‘Severance’ creator breaks down that shocking finale
The 'Severance’ season 2 finale was full of shocking twists and lingering questions
Severance Season 2 came to a shocking end, bringing answers to several questions while raising dozens more.
Written by the series creator and showrunner Dan Erickson and directed by the executive producer, Ben Stiller, the episode was titled Cold Harbor.
Discussing the first ever meeting between Innie and Outie mark, Erickson told Forbes, “That was something I always wanted to do. I think it’s very interesting that it happens at this point on the show. Because Innie Mark is, at this point, in his development where he’s come to realize that he himself is a person. He has value, he has love in his life, he has friends, and he has community. So the fact that this happens to be when his Outie shows up suddenly wanting something from him and, in fact, expecting him to basically give up his life so that the Outie can have his wife back, it’s something that an earlier, less evolved version of Innie Mark might have been willing to do. But this guy has some questions about it, and it was one of my favorite things we’ve ever shot. I had no idea if it would work until it was done. When you’re shooting a scene like that, it doesn’t feel like it’s going to feel [when it’s done].”
About the reveal concerning the real reason behind MDR’s work, he remarked, “That’s something I think we had built toward, and some people had kind of — at least partially — come to, which is this idea that the different clusters of numbers and the way that they make you feel align with the Four Tempers; and that these are the essential building blocks of a human being. I always thought there was something beautiful in the fact that when Mark was staring at the screen, at this sea of numbers he doesn’t understand, he was [actually] looking into his wife’s soul. These were pieces of her that he was able to skillfully find because he knows her so well and because of their connection. There was something equal parts beautiful and horrible in that, but at the same time, he's kind of ripping her soul apart and making these other versions of her without realizing what he's doing. It’s that thing where there’s something sweet and something truly nightmarish. That’s Severance for you, I guess.”
On Innie Mark choosing to stay, he added, “It represents him choosing his own life and his own identity and prioritizing that over the needs of his Outie. I think that it’s been a long journey for him to get there. I think it’s noteworthy that the first thing we see this season is him coming out of the elevator and running straight to Wellness to see if Ms. Casey is there — as opposed to going to MDR to see if Helly and his friends are there. Because I think at that point in his journey, he still sees himself as living for his Outie, which is what he’s always been trained to believe.”
