Spoilers under for anybody who hasn’t but watched the most recent episode of Severance with an Apple TV+ subscription, so be warned and vigilant!
Regardless of showing for only some complete minutes of screentime in Season 1, Severance’s Dichen Lachman has nearly positively nonetheless fueled as many fan theories as a lot of the streaming hit’s regulars. (Comparable to this principle about MDR’s goal.) Gemma and Mark’s relationship stays a thriller unto itself, however “Chikhai Bardo,” which can little question change into some of the emotionally harrowing episodes to hit the 2025 TV schedule, fortunately offered loads of clue-filled flashbacks and easter eggs.
Particularly, flashbacks completely confirming that Lumon has been a part of this couple and different locals’ lives for longer than first assumed, and in methods which might be additionally maybe extra invasive than predicted. Gemma and Mark’s meet-cute on the blood drive (which hinges on the belief that later twists received’t reveal a previous secret shared historical past) was shortly tainted by it being a Lumon-sponsored occasion, as evidenced by the water drop emblem that was additionally on outstanding displayed on the fertility clinic.
Talking with Selection, Dichen Lachman addressed the episode exhibiting viewers simply how a lot of a stronghold Lumon has on the area people, and shared her personal self-admittedly unfounded principle concerning the firm’s direct ties to Gemma and Mark. In her phrases:
They’ve positively been watching them for a very long time. My principle is that it has one thing to do with Lumon deciding to select this couple and monitor them. You additionally see Dr. Mauer on the fertility clinic — he simply walks by. The entire world is Lumon. Even Pip’s is owned by Lumon. My principle is that they picked one thing up with Gemma’s blood work when she went to the fertility clinic, and that’s acquired one thing to do with why they picked Mark and Gemma.
Contemplating how usually actors on mystery-driven exhibits are compelled to maintain quiet about main plots, and infrequently keep away from sharing their very own speculative concepts, Dichen Lachman is a breath of recent, outside-the-building air for voicing these beliefs about her character. I really like the horrifying thought of Lumon is behind each medical establishment within the cities of Kier and Ganz, and that they are actually selecting the residents who most align with their objectives, and manipulating their lives nonetheless potential to achieve these objectives.
All that stated, if it is Gemma’s blood that originally captured Lumon execs’ consideration, that would not essentially clarify why Mark appears to be the important thing worker who’s getting his wants met, whereas Gemma is trapped in an existential torture chamber. Mark’s significance is probably going tied to why Helena selected to sleep with him in the course of the puzzling ORTBO tour, however once more does not (seemingly) tie into Gemma’s personal DNA.
The Mysterious Easter Egg That Followers Would possibly Have Missed
Severance practically broke my mind with the flat-out reveal that severed workers aren’t essentially restricted to only one Innie, however can seemingly have their psyche’s cut up into at the least six separate and standalone personalities. It is by no means a superb factor to understand, nonetheless, since Robby Benson’s creepshow Dr. Mauer appears to be infatuated with turning into a much bigger a part of Gemma’s life/lives, regardless of her timeless hope of reuniting with Mark.
“How far does that infatuation go?” one would possibly ask. Nicely, some very cleverly positioned easter egg materials is likely to be a sign, and I’d have utterly missed this if Dichen Lachman hadn’t pointed it out:
I seen that the Christmas tree tinsel within the Christmas room [on Lumon’s Testing Floor] is similar as Mark and Gemma’s Christmas tree of their front room. I discussed that to the writers, they usually didn’t verify or deny something.
One lower-tier rule of Severance at this level is, “Should you see a barely out-of-context object or idea as soon as, you may in all probability see it used once more in a very totally different means.” And that apparently can apply to Christmas tree tinsel.
As Lachman famous, the tree that is lit up inside the “thanks card” room does certainly share a distinctly comparable look to the embellished tree that Gemma and Mark had up of their dwelling. Although tinsel itself is not such a standout element, the particular means it is dangled from the sides of all of the tree branches definitely is.
So what does this truly imply? On the very least, it means Dr. Mauer has photographic or video proof of Gemma and Mark’s previous vacation decorations, which does not essentially require evildoing to come up with. However the worst-case state of affairs is likely to be that he coaxed that info out of Gemma, solely to use it and different particulars to her Innie’s low-key torture. Or that Dr. Mauer was already spying on the couple on the time, and gained entry to a number of the precise tinsel that they placed on their tree that 12 months. I do not wish to take into consideration that final result.
What Dichen Lachman Thinks About Mark Saying He Recognized Gemma’s Lifeless Physique
One of the crucial complicated components behind Mark and Gemma’s doomed relationship has been the concept that Mark’s stance on Gemma’s destiny was embedded in having to ID her physique after the still-unexplained automotive “accident.” Certainly somebody who’d seen his spouse’s corpse would not be mistaken about it, proper?
Not so quick. Lachman agrees with my very own private concept that if Mark did see the true Gemma’s physique, she was underneath the affect of one thing that made her look like lifeless and unmoving. Because the actress put it:
My principle is that they gave her some Shakespearean potion, that Lumon has made salves and balms and stuff. Perhaps it’s one thing that stops your heartbeat and respiration for sufficient time to faux her dying. . . . If Mark noticed Gemma utterly charred up, he would possibly truly assume Devon’s proper, as a result of the physique wouldn’t have regarded like Gemma. He would have seen a charred physique. In order that’s my principle.
Can we get Dichen Lachman to speak about every kind of different Severance principle subjects to see what else she provides up? Even when she is not talking for the writers and different creatives, listening to her concepts is extraordinarily attention-grabbing and precious for theory-mongering followers who can solely take so many meticulously worded feedback from John Turturro and Adam Scott.
Severance streams new episodes on Apple TV+ each Friday, with none ensures that solutions are coming earlier than Season 2 wraps. But when they do arrive, you may wager I will be the primary to leap into writing that thanks observe.