I Hate My ‘Severance’ Season 2 Episode 6 Theory, Because it Calls into Question a Character I Really Love

Right from the start, things feel shady, with Burt opening the door with a truly Walkenerian “Who the hell are you?” which leads into discussion of eating a pile of loose corn. Initially, I was surprised and almost touched by Burt’s explanation of his severing—an attempt to get into heaven to spend eternity with his husband. But as things moved along, I began to grow suspicious. Why did Fields seem bitter about Burt’s innie life? And why was there discrepancy about how long Burt has worked at Lumon? (Fields initially says 20 years, Irving points out that severance has only existed for 12 years and at the end of the meal, Burt awkwardly brings it back up again to note that obviously Fields was confused about his timing.)

Then there’s the matter of Drummond, who is seen breaking into Irving’s apartment during the dinner and rifling through his locked-trunk Lumon investigation materials (the subject of my Irving theory from last week). How would Drummond know that Irv was out, if not for a tip-off from the person who invited him over? Awfully convenient, n’est-ce pas?

In other words, I have to wonder—and it kills me to say this—if Burt is a more tenured and higher-up-in-the-company employee than we initially thought. Has he actually been there since the very beginning? Was he planted in O&D to seduce Irv? Is he trailing Irv in his car not because he’s curious about the man who banged on his door, but because he’s been instructed to follow him? I don’t doubt the veracity of Burt’s soul-saving come-to-Jesus reasoning; that’s on brand with the grandiose religiosity of the Eagan plan. But I do think, like many sheep (or goats) to a shepherd, Burt’s unquestioning devoutness may have turned him into the perfect tool for a nefarious organization. 

In other words, I so want him to be a “hon,” but I worry he’s an Attila.

More Twists from the Pepper Grinder

• There’s increased evidence for my color theory here: When Mark and Helly go find a room to boink in, it’s one with purple work stations. Additionally, in the final second Ms. Casey/Gemma flash, she’s wearing a violet top.

• So much eating in this episode! From the cumin-glazed ham to Dylan spoon-feeding his kids to Mark’s insatiable hunger, the writers clearly want us to think about satiating needs. We remember from season one that there’s a contingent of outies who don’t really need to eat…but I wonder if, as Mark becomes more fully human, he’s getting back in touch with this basic desire.

• Speaking of desire, there’s an interesting commentary about people being jealous of the parts of their partner they don’t get to see. This feels pretty humane and non-dystopian for Severance and relatable to anyone who’s ever had niggling doubts about their husband’s “work-wife.”

• It bears repeating: What’s the deal with Ms. Huang? She’s here on an internship? And she needs to prove herself so Milchick can deem her “wintertime material”? Perhaps she’s hoping to get a full-time job at Lumon, lest she go back to the exports hall to be re-cloned or robotified or whatever the hell they do down there.

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