Plot: What’s it about?
The tagline for the 1999 comedy Office Space said it best – “Work sucks.” And it does. I mean who really wants to trope to an office every day and give a third of it to doing something you most likely don’t care about (who someone else profits from)? If you answered “Yes” to any of those questions, you need help. Ok, maybe that’s a bit extreme, but you get the idea. Taking a trip back to 2022, I had two television shows that stood out. This is one and the final season of Better Call Saul being the other – it finally put a bow on the entire Breaking Bad universe…from the beginning. Though I had no prior knowledge of this show, I subscribe to Apple TV and saw the banner ad. And I was instantly hooked. Add to that the cast which is headlined by Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, John Turturro and Christopher Walken and, well, you’ve got something special. The icing on the cake is that most of the episodes are directed by Ben Stiller. What’s not to love?
Though it’s never really said, I’m assuming this takes place somewhere in Colorado. Ultimately it’s not important. We meet Mark (Adam Scott) a man who’s lost his wife in a car accident a few years prior and in an effort to try and forget about her, decides to work for local megacorp Lumon. Think of it like an Apple, IBM, Microsoft, etc. He works in Microdata Research and part of his job required he get an implant in his brain. He literally walks into work and forgets his outside life and vice-versa when he’s done for the day. I think it goes without saying that most of us wish we could do that. His team consists of Irving (John Turturro), new hire Helly (Britt Lower) and Dylan (Zach Cherry). They spend their days doing…something, though neither we nor them know what it is. They also spend their days trying to placate the higher-ups: Seth (Tramell Tillman) and Harmony (Patricia Arquette). Things begin to change when a former employee, Petey (Yul Vazquez) manages to “re-intergrate” thereby causing chaos and opening Mark’s eyes to what may or may not be happening at Lumon.
To tell any more would be to give away particular plot points and I don’t wish to do that. Suffice it to say that there’s plenty of twists and turns, lots of questions and very few answers. But if you’ve ever been a slave to the corporate world and have questioned why something happen the way they do, this might raise an eyebrow (perhaps even both)! Is a Chinese finger trap or a five minute office party ample compensation for a job well done? You tell me. But what Severance does is make you think. There’s certainly more going on here than meets the eye and though I’m usually not a fan of cliffhanger endings, they somehow seem to work here.
Video: How’s it look?
The visuals play a key part in this series. Truthfully, I suppose the visuals play a key part in everything we see, but the eerie symmetry creates the perfect atmosphere for the show. I used to work at the Social Security Administration as a contractor and, let me tell you, those long white hallways with neon lights above are no joke – it’s like something straight out of 2001. And the series is bleak. You don’t see blue sky, rather an overcast grey atmosphere that gives off a weird vibe. The entire atmosphere is so sterile it does provoke a response. Of course, the 2.28:1 AVC HD encode showcase this in all its glory. Flesh tones, though a bit on the washed out side, are spot on and detail is spot on perfect. The show certainly has a unique look to it, contrast it with something like The White Lotus and you’ll get an idea as what to expect.
Audio: How’s it sound?
To say that this series is dialogue-driven is something of an understatement. Though you might occasionally get a few chords here and there, it’s about the spoken word. Vocals are crisp, clean and sharp and for whatever reason both John Turturro and Patricia Arquette’s characters seem to talk like 1940’s movie stars (you’ll understand when you hear them speak). Having said that, the DTS HD Master Audio has no trouble handling what’s thrown at it. While it might not shake the room, it provides a great atmoshere.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Here’s hoping you like the series (and you should), because we’re coming up empty on the supplemental features.
The Bottom Line
After about 5 minutes of watching this my wife said “This is very cerebral.” She’s a lot smarter than I am, so I had to look it up for context. But she was right. If you’re someone who likes shows that make you think and are a bit “off” (for lack of a better term) then this one is for you. Good performances abound and though there are a lot of questions left unanswered, it keeps you wanting and waiting for more. The Blu-ray, while featureless, looks and sounds amazing.
