Severance Season 2, Episode 6, “Attila” Spoilers Ahead
Written by Erin Wagoner and directed by Uta Briesewitz, Severance’s “Attila” continues to pair Lumon employees through a series of events that take us one step closer to figuring out what they’re doing here. But before that’s hopefully addressed in the coming episodes, there’s an all-encompassing thread here that continues to make the series special, and it’s the romantic subplots.
Various viewers will disagree with this statement because Severance is a prestigious series that explores serious matters of the human psyche. Further, there are often countless arguments about the inclusion of intimate scenes in films or TV shows outside of various genres, asking how said content fits into the show’s narrative. And those offering these misguided critiques aren’t paying attention to the themes that make Severance so profoundly relatable as a series.
Yes, there’s tremendous relatability in how everyday mundane tasks can break people, but the show’s heart continually underscores the importance of human connections. It’s why Irving B. and Burt G. touching foreheads is one of the most intimately haunting beats to date. It’s why the Season 1 finale and “Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig” hit so hard when we learn that Gemma is alive. It’s why Helena impersonating Helly R. and, thus, robbing her of her agency stings. Human beings aren’t designed to be alone or disconnected from their emotions, and Severance accentuates this notion with every passing episode.
The series is the farthest thing from a romance, but it’s inarguably a love story, and “Attilla” not only brings this idea to life, but it does so by posing significant questions that are deeply human: What are childish follies? What does growing up mean? Why do we associate independence and strength as the only two pairs of existence? Why are we drawn to other human beings with an intensity that’s often hard to understand? Taking the definition of the episode’s title into consideration, how do fathers, perhaps in this case, the idea of a heavenly father have to do with our connections to other people? There are a few universal truths that bind human beings no matter how different they are: grief and love. Both are impossible to understand fully and challenging to ever truly get over.
Severance Season 2, Episode 6, “Attilla,” continues to explore the coils love and grief leave behind by trying to piece together Mark S.’s memories. The episode also allows characters to be vulnerable enough to admit that they’re hurting, and though each of their reasons is different, they provide clear distinctions of humanity at its core. Severed minds and all, yet they’re still longing for companionship and someone to see them for who they are. This includes Mr. Milchick, despite his icy approach to everyone. It’s the stark differences we see between Dylan’s innie and outie and how they “each” view his wife.
Severed minds and all, yet they’re still longing for companionship and someone to see them for who they are. This includes Mr. Milchick, despite his icy approach to everyone. It’s the stark differences we see between Dylan’s innie and outie and how they “each” view his wife. Whether it’s Burt G. and Irving B.’s interaction this week, paralleling the safety net of what they once had at Lumon, or the driving forces that keep pulling Helly R. and Mark S. together signifies how people need each other. They need someone who can look them in the eyes and understand the words they aren’t saying aloud. They need to have people in their corner who’ll still be there even when they’re too messed up to properly understand what’s happening.
In addition, Severance is brimming with astounding performers who continue to show the audience that there’s more to the words they’re saying aloud, the ones they’re keeping inside, and each move they’re making. Adam Scott is once again a standout here, but there’s also the full range of emotions Britt Lower takes us through. Tramell Tillman ceaselessly makes me hold my breath every time he’s on the screen. Sarah Bock is carrying her own exceptionally. Christopher Walken and John Turturro in the same frame are always magic together. And Zach Cherry’s vulnerability left me aching for Dylan in a way I never thought possible.
Severance Season 2, Episode 6, “Attilla,” doesn’t miss a beat in materializing the desperation human beings feel for a connection deeper than what they can put into words. There’s also something to be said about the idea of a panopticon, the looming eye of Kier/Lumon, whatever we want to call it, and this idea of a fatherly figure, the very Jesus Christ that Burt G talks about. Human beings are fickle creatures; we crave validation, and we crave the knowledge of what we don’t always understand. We want to be seen, and we want to be taken care of, so it continues to be fascinating to watch as the series dissects how these needs thrust people toward partnerships that make everything else in life feel like it briefly makes sense.
Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Apple TV+