Severance

Was that Helly or Helena on the severed floor with mark?

I don't know if this episode could satisfy my strong desire to just understand what exactly Lumon is doing here. The most dissatisfying thing is they didn't really answer what's going on with Cold Harbor. But aside from that I loved this season.

Like yes, more implications about Cold Harbor are confirmed. There seems to be a connection between Lumon and their aim to remove tragic memories, hence their approval when Gemma doesn't react emotionally to dismantling the baby crib. I can even see a future back story episode where Gemma is talking to the doctor character speculating about "what if you forget all the painful moments of your life?" before she is eventually abducted (or maybe she willingly chose to be severed at first?)

Then there's the whole, who is outtie Irving talking to? I speculate it's the Whole Mind Collective. I think we might see outtie Irving and outtie Burt again at some point, but have no idea what they'll be up to next.

Dylan had a satisfying end to this season, albeit kind of a repeat ending of last season. I'm pretty sure next season is going to be a search for meaning for him without his wife, without his work, and without anymore perks for them to lord over him.

I still don't know what the fuck James Eagan is doing though. I could have sworn they were trying to resurrect Kier, or give James a new body using Cold Harbor somehow, but there's so many questions as to why he's so interested in witnessing whether Gemma is so thoroughly a blank slate inside that room. Like, why? Why does James need her to be a blank slate with no memories? Is he trying to erase past sins like Burt? Are you developing an Endless Sunshine of the Spotless Mind kind of technology to sell to the masses? For the love of God, Ben Stiller, just tell me!! Lol.

And then we get to the climax, where Mark S decides to simply stay with Helly R. (or Helly E. As she indicates to Milchick in last episode). They built up to this beautifully. The conversation/confrontation between Mark Scout and Mark S. at the beginning was brilliantly written and I love how they portrayed it. It perfectly encapsulates the relationship the outties have with their innies. We've been rooting for Mark Scout finding and saving his wife this entire season, but the argument Mark S. makes is very compelling and in all honesty I don't blame Mark S. for sort of cutting it both ways at the end there. He saves his outtie's wife, but takes his outtie's time/life in exchange.

It's such a beautiful turn of events where Mark S. turns the tables on the outties and in a way says, "Y'know, you guys on the outside get to call all the shots and say what's important...but for once in my life I'm going to call the shots, I'm going to say what's important, and now, you all have to wait on us on the inside."

Its an interesting plot twist. And yeah, I've already seen the conversations elsewhere saying "But where will they go? This is such teenage romance schtick." Its a valid criticism, but I honestly think it's beautiful. From a practical standpoint though, yeah, the innie's are kind of in between a rock and a hard place. I like the theory that the innies will refuse to leave the building until more demands are met. Perhaps Mark S. will demand Helena never be allowed to exist again and Helly will be given complete control over her body...in exchange for him returning to be Mark Scout forever. Only for the reintegration to kick in fully once he finally leaves.

I theorize that Gemma will immediately go to the authorities and we'll see a sociopolitical drama unfold where Lumon tries to once again put out a PR Marketing dumpster fire. Or she'll be sent in to get Mark S. to compromise somehow so she can get her husband back.

Its an amazing show, but damn do I hate how it's become a more modern day Lost. I'm a selfish little plot pig and just want my questions answered now, oink oink, lol.

Anyway, nerd rant over.

So it's discussed in the "after the episode" featurette but I want to highlight the beauty of the four part/four person Mark/Gemma transition scenes.

First we have Mark Scout finally find his wife, but she's an innie. It's tragic that Mark finally finds her, but she isn't her.

Then we get the true reunion. Mark Scout finally finds his wife Gemma. It's what he's been looking for the entire series. But it's tragic that w don't have time to explain or discuss anything.

Then we get two strangers. Mark S and Ms Casey. Sure they're familiar with each other, but they don't really know each other. It's a reminder of how tragic things were in season one, so close and yet so far.

And finally we get the reverse. Mark S and Gemma. Mark S dud his duty and saved Mark Scout's wife. But that isn't his wife. Tragically he can't save the one he loves. Best he can do is run away with Helly, but they have nowhere to actually run.

I just finished the episode, and I don’t know if I’m ready to talk about it yet. But goat lady might be my new favorite character.

The final scene of Mark S and Helly R running down the hall panicked and giddy into a freeze frame zoom quotes Truffaut's The 400 Blows. In that film and several that followed, the character of Antoine Doinel, age 14, represents a younger facet of the director himself. He is an innie Truffaut, if you will, coming of age.

In the climax, the rebellious delinquent Doinel escapes from the reform school to which he has been confined and runs to the ocean. He looks around, without any obvious plan for what to do next, before looking towards camera in a freeze frame zoom that encompasses the uncertainty of his future from here.

On a less literal level, I wonder whether the freeze-frame and fade to red connects back to (outie) Mark and Devon's original after-image plan. We get a fading after-image of Mark S and Helly R and the implied question: "Who is alive?" Besides the literal sense when it referenced Gemma, that's obviously a question that goes to the heart of the show. Who is alive?

Mark Scout didn't act like a loving husband in this finale. If I knew my wife was being held against her will and tortured (which Mark Scout did from what Cobel told him), I would give everything to get her out. Even my own life. He had that choice but never offered it.

Mark Scout could have offered Mark S the body forever. So instead of Mark S "dying" because a lack of a severed floor, it would be Mark Scout. How? Permanent OTC.

Mark Scout didn't know that Cobel was the inventor of Severed technology, but Mark Scout could have asked Cobel if there would be a way to make OTC permanent. Cobel would have been able to make that possible because she invented the technology and even OTC. Heck, once both Mark Scout and Mark S knew that permament OTC was on the table, Mark S could have even offered Helly R permanent OTC. Mark S and Helly R could have had a life together and Gemma would have been freed.

If the cost of freeing my wife was my life, I'd take it immediate without a second thought. Mark Scout didn't.

I’ve been a little mixed about this season, but this was pretty awesome. I felt like the first season ended in a way that opened up so many possibilities for season 2. This episode does the exact same. I have no idea where season 3 will go, but I am excited to find out!

Yeah still processing. Lots of unanswered questions but some cool moments for sure.

Not stoked about cold harbor. Answers no questions, has some weird plot points, and just a super unsatisfying ending. What was the lead in earlier seasons asking if Gemma was more afraid of suffocating or drowning. Also 75 minutes long!? For what? Meh.

So I guess next season Mark and Helly are going to be hiding out on the severed floor while Devon and Gemma team up to break him out?

Now that the season is over, what was with all the babies in the opening credits? Was that just because of the infertility backstory, or maybe they're setting that up for something else? I was certain that there would be weird baby clones of the severed employees revealed at some point this season