Uncovering the Secrets: Easter Eggs in Severance Title Sequence

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Summary

  • The Season 2 title sequence of Severance delves deeper into symbolism and may offer clues about Lumon Industries and Mark S.
  • The imagery of the balloon heads and brain in the title sequence hints at Mark’s journey, potential cloning theories, and connections to Lumon technology.
  • Visual connections in the title sequence suggest a link between Mark, Lumon’s mysterious Goat Department, Harmony Cobel, and the ultimate goal of research and technology.

The second season’s opening credits of “Severance,” created by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller on Apple TV+, are brimming with dreamlike animation, profound symbolism, and minute details that may hold significant meanings. This show, renowned for its complexly interwoven enigma, consistently engages audiences. The title sequences, crafted by Oliver Latta, are equally intriguing.

The second season’s opening sequence, debuting in episode 2, builds upon the award-winning title animation from Season 1 by broadening its scope. This new sequence introduces disquieting visuals and explores the psychological depths of Mark S., portrayed by Adam Scott, even further. As explained by Latta, this opening sequence is intended to grow alongside the audience’s comprehension of the show. Upon closer inspection, it seems that the title sequence might offer some insights as well, possibly hinting at the mysteries surrounding Lumon Industries.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Severance Season 2

The Exports Hall

The opening scene shows Outie Mark S., clad in red pajamas, seated on his bed. Following this, an image of an elevator with a red indicator appears, which resembles the one found in the dimly lit hallway that Irving B. (played by John Turturro) has been working on. Some viewers speculate that this detail from Episode 2 might be hinting at Irving’s demise. However, contrary to these assumptions, Irving survives until Episode 3, where he presents Felicia (Claudia Robinson) from Optics & Design with a sketch of the elevator. She inquires about it.

How do you know about the Exports Hall?

In contrast, the elevator in the opening credits differs slightly from the one in the Exports Hall: the red indicator points up rather than down. It’s plausible that this scene portrays the lift entrance on the Testing Floor, located beneath the Severed Floor, where Miss Casey (Dichen Lachman) was dismissed to.

Moreover, Andrew Baseman, responsible for the set design of Severance, has disclosed that red and warm hues symbolize the real world, whereas blue and cool tones represent Lumon and the detached reality. The crimson pajamas worn by Mark in the opening sequence imply he is Outie Mark. The red indicator above the elevator in the export hall could potentially indicate a connection between the two dimensions.

It’s plausible that the information Mark and MDR (Macrodata Refinement) are handling is being moved to the enigmatic project Cold Harbor through this elevator. Whether it’s coming or going, it appears to be a significant lead in Mark’s quest to locate his wife, Gemma, also known as Ms. Casey, who some speculate has connections to the powerful Miss Huang.

The Balloon Heads

In the Season 2 premiere, we first saw balloons when Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman) presented Mark with a pack of blue balloons upon his resumption at Lumon. The circumstances surrounding Mark’s rehiring still remain unclear. Later in the opening credits, balloons were depicted as inflated balloon heads. When Mark’s balloon head emerged from the mysterious elevator, a repeated symbol was created.

Multiple instances of the balloon-head motif recur within the series, notably when Outie Mark attempts to grab his own floating head. This detached balloon head symbolizes Mark’s Innie, as it is free-floating and disconnected from reality, wandering through Lumon’s corridors like his counterpart.

This peculiar scene unfolds on an ice floe, where Gemma’s vehicle is partially submerged and can be seen from afar – a hint perhaps of Cold Harbor. It’s been suggested by some fans that if Gemma perished in a car accident in this icy expanse, her body or brain might have somehow remained preserved in a way akin to cryogenics.

It’s worth mentioning that as soon as Mark’s balloon floats out of the elevator, the red arrow switches to green. Green, a color frequently seen throughout Lumon offices, particularly the MDR department where Mark works, is another cool-toned hue. This change could suggest that the elevator is a significant pathway for data or personnel associated with the Cold Harbor project.

The Severed Brain of Mark S.

Regarding the green theme, one of the more eerie sights in the opening credits is the depiction of a massive brain. In one scene, Mark’s Inner self is literally dragging his Outer self out of this brain, demonstrating once again the struggle between the two aspects of Mark, either trying to rescue or cling onto each other. While searching the brain with a flashlight, the Outer Mark momentarily catches a reflection – these figures turn out to be none other than Ms. Casey and Helly R., the beloved characters portrayed by Brit Lower, who are significant to both sides of Mark’s consciousness.

In this new scene, Mark, wearing red pajamas, is shown lying on a bed with an unusual addition – he’s atop a green brain. Surrounding him are infant-like figures without faces, which some viewers believe could be hinting at cloning theories despite the show’s denial of creating clones. The babies are dressed in suits, leading some to interpret them as symbols of Lumon employees in their initial stages.

The Goat Department

In the third episode, named “Who’s Alive?”, we delve deeper into the enigmatic Goat Department, often associated with Mammalians Nurturable and thought to be linked to Resident Evil 4. When Mark and Helly stumble upon a tunnel that leads to a verdant indoor slope covered in goats, they come face-to-face with a band of intimidating colleagues, among them the talented actress Gwendoline Christie, who starred in Game of Thrones.

In the introductory sequence, a transformation occurs in the Season 1 poster image of Mark at his desk inside his mind, which gradually turns into a painting featuring a goat. The opening scenes seem to intentionally draw visual parallels between Mark and goats. Whether these goats serve as experimental subjects for Lumon’s growing technology, act as carriers for the microchips of former Lumon employees, or symbolize larger, hidden creatures within Lumon Industries is a mystery that intrigues many viewers.

As a cinephile, I found myself reminiscing about Episode 3’s lush landscape, but with an intriguing twist in the title sequence. Instead of grazing goats, the hillside is adorned with what seems to be oversized, deflated balloon heads resembling Helly and Ms. Casey. Scattered around are Mark figures, crawling about headless, while Innie and Outie Mark can be seen carrying each other in front of two doors. It’s a surreal diorama that morphs into one of the most striking images from the entire sequence, leaving an indelible impression.

The Looming Cobel

One intriguing character in the series ‘Severance’ is Patricia Arquette’s portrayal of Harmony Cobel, or Ms. Selvig. Her debut in the opening credits is particularly unsettling.

From a wider perspective, the green hill appears to be enclosed within a large, red book that seems reminiscent of “The You You Are” by Michael Chernus’ Ricken. What adds to the surprising scene is the enormous Cobel figure holding this book, while her head lacks a face and instead has a hollow space where we can see Outie Mark exploring Lumon with a flashlight. This striking image symbolically illustrates Mark being deeply engulfed within Lumon’s core or brain. The immense size of the Cobel figure, coupled with her observation of the hill from above, hints that she might hold more influence than Helena Eagan (Helly’s Outie) in Lumon currently implies. She could potentially be the one manipulating the strings behind the scenes.

In another interpretation, Cobel’s eerie tribute to Lumon’s founder Kier Eagan in a chilling Season 1 episode might imply that she is the one who is most aligned with Lumon’s research and technology’s ultimate objective. At the end of the opening credits, a fleeting glimpse of baby Kier, the only infant with a face, is shown. This could hint at an attempt to reincarnate her cherished leader.

Inside Cobel’s massive skull, the scene shifts to the ominous, well-known corridor, where Mark pursues Ms. Casey, who now waits in an elevator. Later, Ms. Casey transforms into Helly within the sequence of title shots. These alternating images suggest that both women are significant figures in Mark’s thoughts. If Mark is indeed striving for wholeness, the emotional peak of the season might require him to make a difficult choice between his two romantic interests.

Severance is now streaming on Apple TV+.

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2025-02-08 19:37