Severance’s Time Jump and Power Shifts: What You Missed in Season 2

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Fans have eagerly anticipated the return of Apple TV+’s hit sci-fi psychological thriller “Severance” for nearly three years now. Fortunately, even though there appears to be a minor leap in the timeline from the end of Season 1 to the start of Season 2, it’s not as lengthy as one might think. Yet, it’s been long enough for some intriguing events to unfold since those climactic final scenes.

To refresh your memory, Mark (Adam Scott), Helly (Britt Lower), and Irving (John Turturro) – joined by Dylan (Zach Cherry) from their office – managed to manipulate a system, trigger an overtime contingency, and for 39 minutes they transformed into their ‘innies’ while in the outside world. This brief stint allowed them to cause chaos and uncover some startling revelations. The immediate consequences of these discoveries are swiftly addressed in the opening episode.

How Big Is the Time Jump in Severance Season 2?

In Season 2, Episode 1, when viewers reunite with Mark, he’s found at work in the Macrodata Refinement division of biotech firm Lumon Industries. It appears to be his initial day back, and he seems perplexed and disoriented. It’s evident that he recalls elements from the world outside, but he struggles to make sense of it all. Upon his arrival, a cheerful Seth Milchick (Tramell Tillman) greets him with balloons as a warm welcome.

Milchick, who continues to sport those turtlenecks, informs him that over five months have passed, implying that Mark and the others have been away from work for this duration. It’s unclear where he’s been or what he’s been up to, and there’s some doubt about whether Milchick is truthfully disclosing the timeline. Moreover, when Mark is led to his workspace and encounters a fresh team of colleagues, he becomes enraged. He yearns to be with his friends.

It’s been shared that Helly, Dylan, and Irving decided not to return to work. However, Mark seems determined to be the exception to this trend. Given the events of the first episode, it appears that Mark may have a personal reason for wanting to go back – he might remember that Ms. Casey is actually his outie’s wife Gemma, who he thought was dead. Therefore, he could be driven to find her and uncover the truth about her whereabouts.

It’s entirely plausible that Mark and his associates stayed true to their original selves for nearly half a year, scheming with their families while Lumon Industries dealt with the aftermath of their actions. Alternatively, it could be that Milchick is playing some sort of trick on Mark. However, what viewers do understand is that since then, Lumon has referred to the pivotal event as the “Great Macrodata Uprising” and has managed to turn negative publicity into a positive for them. They have blamed Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette) for the incident and have portrayed these rebellious workers who staged a coup as the catalysts for beneficial changes within the company.

What the Innies Share About Their Outies

In my perspective as a movie reviewer, the narrative unfolds with our protagonist, Mark, finding himself in a heated confrontation with Milchick prior to securing his desired reunion with the team. It’s been quite some time since they last crossed paths, specifically during those pivotal 39 minutes that have left an indelible mark on both parties. Needless to say, there’s much ground to cover as they reconnect.

Following a compulsory viewing of a video showcasing Lumon’s progress with questionable new policies such as improved snacks, hall passes, a whimsical mirror room, and an odd activity called pineapple bobbing (truly?), they eagerly share their insights gleaned from the outside world.

Mark quickly uncovers the truth: his brother-in-law turns out to be Ricken Hale, the renowned author whose book he previously found at work. He also reveals that his friend knows Harmony, though under a different name. However, Milchick dismisses this, implying she was a troubled individual who became infatuated with him.

Most significantly, Mark reveals to the others that there was a wedding picture in his sister’s room of a woman who strongly resembled Ms. Casey, whom he referred to as his wife. This fact left outie Mark confused, while innie Mark was shocked by this new information. Not only was he surprised to learn he had ever been married at all, but also that his wife was still alive, and she had been a frequent presence in his life as his inner self.

In the meantime, Irving is deeply troubled by observing Burt (Christopher Walken) with another person through his window, even as fans continue to dream of a reunion between these characters’ inner selves. However, what stands out most is when, during a warm greeting, he confides in Dylan that within his apartment, he discovered multiple art easels adorned with paintings of a black corridor ending at an elevator and a descending arrow. Since he has painted this exact image many times, Irving believes it holds significance. Dylan advises him to stay put, search for this hallway, and uncover the truth behind it.

In the final episode of Severance, season one’s standout, it was revealed that character Helly is none other than the founder’s daughter from Lumon and a staunch advocate for the severance program, serving as its head. To demonstrate the safety of the procedure and the program’s merit, she underwent the process herself. When this stunning truth came to light for her outside self, out-of-company Helly utilized her influence to proclaim that innies were being mistreated, the program was inhumane, and she sought a way out.

In contrast, Helly chooses not to reveal the truth to the group. Instead, she falsely claims she found nothing significant. She pretends she was merely a solitary woman residing in an apartment, spending her days watching TV in comfortable clothing. Helly is hesitant to let others know about her discovery due to the possibility that they might resent her for it.

A Shift in Power

During their 39-minute city expedition, Mark, Helly, and Irving were away, while Dylan remained at the office, orchestrating things. Milchick was the one who apprehended him when Cobel got into trouble. Since Cobel’s fallout, Milchick now oversees the floor that has been divided off. Remarkably, he has a new assistant, an unusually young individual, who displays the required lack of emotion and expression for the position.

As a film enthusiast, I’m well-versed in the fact that Dylan possesses a formidable IT skillset, which he cleverly employs for his manipulative schemes, a trait Milchick is notorious for. Leveraging this knowledge, I present him with blueprints for an innovative addition to our building – a family visitation suite for innies, affectionately dubbed the “outie” area, designed to facilitate family visits.

Milchick reveals that Dylan’s wife shares the same name as him and informs Dylan about it for his knowledge. He hints that once they build the shared space, Dylan will have the chance to reunite with his family. However, there’s a catch: he must keep this information confidential from everyone else. Since all others are single, it wouldn’t be fair to them to know about it in the current situation. By keeping this detail as a secret, Milchick is effectively playing psychological games with Dylan, who might not even realize he’s being manipulated at this point.

Regardless of their individual locations, past experiences, or the exact time elapsed since Season 1, what matters most is that the band has reunited once again. Despite the hidden truths within their group and Milchick’s increased influence, there remains uncertainty about where the story will lead. However, they have returned to continue whatever mission Lumon has assigned them, a task for which they now feel secure.

Consequently, since Inner Mark has learned about his wife’s secret, he is now on a quest to find her. It’s possible that all the facts might be revealed by Miss Casey, and viewers are eagerly anticipating how things will unfold when Outer Mark realizes this truth and they both work together towards a shared objective once more.

Stream Severance on Apple TV+.

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2025-01-18 04:04