Latest / Dad Needs To Talk / TV Talk: Severance Review

Transcript

TV Talk: Severance Review · Dad Needs To Talk

0:03
What's up y'all? And welcome back to Danny's
0:05
talk. I'm your host, Robert, and today
0:08
today I'm going to be diving into Severance.
0:13
Now, this is ATV show that is 9 episodes long.
0:21
I believe it. It was on Apple plus Apple TV
0:25
plus whatever it's called and it is classified as a has a bunch
0:30
of stuff, but let's just say it's kind of like a sci-fi
0:34
psychological thriller with drama and mystery and all that
0:39
good stuff. Now what I would say upfront
0:43
about Severance is that if you are watching the video version
0:47
of this and you see the the artwork the cover image here or
0:54
if you're listening to podcast services and it's it's in my
0:57
thumbnail or you go Google severance TV show.
1:02
If anything about this image looks interesting to you and
1:06
picture interest then go watch it.
1:10
And the reason why I'm just saying that up front is because
1:12
this is definitely one of those shows that is a full on
1:17
recommended blind watch just because you know I and and and I
1:25
will kind of give like mild spoiler free setup of what it is
1:31
just get a little bit more contest before I get into actual
1:33
spoilers. So I will kind of toss stamp
1:36
like OK when I actually start hard spoilers.
1:38
But I just wanted to sit up front if you want to know
1:41
nothing about this show, but no that the fact that I am saying
1:45
that at the top then just go watch Severance.
1:49
It is one of those type of shows Now moving on to the next phase.
1:54
So if if if you do want to hear a little bit about what
1:57
severance is, would that get too deep.
2:00
It basically the basic setup for this show is that it follows
2:08
these characters who work in a office building where literally
2:13
their memories are severed. So basically what they it
2:21
basically kind of like creates like a split personality so to
2:24
speak, to where your personal life is literally separate from
2:34
your work life. So literal work, life separation
2:39
and just to get a little bit more context for that, basically
2:46
what you do from 9:00 to 5:00 while you're at work, whatever
2:50
your outside self will never know.
2:52
All you know is that you get in this elevator and when you're
2:56
going down, at some point this switch, this in your brain
3:00
flips, this chip that they implanted flips and you
3:04
basically that's where the separation happens.
3:07
So your outside self, all you know is that.
3:09
OK, hey, you're walking into the into the elevator at 9:00 and
3:12
then you're walking out at 5. Same thing on the reverse side
3:17
of your work self. All you know is that OK, hey,
3:21
everyday you come to at 9:00 and you look down, you got new
3:26
change of clothes or whatever and you're going into work and
3:29
then 5:00 you're leaving and then you're just in a constant
3:32
loop. And so that is the setup for
3:36
this show. And it kind of creates all these
3:43
kind of like moral situations and questions and stuff like
3:49
that. Because of course, there's a lot
3:51
of people in the outside world that are for and against it, or
3:55
they're like with a lot of different choice stuff like
3:59
that. But this was just like so
4:02
fascinating to watch. And the thing with this show is
4:06
that the setting for the most part the office setting is so
4:11
clean that it kind of makes it eerie.
4:15
And what I mean by that is that there is like a it's it's a
4:19
giant office space. So like when the characters are
4:24
walking to their to their to their their respective
4:27
department or whatever, they go through all these long winding,
4:32
twist turning hallways and paths and stuff, whatever to get to
4:37
where they are. And it kind of reminds me of
4:40
years ago I worked at a hospital and the hospital I worked at or
4:49
whatever. There's like the old building
4:51
and the new building. So of course and for those of
4:55
you that don't know, I do IT work.
4:57
I still do IT work in the medical field but just not at
5:00
the same place as what I'm about to talk about.
5:03
But, but basically this place was it, it it reminded me so
5:08
many times of like in my old job where sometimes I got like a
5:13
request for something over in the old hospital and there are
5:18
still like a few. It's it's like a it's like the
5:21
old house, like the new hospital is like freaking 17 stories and
5:25
the old hospital was like 10. And there's only maybe like a
5:28
few of those stores have active you know teams and people and
5:33
stuff in it or whatever. And so there'll be certain times
5:37
to where we have to go through certain sections of the old
5:39
hospital, and there might be like one team on this majority
5:45
abandoned floor. And it just kind of gave me
5:49
those same creepy vibes that I got back at that working that
5:53
job or whatever. But like I said, it's just like
5:58
the environment is just so clean and the main cast of characters
6:03
kind of starts off with a cast of four people work in this
6:06
office space, whatever. And yeah, that that that's just
6:11
like that. That just makes the show just so
6:14
fascinating. From jump is like I said, just
6:18
that basic premise and then just trying to put yourself in their
6:23
shoes of like, man, what what kind of life would that be?
6:29
And I don't know which side of that I would want to be on.
6:32
You know, it's like, you know, it's like, I don't know, I I
6:39
think I might want to be on the outside part of it.
6:43
Just because you can move around, you can go and do stuff
6:48
for the other 9-8 hours of the day that you're working.
6:52
You can still go, you know, be with your family, go to the
6:56
club, go partying, go bowling, go watch a movie or whatever,
7:00
versus you're just literally in your office space with the
7:05
handful of people that you're around with every day.
7:07
And I don't see that as a proper life to live.
7:12
You know, like I said, especially when it's like you're
7:15
not really making a lot of even just like, personal choices of
7:19
like, oh, what am I going to wear today?
7:21
It's like your work self. All you know is that you black
7:24
out at 5:00 and you come back to 9:00 the next day with a
7:28
different set of clothes. And you're like, OK, I guess.
7:30
I guess this is what I'm wearing today, you know, so, so I think
7:36
if I had to choose what side to be on, probably the outside
7:39
side. But it's also like, huh, what am
7:45
I even working towards? What is my job even doing?
7:48
But I guess in some sense, I guess some people are like, hey,
7:51
if that check is clearing every week, every two weeks, whatever
7:54
the pay period is, whatever, then hey, who cares?
7:58
But yeah, so like I said that that's kind of like, like like
8:01
the basic general nutshell premise of the show and the
8:08
other kind of like like slight hint I'll give with this or like
8:12
just kind of like for comparison's sake.
8:16
I would say if you were a fan specifically like like those
8:20
early seasons of Westworld, then Severance might be something
8:25
that you're into as well. And also also kind of just like
8:29
flipping that or whatever. If you have watched Severance
8:31
and you enjoyed it, but you've never watched Westworld, then
8:34
that might be something that I would recommend you go and check
8:36
out because there are some similar vibes with kind of like
8:41
the there's more than miss the eye.
8:43
You know, this setting that you're in seems kind of eerie
8:48
and slightly off whatever before they actually reveal, you know,
8:52
like, oh OK this is what's going on.
8:54
This is the twist or whatever. But this was just very
8:58
fascinating to watch as, like I said, just like things just
9:02
start to slowly unfold and unravel, which I will go into
9:05
specifics in a second. But but yeah, this show just did
9:09
such a great job of just slowly easing you in.
9:13
You know, it may maybe it was a little slow at first, but for
9:17
myself, I don't mind those slow burn shows, 'cause, you know,
9:21
I've. I've talked about plenty of
9:23
other TV shows, movies, anime, manga, et cetera, et cetera,
9:29
that kind of have a slow setup. But if it's interesting enough
9:33
whatever to keep my attention, then I'm all for it.
9:38
And I enjoy the cast of characters that they had.
9:41
I enjoyed as the show kept going and we kept on getting an
9:46
expanded cast of characters both in the office and outside of the
9:50
office. And then as like I said, some of
9:52
those things start to like bleed over and intersect and all that
9:57
stuff. Whatever was just super dumb to
10:00
watch. So with that being said, go
10:03
watch Severance if you haven't, 'cause now I'm about to dive
10:06
into some very spoilery specific so y'all got 10 minutes full of
10:11
free. Now let's talk about more of
10:14
this show. So first of all, screw them for
10:18
that cliffhanger. They they they truly left us
10:23
hanging, man. Like them stopping the show
10:28
where they did it was like a super gut punch, you know, and
10:34
especially with, you know the the, the the rider striking
10:37
stuff going on right now, you know, who knows, you know what
10:42
that delay might potentially do for the next season, 'cause they
10:45
weren't working on another season, 'cause they show
10:47
originally aired last year in 2022.
10:51
But it is what it is. But but yeah so diving into this
10:54
show all the various pieces that were slowly unraveling and and
11:03
forgive me but I might kind of jump all over but hey if you're
11:05
listening at this point or whatever then hopefully you've
11:08
already watched it because like someone be kind of jumping
11:10
around just like a different key points whatever.
11:13
But they kind of like first thing, first couple of things
11:18
when the bleed over of the two worlds sort of happening was
11:25
realizing that his freaking boss was his next door neighbor and
11:31
then also finding out that not everybody has their memories
11:34
severed. So there are some people like
11:37
the manager that she knows what's going on inside and out
11:45
and so cuz cuz the first was the when you first introduced to her
11:47
it was like whoa, she lives next door.
11:49
But it's like man, that's wild that they live necessary to each
11:52
other but they don't know. But then it's like, Nah, she
11:55
knows, and it's probably not a coincidence that she lives next
11:59
door, 'cause I believe he mentioned that there's not many
12:02
other people that live on their St. anyway, So but by so when
12:08
that happened, and then of course when PD showed up,
12:12
started showing up and stuff, whatever, and then started,
12:15
that's kind of like planting the seeds of doubt early on towards
12:19
OK, who's this guy in a suit showing up?
12:22
And then it's like, oh, OK, this is the Co worker that went
12:25
missing. And then, you know, eventually
12:28
his mind started going crazy and then he ended up dying and
12:32
stuff. But I'm wanting to know more
12:36
about what happened with the operation.
12:39
I want to know more about the lady that kind of helped helped
12:44
to do the operation on him and that also kind of helped ended
12:49
up helping to take out that security guard towards the end
12:51
of the season or whatever. Just because like I said it's
12:56
it's just so much I want to know about all this stuff.
13:00
I want to know about what other freaking departments there are
13:03
within that within the office space whatever.
13:05
Like the freaking what is up with the with the little
13:08
department the baby I guess baby goats.
13:11
That was super weird because at first I went I was hearing like
13:15
like what what eventually was the the the goats bad sound.
13:21
I thought at first I was I was like is there like a baby or
13:23
something. I was like no baby goats.
13:26
Well it was a baby but baby goats.
13:29
But that happening the other kind of like really heart
13:35
wrenching moment and just like like oh crap moment for me too
13:38
was when the realization and let me see Dylan when they revealed
13:47
that they can freaking flip your switch even when you're outside
13:51
of the office building and what's his name Milchick.
14:00
Milchick when he was at freaking freaking dinner.
14:05
So cuz the first time when I showed up like the kid counting
14:08
cuz cuz the episode title was like, was like a hide and seek
14:11
whatever or tag. And the little kids count him
14:15
OK, who's this kid or whatever? And then we see the guy I'm
14:18
like, oh OK we sitting this outside life and then we see
14:20
milk milk chick there. And then he just let this like
14:25
countdown And then like you hear the sound when they're like
14:28
switching over and he's like whoa, is is is is this my house?
14:33
And then when the freaking kid comes in he's like, wait is that
14:36
my kid? I have a kid bro.
14:40
And then they quit. Hey, got the information?
14:43
All right, kill the switch. And now his work stuff has the
14:47
information and it's just like now he's internally tortured.
14:51
Because beforehand, you know, it's just like they they can
14:54
just kind of like imagine and Daydream what their outside
14:59
lives are. Which Speaking of which, the
15:01
whole naming convention for the Indy and Audy.
15:07
Just so freaking weird and just that kind of, like weird but
15:11
unsettling nature of this environment.
15:14
But but yeah, so like, like like him finding out that information
15:19
and now it's like that's like internally torturing him with
15:22
that information and stuff. And then the other big twist,
15:26
We're freaking finding out that freaking Mark's wife is the kind
15:32
of like, counselor lady. What do they call her?
15:44
What is? Why can't I find out her name?
15:53
Miss Casey? Yeah, the the the Wellness
15:55
counselor. Yeah, the Wellness counselor.
15:58
Finding out that that is his wife, who was supposedly died
16:04
two years ago in a car accident is actually here as his Wellness
16:08
counselor is like, OK, we need to find out in Season 2 what the
16:12
heck is up with that situation. Because that that's just that
16:16
much cruder to where he came here.
16:18
Because he wanted to go through with the severance to kind of
16:22
help him cope with dealing with the loss of his wife, only to
16:26
find out that he's been seeing her around the office all this
16:30
time while also towards the end of the season, at least in the
16:35
office setting kind of kissing the the other chick, Helly, who
16:45
was also revealed to be the freaking daughter of the CEO of
16:49
the freaking company. And it's just like all these
16:51
intersecting threads and stuff, man was just he just kept on
16:57
going and going and the reveals and this and that man was just
17:03
just freaking fantastic. And of course, of course the big
17:09
well I got, I got kind of like like leading up to the big
17:11
finale of like I said, Mark meeting up with the lady who
17:17
helped PD sit like change or I guess I override his thing or
17:22
whatever. Which, sorry for all these
17:26
tensions when I was just like like recalling stuff as I'm
17:28
talking, but like the freaking boss extracting the chip at the
17:32
freaking funeral was wild but but he had some mark meeting
17:38
over this lady at this college that he used to teach at.
17:41
And then the security guard snooping around stumbling upon
17:48
them, they are knocking him out pretty much killing him and then
17:52
the lady giving mark the high level clearance card or
17:58
whatever. And then that kind of just like
18:00
opened the door even further for more shenanigans and just things
18:04
to continue to fall apart and stuff.
18:09
Which it it was just crazy just to see all this stuff just like
18:12
like such a snowballing out of control while still also trying
18:17
to keep that airiness and and somewhat normality of the office
18:22
setting as much as they could. But freaking hell you man.
18:26
She she it's it's just so funny and ironic how she was giving
18:31
them so much hell on the inside when she was one of the biggest
18:38
proponents of or supporters of this on the outside being the
18:41
freaking CE OS daughter. But her internals her her any
18:48
was trying everything like OK well can I smuggle out of notes?
18:52
Can I swallow it? Can I write something on my
18:55
arms? And then her freaking you know,
18:59
trigger warning trying to take herself out with a freaking
19:02
extension cord in the elevator bruh.
19:06
You know it was just it was just like man, like she just kept
19:10
going and going and going and she freaking had the the
19:12
freaking paper cutter blade thing.
19:15
Oh like hey, let me record AAI can't think where it's covered.
19:25
Basically wanting to leave, wanting to quit, or I'm gonna
19:28
chop off my fingers, whatever. And then seeing her recorded,
19:33
OK, they let her record it or whatever.
19:37
And then she got on the elevator to leave and came back with a
19:41
different recording disk up herself, being like hey, I know
19:47
blah blah blah. But basically being like, hey,
19:50
you're not a human, you have no importance, I'll make all the
19:55
decisions or whatever. We are not quitting, whatever
19:57
that that was just just wild to see.
20:01
But then, like I said, just all this stuff snowballing to the
20:03
big finale of at the end of this show them working together,
20:11
which the fantastic death sequence was just so dope
20:16
because that whole thing, especially because that happened
20:22
right after Dylan had the situation with his son.
20:24
So he definitely was not a no move for partying as which is
20:27
just funny to see that flip from the beginning of the show where
20:30
he's all like rah rah rah, yeah, we're the company getting all
20:35
his like little prizes and stuff whatever to where you know
20:39
they're like hey y'all met quarter or whatever.
20:42
So hey, you get 5 minutes of celebration party, whatever and
20:47
then milk chick freaking the the the the disco like the like the
20:54
strobe lights or whatever and they all dancing and grooving
20:57
and stuff whatever and milking behind Dylan just just looking
21:02
just you know just seeing the reflection and Dylan's monitor
21:05
of him just like yeah, yeah just having a good time just pointing
21:08
behind him and then Dylan just snapping just like that.
21:14
That was just so great to see. But like I said, just like that,
21:17
all leading to Dylan being the one to stay behind and give the
21:22
other three a chance to, you know, experience the outside
21:28
world, whatever. And all of them in in some sense
21:34
was kind of like in the middle of like some big stuff whatever
21:37
where like Mark his outside self was going to his daughter I mean
21:41
his sisters or his brother-in-law celebration with
21:45
and that lower side I'm reconnaissance so much stuff.
21:49
The whole book situation of how that even played out which
21:53
that's on Milchek for dropping the ball on losing the book and
21:59
not even trying to hunt down what happened with the book and
22:03
stuff whatever. It's like, OK, bringing that
22:05
inside and then trying to, you know, reading, whatever.
22:13
Then him leaving it behind during an emergency and all this
22:18
stuff was just so wild. But yeah, like, like, but yeah,
22:24
like like like Mark at the thing with the brother-in-law at the
22:27
book reading and then Hella at this big speech thing for for
22:37
herself and her dad and stuff, whatever.
22:40
And then the old guy. Old guy.
22:46
What is your name? Irving.
22:49
You know him? His situation with.
22:56
What's his name? The freaking See.
23:02
I hate when my mind blanks Christopher Walken, his
23:07
character, whatever. Which you know it.
23:10
I'm not going to go to every single detail to show there, but
23:12
it was just like, interesting just seeing all of them go
23:15
through these three different situations.
23:18
And then like, like I said, I was getting that finale hanger
23:22
with Mark discovering that the Wellness counselor that he's
23:29
been saying inside is actually his wife.
23:31
And then the last thing he gets to say before Dylan gets tackled
23:35
by Milchak is that she's alive to the to the sister, whatever.
23:41
And so I'm like man, I hope the sister picks up on that hint or
23:45
whatever and we go from there. But but one other comparison I
23:51
just thought of too, which I wish I would have brought this
23:54
up in the beginning, my spoiler free part or whatever.
23:59
But the other strong comparison, especially thinking about like
24:02
like like the the the board of directors and this reminds me of
24:09
the board and stuff, whatever. And the video game control.
24:13
Yeah, I don't know if any of y'all and I don't know if I
24:16
can't remember. Do I still have control?
24:18
Hold on. OK, so I just have a copy
24:21
control. This game made by Remedy that
24:24
came out a few years ago. It's on all systems, PlayStation
24:28
four or five, all the Xboxes and PC.
24:32
But that show severance gave me some strong control vibes as
24:38
well cuz it's also takes place in kind of like a office setting
24:42
environment where there's you know some supernatural stuff
24:47
that this control has more supernatural powers and stuff,
24:51
whatever going on any whatever. But this mysterious board of
24:55
directors and stuff whatever similar thing is here in
25:00
control. But, but yeah so I I've, I've,
25:05
I've talked long enough, whatever, like I said and I
25:07
didn't want to go through everything beat for beat but
25:10
just like just kind of just like highlight some of like my
25:13
favorite moments and stuff from the show.
25:16
But Sevens was super dope. Like I said once again I am so
25:20
happy that I went into it blind. But yeah so and like I said just
25:27
recommended like, hey if you're looking for another show like it
25:29
check out Westworld. If you're looking for a game you
25:33
know like like similar vibe. But of course like more action
25:35
heavy, whatever. But like the like the the airy
25:38
unsettling office setting and stuff.
25:40
Whatever. Control is definitely one I
25:42
highly recommend. Super, super fun, dope game.
25:47
But yeah, with that, I think that's going to be it.
25:49
I don't think there's nothing else I wanted to touch on with
25:52
the show. Like I said, just like fantastic
25:57
as the characters, great premise and stuff, whatever.
26:00
Like I said, just like, really makes you think of like, man, I
26:03
don't think I would want to be in that situation, you know,
26:06
'cause now I'm also wondering. Sorry to do a little bit of
26:09
theory crafting at the end, but like, I'm wondering if if there
26:16
might be a situation to where I I I think it'll be interesting
26:21
if all the characters had the Rose flipped to where the switch
26:27
got flipped or whatever, but in reverse to where the Audis.
26:31
I hate saying it but the Audis got trapped inside of the office
26:35
building and then had to figure out how to get out or whatever
26:40
and stuff. So but but yeah like I said it
26:42
it was just just very fascinating.
26:44
Just saying like that separation of stuff of even from like how
26:48
they staggered you know with the time that they all arrived to
26:52
the time when they all was leaving to try to avoid them
26:56
running into each other and stuff whatever, at least like on
26:59
a regular basis. A couple of them they they kind
27:00
of like loosely you know bump into each other whatever.
27:03
But, but for the most part they kind of staggered their coming
27:08
in and out of work and stuff. Whatever.
27:11
Also, I can leave. I didn't even talk about this
27:13
the the freaking very beginning when when Haley is on the table.
27:19
I I loved how they show that same scene twice.
27:23
Originally from Haley's perspective, but then also from
27:27
Mark's perspective of how he was behind the camera and why he was
27:34
even in that position to begin with.
27:35
And stuff to her trying to leave out the door but kept on
27:42
basically like looping and coming back in or whatever.
27:45
And all that stuff was just just like very fascinating.
27:48
Just like them showing how this stuff kind of works early on.
27:53
And then like I said before it starts to like OK, showing a
27:56
little bit how this stuff works, the separation and stuff,
27:58
whatever, showing what the normal day-to-day loosely is And
28:04
then things slowly something unravel and then we meet other
28:07
people from other departments and all this stuff, whatever.
28:11
But great show, great show. Like I said, especially got me
28:16
to give dinner 30 minute discussion or whatever.
28:20
But I think I'm gonna stop right there.
28:22
So as always, thank you so much for watching and or listening.
28:26
You can find me everywhere at Danny's Talk, where it's all
28:29
about fatherhood and family manga, anime and TV and video
28:34
games. And with that, I'm out.
28:37
Y'all be easy and I'll catch on the next one.
28:40
Peace.