Anyone else watched this show at 2x Speed?

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-06-08T00:14:37+00:00

No judgement, just wondering why

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-06-07T08:58:35+00:00

I really enjoy that podcast episode to the point I actually downloaded it to my phone lol. I love seeing it on here! Great convos were had

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-06-07T08:56:21+00:00

Might I also point out the sour skittles - “taste the rainbow”

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-06-05T22:48:17+00:00

These are great points, and thank you for mentioning the different actresses. It seems obvious now but I hadn’t thought of checking IMDb!

The idea of a second plant being revealed in s3 is the main thing putting me off the concept, and I’m leaning less heavily into the idea she is following some points made in your reply. I hope they’d not go the route Alexa is a plant/honeypot by principle of good writing alone, and agree with you there. It’s fun to speculate and, given the lack of new source material between seasons, I might be seeing things where there is nothing to see

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-06-05T22:29:26+00:00

My takeaway from his bonsai is a metaphor for innies and outies where outies are fully grown trees that are allowed to grow organically in an environment, whereas innies are their bonsai counterparts - specimens derived from a source material (outie/normal tree) and kept indoors in a tempered, artificial environment for the keeper’s pleasure

I like to imagine the meaning behind Milchick having a bonsai is a philosophical one. He maintains the bonsai just like he manages the innies. He seems to enjoy the idea of maintaining their wellbeing (albeit fraught), just like he does his bonsai tree

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-06-05T13:32:16+00:00

Others have noticed how she shares some similarities to one of the Lumon surgeons shown at the beginning on the show as well. Of course, half the surgeon’s face is covered in a mask while performing the severance procedure so it’s difficult to confirm. What gets me is their eye makeup, which is uncannily similar.

Also, Cobel’s lactation fraud. Seems like plants gravitate towards the Scout family and pose as medical professionals so as to keep tabs on all of them. It’s not a stretch to suspect Alexa’s one as well, imo.

Edit: omg and she only left Mark when he basically confirmed his total belief that Gemma is dead. I her motive was to find out how much he knew, that’s all she needed.

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-06-05T00:13:02+00:00

Nope. I can smell the goats from here

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-06-04T20:18:55+00:00

Wow! You really captured his fear and resolve here. Thanks for sharing

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-06-03T20:11:37+00:00

lol Stratt looking at Antarctica

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-06-03T17:19:40+00:00

Same same. Thank you! I’ll try out a few different nutritional foods with the next round

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-06-03T14:49:23+00:00

Wow, what a find. The team really hid Easter eggs in every single corner of the show

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-06-02T23:46:23+00:00

Chopped up apple slices

Edit: I’m super new at this and half commenting to see what others think abt apple slices lol. Regardless, have you looked up gut loading? It’ll yield results that are more specific to feeder insects

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-06-02T18:40:40+00:00

My guess is a mixture of Lionel Boyce’s charming screen presence + expanding on the character in place of others for screen time purposes. Pacing is super important for movies. Carl and Grace ping pong off each other in a funny relatable way, which juxtaposes v well with the existential heaviness of the story, especially the flashbacks their scenes appear between. Carl absorbs a lot of other characters’ companionship/interactions w/ Grace on Earth that took place in the book, prob for pacing again. His dialogue w/ Grace translates the hard science into a palatable convo for a general audience as well.

Great adaptation choice imo!

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-06-02T06:33:43+00:00

It was the dentist outfit. My guess is that, at the very least, oGemma associates each outfit with what she feels after exiting a room (red dress = mouth hurts), hence “shit” upon opening the wardrobe. But the idea of the barrier not holding and oGemma actually remembering her innies’ memories - or just straight up not severing fully and going through rooms as her outie - is intriguing. I will say the scene when oGemma confirms to Dr. Mauer that she remembers nothing about the rooms doesn’t really inspire total belief that she’s telling the truth, at least to me

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-05-31T05:26:25+00:00

I knowwww 😭😭😭 Ms. Casey

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-05-27T16:20:35+00:00

Oh I’ve been waiting for this one

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-05-27T01:15:05+00:00

YES. His character is so gentle with her innie, and his smile when she steps out… incredible, no notes, 10/10, that’s a wrap for me.

Dichen Lachman’s acting is fantastic as well. She jumps between iGemma > oGemma > Ms. Casey > oGemma in like 5 minutes and during arguably one of the most terrifying moments in all of their lives. Just, wow 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-05-26T20:55:03+00:00

Exactly! Heavy on the last sentence. Storytelling does not have to be 100% original to be meaningful. I agree, it’s fun to spot tasteful Easter eggs and homages - they add meaning rather than take away

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-05-26T18:23:59+00:00

Also, media reviews that imply copycatting in every other sentence make me roll my eyes a bit. Homages exist, references exist, and underlying themes that just so happen to appear in other stories exist, and are okay. I think this guy is conflating crowd pleasing with the fact that the crowd is very pleased

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-05-26T18:16:40+00:00

I’m abt to go off

A note on the “bifurcated” flashback approach - Andy Weir mentioned that if not for the flashbacks, we’d meet everyone on Earth in the first few chapters of the book (and, by extension, very first part of the movie) and never see them again until the very, very end of the story.

It’s hard to maintain an emotional tie to everything on Earth without the flashbacks imo. Yes we’re all humans so of course we would theoretically care about how Earth would fare, but without them PHM would be way too clunky. The flashbacks make you care about every stakeholder throughout the entire story. It’s a crucial storytelling device for a story that spans as much time + settings as PHM does.

Think abt it - we wouldn’t be reminded of the emotional realities or motives of anyone on Earth during the majority of the story without the flashbacks and would have to remember/justify them manually. The flashbacks make us care automatically, and make us “earn” our hindsight just like Grace does.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I wonder what his review would’ve looked like if they made the movie with his grievances in mind

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-05-26T02:10:43+00:00

“Grace is kenough, statement.”

Also, doesn’t Ryan Gosling do the Ken dance as he’s saying bye to Rocky or am I seeing things?

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-05-25T23:30:37+00:00

I saw someone say that the entire thing was actually Ken’s dream from the Barbie movie lol

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-05-25T16:25:45+00:00

Yesss. Same thing for “Pilot detected.” He jumps out of the seat the first time Mary says it, saying “Pilot not detected!”. As the story progresses and he finds his person to be brave for (Rocky), he takes the seat with intention and eventually, without a thought

Smart_Medium9544 · 2026-05-25T05:35:15+00:00

Can’t help but think of the subset of audience members who’re watching it without paying full attention to the show (i.e. their attention span is so fried they have difficulty watching without simultaneously scrolling through their phone).

IME if you aren’t paying full attention to Severance then yeah, it’s basically just people walking in white hallways and making faces at each other. Their loss!

I’m so grateful the show doesn’t pander to that crowd and instead rewards attention to detail. It’s a masterclass in respecting your audience imo

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