Since its premiere, the sci-fi thriller "Severance" has captivated fans with its portrayal of the fictional Lumon Industries. Social media is awash with intricate theories surrounding the company. We've seen "Severance"-themed costume parties, complete with food and lanyards inspired by the show, further demonstrating the series' cultural impact.
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03-23, 2025Each episode's release has been followed by a flood of memes and TikTok videos. Apple TV+ has actively engaged in promotional activities across various platforms. Starting with a pop-up office resembling the iconic Lumon workspace in New York's Grand Central Terminal, the streaming service released a series of unsettling Lumon training videos (including on LinkedIn), an eight-hour compilation of ambient music called "The Refined Sounds of Severance," and even made Ricken's infamous self-help book, "You Are The You You Are," available as an e-book and audiobook.
All of this promotion culminates today with the release of the 76-minute season finale, "The We We Are." If all goes well (though it might not), Mark will finally reunite with his wife Gemma, played by Adelaide-raised Australian actress Dichen Lachman, bringing a long-awaited resolution to their story arc.
Lachman sat down with Jason Di Rosso on ABC Radio National's "The Screen Show" to discuss the "cult" phenomenon surrounding "Severance." Before "Severance" became the record-breaking hit it is today, Lachman explained that the show's creator, Dan Erickson, had never worked in television production, highlighting his unique path to success.
The aspiring writer conceived the idea while enduring his own stifling office job, cataloging door components on a computer and wishing he could fast-forward to the end of the day. "From my conversations with Erickson, I don't think he fully anticipated what it would become when he was developing this script in a door factory," Lachman said, emphasizing the unexpected nature of the show's success. She credits Erickson's collaboration with Ben Stiller as crucial to the show's success, acknowledging the collaborative effort behind the acclaimed series.
“The tone of the show is very unique and different." Initially, "Severance" was introduced as a procedure that separates a person's memories between their work and home selves, creating an "innie" version at work and an "outie" version in their personal life. This season, the concept has expanded from a simple corporate tool to a full-blown product, allowing those who undergo the procedure to avoid everything from writing Christmas cards to going to the dentist. Meanwhile, a part of their consciousness is forced to endure endless dental fillings, showcasing the darker implications of the technology.
For Lachman, the show's innovative use of the science fiction genre helps it serve as "an extraordinary mirror" to our society. "We're always trying to shut down the things that are unpleasant, or numb ourselves." "I personally would never choose to undergo the severance procedure because I feel like, even though some things in life are painful, you have to have that contrast to really experience joy," expressing her personal reservations about the procedure's ethical implications.
Beyond Lumon's commercial interests, a certain religiosity pervades much of the world of "Severance." Patricia Arquette's Harmony Cobel seems particularly drawn to the cult of Kier, while the "innies" in the show treat Ricken's self-help book as scripture. "As humans, we tend to create these myths and stories," Lachman mused. "Inside Lumon, they seem to be building a completely different structure for these 'innies' because, essentially, they don't understand anything that's happening in the outside world," emphasizing the manufactured reality within the Lumon workplace.
Lachman feels that this is not so different from the structures we create in reality. "Like, I don't know, the stock market, or just the mere fact that we wake up every day, get in our cars to go to work, there's a belief system in that. Sometimes, I think, 'Why am I doing this? This seems completely meaningless,' but it's just part of what you do because we've been doing it for hundreds of years," drawing parallels between the show's fictional world and real-world societal constructs.
Key to this season's expansion is Lachman's pivotal episode, "Chikhai Bardo," in which we discover how far the procedure can go. It's the first time we see Lachman as Mark's wife, Gemma, outside of the photographs, having previously only been familiar with her "innie" persona, Ms. Casey. His grief over losing her forms the emotional core of the show, with their early love story unfolding in flashbacks shot on film, adding depth to their relationship.
For Lachman, shooting on film also added a bit of "pressure" to her performance because, while modern cameras never run out of storage, filming on film has time constraints and must be done right in one take. "There's something limited about shooting on film, it captures light in a very natural way," she explained. Ben Stiller, as the second unit director on set, responsible for their vintage Bolex camera, kept busy. "In between takes, Adam Scott and I would often go out with Ben, and he'd be cranking the Bolex, and it felt like we were shooting an indie film, which was very exciting," highlighting the collaborative and creative atmosphere on set.
