Gemma is at the front and centre of Severance season 2 episode 7. Here are our thoughts on the latest installment.
I’m just going to come out and say it: I have absolutely no idea what’s going on in Severance season 2. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thoroughly enjoying this season, I’m just a little lost on what it’s trying to achieve.
This week’s episode brings a nice change to Severance’s usual tricks. From its very first moments, it’s clear this episode will be different. Firstly, the camera moves organically, freely as we follow Gemma on her way to a blood donation event where she meets Mark. That’s right, Mark’s thought-to-be dead wife is the episode’s main focus – and what a treat that is. We see the two meet, fall in love, get pregnant and so on.
These segments are in stark contrast to the white walls and static camera of the severed floor. They even look like they were shot on film, but could also just be an effect added to the footage in post-production. Whatever it is, it’s a nice change of pace and shows that showrunner Dan Erickson isn’t afraid to change things up. The episode is certainly one of the most ambitious episodes in a season that is full of them. Severance season 2 is a much bolder affair than season 1, and in an era where we’re spoiled rotten with great TV, it’s an impressive feat.
The more confusing stuff is what happens to Gemma at Lumon in the present. The timeline here is intentionally vague, but it seems that Gemma is being held at Lumon against her will. Every day she is led to different rooms where she’ll be forced to write endless amounts of Christmas thank you notes, experiencing a plane crash or going to the dentist. However, once she comes out of the room, she can never remember what happened in it. She only has toothache or an aching hand to give her an idea of what might have just taken place.
One of those rooms is titled Cold Harbor. It’s something that’s been mentioned several times this season and we’ve gathered it’s some sort of project that Mark is about to complete. What kind of project, you may ask? No idea. Why is Gemma being held at Lumon? Again, not a clue. The episode is titled Chikhai Bardo, which is a Buddhist term meaning the first stage of death – the stage between life and death. That sounds ominous.
I’ve mentioned this a few times before, so I apologise for repeating it again, but Severance’s insistence at posing questions rather than answering them is starting to wear me down. Where is this going? What’s the endgame here? A Lumon employee promises Gemma that she’ll “see the world again and the world will see you”, but also says she’s “siring” a world. Dichen Lachman, who plays Gemma, has had a slightly thankless role so far in the season, so episode 7 gives her an opportunity to shine and she certainly doesn’t waste a single second of that.
As we learn more about Lumon, especially the mysterious founder of the company, Kier Eagan, the more it begins to resemble a cult. In fact, most of episode 7 plays out like a horror film as Gemma is led from room to room to suffer different terrible situations. Severance season 2 leans heavily into surrealism and it certainly works, but at some point, I’m going to need more answers.
We’re slowly but surely heading towards a season finale that has no way of answering everything in a satisfying manner. Ben Stiller has already confirmed they’re planning season 3, although one hasn’t been officially greenlit by Apple, but the gap between the first two seasons was a long one. Are audiences prepared to wait another couple of years before learning what’s going on at Lumon? The story here is strong and intriguing, but is it strong enough to stretch our patience so thin?
Severance premieres new episodes each Friday on AppleTV+
