Struggling with your job? 'Severance' Season 2 offers a fresh outlook on work-related dilemmas
Title: Unveiling the Corporate Shadows in Season 2 of 'Severance'
In the gripping Season 2 of Apple TV+'s gripping workplace drama "Severance," we encounter a pivotal moment involving Harmony Cobel - a character portrayed by the brilliant Patricia Arquette. She's faced with a difficult decision, opting to reject a promotion in a bold attempt to defend her original job.
Cobel yearns to finish her work, but Helena Eagan, set to inherit the company, flatly denies her request. Eagan's cold words serve as a slap in the face for Cobel, hinting at her unrecognized contributions and downplaying her value.
Eagan's chilling words echo through the entirety of Season 2, underscoring a recurring theme: workers are disposable cogs in the corporate machine. It's later revealed that Cobel is the creator of the company's renowned "severance" technology – solving this mystery adds gravity to the dismissive treatment.
The arrival of Season 2, which concluded its impressive run this week, comes at a time marked by economic uncertainty. The unstable job market has engendered increased scrutiny over large corporations, another central theme that season explores.
In 2023, high-profile strikes by various unions, such as the UAW, Hollywood writers, and airline staff, racked up the largest number of work stoppages in America in over 20 years. More recently, looming economic downturns have caused employers to tighten their belts – slashing jobs at an alarming rate.
Even those remaining employed may feel stuck. Anti-corporate sentiment has risen significantly, even dubbed the "great resignation" during the pandemic when so many Americans quit their jobs. Now, in a cooling job market, employees across the nation are job hopping at record levels, according to Gallup.
It's no wonder, then, that "Severance" continues to captivate viewers. Unlike other popular shows about corporate culture, like "Suits" or "The Office," "Severance" doesn't soften the harsh realities of giant corporations. Instead, it embraces the uncomfortable truths, exposing the sinister aspects hidden beneath the veneer of "free food" and company retreats.
The show's portrayal of workplace woes has inspired countless comparisons to real-life experiences. Social media bubbles with jokes about the show's accuracy, with elements like "melon-only fruit parties" and branded finger traps striking a chord. One person even likened the show's "severed" characters to code-switching at work, while another saw parallels to switching between professional and private social media accounts.
The ongoing popularity of "Severance" indicates a growing disillusionment with corporate culture. People are no longer just poking fun; they're challenging the status quo.
Blurring the Lines Between Fiction and Reality
Show creator Dan Erickson and his team drew inspiration for the second season from real-life cases of corporate and government whistleblowers. Lumon's exaggerated corporate environment is intentionally designed to show how these entities respond to dissent – first by fighting it and then attempting to assimilate dissenters.
Throughout this season, we witness the harsh treatment of workers by Lumon at every level. Characters like Harmony Cobel and Milchick are forced into difficult situations, rewarded with insincere compliments, and even faced with the threat of violence for questioning the company's motives.
"Severance" doesn't merely criticize corporate culture; its true message lies in the power of camaraderie. The characters' unity is essential to their survival against Lumon's overwhelming might. When they fail to rely on each other, the consequences are dire, as evidenced by the emotional struggles and tragic outcomes experienced by the main characters.
Lumon's manipulations and oppressive tactics are all too familiar in today's corporate landscape. However, the strong bonds between the workers serve as a powerful reminder that the corporate machine can be defeated through unity and solidarity. Just as union leaders remind their members, humanity's greatest hope is each other. After all, in the words of Shawn Fain before the UAW announced its strike in 2023, "Nobody can win this fight for us. Our greatest hope – our only hope – is each other."
- Despite the inherent challenges within Lumon Industries, as portrayed in Apple TV+'s "Severance," Harmony Cobel's creation of the "severance" technology is a testament to an employee's unacknowledged worth, even in the face of layoffs and corporate hierarchies.
- The entertainment value of "Severance" is amplified by its connection to real-world concerns, such as the ongoing whistleblower cases and economic uncertainties, which Cobel's character and the show's themes poignantly illustrate.
- As the unity and camaraderie among the "Severance" characters serve as their greatest weapon against Lumon's manipulations, Cobel's bold rejection of a promotion and her pivotal role in the company's technology become a critical highlight amid the ominous corporate setting and the inherited power struggles at play.
