Warning! This article contains spoilers for Severance season 2’s episode 3.
Severanceseason 2’s episode 3 recreates one of the most memorable scenes from Jordan Peele’s hit 98% Rotten Tomatoes horror movie and makes it even creepier. Although Apple TV+‘sSeveranceis an original series, it seems to draw inspiration from many acclaimedsatires, likeThe Truman Show,Being John Malkovich, andEternal Sunshine of a Spotless. Many visual parallels can also be drawn betweenSeveranceand the computer gameThe Stanley Parable.
From a thematic standpoint,Severancealso seems to remind one of George Orwell’sNineteen Eighty-Four. In season 2’s episode 3, however,Severancedraws a surprising parallel to an acclaimedJordan Peele movie. This similarity between the Jordan Peele horror film and theApple TV+ sci-fi shownot only makesSeverancemore unsettling but also calls attention to the dynamic between two of its main characters and their relationship with Lumon.
One Severance Season 2 Episode 3 Scene Is Reminiscent Of Get Out’s Creepiest Moment
Milchick & Natalie’s Interaction Is Similar To Chris & Georgina’s
InSeveranceseason 2’s episode 3, Natalie presents Milchick with a gift from Lumon. When Milchick unwraps the gift, he is stunned by what he finds: a bunch of “re-canonicalized paintings” of Kier that make the Lumon founder look black. Natalie explains that the paintings are supposed to help him feel more “connected to Lumon’s history” and even suggests that she felt elated when she got a similar gift. However, realizing how tone-deaf and absurd the paintings are, Milchick glares at her in silence as Natalie uncomfortably smiles at him.
Natalie says nothing buther strained smile seems reminiscent of Georgina’s fromGet Outwhen Daniel Kaluuya’s Chris tells her he feels uncomfortable around too many white people. Both Georgina and Natalie have the look of someone who wishes to say a lot but can say nothing because of their circumstances. The two characters feel trapped in their environment and even indirectly express it to Chris and Milchick, respectively. However, they are both controlled by a manipulative and oppressive system that holds them back from raising their voice against blatant racism.
Both Characters See What’s Wrong With Lumon But Cannot Quit Their Jobs
Arguably, theSeverancescene is even creepier than the one featured in Get Out because Georgina has no bodily autonomy in the Jordan Peele film. Natalie, in contrast, seems to have full control over her senses inSeverancewhen she gives the painting to Milchick. Yet, she fears losing her job and facing dire consequences if she speaks against Lumon and “disrespects” their gifts. The parallels between the scene inSeveranceseason 2, episode 3, and Chris and Georgina’s interaction inGet Outhighlight how Milchick and Natalie are constrained by insidious corporate pressure.
…Lumon seems to dehumanize them by stripping away their sense of identity and reducing them to mere cogs in the vast machine.
Unlike theMacrodata Refinement workers inSeverance, Natalie and Milchick are loyal to Lumon and do their best to maintain order on the severed floor. However, despite this, Lumon seems to dehumanize them by stripping away their sense of identity and reducing them to mere cogs in the vast machine. Although bothSeverancecharacters are still devoted to serving Lumon in every possible way, the season 2 scene, with parallels to Jordan Peele’sGet Out, hints at how they, too, might eventually reach the end of their wits and fight back.
Severance
Severance is a psychological thriller series featuring Adam Scott as Mark Scout, an employee at Lumon Industries who undergoes a “severance” procedure to separate his work and personal memories. However, as work and life personas mysteriously begin to collide, it quickly becomes clear that not all is as it seems. Created by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle.
Get Out
Cast
Jordan Peele made his directorial Horror debut with Get Out, a terrifying Psychological Horror film starring Daniel Kaluuya. In the 2017 release, Chris Washington heads to Upstate New York to meet the family of his girlfriend, Rose. What follows is a horrifying ordeal for the anxious photographer.
