Severance Ep 5 Recap. Grim Barbarities and Casualties
In the second of the three Aoife McArdle directed episodes we are scheduled to get this season severance, reminds me of one of the things I love the most about this show, the ability to manage its tone and its mood expertly. Severance is very much a drama and this episode features possibly the grimmest moment in what is a pretty grim show without ever feeling like a drag. The fact that an episode that starts out with a failed suicide attempt manages to deliver several laugh-out-loud moments without ever losing its sense of dread is incredible to me.
Over the course of this show, Cobel has been cutting a more sympathetic character, she however does herself no favors by laying the blame for what happened to Helly on the shoulders of Mark. That’s incredibly cruel. We also find out that Helly will be returning to work. Even after Helly’s outtie sent the video back, I had my doubts about whether or not the outties were getting all of the information they were supposed to get, but you cannot explain away waking up to what Helly’s outtie woke up to. This show is consistently pushing us to ask why Helly’s outtie won’t just leave.
Days pass and we are treated to an excellent montage of Mark reading Ricken’s book. The montage is full of funny and quippy messages, some of them more meaningful than others. I spent a lot of time thinking about why Devon would be married to Ricken and the book makes it clear, he is a smart person who just happens to be annoying.
Mark turns on the SMARTPHONE!!!!!! Again what time is this show set in????? Mark comes out of work and heads straight to the birth camp place, where he runs into Alexa from his date. Devon’s contractions resume and Ricken declares that the baby is drawn towards clear air??? I am now rethinking everything I said about the dude being smart. Ricken reveals that he is sad Mark has not texted him about the book.
Devon meets some lady in a much fancier lodge, her name is Gabby. Who is this lady? Could she be important going forward?? They wouldn’t just stick her in there right??? RIGHT????? I kind of understand Mark not wanting the kid to be named Gemma. Devon returns with coffee and her contractions return and Mark begins to tell her about Petey but the baby starts coming.
We get back to Lumon and Milchick is trying to teach Mark to make his eyes kind. Helly returns to the office and Cobel sends Ms. Casey to observe Helly and provide a hug if needed. Dylan quickly mentions he’s been sad and could use a hug.
The overarching question of What exactly they are doing on the severed floor is one that never drifts too far away because once in a while the show reminds you that these people are barely in charge of their fates down here. Irving, after seeing the black goo again, decides he wants to go seek Burt’s counsel( this man is down bad). He makes a copy of the map so they can come find him but in the copier, he finds paintings that were sent there by “mistake”. Paintings of O&D disemboweling people’s bowels. We eventually find out that not only were those planted to dissuade Irv from spending time with Burt, altered versions of the painting that show MDR performing the violence in that painting. It’s another nod towards how whoever is in charge of sharing news/knowledge can skew facts or basically create stories to turn people against each other. There are apparently legends/myths/stereotypes about MDR in O&D spaces that were probably planted to keep them apart. I may have beaten you over the head with that point, but the show does not.
Helly comes out of the bathroom after trying to wash off her scars. Britt Lawer has been incredible this season and she continues with another stellar performance. Mark manages to wrestle Helly away from Ms. Casey( Is Ms Casey severed??????). MArk takes Helly on a fugazi trip to try to cheer her up he shows her he’s been working on the map but she tells him she is not his new Petey.
While Irving and Burt and Dylan get into a skirmish at a conference room, Mark and Helly get lost in a Hallway and eventually hear the piercing cry of what I initially thought was a child but it was a kid. Mark and Irv have a ridiculously cute conversation about why Burt lied about the team and it was a pretty good reason. Helly and Mark meanwhile make their way to a random room where they find a man feeding baby goat’s milk and scared that they were not ready to be taken.
Burt and Irv head back but not before Dylan has tied Burt’s hands, they trade really cute banter with Dylan rolling his eyes behind them. Irv mentions that relationships are frowned upon and Burt shows him a painting of Kier and Imogene falling in love at work when Dylan unearths the Macrodate Refinement Calamity
On their way back Mark tells Helly he is glad she is here and she offers to clean up the map, it’s probably the warmest interaction they’ve had.
Over the course of the episode, there is a looming sense of someone watching, there are several cuts to some sort of surveillance room and at the end of the episode, it’s fairly obvious that the employees think they’re making progress but they really are not and all of this is happening without upstairs approval. This lends credence to a theory I have heard mentioned on the “Post-show recaps Podcast” that states that the employees themselves are the experiment. That would honestly not shock me mostly because this show has shown it’s not really afraid to go anywhere and I cannot wait to see where it takes us.
Bits and Bobs
Ayo, why are the episodes getting shorter??? I want my full HOUR!!!!!!!! After starting out w 56 and 53 and 57-minute episodes last week and this week has come at 46 and next week is going to be just 40???? I am being robbed of Severance content. This is not what I was promised.
Are you sweet on this guy?
And you can thank Kier himself that it went the way it did.
It was not me who was wrong but literature itself
Last week I thought Cobel wanted to fuck Mark, now I’m wondering does she have a history with Graner???
I’d end my life if I didn’t have any perks yet.
I forgive you
