By: Poppy Pinkster
Illustration by: Paavas Bansal
Severance is a treatise to the pervasion of modern day corporatism in all aspects of our lives – it does not take an avid interest in political theory for viewers to note the similarity between ‘Mark S‘ and ‘Marx’. Our unassuming protagonist navigates both endless corridors and the quite literal alienation of his labour in the sterile, soulless environment of Lumon. Both of his severed forms are in pursuit of knowledge: whilst Mark S’ work is enshrined as “mysterious and important”, his desire to peel back wool from his eyes grows stronger.
Severance’s core themes do not shy away from corporate tensions. The centrality of unionising to the climax of season one is case in point; as the employees of Macro Data Refinement rally fraternisation across the labyrinth of isolated departments, they become a tangible threat to the oppressive administration and attempt to take labour into their own hands. This poses a question to the meta – pun intended – aspect of the show which grapples with the ethicality of large corporations.
Only available to watch on Apple TV, one can stew over the implications of this in the show’s message indefinitely. Currently, it is Apple’s most-viewed show ever, undoubtedly drawing in new viewership and subscription. The irony of this is not lost on Season One’s finale episode, where the rebellious ‘innie’ Helly R infiltrates the Lumon company gala. Awash with parallels to Apple’s corporate identity – from the clean fonts and sleek minimalist graphics to the attendance of increasingly technocratic public figures – Severance begins to poke the bear.
In his work ‘Capitalist Realism’, Mark Fischer (2009) uses Robert Pfaller’s concept of interpassivity to demonstrate how anticapitalist and rebellious themes in media “[allow] us to consume with impunity”, by exorcising the desire for us – in fiction rather than reality. It draws us back to the question of whether we can work against capitalist structures from the inside, or if we really are severed from revolutionary potential. As Severance’s comedic relief Dr Ricken Hale points out in one of his more thoughtful moments: “should you find yourself contorting to fit a system, dear reader, stop, and ask if it’s truly you that must change, or the system.”
And yet I sit here, having expended my free trials of Apple TV, writing from my MacBook.
Severance is a slick, multifaceted, and well paced show, stacked with a stellar cast and an innate originality. It is a remarkable watch. However, it finds itself walking a tightrope. Its core themes will require careful handling to transcend the irony that could leave it falling flat. The tail end of season 2, and a potential season 3 have a lot to tackle – both inside and outside.
Fisher, Mark (2009). Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative?. Zer0 Classics.
