As the final episode of Severance Season 2 looms, the Macrodata Refinement team is disintegrating exactly as Lumon Industries planned. Dylan G. (Zach Cherry) has become so embroiled in his relationship with his outie’s wife Gretchen (Merritt Wever) that he’s all but severed ties with his coworkers. Irving (John Turturro) was forcefully removed after revealing Helena Eagan’s (Britt Lower) deceit during the outdoor retreat. Meanwhile, Mark Scout (Adam Scott) is walking a solitary path as his reintegration process progresses, striving to recall memories of his wife Gemma (Dichen Lachman). Not only does this episode further develop these storylines, but it subtly references The Twilight Zone, a series that has been a significant influence on Severance since its debut. Predictably, the ninth episode of Severance Season 2 is titled after a famous 1960 episode from the classic anthology series.
WARNING: Spoilers below for Severance Season 2, Episode 9
The episode titled ‘The After Hours’ initially aired on June 10, 1960, during the first season of ‘The Twilight Zone’. This episode features Marsha White, played by Anne Francis, who finds herself in an unusual situation while shopping for a gold thimble at a department store. Upon arriving, she notices an empty elevator while others are crowded. The elevator operator sends her to the ninth floor, despite only eight floors being displayed on the indicator. Confused, she steps out onto what appears to be an empty and mysterious ninth floor, where she meets a saleswoman who knows her name and offers her just one item: a gold thimble.
Following her acquisition of the thimble, Marsha finds it marred with scratches and dents. Upon voicing her concerns to management, they deny the existence of a ninth floor and any employee resembling the saleswoman she encountered. In a moment of surprise, Marsha realizes that the “saleswoman” was actually a mannequin on display. Mistakenly left inside after closing hours, she becomes alarmed when she hears voices calling her name and notices the mannequins subtly moving around her. Panicking, she rushes into an elevator that transports her back to the ninth floor. There, the animated mannequins disclose a startling secret: Marsha is, in fact, a mannequin herself. The figures at this store swap places with humans for one month at a time, and Marsha had become so engrossed in the outside world that she forgot her true identity, returning a day too late.
In Season 2, Episode 9 of “Severance,” links to “The Twilight Zone” are intentionally forged via numerous, obvious references. When Harmony Cobel (played by Patricia Arquette) takes Devon Scout-Hale (Jen Tullock) to the birthing cabin, she deceives the security guard, claiming that Devon is “Marsha White,” who works on the “ninth floor” in the “Specialties Department.” These names are clear allusions to a Twilight Zone character and setting. To make the connection even more explicit, Cobel employs the code phrase “I’m looking for a gold thimble,” which is another direct tribute to a specific Twilight Zone episode. Instead of being subtle Easter eggs, these references act as clear indicators encouraging viewers to explore the thematic similarities between the two narratives.
How Severance Themes Connect It to The Twilight Zone’s “The After Hours” Episode
At a deeper level, the TV series “Severance” and the episode “The After Hours” from “The Twilight Zone” share significant underlying themes. In “The After Hours”, mannequins are kept within a department store but given brief moments to explore the outside world. This mirrors the characters in “Severance”, who are trapped inside Lumon’s facilities, unaware of life beyond their sterile environment. Just as Marsha White momentarily forgot her role as a mannequin when she was among people, the characters in “Severance” have glimpsed possibilities beyond their severed existence throughout Season 2. Following the MDR rebellion at the end of Season 1, each character has struggled with the stark difference between the freedom they momentarily experienced and the restrictions they’ve returned to.
Dylan’s narrative strongly resonates with that central theme. During his monitored interactions with Gretchen, he’s experienced a fleeting glimpse into family life, but it’s clear this temporary arrangement can’t continue indefinitely. In Episode 9, Dylan grapples with the bitter truth: much like the mannequins from “The Twilight Zone,” he is a construct built for corporate gain. Overwhelmed by this existence, Dylan decides to resign himself, which tragically means his outer self will carry on living with Gretchen and their kids, while Inner Dylan effectively fades away.
In Episode 9 of Severance Season 2, it’s revealed that even the high-ranking employees on the Severed Floor start to see themselves as mere gears in a relentless machine. Mr. Drummond consistently belittles Milchick during performance appraisals, but after enduring enough, Milchick fights back with a bold “Devour feculence,” which translates to “eat s-it.” This act of defiance is symbolic of a mannequin breaking free from its assigned spot, questioning the system that views individuals as mere commodities. Similarly, Miss Huang’s exit from the Severed Floor awakens her to her own disposability within the company. As a product of the Wintertide program, she’s essentially training to be a future mannequin, being groomed for a predefined role in Lumon’s corporate hierarchy that disregards her personal goals and ambitions.
As a movie enthusiast, I’d put it this way: “In essence, ‘The Twilight Zone’s’ episode ‘The After Hours’ and the series ‘Severance’ both cleverly employ confined office environments as symbolic representations of corporate dominance and the merchandising of human lives. ‘Severance’, by explicitly demonstrating these links, pays homage to ‘The Twilight Zone’, acknowledging its influential role in shaping the narrative style of Apple TV+’s acclaimed series.
Severance Season 2 streams new episodes every Thursday on Apple TV+.
Have you ever seen “The Twilight Zone’s” episode titled “The After Hours” prior to the show “Severance”? I’m curious if there are any common themes that link these two series. Feel free to share your thoughts and observations in the comments below!
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2025-03-14 15:12