Belief “Severance” followers to go away no stone unturned.
Forward of Season 2, Episode 9, “The After Hours,” eagle-eyed viewers seen that the most recent installment of Dan Erickson’s Apple TV+ thriller shares its identify with a chapter of “The Twilight Zone” from 1960. TV episodes have the identical names on a regular basis, not least as a result of their sheer quantity in existence and customary phrases that repeat (Season 1’s “Cover and Search” shares its title with episodes from “Journey Time” and “Bluey”) — however one thing as integral to sci-fi tv as “The Twilight Zone” deserves additional exploration.
“The Twilight Zone” Season 1, Episode 34 stars Anne Francis as Marsha White, a lady looking out a division retailer for a gold thimble when she begins to expertise eerie issues on its ninth flooring. All the space is abandoned and empty of merchandise, apart from precisely what she wants. The girl who helps her seems to be be a model. Oh and yeah — there isn’t a ninth flooring.
“The After Hours” invokes rapid “Severance” parallels, however first to the current “Chikhai Bardo,” which revealed that Gemma (Dichen Lachman) is alive and properly within the Lumon sub-basement, being subjected to perverse experiments and routine torture. Formally, the sub-basement most likely doesn’t exist. The MDR staff has searched the ground and requested for solutions however has nonetheless not come any nearer (apart from our pricey departed Irving B., who left behind detailed directions which have but to yield outcomes). And the individuals down there? Dr. Mauer (Robby Benson) has at the least appeared elsewhere, however what about Sandra Bernhard’s mysterious nurse? Are we certain she’s not a model?
Finally (spoilers from 1960 forward), Marsha learns that she, too, is a model; for one month of the 12 months, she and her fellow statues take turns residing within the human world. She stayed a day too lengthy and skilled disorientation earlier than remembering her actuality (the stability must be revered!), and the saleswoman (Elizabeth Allen) helped her to take action. It’s a direct distinction with Gemma’s predicament, the place she’s ceaselessly gaslit by everybody round her (principally Mauer, who can “devour feculence”). In “The Twilight Zone,” all the opposite mannequins come to life to ease Marsha again into normalcy, and so they cheerfully ship off the saleswoman when it’s her flip.
However the true thread between “The After Hours” and “The After Hours” is how being outdoors made Marsha really feel. She forgets that she’s not human, and he or she needs extra — the identical manner that Dylan (Zach Cherry) can not bear the restrictions of life as an Innie after assembly his Outie’s spouse Gretchen (Merritt Wever), the way in which Irving (John Turturro) couldn’t return to his routine after shedding Burt (Christopher Walken), the way in which Mark was pushed to reintegrate after studying that Gemma is alive.
“Whenever you’re on the skin, the whole lot appears so regular,” Marsha says in “The Twilight Zone.” Life was comparatively regular for the Outies in “Severance,” however that’s turning into a factor of the previous in Season 2. “The After Hours” sees Dylan rankled by Gretchen’s lie, Irving able to run away together with his love, and Mark taking the assistance of Concord Cobel (Patricia Arquette), of all individuals, to assist in his quest for Gemma. Even Milchick (Tramell Tillman) snaps and talks again to his superior. Not so regular on the market anymore!
In the long run, Marsha doesn’t push again within the slightest about returning to her unique kind. Whereas her comrade descends the elevator into the human world, she quietly admits, “It was a lot enjoyable.” In a warped manner, Gemma would agree; after being held hostage for thus lengthy within the sub-basement — together with her time on the Severed flooring as Miss Casey — her time with Mark and all life earlier than Lumon should really feel like a weird dream and break from actuality. Mauer, the nurse, the rooms — these are her actuality now, and the time above? It was a lot enjoyable.
The Season 2 finale of “Severance” premieres Thursday, March 20 on Apple TV+. “The Twilight Zone” is offered to stream on Paramount+.