What Is the Whole Mind Collective?

by

Summary

  • The identity of the Whole Mind Collective and their resistance to Lumon is a key ongoing mystery in Severance.
  • Asal Reghabi, the leader of the Whole Mind Collective, is willing to risk everything to reintegrate severed minds.
  • Lumon faces resistance from various fronts, including student activists, former employees, and rebellious innies within the company.

The show “Severance” is gradually unraveling various ongoing enigmas. Season two builds upon some threads from the initial season while also introducing new puzzles to solve. Whether every question raised within the series truly requires an answer is subjective, but it appears that creator Dan Erickson and his team have a broader vision for the storyline, although they may not have worked out every detail yet.

One persistent enigma that has been woven into the series since its debut is the true identity of the Whole Mind Collective. This shadowy group, despite sounding like a progressive hip-hop collective from the ’90s, operates covertly in the world of Severance as an organization determined to challenge Lumon Industries and the severance procedure at every opportunity. Who are these elusive figures, and just how far will they push their crusade to permanently dismantle the severance process?

The Whole Mind Collective’s Dangerous Work

In the thrilling world of Severance, I found myself delving into the concept of ‘severance resistance’ during its gripping second episode titled “Half Loop.” On a disastrous date with my sister Devon’s midwife Alexa, I crossed paths with a group of passionate student protesters distributing anti-severance flyers. Our conversation turned heated, but I dismissed them as overzealous youths lacking understanding. However, the tide turned when a man claiming to be my work colleague Petey, who had undergone a mind reconnection process due to severance, confronted me at a restaurant. This encounter added a new dimension of gravity to the series.

Following Petey’s tragic demise resulting from his reintroduction, Mark finds himself compelled by an insatiable curiosity. He finds it hard to resist the persistent ringing of the phone, which eventually connects him with Asal Reghabi (played by Karen Aldridge), the secretive head of the movement. Despite Petey’s brutal passing, Asal insists that reintegration is feasible, and she alone possesses the knowledge to accomplish it since she was the one who implanted the chip in their heads initially. A sense of unease settles in after Mark’s clandestine meeting with Asal is uncovered by Lumon’s head of security, Mr. Graner (portrayed by Michael Cumpsty). In an attempt to conceal their secret, Asal resorts to brutally murdering Mr. Graner to prevent Lumon from discovering her.

In the third episode of season two, titled “Who’s Still Alive?”, Asal reappears and presents Mark with a second opportunity for reconciliation. She asserts that she has enhanced the process to potentially reduce its fatal impact. With no other means to reach his Innie, and yearning to be reunited with his wife, Mark consents to the procedure. This decision triggers an exhilarating cliffhanger in episode three, where the two halves of Mark’s consciousness collide violently.

It appears that the role Asal played in establishing the termination protocol has led to deep remorse on her part, so much so that she’s prepared to confront Lumon’s anger by covertly rehiring its dismissed employees. Given Lumon’s immense power, defying them is a perilous move. However, if Asal is ready to sacrifice Mr. Graner to safeguard her project, it’s evident that she’s fearless.

Not Everyone Loves Lumon

The town of Kier, named after the revered Eagan patriarch, is predominantly a corporation town, established and catered to by Lumon and its employees. However, as the Whole Mind Collective demonstrates, not all residents of this town fully embrace the Eagan family’s teachings. Apart from student protesters, Asal, and those working with her, there’s also a punk band named Fissureman, which Mark and Alexa watched during their improved first date in season one. June (Cassidy Layton), Petey’s daughter, is the guitarist for this band. They perform songs criticizing Lumon, rallying the audience with a rebellious chant. It’s evident that the town’s connection with Lumon is nuanced; while it provides many jobs, June isn’t the only one who has experienced loss at the hands of the company.

In a broader context, there appears to be significant opposition towards the concept of severance, even among individuals not affiliated with the Whole Mind Collective. The potential implications of severance beyond Kier’s borders have only been suggested, but Dylan’s unsuccessful job interview in season two, episode two illustrates that it carries a certain social stigma. During his interview for a position at a mundane door manufacturing company, everything seems to be going smoothly until he reveals that he has undergone the procedure, causing the interview to abruptly end. It appears that some individuals are so averse to the idea of severance that they are reluctant to engage with those who have chosen to undergo the process.

In various aspects, Lumon encounters opposition from different quarters. This includes student activists amplifying issues, ex-workers like Asal advocating for their colleagues, as well as a more general pushback from local authorities and residents. To complicate matters, they’re also grappling with an uprising brewing within their premises, as the Innies team up to expose Lumon’s hidden truths. One of the captivating elements of Severance lies in anticipation of how these disparate resistance movements will converge.

Read More

2025-02-05 18:04