A Silly Severance (2022) Story

[Ionathus]

This happened to me this week in my friend groupchat:

Spoiler: Groupchat transcripts, beware

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Friend 1: I'm on episode 2 of Succession and so far I'm kinda bored
Friend 2: What is this show?
Friend 1: [Ionathus] and/or [Friend 3] were telling me about it
Friend 1: Waiting for the science fiction to happen
Me: Omg lol oh no
Me: Succession is a totally different show
Me: You want SEVERANCE
Friend 1: OH FRICK
Friend 1: That makes so much sense. I've been watching it through the lens of science fiction and let me tell you, I've been picking up on things they are NOT putting down
Friend 1: I was wondering when Adam Scott was going to make his entrance and thought it was so weird he wasn't in the credits on the first episode

Before watching Severance I made this mistake like three or four times. Very similar-sounding show titles for very not-similar sounding shows.

Anyway, this is a Severance discussion thread now. I finished season 1 on Saturday. Who wants to talk about it??

[Peelee]

From what i hear they really nail the whole "founder/CEO worship" thing a lot of big companies have going on.

[Ionathus]

From what i hear they really nail the whole "founder/CEO worship" thing a lot of big companies have going on.

Oh, it's very good. The show is perfectly surreal, which allows them to both A) tell a compelling and unnerving thriller/mystery plot, while also B) doing modern workplace satire without getting too goofy.

If I shared some of the examples of ways they criticize/poke fun at workplace culture or corporate worship out of context, they would seem cartoonish. But they work within the atmosphere of the show, and despite the absolutely over-the-top nature of some of the scenes, nothing ever pulled me out of the story.

Spoiler: Minor spoiler for a fun e1 gag

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It helps that all the characters take everything so 100% seriously, and the "severance" procedure itself really normalizes the goofy office stuff quite effectively. If all your "innie" has ever known is this office space, I can see how winning some finger traps or a melon party as an incentive would actually seem appealing!

[Peelee]

Let me rephrase. Ive seen and enjoy the show (bleak as it is. Ted Lasso is the ray of happiness and sunshine that fuels Apple TV and should be billed as their flagship show, at least for the rest of the year). Im not familiar with large corporate environments, and thats the "i heard it does this well" part.

[Batcathat]

Oh, it's very good. The show is perfectly surreal, which allows them to both A) tell a compelling and unnerving thriller/mystery plot, while also B) doing modern workplace satire without getting too goofy.

If I shared some of the examples of ways they criticize/poke fun at workplace culture or corporate worship out of context, they would seem cartoonish. But they work within the atmosphere of the show, and despite the absolutely over-the-top nature of some of the scenes, nothing ever pulled me out of the story.

Spoiler: Minor spoiler for a fun e1 gag

Show

It helps that all the characters take everything so 100% seriously, and the "severance" procedure itself really normalizes the goofy office stuff quite effectively. If all your "innie" has ever known is this office space, I can see how winning some finger traps or a melon party as an incentive would actually seem appealing!

Yeah, pretty much all of this for me too. Always nice when shows have both very thought-out and pretty (in a dystopian sort of way) visuals and interesting and engaging plot and characters. Good actors, too. I've never seen Adam Scott in a dramatic role before, but it works.

[Peelee]

Yeah, pretty much all of this for me too. Always nice when shows have both very thought-out and pretty (in a dystopian sort of way) visuals and interesting and engaging plot and characters. Good actors, too. I've never seen Adam Scott in a dramatic role before, but it works.

He was in a Law and Order episode revolving around a paramilitary contractor and a captured terrorist being sold to the government.

[Ionathus]

Yeah, pretty much all of this for me too. Always nice when shows have both very thought-out and pretty (in a dystopian sort of way) visuals and interesting and engaging plot and characters. Good actors, too. I've never seen Adam Scott in a dramatic role before, but it works.

Nor had I, but he really makes it work. I knew him from Parks & Rec and Step-Brothers, and this was a wild change of pace.

In the same vein, Christopher Walken absolutely rocked it. I just read an interview with the writer where he said that they wrote the part before Walken was cast, and Walken was very glad about that because it meant he got to play against type -- apparently, sometimes when he's cast in a role, the writers will go back and "Walken up" the scripts to make them more kooky. I would hate that as an actor!

Finally, I am ashamed to admit that I only recognized John Turturro as "the guy from the Transformers movies" and only learned about his very prolific film career this morning.

Really, the whole cast knocked it out of the park. They nailed the tone so beautifully.

[Batcathat]

Finally, I am ashamed to admit that I only recognized John Turturro as "the guy from the Transformers movies" and only learned about his very prolific film career this morning.

If it helps, I basically only recognized him as "the guy from the new Batman movie" (and I think that came out around the same time as Severance, so I might not have recognized him at all at first? ). Before that, I might've recognized the name as an actor, but I don't think I would've been able to name any of his roles. But yeah, very good cast in general.

[Ionathus]

If it helps, I basically only recognized him as "the guy from the new Batman movie" (and I think that came out around the same time as Severance, so I might not have recognized him at all at first? ). Before that, I might've recognized the name as an actor, but I don't think I would've been able to name any of his roles. But yeah, very good cast in general.

There are so many creators who I only know for, like, the tiniest things. Like, it rocked my world when I found out that Jess's Dad on New Girl is a famous Emmy-winning actor who starred on the very innovative All In The Family, and not only directed The Princess Bride but also basically codified the modern mockumentary with This Is Spinal Tap. Such an insane chunk of modern pop culture was directly influenced by this dude, and my first knowledge of him was as Jess's friendly bumbling dad.

[Peelee]

There are so many creators who I only know for, like, the tiniest things. Like, it rocked my world when I found out that Jess's Dad on New Girl is a famous Emmy-winning actor who starred on the very innovative All In The Family, and not only directed The Princess Bride but also basically codified the modern mockumentary with This Is Spinal Tap. Such an insane chunk of modern pop culture was directly influenced by this dude, and my first knowledge of him was as Jess's friendly bumbling dad.

Christopher Guest, 5th BaronHaden-Guest directed The Princess Bride ?!

Oh. You mean Rob Reiner. Yeah, he's also pretty good, i guess.