“Severance is subjugation, asshole.” Blind Consent in Severance Season 1

If you haven’t already binged the TV series, Severance, on Apple+ and managed to diligently miss the spoilers strewn across media, now would be the time to join the rest of the world. Severance, created by Dan Erickson, is one of the few rare gemstones packed with rich parallels and political undertones decidedly worth unpacking. With its unmistakeably beautiful cinematography, uncanny narrative style, and mind-bending plot twists, Severance takes the typical dystopian narrative and merges it into a modern-day psychological thriller that has you gripping the edge of your seat.

Severance takes place from the perspective of Mark Scout (Adam Scott) who works for the vaguely ominous mega-conglomerate, Lumon. The show revolves around a new initiation introduced by Lumon in which employees can opt to undergo a surgical procedure that splits their consciousness into two: a work self, referred to as the “innie,” and a home self, referred to as the “outie.” Both identities are aware that the other exists but have no memory of each other. The Macrodata Refinement (M.D.R) department, where Mark works, consists of three others: Irving B. (John Turturro), Dylan G. (Zach Cherry), and Petey K. (Yul Vazquez). The show begins in the aftermath of Petey’s mysterious departure, after a new hire, Helly (Britt Lower) comes to replace him. Unable to adjust to office life, Helly sets the terrifyingly desolate atmosphere at M.D.R. into a frenzy by demanding answers about herself and her job. Inadvertently, her resistance propels the rest of her team into an existential crisis. Most chilling about Severance is the absolute emptiness and stillness evident in most of its scenes. Although the story unravels slowly, each episode intentionally builds and deconstructs its understanding of reality, creating an atmosphere that simply brims with the sensation of collapse. Nothing is what it seems, and everything is at stake.

So, Let’s Talk About Consent

Unsurprisingly, outside of Lumon, severance is faced with skepticism; Mark’s sister’s friends passively set the tone when they attempt to understand his decision to sever. However, what becomes abundantly clear is the blurry nature of determining what exactly Mark has gotten himself into. We learn quickly that Mark’s decision to sever his two selves was instigated by the death of his wife, a fact that complicates understanding of choice and subjugation. When challenging Mark’s situation, terminology such as “trapped” becomes much more complicated; Patton himself doubles back on his wording: “Well, I mean, not trapped, but…” (00:41:20, episode 1). “But what?” Mark responds, and it is this very question that looms over the rest of the show.

As the series progresses, what it means to make a choice becomes much more nuanced. It is true, all of the employees working on the Severance floor have volunteered to be here; however, where the knowledge of choice brought Mark a semblance of comfort, even that becomes tainted with uncertainty as Helly refuses to adapt to her job. In its own unravelling system, Severance skillfully disguises the precarious nature of saying yes. Moreover, it comments on the ease with which one can remove themselves of their own rights. Equivalent to signing a contract, severance demonstrates the nefarious use of ambiguous terminology in the corporate world. Severance is a dystopia, but it is one that plants itself in the present, taking a satirical (and exaggerated) stance on the ways in which mega-corporations overtake and control individuals. The show considers the role of work-life balance, but it also explores the underlying repercussions of signing agreements at the expense of worker’s rights. Lumon doesn’t try to hide it; what the company wants is mindless obedience and competence.

Mark: Are you mad at me?

Cobel: For the incompetence or the disobedience?

Mark: Well…

Cobel: Yes! (00:29:10-00:29:18, episode 1)

On top of Lumon’s hyper-surveillance and total control of both selves of their employees, Severance also highlights the ways in which complicity and accountability are transferred onto individual workers through blind consent (this is most evident in the Break Room scene at the end of episode 3 and beginning of episode 4 where disobedient workers are disciplined by being forced to repeat an apology statement). Once again, Severance explores how current corporate regimes evade liability by exploiting their willing and unknowing workers. So, when Helly asks: “Am I trapped here?” It seems fitting that Mark answers with the most terrifying response: “In what way?”