaker A:And it's all things that every crocheter knows that they're really bad about doing.
Speaker A:But it listed all of these things and it was so funny and one of the best, like, crossover references I've seen.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So if you're a Woo Woos nerd at all, like I am, you've got to check out their social media because it's so funny.
Speaker B:Well, I think we mentioned too, like, even if you're not watching the show, there's people who are like, there's memes going around and GIFs and GIFs, you know, that.
Speaker B:That are just like, classic.
Speaker B:Every time there's a show, it's like, oh, that's going to be a meme.
Speaker B:That's going to be something.
Speaker B:The finale with this marching band and that I had, like, what.
Speaker B:What the f is going on at this moment?
Speaker B:And they're like, do you feel uneasy or do you not know what's going on?
Speaker B:Good.
Speaker B:That's intentional.
Speaker B:But yeah, just the memes and the dancing and the rewards that these workers get in their waffle day or whatever is going on is just classic.
Speaker B:They'll stand the test of time for sure.
Speaker B:A decade from now, they'll be talking about these memes are that have been passed around.
Speaker A:I think it's so funny, especially that band scene, because I had a lot of questions about that too.
Speaker A:Are all of those people severed?
Speaker A:Do we just have a band that, like, lives in the building somewhere and they, you know, did all these people wake up one day and then suddenly boom?
Speaker A:They're in Lumen and they're playing a trumpet and, you know, dancing in a drum line.
Speaker A:Who knows?
Speaker A:But it just.
Speaker A:It just keeps going on and on.
Speaker A:But the thing that's so funny about, like, the parties and the rewards to me is that it echoes.
Speaker A:There's so much.
Speaker A:How so many bosses and corporations do incentives for their employees.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Like, it's like, all right, we're not going to give you a raise or time off, but here's a piece of pizza for everyone.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker A:And we're like, good now?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Everything is good now.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:You.
Speaker B:You get to put on some disco music with.
Speaker B:With a mirror ball, and that'll make you feel better for a couple hours.
Speaker B:And then.
Speaker B:And then it's back to work.
Speaker B:Back.
Speaker B:Back to.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker B:To serve your boss and whatever they feel like is good.
Speaker A:I've got to say, I'm really bad when it comes to those kind of things because I.
Speaker A:Low key, love it if you're like, hey, free coffee day.
Speaker A:I'm like, sweet, you love me.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker B:If you get here five minutes early, get a free pretzel.
Speaker B:Boom.
Speaker B:Okay, I'm there five minutes early.
Speaker A:Sold.
Speaker A:Done.
Speaker A:Sold.
Speaker B:Sold.
Speaker A:I'm.
Speaker A:My kind of personality is the reason that bosses do those things.
Speaker A:They're like, that's right.
Speaker A:You're a real team player.
Speaker A:You know, one of the things that was also curious to me is so I teach Old Testament and New Testament at my college here, Lewisburg College.
Speaker A:And one of the things we talk a lot about in my New Testament class is dualistic theology.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And so what I mean by that is this sort of idea that some things are good and some things.
Speaker A:Things are bad.
Speaker A:In Mark's theology especially, we sort of get this idea that there's, like, this separation of body from soul.
Speaker A:Like, the body is bad, the soul is good.
Speaker A:And Mark is sort of standalone in that the other gospels don't write that way.
Speaker B:Not Mark from Severance, but the Gospel of Mark.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker B:Not Mark.
Speaker B:S.
Speaker B:Mark's.
Speaker B:Synoptic.
Speaker B:Synoptic Mark.
Speaker B:Synoptic Mark, yeah.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:He used the Q source and all of that, so.
Speaker A:But Mark, the gospel, not Audi.
Speaker B:Mark.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker A:Although I.
Speaker A:I'm assuming he was an Audi version of himself.
Speaker A:But Mark, who wrote the gospel.
Speaker A:I'm going to get myself together now.
Speaker A:He.
Speaker A:He sort of has this idea where, you know, some things are good, some things are bad.
Speaker A:Soul is good, body is bad.
Speaker A:Plato, as a philosopher, also sort of had this theology and understanding where, you know, the body is Bad.
Speaker A:The soul is good.
Speaker A:And so I wonder, you know, what this really says about who we are and what we define as good or bad.
Speaker A:Are our souls intrinsically good, Our bodies bad?
Speaker A:And I asked this about severance in particular, because there's this one passing scene that almost has no attention to it.
Speaker A:I mean, it's like, quick.
Speaker A:Where they're talking about.
Speaker A:At my Presbyterian church this week, we were discussing the ethics.
Speaker A:Ethics.
Speaker A:The ethics of any and do any have souls?
Speaker A:And the idea that the pastor landed on was that any do have souls, like they have their own soul and they are capable of salvation.
Speaker A:So if your soul on the outside is bad intrinsically, but you have a good any, is there a separation where part of you is, you know, going to heaven and part of you is suffering from some sort of eternal punishment?
Speaker A:Whatever your theology is around that.
Speaker A:And that question really got me as we were watching the show, and I don't have an answer to it, but it was certainly curious, at the very least of this idea of that sort of dualistic thinking.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Do they.
Speaker B:They reference Lutheran, too?
Speaker B:Like, I think.
Speaker B:I think at some point they might have referenced to Lutheran.
Speaker B:And I was like, what?
Speaker B:We got a.
Speaker B:We got a shout out.
Speaker B:I could be.
Speaker B:I could be me thinking.
Speaker A:And it might have been Lutheran and not Presbyterian, but it was some church that.
Speaker B:Some church.
Speaker B:And it makes sense.
Speaker B:Like, if there's a corporation pushing, like, tech in a way that's changing how people operate in the world by putting a chip in their brain, then of course, hopefully, religion, spirituality, churches will have conversations about the ethics behind the bioethics of this thing.
Speaker B:And we're doing it now with AI.
Speaker B:My church does a lot with faith and science and talking about technology and faith and science, science and what we're using, how we're using it, being good stewards of the tech that's in front of us, the accelerating nature of what that can mean in AI and what it means to be human.
Speaker B:All that stuff bumps up and rubs up against each other.
Speaker B:So I'm glad that they referenced that.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Hopefully there's a church out there that's talking about the ethics and bioethics of what's going on in severance and what's going on.
Speaker B:But then it does.
Speaker B:It pushes the question about what does it mean to human.
Speaker B:And then what my soul and what age animates me and the separation between the two.
Speaker B:And I think in scriptures, yeah, you say Mark, but I think John does a lot of it, too.
Speaker B:And then there's early church heresies.
Speaker B:Around Gnosticism of the separation of body and spirit.
Speaker B:And it's my body this bad, my spirit's going to escape my body.
Speaker B:And there's a deep theological reflection within Judaism and early Christianity that there's a reason why Christ was resurrected bodily and doesn't reject the body.
Speaker B:It's not that his spirit floated up to heaven after he lived a good life.
Speaker B:But yeah, he met his disciples and they could put their fingers in his scars and he had breakfast with them.
Speaker B:There's an embodiment with him.
Speaker B:So his body is not separated from his soul.
Speaker B:That's kind of a Greek understanding of soul and body.
Speaker B:So, yeah, it does go down that road.
Speaker B:And you're 100% right that in the midst of being distracted by marching bands and mirror balls and waffle day and wanting Gemma to get out to safety.
Speaker B:Yeah, there's a theological, philosophical conversation here around body, soul, spirit, body, mind, spirit, and how they're connected with one another.
Speaker B:And you see the difference in personality between any and Audi Mart.
Speaker B:But they're the same person, they're different souls.
Speaker B:Are they the same soul?
Speaker B:Good conversation.
Speaker B:Yeah, I don't have an answer, but it does push us to kind of reflect on those similar comments.
Speaker B:Even, like, multiverse talk is like, is there a will out there that didn't grow up at the beach, but grew up in the mountains and liked to hunt?
Speaker B:You know, that's a totally different will than Will Rose in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:But we're still our own selves and we make our own choices.
Speaker B:We're our own person.
Speaker B:And the choices that we make in the world so that embody that kind of development of the soul and character, mind, body, we're kind of separate people onto ourselves.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker B:So two different people, but yet one body.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's hard.
Speaker A:Which reminds me of my favorite.
Speaker B:You got me going with that question.
Speaker B:I was like, man, you just planted that little question.
Speaker B:And I was like, boom.
Speaker B:Love it.
Speaker B:That's why I love geeking out like this.
Speaker A:Well, and it makes me think though too, because as you were saying, that Aristotle defines love as a single soul dwelling in two bodies.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:It's one of my favorite lines.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker A:And it also, it makes me wonder, like, how does love factor into that?
Speaker A:Like, is there a sense in which there is a shared love, a shared understanding?
Speaker A:And it.
Speaker A:And at the same time, it almost.
Speaker A:One of the things that we're lacking is a love for self.
Speaker A:Like, we talk about self preservation, but do you really love yourself if you're in any and you're not concerned about your outy.
Speaker A:Where does well being come into place?
Speaker A:I think about even with the.
Speaker A:The way that they ask quit the job.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:They have to get consent from their.
Speaker A:Their Audi to quit the job and they have to have good reasoning.
Speaker A:But your Audi knows nothing about your well being on the inside and what you're actually dealing with.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:It's literally torching you on the inside.
Speaker B:You're like, I don't know.
Speaker B:Sure, yeah.
Speaker B:If you know.
Speaker B:No, I want them to keep working because this is helping me.
Speaker B:But meanwhile the enemy's like, get me out of here.
Speaker A:Yeah, right.
Speaker B:That's really good.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And Christian is chiming in here that he caught one of the episodes and that he finds it intriguing and thanks for recogniz.
Speaker B:Yeah, man, keep going.
Speaker B:It's an investment for sure.
Speaker B:But I think if I was to have an intern at my church, I have a vicar, someone who's in seminary.
Speaker B:This would be a show that I would say watch.
Speaker B:Cause you're learning character development and grief and understand how people operate and the motivations behind those things.
Speaker B:But also work life balance, we talk about it all the time.
Speaker B:You could go be a pastor and just immerse yourself totally and work 247 and never get a break.
Speaker B:But what's your life outside?
Speaker B:Outside of the church or work.
Speaker B:But also relationships inside and out, they're connected and tangled with each other.
Speaker B:But then also you want to have a work life balance for your own health and wellbeing.
Speaker B:You know, Mark signed up for his wellbeing so he could get a break from this grief and not drink himself to death.
Speaker B:But yet he doesn't know or feel what's going on inside and what the intentions are of this Lumen corporation that may have nefarious ideas and purposes behind it.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker A:So right.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So good.
Speaker A:It also leads us to questions of nature versus nurture.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Like who are you really if you are not exposed to certain things, you're any.
Speaker A:Is that the truest version of who you are without influence from the world around you?
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:And who's inclined to be the better person?
Speaker A:Is your Audi inclined to be better because of the things you've experienced?
Speaker A:Or is your.
Speaker A:Your any the better version of yourself?
Speaker A:And I don't know how that would.
Speaker A:How we'd figure that out.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:What's your baseline mood?
Speaker B:What's your baseline mood?
Speaker B:What's your enneagram symbol?
Speaker B:What's your.
Speaker B:Are you extrovert?
Speaker B:Introvert?
Speaker B:Does that go with you on the inside?
Speaker B:Are you totally different person.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Because we see.
Speaker B:I mean the first season starts off rough.
Speaker B:Like Helly literally tries to kill herself to get out of that, you know, and so we don't take suicide lightly on.
Speaker B:On that.
Speaker B:And if you're having hard time and you're having those kind of questions and thoughts reach out to any of us and happy to help.
Speaker B:We don't take that lightly.
Speaker B:It's serious.
Speaker B:But I think that's how serious this show takes is like it's not done in a flippant way or entertainment funny way.
Speaker B:It's like this person is trying to escape by any means necessary.
Speaker B:And that's an option she feels like is an option for her and it just breaks down.
Speaker B:The people that are around her, even though they don't know her that well, is crushing to them about what this person is going through.
Speaker B:So I think there are moments like that that you should feel the weight of it.
Speaker B:You should feel the weight of it.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:And I think it gives us opportunities to wrestle.
Speaker A:I think that's the beauty of having a show that does leave more questions than answers is that it prompts us to wrestle with some of that stuff.
Speaker A:And the show is uncomfortable for a lot of good reasons.
Speaker A:And so I think there's much to be gained.
Speaker A:But I will interested to see what happens when season three finally shows up.
Speaker A:I wish it was sooner.
Speaker A:The wait is never fun.
Speaker B:Yeah, I imagine.
Speaker B:I imagine with no writer strike and what's going on in the world, they're gonna.
Speaker B:They're gonna pump this out pretty fast because they know how it's the most watched show.
Speaker B:They wanna keep it going.
Speaker B:They don't wanna lose money, but they also wanna keep the storyline going.
Speaker B:So I.
Speaker B:We're not gonna wait three years or two years for this one.
Speaker B:It'll, you know, it takes time to do something right and you know the way that they want, the quality that they wanted to have it as.
Speaker B:So it might take a little.
Speaker B:A little while, but.
Speaker B:But it's not going to be.
Speaker B:They're going to want to get this out there super soon, I'm sure.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I'm looking at you.
Speaker A:Stranger things I've been waiting forever.
Speaker A:These kids are going to be 50 years old by the time they're early into the new season.
Speaker B:This year.
Speaker A:This year soon.
Speaker A:I can't wait.
Speaker A:I feel like I've been waiting for a million years and probably not that long realistically, but it feels like forever.
Speaker A:Well, before we wrap up, Will, do you have any final thoughts?
Speaker A:Thoughts or things you'd like to say about this episode or this show?
Speaker B:No, I think.
Speaker B:I just think that Severance is a great.
Speaker B:As you said, like, there's a reason it's a really well done show.
Speaker B:It prompts a lot of questions and creates conversations in your workplace and outside your workplace and with family and relationships.
Speaker B:And that's what good shows do.
Speaker B:So there's a lot of mysteries, a lot of things have gone.
Speaker B:I mean, in terms of our favorite characters, there's Dylan, who, you know, is not a afraid to drop a WTF or F bomb every three seconds.
Speaker B:And he kind of voices.
Speaker B:He's the voice of those watching the show, expressing their emotions about what they're watching and experiencing.
Speaker B:But yeah, you're right, it prompts good questions and feelings and to be intentional with those and think about your own life and what matters and what you hold important and what relationships you value and your work that you value, whether you do it for a purpose or just to get paid.
Speaker B:What's your vocational calling?
Speaker B:All those themes are.
Speaker B:Are great.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:And as will said, I just want to echo again, you know, if you are dealing with grief or loss or any sort of, you know, suicidal ideations or things that are going on in your life that feel really heavy, please know that you can reach out to any of us.
Speaker A:And if you need help getting connected to someone local to you, we can also help you with that, too.
Speaker A:But just know that this is a real community here.
Speaker A:We're real people who know each other and we care about you, too.
Speaker B:So 100%.
Speaker A:So, friends, as we wrap up today, for those of you who are supporters of the show, we thank you for continuing to be supporters of the show and doing that.
Speaker A:We're going to give you a little preview of something today.
Speaker A:For those of you who are supporters, you know that we like to do something called a bonus question.
Speaker A:That is just for those who support.
Speaker A:We're going to do a free preview of a bonus question question.
Speaker A:So remember that you can support for $3 a month, but we're going to give you a free sample what happens.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:When you support the show.
Speaker A:So normally we would go off air at this point and we'd go, this is Waffle Day.
Speaker B:Think of it as Waffle Day for you folks.
Speaker A:This is your reward for being good, good team players.
Speaker A:This is your.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker A:This is.
Speaker A:This is your Waffle Day.
Speaker A:Bringing it full circle.
Speaker A:Circle.
Speaker A:So our question in just a moment is going to be, what character in severance do you find yourself relating to the most?
Speaker A:So, but before we get to that.
Speaker A:If you're on your laptop, as we mentioned earlier, please consider rating and reviewing our show on podchaser or Good Pods, which will help our show to gain recognition and be easier to find if you're on your phone.
Speaker A:Please consider rating, reviewing, or commenting on our show on Apple Podcast or Spotify.
Speaker A:Once again, this helps prioritize our show in these apps.
Speaker A:Algorithms, and we love to feed the algorithms so that they point people right back to us.
Speaker A:And thank you to our supporter, Justin Vaughn.
Speaker A:As we said earlier, we can't do this without your support.
Speaker A:And once again, a shameless plug for $3 a month, y'all.
Speaker A:Just 3.
Speaker A:$3.
Speaker A:As I said on our office episode the other day, you can't even get Nachos bell Grande for $3.
Speaker A:So, you know, it's.
Speaker A:It's a.
Speaker A:It's a win, win.
Speaker A:So we're going to go to our bonus question now.
Speaker A:What character and severance do you find yourself relating to the most?
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker B:You know, part of me.
Speaker B:Mr.
Speaker B:Milchek.
Speaker B:Is that how you say his name?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:He's the boss.
Speaker B:He wants to kind of climb that corporate ladder.
Speaker B:He wants to be important.
Speaker B:As someone who oversees, like, a church staff, there are times I feel like him where I'm like, come on, guys, let's pull together.
Speaker B:Do your jobs.
Speaker B:I'm just trying to create order.
Speaker B:We have facility use policy about how we interact with outside groups who use our church building.
Speaker B:But really, I hope they don't see me as Mr.
Speaker B:Milchek.
Speaker B:I really, in all reality is Dylan.
Speaker B:Him who's working and not afraid to drop an F bomb.
Speaker B:If he's like, super.
Speaker B:Something surprises him or what's going on, and he's just trying to make his family happy with his Audi, but then go in and do his job in the innie.
Speaker B:But yeah, I really love Dylan a lot, and that's who I want to model my life off of without my wife cheating on me with my inner self and outer self.
Speaker B:All that stuff separate all that part.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I think one of my favorite things about Mr.
Speaker A:Melchuck, though, is that he gets in trouble for using big words.
Speaker A:And that is totally.
Speaker A:I just thought that was so hilarious.
Speaker A:That's where I live, is always using the big.
Speaker B:He gets a job review.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker B:He does a job review.
Speaker B:And in his job review, he's so nervous about reading this thing.
Speaker B:And the thing that he can't let go of is that he uses two big words that are hard to understand for other people to understand.
Speaker B:And so he gets super self conscious about that and loses sleep and sweats and.
Speaker B:Yeah, I mean, they code it.
Speaker B:In a way, the coloring, the directing, the music is heartbreaking.
Speaker B:But then if you step back and think about it, I was like, why is he worried about it?
Speaker B:Be yourself.
Speaker B:Don't worry about the words anyway.
Speaker B:But yeah, that's fantastic.
Speaker B:Forgot about that.
Speaker A:So I think for me, it would also be Dylan.
Speaker A:And I say that because the.
Speaker A:I don't always have a filter.
Speaker A:I never have a filter.
Speaker A:If I'm being honest, there's.
Speaker A:There's never a filter.
Speaker A:And if.
Speaker A:If my mouth doesn't say it, my face has subtitles and it will say it.
Speaker A:So I feel like I'm like Dyl, giving my side comments.
Speaker B:My face.
Speaker B:Did you just say my face has subtitles?
Speaker A:That.
Speaker B:That is the best phrase.
Speaker B:That should be the name of your autobiography.
Speaker B:That is the name when you write your book.
Speaker B:My Face has Subtitles is that I'm writing that phrase down.
Speaker B:That's so good.
Speaker A:It's true, though.
Speaker A:But yeah, no, I.
Speaker A:With the side commentary.
Speaker A:That's.
Speaker A:That's me.
Speaker A:Dylan is who I relate to the most.
Speaker A:For sure.
Speaker A:I think so.
Speaker A:All right, friends, well, we hope you enjoyed your free Waffle Day bonus question.
Speaker A:Just remember that that is well worth $3.
Speaker A:I don't know about you, but I felt like that was money well spent.
Speaker A:Money well spent.
Speaker A:Well, friends, thank you all once again for joining us today.
Speaker A:We look forward to seeing you again.
Speaker A:And remember, we are all a chosen people, a geekdom of priests.
