Severance Fans Will Love This Twilight Zone Episode

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In the realm of television, I can’t help but draw a parallel between my appreciation for “Severance” on Apple TV+ and an eerie episode from a timeless classic, “The Twilight Zone.” It’s not just that “Severance” echoes the tone of this sci-fi drama; it’s that one of its most gripping episodes, titled “The After Hours,” is a deliberate nod to one of the most unsettling and iconic stories from “The Twilight Zone.” In the second season’s ninth episode of “Severance,” you’ll find numerous references to this classic tale. This episode mirrors the foundations laid by that timeless “Twilight Zone” story, shaping many of the unique themes and ideas that make the strange world inhabited by the Innies at Lumon Industries so intriguing.

In the eerie, dream-like terror of an episode from ‘Severance’, there’s a striking resemblance to stories crafted by Rod Serling, the genius behind ‘The Twilight Zone’. This isn’t merely coincidental; the broader narrative of ‘Severance’, with its exploration of identity, memory manipulation, and artificial settings, has always felt like an extension of ‘The Twilight Zone’s’ most thought-provoking concepts. However, the second season’s episode titled “The After Hours” makes the impact of ‘The Twilight Zone’ on ‘Severance’ undeniable. The similarities run deep, and once they’re recognized, it becomes apparent that this isn’t just a tribute – it’s a legacy being carried forward.

“The After Hours” Is A Classic The Twilight Zone Sci-Fi Episode Very Similar To Severance’s Premise

A 65 Year Old Story Paved The Way For Severance

Prior to the series Severance exploring the boundary between work enslavement and individual essence, the television show The Twilight Zone was posing strikingly comparable questions. One of the most chilling and dreamlike episodes in Rod Serling’s anthology is “The After Hours,” which first aired as episode 34 during season 1 in 1960. The story revolves around Marsha White, a woman shopping in a department store who becomes trapped on an odd floor that appears to be deserted. The employees behave strangely, the goods are peculiar, and eventually, Marsha comes to understand that she isn’t just a customer. She’s actually a mannequin, overdue for her return to an inactive state in the world of lifeless objects.

The “Twilight Zone” episode appears strikingly contemporary, delving into themes such as identity, free will, memory, and existential anxiety, which were not common in TV shows until series like “Severance” became popular. To today’s audience, it resonates distinctly as a “Twilight Zone” episode similar to “Severance”, with the main character wrestling with a reality that is both constructed and restrictive, where escape seems elusive and self-awareness is almost a form of retribution.

The fundamental idea behind Severance closely mirrors this. The workers at Lumon, particularly the Innies, exist within a confined environment, similar to the mannequins in “The After Hours.” They assume the world they occupy is their entire existence, until signs of faults start emerging. In much the same way that Marsha’s identity shatters when she learns she isn’t human, the employees in Severance gradually come to terms with the fact that they are not who they believe themselves to be. The terror is not derived from creatures or sudden frightening events, but rather from the gradual dissolution of reality itself.

In similar vein, both the “Twilight Zone” episode and “Severance” provoke philosophical contemplations about autonomy. Are individuals designed for a specific role and bound by rigid regulations genuinely autonomous? To illustrate, Marsha is a mannequin who momentarily forgets her true identity, while the Lumon Innies are essentially prefabricated personas lacking historical context. The poignancy of these characters lies in their realization that they possess self-awareness, yet are trapped within systems that have never prioritized their wellbeing.

Severance Season 2’s Penultimate Episode Title Was Inspired By “The After Hours”

The Similarities Aren’t Coincidental

It’s no accident that the title of Severance season 2, episode 9 is “The After Hours.” This wasn’t just a casual tribute or witty reference – it was a deliberate nod to The Twilight Zone’s “The After Hours,” and a creative way of updating the original story for modern sci-fi enthusiasts.

In “The After Hours” episodes, physical spaces are employed to symbolize mental captivity. The department store in “The Twilight Zone” serves as a surreal space bridging humanity and artificiality, while Lumon in “Severance” performs a similar role. Both settings appear pristine and sterile on the surface, yet they hide darker, more ominous realities. The characters in both episodes gradually come to question the truth not through direct conflict, but by noticing subtle flaws in the presented image.

The cleverness in titling “Severance” lies not only in its reference, but also in its declaration of purpose. By choosing a title reminiscent of one of “The Twilight Zone’s” most memorable tales, the creators are aligning their work with Rod Serling’s style of philosophical terror. In doing so, they are acknowledging their indebtedness to a show that didn’t just provide entertainment, but also provoked viewers to ponder deeply about identity, morality, and the systems we inhabit.

In the two captivating tales I recently watched, identity and memory take center stage. Just like Marsha, I found myself questioning my own existence after realizing I was nothing more than a mannequin. Similarly, Helly, much like any Innie, is trapped in an illusion of self, confined to a version of herself designed for her job. The question that both narratives pose is intriguing: if we forget our true identities, do we transform into someone new? Is the blissful ignorance of reality a taste of freedom, or a more profound form of entrapment? These stories left me pondering the complexities of identity and truth.

In terms of style, both “The Twilight Zone” episode “The After Hours” and Lumon’s white corridors have a surreal, dreamlike quality to them. The eerie silence, sterile surroundings, and disconnected dialogues in “The Twilight Zone” mirror the uncanny atmosphere of Lumon’s pristine work environment and its emotionless interactions. Both shows manipulate the feeling of unease, using a mysterious ambiance rather than depending solely on unexpected plot twists for their effect.

The Twilight Zone Is A Great Classic Sci-Fi Show For Severance Fans To Watch

The Classic Sci-FI Paved The Way For The Apple TV+ Show

If you’re a fan of the mind-bending show Severance, searching for another series that is equally intellectual, suspenseful, and thought-provoking, I’ve got good news! Look no further than The Twilight Zone. This classic anthology series, first broadcast from 1959 to 1964, was more than just a science fiction oddity. It was a groundbreaking television milestone that audaciously questioned societal conventions, delved into profound philosophical ideas, and even explored the very essence of identity itself. Created by Rod Serling, it remains a timeless work of art that continues to captivate audiences today.

In essence, if Severance is a methodical exploration of office control and fragmented awareness, then The Twilight Zone can be considered its conceptual forefather. Each episode of Rod Serling’s creation delved into a hypothetical situation: Could you halt time? What if the world ended, leaving you as the last person alive? What if your life was merely someone else’s fantasy? It offers an array of thought-provoking concepts, many of which paved the way for series like Severance to emerge.

The episodes of “The Twilight Zone” such as “The After Hours,” “Five Characters in Search of an Exit,” and “Mirror Image” pair exceptionally well with “Severance.” They share a common thread where characters find themselves in enigmatic settings, grappling with their identity and the boundaries between reality and illusion. Unlike typical science fiction or action narratives, these stories are introspective character studies cloaked in the absurd.

In a similar vein to the hit series Severance, The Twilight Zone impresses in its world-building, even within the confines of half-hour episodes. Much like its contemporary, it relies on setting and mood – dark lighting, unsettling quiet moments, and enigmatic conclusions – to captivate audiences. Unlike other shows where all questions are answered, viewers of The Twilight Zone often find themselves left guessing, which is precisely what keeps them coming back. Fans of Severance will appreciate the similar experience offered by The Twilight Zone, as they enjoy piecing together cryptic hints and speculating between episodes.

Essentially, The Twilight Zone paved the way for shows like Severance by defying conventions in a manner that made it feasible to produce such series. In an era when television was primarily focused on sitcoms and westerns, Rod Serling persistently presented thought-provoking, sometimes unsettling narratives. He addressed weighty topics like corporate coldness, conformity, authoritarianism using genre allegories that bypassed censors and directly resonated with viewers’ thoughts. In essence, the absence of The Twilight Zone might have meant no Black Mirror, no Devs, or no Severance.

The impact of “The Twilight Zone” on contemporary science fiction television is immeasurable. Serling paved the way for stories shrouded in ambiguity, filled with metaphors, and featuring characters grappling with identity crises within strange and surreal settings. It essentially popularized the peculiar. For fans of “Severance,” delving into “The Twilight Zone” presents an opportunity to trace the origins of a genre they are already captivated by. “The Twilight Zone” isn’t just a suggestion for “Severance” enthusiasts – it’s essential viewing. It serves as the foundation for the kind of thought-provoking, psychologically deep narratives that make “Severance” so intriguing.

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2025-05-03 00:51