This article contains spoilers for Severance season 2, episode 7, “Chikai Bardo.”
Severance star Dichen Lachman confirms one key detail from the Gemma-focused episode 7, mentioning another detail that you might not have caught. After showing up only for brief flashes throughout season 2, Lachman finally gets her time in the spotlight during season 2, episode 7, “Chikai Bardo”, which reveals Gemma and Mark (Adam Scott). It also reveals that Gemma is very much alive, although in fairly dire conditions.
In a post-episode interview with Variety, Lachman shared some of her theories and confirmed that the villainous Dr. Mauer (played by Robby Benson) is present in the fertility clinic with Gemma and Mark. But she also points out another detail about a Christmas tree that viewers might have missed, albeit the actor admits that the Severance writers haven’t confirmed her theory. Read the quote below:
They’ve definitely been watching them for a long time. My theory is that it has something to do with Lumon deciding to pick this couple and monitor them. You also see Dr. Mauer [Robby Benson] at the fertility clinic — he just walks by. The whole world is Lumon. Even [the restaurant] Pip’s is owned by Lumon. My theory is that they picked something up with Gemma’s blood work when she went to the fertility clinic, and that’s got something to do with why they picked Mark and Gemma. I noticed that the Christmas tree tinsel in the Christmas room [on Lumon’s Testing Floor] is the same as Mark and Gemma’s Christmas tree in their living room. I mentioned that to the writers, and they didn’t confirm or deny anything.
What Severance Episode 7 Means For Gemma
Things Are Not What They Seem
“Chikai Bardo” is beautifully directed by cinematographer Jessica Lee Gagne, partially serving as the exploration of the relationship between Mark and Gemma. It also confirms that Gemma has been stuck on the testing floor, with Lumon essentially subjecting her to varying levels of unpleasant experiences over and over again. Gemma is severed again and again, more or less.
A version of her goes into a room for repeated dental appointments. Another version experiences an exceptionally turbulent flight. Yet another version writes meaningless thank you notes. The point of this, from Lumon, could be to rid people of any sort of unpleasant experience by severing them on demand. There’s also a room called Cold Harbor, harkening back to the season 2 premiere, with some fans speculating that the room might simulate the death of an innie.
Related
What Lumon Has Really Been Doing To Gemma/Ms. Casey In Severance
Severance season 2, episode 7 revealed vital elements of Gemma/Ms. Casey’s backstory, including what Lumon has been doing to her the entire time.
In any case, with Gemma’s escape foiled, thanks to the fact that she turns into Ms. Casey after stepping into the elevator, there will be more revealed about the character. The revelations in “Chikai Bardo” are only the beginning of unveiling what Gemma has gone through. The fact that Lumon has been keeping an eye on the couple for this long could mean that the hit drama is only at the start of this particular story.
Our Take On The Gemma Reveals
The Finale Can Only Go Bigger
For the Apple TV+ thriller to drop an episode that’s sneakily packed with revelations, while there are still three episodes left in the season, it has to mean that Erickson, Friedman, director Ben Stiller and the rest of the team have only begun to pull back the curtain on what’s happening with the Severance characters. Whatever assumptions are being made now may not hold.
Severance season 2 episodes are available Fridays on Apple TV+.
Source: Variety
Severance
8/10
- Release Date
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February 18, 2022
- Showrunner
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Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman
- Writers
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Dan Erickson