[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Severance Season 2 Episode 8, “Sweet Vitriol.”]
After Severance‘s deep-dive into Mark (Adam Scott) and Gemma’s (Dichen Lachman) shared historical past in final week’s installment, Season 2 turned its sights to Patricia Arquette‘s Concord Cobell as she arrived in Salt’s Neck for, “Candy Vitriol.”
Filmed amid the picturesque landscapes of Newfoundland, the coldness of Concord’s bleak upbringing was palpable as she reacquainted herself with the world harking back to as we speak’s rust cities. It seems that Salt Neck was the positioning of one among Lumon’s largest ether factories, which has left the lingering inhabitants devastated by ensuing drug dependencies.
Observing one man as he huffs the ether huddling into the shelter of an deserted car, Concord takes within the disturbing state of affairs whereas brushing her enamel after dwelling in her automotive since her departure from the clutches of her former employer. Hitting up Salt Neck’s greasy spoon, Concord seeks assist from the proprietor and former Lumon worker, a person named Hampton (James Le Gros).
Assembly by the deserted factories, Concord explains she wants to go to her Sissy (Jane Alexander), who has grow to be a city pariah, however with out Lumon figuring out as she worries about being tracked. He reluctantly agrees to drive her to the secluded dwelling, which she primarily bursts into when Sissy opens the door.
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It seems that Concord is searching for one thing, however Sissy claims she threw out Concord’s belongings. Finally, frustration takes over and Concord finds herself breaking into her late mom’s deserted bed room, the place she seeks consolation in laying atop the dusty hospital cot whereas respiration by her different’s saved respiration tube. Finally, Hampton checks on her and she or he’s moved sufficient to proceed her search.
It’s clear from an change of phrases between Sissy and Concord that they by no means actually noticed eye-to-eye, particularly when it got here to Concord and her mom, as Concord directs her harshness in direction of the ageing girl who supposedly oversaw Concord and different little one employees for Lumon.
In the end, Concord finds what she’s been searching for in a secret space for storing underground, the place she’d stashed notebooks detailed with blueprints of her design for the severance system as a former Wintertide Scholarship recipient (a.ok.a. the equal of Ms. Huang’s present gig). Confronting Sissy as soon as once more, she tells the indoctrinated girl that she’s the one who designed the nice gadgets that Jame and different Eagans have been credited with.
Sissy makes an attempt to burn the paperwork, which Concord holds onto tightly. However what’s Concord’s subsequent transfer now that she has some damning proof that goes towards Lumon’s public persona? We get a style when she lastly solutions the decision of Devon (Jen Tullock) who had been repeatedly ringing her over the telephone over the course of the episode. Beneath, Arquette breaks down Concord’s return to Salt Neck, her driving motivations, and what could possibly be subsequent after that cliffhanger ending.
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We observe Concord to Salt’s Neck, her dilapidated hometown. How did it really feel to dig deeper into her historical past there and the city itself whereas filming in Newfoundland, Canada?
Patricia Arquette: Yeah, we’ve been speaking about that with the writers because the starting. Concerning the historical past that Concord had together with her mother and the ether manufacturing facility, how her mother had grow to be a drug addict, how many individuals Concord had misplaced alongside the way in which, and the way this city had been poisoned environmentally. It was very nice to have the ability to present that. I’d by no means been to Newfoundland earlier than, it’s so distant and eliminated that it’s maintained a variety of its personal authenticity. There’s nonetheless an Irish brogue there from when all of those fishermen had moved there on the flip of the century. There’s particular meals that’s very old school. It’s very far out.
They’ll speak about the way it’ll be snowy a lot of the 12 months, however how robust ladies are. This one girl was giving beginning. She went into labor and she or he needed to drive her skidoo herself, 45 minutes to the emergency room by the snowstorm. It’s like a frozen time frame, these factories which are closed down, and the commercial age. And I imply, it’s a actually attention-grabbing vortex not like the rest. The persons are so candy.
Is Salt’s Neck consultant of all cities touched by Lumon, or do you suppose it’s consultant of a unique period?
Effectively, I imply, I believe if we took a web page out of different companies, there’s a historical past of environmental poisoning throughout industrialization from totally different companies, after which they’ll clear up their act and their PR and behave a sure means in a single place, however then there’ll be one other testing floor. How do they behave in Indonesia, China, or India? What are they experimenting with in Africa and all these various things? So it actually begs the query, no matter selections these companies are making, oftentimes it’s clearly financial, proper? And who’re they impacting and who do they consciously or subconsciously take into account have extra worth or is extra harmful due to scrutiny.
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The place does Concord’s resentment for her aunt come from? Is it extra in regards to the time she misplaced together with her personal mom or the indoctrination into the Kier life-style?
Effectively, I believe her aunt may be very puritanical in a means and has for a really very long time been punishing Concord’s mom. Even in her loss of life, she’s nonetheless punishing her life. Concord and her mom have been by no means as much as [par] so far as her aunt is anxious. And whereas I believe two issues have occurred, one Concord does love Kier, however in the identical means Sissy, her aunt has introduced this different ugly component. It’s kind of like how some folks love the story of Jesus or Jesus’ mission of affection, however then they don’t like sure features of latest sorts of Evangelical folks or one thing. Concord feels she has her personal form of a relationship with this Kier factor that’s totally different than what her aunt is attempting to power upon her. Does that make sense?
Sure, it’s all about interpretation, and it looks as if her aunt can be on the extremist spectrum.
Yeah. And I believe as a lot as Concord actually disliked her aunt, it’s additionally a bonding factor that they each share, which may be very unusual. It’s additionally a means that Concord is all the time attempting to get the love she’ll by no means get from her household and the acceptance from her household by her dedication to Kier. Nevertheless it doesn’t matter what Concord does, it doesn’t matter if Concord does one thing spectacular and unimaginable that adjustments every thing for Lumon. She’ll by no means get that acceptance or love both from Lumon or from her aunt.
What’s Concord’s motivation for having retrieved these paperwork from the Kier bust?
Effectively, I believe she has a variety of hostility in direction of this new guard, and I believe she desires to show her place. She’s very offended about being usurped utterly by Milchick and solid out when she feels that this firm actually owes her they usually’re simply disrespecting her in this type of means. So I believe she desires to show her place and use it as a bargaining chip to barter what she desires. Additionally, it’s harmful for them. She will expose loads.
Devon is asking Concord all through the episode. What drives her to lastly reply and what are you able to tease about that state of affairs shifting ahead?
I believe, regardless of her scientific thoughts and her dedication to this company, she does have a weak spot for Mark and Gemma and this type of story. I believe that there’s a unconscious shadow of it in her personal self together with her love of her mother and shedding her mother. So she’s enjoying one thing out with Mark. But additionally I believe as a lot as she is a devotee, to Kier, she is also all the time considering she is aware of greatest. So she’s parlaying this type of info to proceed doing the analysis she desires to do, which is a mission on Mark.
Concord’s hospital tubing is lastly defined on this episode as she revisits her mom’s bed room and hospital mattress. Is that cathartic second needed for her to maneuver ahead now?
I believe it’s humorous how life will kick your ass to the very backside of the barrel, and you then form of have to take a look at the stuff that you simply’ve been operating away from not wanting to take a look at, not making peace with. And it’s an origin story for her. It’s so necessary, it’s so basic to every thing that she does on this story that I believe it was essential for her to return there. And in addition within the second the place Lumon took every thing away from her, it was like, properly, are you able to go dwelling? No, you’ll be able to’t. Every part’s burnt to the bottom. Every part sucks. Everytime you’re in that second of an enormous transformation, you would possibly attempt to run again to one thing, however it’s gone.
What are you able to inform us in regards to the nature of Concord’s relationship with the person from her previous (performed by James Le Gros)? He’s initially proof against serving to her, however he ultimately caves, why?
Effectively, I believe they have been first loves. They usually each have this coldness inside them from their expertise as children. I believe the way in which that they have been raised was a lot harsher than Ms. Haung’s as a result of I believe that was in the end an enormous PR nightmare. However there’s coldness between them from their historical past and Concord hurting and abandoning him. After which there’s additionally a coldness between them as a result of they needed to undertake that after they have been children. That was their model to get by this. Be powerful, be chilly, be onerous. This can be a harsh panorama inside. So I believe he’s hostile as a result of she damage him and he’s hostile as a result of he hates being up there, and there’s simply a variety of anger simmering below the floor.
Severance, Season 2, Fridays, Apple TV+