SPOILER WARNING: The next article provides away just a few key scenes from Severance. So, in case you are not caught up with the collection, I like to recommend you proceed with warning… until you would one way or the other overlook this text immediately.
I’m now much more grateful for my lately acquired Apple TV+ subscription after trying out Severance, which is at the moment in Season 2. One in every of my favourite issues about this instantaneous basic sci-fi TV present – following company workers whose recollections of their private {and professional} lives are stored separate – is the way in which it chooses songs that brilliantly replicate the collection’ thematic components. One instance that particularly stood out for me is likely one of the most well-known hits by a very iconic rock band.
Within the fourth episode of Severance Season 1 (which continues to lift questions), Mark Scout (Adam Scott) – or, ought to I say, Mark’s outie – attends the funeral of his lately handed coworker, Petey Kilmer (Yul Vazquez), the place a video is proven of him taking part in a rendition of “Enter Sandman” by Metallica along with his daughter, June (Cassidy Layton). The second supplies some first rate levity in an in any other case bleak scene through which Ms. Cobel/Selvig (Patricia Clarkson) discreetly removes the severance chip from Petey’s head. Nevertheless, I feel the track selection additionally has a pertinent and, particularly, darkish function.
Collectively, Petey and June sing the 1991 single’s haunting “Now I lay me right down to sleep…” interlude, which comes from a pre-existing prayer about pleading for a heavenly vacation spot if one had been to cross away whereas unconscious. I imagine that portion of the track was deliberately included to subtly touch upon how being a severed Lumon worker is like going to sleep with out understanding what occurs to you on the opposite aspect. It’s a horrifying thought that lends superbly to Severance’s ominous tone and reinforces how Lumon’s coverage is, to be frank, fairly fucked up.
After all, I can’t discuss Severance’s “Enter Sandman” second with out speaking about one other latest iconic Metallica needledrop, which was additionally one other probably the greatest makes use of of music on TV in 2022. Clearly, I’m speaking about probably the greatest musical moments on Stranger Issues: the “Grasp of Puppets” sequence.
The thrilling scene from the extreme Stranger Issues Season 4 finale sees Joseph Quinn’s Eddie Munson carry out a face-melting rendition of the title monitor from Metallica’s 1986 album to lure a swarm of “Demo-bats” away from Vecna’s hideout within the Upside Down. Regardless that Eddie must be an actual virtuoso to be taught “Grasp of Puppets” so quickly after its launch, and he finally suffered a heartbreaking, sacrificial destiny, Metallica themselves agreed with Dustin’s (Gaten Matarazzo) declare that it was the “most metallic [thing] ever!”
Different Amusing Needledrops On Severance
Whereas Stranger Issues’ “Grasp of Puppets” scene was simply extra iconic than something in Severance, I’m extra impressed total with the placing symbolic nature of the Apple TV+ authentic TV present’s track decisions. As an example, for his retirement get together, Burt G.’s outie (Christopher Walken) chooses to play Paul Anka’s “Instances of Your Life,” which is about gathering and cherishing one’s most joyful recollections – a luxurious the innies wouldn’t have after leaving Lumon.
There’s additionally one from the Severance Season 2 premiere (which impressed some wild fan theories) that took me some deep considering to grasp the potential thematic relevance of. The episode ends with The Allergic reactions’ “God Walked Down,” which samples a lyric from Son Home’s “John The Revelator” about Adam’s disgrace after committing authentic sin with Eve, which jogged my memory of Milchick’s (Tramell Tillman) clearly facetious declare that Lumon is “ashamed” of the innies’ mistreatment that led to the Macrodat Rebellion. After all, on the flip aspect, the innies are additionally returning to work like regular however with their very own agenda to raised perceive the corporate and their outies.
There are numerous causes I sit up for the subsequent episode of Severance each Friday – corresponding to who would possibly cameo subsequent after Keanu Reeves’ hilarious function because the personification of the Lumon workplace. Nevertheless, the music is definitely close to the highest of that checklist.