Spoilers ahead for the “Severance” Season 2 finale.
“Choreography and merriment” is in the building.
“Severance” Season 2 has an astonishing ending that’s a supersized thrill ride – and, it’s more of a bloodbath than anyone might expect from a show that’s mostly set in an office.
The Season 2 finale, called “Cold Harbor,” features a sequence that should win Adam Scott an Emmy.
During the scene, his two personas, “Innie” Mark and “Outie” Mark, have a “conversation” with each other. Scott expertly toggles between them in quick succession.
The episode includes thrilling action and even a dramatic death – but during this quiet scene, as Mark argues with “himself” about which Mark deserves the life he wants, it’s just as riveting as the splashier stuff that comes later.
When he goes to the office, there’s a celebration to commemorate Mark completing his “historic” 25th file. An automaton version of Lumon founder Kier comes out to talk to him – before verbally sparring with Milchick (Trammell Tillman, who also should take home an Emmy for Season 2).
The Kier robot moment is a trademark scene of Lumon being weird, which seems like a bottomless well. “Severance” shows no signs of running out of steam, as far creatively as plumbing the depths of Lumon’s penchant for the bizarre. “Severance” clearly relishes these moments, which makes them fun to watch.
As the office continues celebrating Mark’s achievement, the show reveals that Lumon has a “Choreography and Merriment” department, which consists of an entire marching band performing a musical number. (What do the employees of this department do in between celebrating Lumon employee’s random accomplishments? Maybe they should get a spin-off show).
This is a barn-burner of a sequence. It’s visually dazzling, it’s got the signature “Severance” uncanny quality – a marching band looks so out of place in an office, the strangeness is arresting.
And, it’s a perfect way for Season 2 to call back to one of Season 1’s best scenes (the “music dance experience”) while also taking a different spin on it, so that the show doesn’t repeat itself.
Plus, it gives Milchick another excuse to dance.
As the marching band performs, Mark uses the chaos to slip away to the “testing floor” and try to free Gemma / Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman), his wife, who has been trapped there.
Along the way, Lorne (Gwendoline Christie) returns, and it’s revealed that the goats are being raised to slaughter, in a modern version of a “sacrificial lamb” type of ritual.
This answers a major plot question (about what the goats are being used for), but there are still lingering questions about why.
When Drummond (Darri Ólafsson), who is top brass at Lumon, catches Mark on the “testing floor,” they get into a fight, and Lorne joins in.
Christie is best known for playing the warrior woman Brienne on “Game of Thrones,” where she had an iconic fight scene with The Hound (Rory McCann). It’s a blast to watch her beat up a huge man. So it seems like a waste to feature her on a show without having her fight. Earlier in the season, when “Severance” first introduced Lorne, it seemed like the show might not be taking advantage of the full scope of what Christie can bring to a show – but, false alarm!
It’s an unexpected delight for “Severance” to suddenly turn into “Game of Thrones” and feature a fight that visually echoes the iconic “Brienne versus The Hound” battle.
The violent scuffle ends with Mark accidentally killing Drummond. It’s not a clean death, but a bloodbath, as Mark stabs him in the throat. Drummond gushes blood all over Mark, and all over the sterile white hallways of Lumon.
The visual of the blood splattering all over the show’s pristine white hallways is striking.
Mark successfully rescues Gemma, but along the way, he turns back into “Innie Mark,” who loves Helly (Britt Lower), not Gemma.
So, when Gemma screams and cries for Mark to come with her as she leaves the building, he hesitates, then turns away and stays with Helly.
It’s the ultimate modern version of Orpheus and Eurydice (Greek mythology geeks get it).
The episode ends on the eye-catching image of Mark and Helly covered in blood, running through the signature white hallways, shellshocked by everything that’s happened, but together.
“Cold Harbor” is an off-the walls episode that answers several plot questions, raises others and features a mix of emotional moments, oddities, and surprising action and violence.
It continues to prove that “Severance” is unlike anything else on TV, and isn’t afraid to take big swings. That’s why, despite its (few) flaws, it’s the most outstanding show currently airing.
Apple TV+ hasn’t formally announced a Season 3 renewal, yet.
