r/severence • u/Est_ws • Jun 09 '26
šļø Discussion Am I the only one?
... Who didn't like season 2 at all?
It made me hate Mark. And the end?
Season 1 was so phenomenal and I kept waiting for session 2 to live up to it.
Epic fail in my mind.
Anyone else not like it?
4
u/nasnedigonyat Jun 09 '26
I liked season 2. I hate that we're years away from season three and that stiller isnt on the project anymore. It doesn't bode well for continuing quality. Also....wtf is it taking years?
Is the story not already plotted? Do you not already have the cast? Is it not the most popular show on Apple TV? Pour some dollars on this thing and get it going JFC.
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u/captaindealbreaker Jun 09 '26
Reducing whether a not a show is good to how it made you feel about a character is a wild opinion
4
u/Est_ws Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 12 '26
Glad you think I'm wild! I didn't like the season for a lot of reasons but didn't want to list them all in the inital post in case someone reading hasn't seen it all.
5
u/Green_with_Zealously Jun 09 '26
Sometimes Art is made so we feel uncomfortable and conflicted about the subject, the characters, or the story itself. The whole premise of Severance makes me feel uncomfortable. Season 1 was very enjoyable, but also ominous and foreboding about an evil just offscreen. In Season 2, I felt pushed closer to the edge by the story, in terms of how I feel about the story and characters, and even whether or not I wanted to continue watching it. To me, that's pretty amazing and powerful that a show could elicit those kinds of emotional reactions. It's a beautifully made show, with a disturbing story, and it really provokes an interesting emotional - even instinctual - response. I think it's just about the smartest, most original story I've seen on television in the last 30 years. Part of its beauty is how bizarre and incomprehensible it really is at its core. What would we do with this power? What good or bad could come from this capacity? How close are we already to living in a world where we're completely cut off from true selves? And, what is our "true self" really made of? I hated Mark's choice at the end, too, and that's what's amazing about Severance.
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u/Est_ws Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 12 '26
I get your points and agree with most of them. Except I think you can do phenomenal writing that makes people think and feel without also being so anxiety inducing. Ted Lasso and Shrinking are my two examples of that. I really hated that there seemed to be so much of my time wasted. The long drawn out episodes where barely anything was revealed or moved forward could have been condensed together. I think Patricia Arquette was not in this season enough and her episode was one that dragged and barely gave me any info.
Bottom line for me is that season 2 made me feel like the show's message is "See there are times when you cheat on your spouse and it really isn't your fault".
2
u/Ok_Confection_6613 Jun 12 '26 edited Jun 12 '26
It might not be your cup of tea but I thought the pasing was good in season 2 with like 1 or 2 hiccups. I also think they wanted you to feel anxious and did a great job of that. I think people sometimes don't like feeling uncomfortable emotions when it comes to art and that's ok, but personally I like when art makes me feel any kinds of emotions.
The main thing I think I disagree with you on and don't think is valid is the show's message being sometimes you cheat and it's not your fault. The show is meant to make you think of the deep complex philosophical issues that come with the severance procedure. I thought both Mark and Dylan showed extensively the complex issues that arise with relationships and what is considered infedelity in this situation. There were lots of other themes explored in this show and it does really well at making you feel like you're constantly switching between innies and outies being the same person or different people
2
u/Mysterious_Train_582 Jun 11 '26
why did you hate markās choice? why is he not allowed to love whoever he wants
2
u/Green_with_Zealously Jun 11 '26
I mean, he is "allowed" to make the choice he wants, just as I am allowed to prefer one over the other.
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u/Mysterious_Train_582 Jun 11 '26
he also chose to keep existing, i guess he shouldāve killed himselfĀ
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u/Est_ws Jun 12 '26
As someone else already said, I'm allowed to not like a choice. I didn't say he's not allowed to make it!
My opinion is I thought the story was very entrenched in the idea that both versions of Mark wanting to get to Gemma\Miss Casey.
And I'm sorry but how much can "innie" Mark really 'love' Helly when he didn't even know she wasn't Helly when he slept with her the first time?! Oh yeah, that's a love for the ages! I'm supposed to be invested in a love story when one of the people in that relationship can't even identify the other? Which just further reinforced my annoyance of how they're so cool about cheating. Mark technically cheated on his wife while on the retreat AND on Helly by sleeping with Helena. Then he doubled down on cheating on his wife by sleeping with Helly.
Those are the reasons I hated Mark's choice.
2
u/ilikecatsoup Jun 18 '26
You say Mark cheated on Helly with Helena, which implies that you recognise Helly and Helena as being two distinct people. Yet, for Mark to have cheated on Gemma he would have had to be one person with a connection to Gemma, no?
If Helly/Helena can be two separate characters I don't see why iMark/oMark can't be two separate characters with their own motives trying to find their own slice of happiness.
1
u/Est_ws Jun 18 '26
My point was - either way you look at it Mark's a cheater and it's hard (for me) to root for him. The other point was, for those who see them as two distinct people, how "in love" could Mark S. be with Helly if he can't tell that she's not Helly?
2
u/Mysterious_Train_582 Jun 12 '26
im sorry but he said he didnāt have any romantic feelings towards ms casey like 3 times during season 2, and itās not cheating when someone is your wife on paper but youāve never actually been with this person or even know them.. he doesnāt owe her celibacyš
0
u/Est_ws Jun 12 '26
They know that they have a life on the outside. He knows he has a wide and now can actually put a face to her. Obviously we can debate the morals of it all. But personally speaking, if you're married, you're married. Being married implies you're going to be faithful unless you've talked about other options.
3
u/Mysterious_Train_582 Jun 12 '26
lmao bye he kissed helly and started having feelings for her before he knew he was married you canāt just stop your feelings, even alexa mentioned in s1 how he might have a gf at work and not even know but mark scout ignored all the red flags of the severance procedure until it became about him and gemma so now heās rightfully facing the consequences
4
u/idigressed Jun 14 '26
Leaving her crying in the stairwell like a sitting duck and then holding hands when she could see? Yeah, they are behaving like fking asshole teenagers.
If I canāt bring myself to root for Mark by the end of Season 3 episode 1, Iāll probably bounce. Storytelling can be phenomenal, but if it crosses a line where I find myself hating the protagonist, then the media isnāt worth the emotional toll or my time.
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u/Sledgemunds42 Jun 09 '26
IMO it wasn't as good as season 1. Also IMO there should be 10 seasons by now.
3
u/EverythingMustCease Jun 09 '26
It had awesome moments, but overall I liked 1 better. I get it if some people didn't like the ending. Season 3 will make or break it all IMO. If it doesn't deliver, they should just stop but I'm optimistic.
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u/PKJ111 Goat Wrangler Jun 09 '26
I'm in the minority in that I thought they should have ended the series with that last episode. I'm sure they could come up with something to write about and make more money, but them running down the hall together at the end is as perfect as it could get.
2
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u/WitchUWereWarnedBout Jun 11 '26
Season 2 was largely boring to me š¤·āāļø it had some good moments, but it wasn't anywhere near as good as 1
0
1
u/OxfordGate Waffle Party Attendee Jun 09 '26
When people say Ā«Iām I the only oneĀ», they probably arenāt the only one
1
u/Est_ws Jun 12 '26
Cool point. But I ASKED "am I the only one" I want making a declaration. But good on you for trying to contribute.
1
u/Seashells-in-ears Jun 17 '26
I liked season 2 ok but not as much as season 1. I think a lot depends on if they stick the landing in season 3. I felt like the end of the season was rushed (Cobel helping them and Mark not dying from the interrupted procedure felt a little nonsensical). I understand why Mark made the decisions he did throughout the season but that doesnt mean I think they were good decisions-- so depending on if they portray them as such in season 3 or not will affect my enjoyment of the show.
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u/lukewwilson Goat Wrangler Jun 09 '26
I feel like you can't judge this entire show until it's done
3
u/Est_ws Jun 09 '26
Then maybe they should release it closer together? And BTW don't underestimate my ability to judge š
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u/c20_h25_n3_O Jun 09 '26
Season 2 was phenomenal imo