Today is Thursday, March 13, 2025.

And this is worth the binge, the show where Aubrey and Jeff talk about the shows worth binging.

Well, we did it again.

Oops.

I did it again.

Sure.

Yeah, that.

Yeah, fell.

Fell a little behind, unfortunately, due to working a lot, which, you know, has some pluses, or at least one plus.

Getting a pretty good check.

And then I became the answer to life, the universe and everything.

Yeah.

You had a big old birthday.

Yeah.

The answer is 42.

I don't feel it most days other than my joints, but my joints feel way older than 42, and they have for a long time.

Sorry, baby.

Yeah.

People are like, wait till you're my age.

And I'm like, my knees have been your age since, you know, my early 20s.

So what's new with you?

About to start spring break where you.

Get paid for not working?

Yeah.

Yeah, that'd be awesome.

That sounds good.

Yeah, that's always.

Always a good time.

So I guess we're gonna go ahead and Talk about episode 7.

Season 2.

Episode 7 is titled Chicka Bardo, or.

At least something very similar to that.

Yeah.

An old romance intersects with a deadly present threat.

Dun, dun, dun.

It's pretty heavy description.

So this episode we're going to talk about a little different.

Not really in chronological order, because there's a lot of back and forth present and.

Or what might be present, and we don't know the order.

Yeah.

I mean, almost the whole episode was a flashback.

Yeah.

Almost like a bottle episode, basically.

But not.

Not quite.

But it kind of had that vibe, that feel.

Yeah.

We get to see Jim and Mark have their little Meet Cute, as they call it.

Although the way he was kind of flirting with her, initially, I thought he was just playing, like, who are you?

You know, like, I thought he.

I thought at first that he already knew her and he would just, you know.

But no, that was how they met.

Just giving blood to Lumen.

Foreshadowing, I guess.

Yeah.

Gaines University was the campus they were on because I guess they both worked there.

Or Gans maybe.

I don't know.

I don't know.

Right.

You're probably saying it right and I'm probably wrong.

This whole episode was directed by someone else on the severance staff.

It was Jessica Gagne.

Right.

I don't remember her last name, but the first name sounds right.

And.

First time she'd ever directed anything.

Yeah.

Isn't she like the.

She's like a visual person.

Yes.

Which, I mean, you can see how that bled into her directorial debut.

Debut.

I Don't know why I said it quite like that, but, you know, you could definitely see she.

She had an eye for really impactful visual shots.

I mean, it's.

I don't know that I could pick a definitive shot of the episode personally, but it was.

I mean, it was enthralling.

I mean, all the way through.

Yeah.

I feel like there was one you liked the best because you.

You talked about it at the time.

We'll get to it.

Okay, we'll get to it.

So then we see a bit of a montage of Jim and Mark, their time together.

It was really cool shot, kind of like a home movie that you're watching.

So I thought that was super cool.

And it didn't feel like any other episode of the show.

The lighting was so different.

Yeah.

You know, and I kind of get the feeling.

I don't know if this was the intent, but, you know, we're seeing most of the show through Mark's eyes, and it felt like, hey, this is an entirely different mindset and part of his life where he is seeing things differently.

Yeah.

He has that rosier tinted view on life right now.

Yeah.

It was really cool to see.

Adam Scott played that so well.

The Internet went crazy about apparently how hot he was.

He's always had a good beard, but apparently the beard in this one, which did look great, was fake.

Yeah, I heard that.

That was insane.

It did look really real.

Yeah.

He said it was pretty uncomfortable, but, I mean, if I could have a sweet beard, I might go through with it, you know?

Yeah.

Devin and Ricken come over to Jim and Mark's house, and we get to see this little interaction of them together, which was so cool, their little dynamic.

And Mark seems a lot more happy to be around Rickon, which seemed a little weird.

Yeah.

Because normally he's like, this dude's crazy.

I need to get out.

Yeah.

He had that buffer and he had that happiness already there that he could deal with Rick.

And I don't think he ever, like, hated Rickon before, but definitely, yeah, it wasn't his biggest fan.

Yeah.

And Gemma kind of lets Devin know that she's not drinking because she's pregnant, which Mark didn't really.

Maybe it was just kind of sadness.

But he had mentioned before they tried to, but they.

He did.

I don't think he ever said they were, actually.

Then we have a really cool transition up close on Jim's face, and it transitioned to her in the bathroom where she is miscarriaging.

So that was a pretty tough scene to watch.

Yeah, really sad.

They.

And that was the one, right, that they shot backwards.

Yeah.

So, yeah, she gets in the shower and Mark comes in, and then all of a sudden, you see the water droplets on her face going up instead of down.

Yeah.

I had a.

Like, rewind it a little bit to check that because I thought that was the case.

But, you know, we.

That was definitely how they shot it.

And so it wasn't like some visual effect that they pulled that off with.

With that scene transition, just literally acted in reverse and then showed it the opposite way.

But then it transitions from the rain going up on Mark and.

And he's an MDR talking to Ms.

Casey from season one, which was crazy to see.

And I kind of feel like Mark was making connections in his brain that was kind of him doing that, tying memories together.

Kind of like when Irving realized who Helena Heli was through the dream.

To me, that's what it felt like was happening.

Yeah.

We get to see Mark and Gemma go to a fertility clinic.

Yeah.

We see that dang doctor.

We see that dang doctor kind of pass them, and he looks at them weird.

I don't know if it was meant to be like, I know who you two are, and you're here now, or.

Or what, but.

Yeah, I mean.

And we see the Lumen symbol on the paperwork.

Yeah.

I mean, they are everywhere.

Blood drives, fertility clinics everywhere.

Yeah.

We see Mark and Gemma taking a fertility shot or him helping her with it.

Turn around and bend over.

Yeah.

And then we see Gemma looking at some Shakai Bardo cards, which we saw in season one with Dylan.

You took those from.

He thieved it.

Yeah.

Hid it under a toilet.

Yeah.

I don't.

That's so weird.

Like, I don't understand the connection there or.

Or why OND had those, but.

And then we see Mark is working and Gemma is leaving, and she says, I love you.

And she has to say it again because Mark's too into his work to.

To realize she said it and say it back.

Yeah.

This is just a Google search, but that Chakai Bardo says the.

This Bardo begins when the outer and inner signs of death appear and continues through the dissolution of or transmutation the elements until the external and internal breath ends, leading to the experience of the clear light of death.

So, like, kind of sounds like maybe a reintegration.

The outer and any dying.

Although to me, that read like both dying, just dying, but maybe it's like they're dying and then becoming something.

Something else.

Yeah.

But then the police show up and we, you know, know what happens after that.

Yeah, and that probably is my shot.

I mean, the.

The backup that he does is he sees the police.

No words were ever said.

Yeah, but the indication would have been clear even if we hadn't known from the first season that something tragic had happened, or at least they're indicating that it did.

I mean, we still, at this point aren't that sure that it even happened at the.

You know.

Yeah, but that was the.

In the implication.

But when he backed away and the darkness fell over his face and it was almost like.

Like him.

His life, his.

His brain, his mood, slipping into that because he just lost that part of himself.

And, you know, that's where we see the more muted tone of the rest of the series where he is sad, you know, he's depressed with good reason.

His wife is gone.

Yeah, I loved how you explained that.

It was good.

So the second part of the episode that we wanted to talk about was we get to see Gemma on the testing floor.

It is not Ms.

Casey.

We see Gemma.

Exciting.

Asking about Mark a couple of times.

Yeah.

Asking about Mark.

She's getting vitals from a nurse who.

Doing all these random tests.

We don't know what they're testing for.

But we just know it's testing for.

And she tells Jim and she's going to be visiting six rooms that day, whatever that means.

Probably not.

Not good things.

I mean, that's.

That we can feel pretty confident in.

But, like, the way Gemma asks, it's like, this is what she does every day.

And I'm sure it's a terrible existence.

Terrible.

We see Gemma put on a red dress and a wig and she's escorted to the first room of the day.

When she walks in, we hear the ding of the severance chip activating.

And I thought it was Ms.

Casey at first, but then I was like, I don't think that's Ms.

Casey.

But she's like, asking for a break from this doctor that we've seen from episode five, I think, who went and got the tools from O and D and he's like, it's been six weeks.

You had a break.

Yeah.

Like, what the heck is happening?

Yeah, I mean.

And I think he was probably telling the truth there.

Like, that version of her had not been there for six actual weeks.

Or.

I mean, I don't know, because Milkshake talks about how long it been since Mark and, you know, so who knows?

But I don't think it was immediate.

And she has no way to tell, you know, because that's an innie.

And as we find out as she goes in these different rooms that she has multiple innies.

Yeah.

I didn't even realize you could do that until now.

I mean, it's.

I mean, it's reasonable to.

To think that that's possible, but it is.

You know, it opens up a lot more possibilities, you know, with someone like Bert or Irving may have had other versions of their innies.

Wow.

Yeah.

So.

And then she comes out with a toothache, but she didn't know what.

She doesn't know what happened in that room.

Yeah.

She's crazy.

I bet I know what time it is.

I bet it's 2:30.

So as she's walking by all these rooms, we see all the names on the doors and they happen to be files that the team has refined.

So I wonder what about these rooms that they're refining?

What do you think?

I don't know that I have a good, like, idea for that.

But I know each one I saw just made me feel more sad.

Like the people in MDR are going through it.

But Gemma is, I mean, the lab rat of the worst kind.

And I almost feel like she's the only one down there that.

I feel like that might be true.

But I don't think she's been the only one ever down there.

Yeah.

As Gemma's walking back from her room, we notice these rooms.

But she also looks oddly at one, and it is titled Cold Harbor.

And she later talks to the Dr.

Maurer and says, I noticed a new room I've never been in before.

And he talks about when she goes in there, the world you will see the world and the world will see you.

Yeah.

A very interesting quote.

Yeah.

That we don't have a lot of knowledge as to what that means, but it definitely sounds big.

I mean, we've already heard, you know, the Lumen guys talk about it's going to be change.

World changing once Mark gets done with that file.

Yeah.

So they're planning on something large.

Yeah.

That's crazy.

We get to see Gemma in another room.

She's writing Christmas cards.

Yeah.

Thank you notes.

Thank you notes.

Christmas gifts.

Yeah.

And Dr.

Mauer sitting on the couch with a Christmas sweater on.

Yeah.

Like he's supposed to be playing her husband or something.

Yeah.

And that dude, I mean, I.

I don't even want to speculate as to what he's been up to.

Yeah.

Did you notice that she was.

Her writing was very like, scribbly.

It was not good.

She was definitely riding with her non dominant hand.

Yeah.

That could be true.

That could be a reason.

It could be that.

That any is newer.

So maybe it doesn't have that skill.

Although it seems like a lot of motor skills do transfer over.

Or another thing is she was writing a bunch of those and her.

Her hand was just tired.

Yeah.

But I think at the doctor's office, I remember her writing with her other hand, so.

Well, I don't remember that.

So I will have to take your word for it.

And you can call into the voice, you know, the voicemail and tell us we were wrong.

If we were.

Later on, Dr.

Maurer visits Jim and Gemma's room.

And Gemma says she wants to go home and see Mark, but he tells her that Mark is remarried and has a daughter now.

So he does lie.

Just like Milchick.

I mean, so it probably wasn't six weeks.

I mean, he was probably just lying to you.

Yeah, it's.

Although this lie honestly felt like it had reason behind it because he clearly has a thing for her.

Yeah.

And like he was trying to dissuade her from waiting on Mark.

I guess.

Like Mark's moved on.

You can too.

I mean, so yeah, I don't know.

This lie at least felt like he had a reason to do it, even though it was a slimy, creepy reason.

But after that statement, Gemma has had enough.

She's.

She's done with this.

She hits Dr.

Maurer with a chair.

Yeah.

And take WWE style.

And grabs his key card that is also black.

And takes off.

Yep.

And then has a video game level.

Trying to escape, like go through these.

These little passageways and lighting up as she walks past them.

It really felt like she was sneaking in a video game.

Yeah.

The lights were now on the floor instead of on the ceiling.

Like they were for Mark and Helly, which was interesting.

And she gets to the elevator, goes up and she switches into Ms.

Casey.

Yes.

Terrible, terrible, terrible.

And she goes through that hallway.

Not honestly sure while she's there, why she's there.

And runs into Melchick, who's a little out of breath.

Yeah.

Because somehow he got warned.

Maybe it's just because that elevator.

I don't know.

But one way or another, he.

He knew he had to stop her.

Yeah.

And when he did, it was disappointing because, dude, we were starting to feel a little bit bad for you.

A little bit.

Like maybe you're not a straight up bad dude.

You know, you're dealing with this trauma yourself.

And then you just push her back.

Although we don't know what time that is.

It could have Been before his review and before they gave him the black caricature pictures of.

Of the Cure family member or the, you know, the Lumen people.

You think that.

But I.

I think it was after.

Just because Ms.

Dr.

Mauer had that Christmas sweater on in the.

The Twin Room.

Called the Twin Room.

Yeah, that's true.

That's true.

And they were talking about how Cold harbor was at 96 or something.

Yeah.

The people who are watching MDR, who look like mdr, who may or may not have been the shadow people.

Yeah.

Out in the real world where they didn't, you know, they nail almost every single aspect of that show, but the one they didn't like.

They didn't ask about the shadow versions of themselves or try to speak to them at all.

I know I said it before, but, like, you know, if I see a dude who looks just like me, dress like me, and just might be, but not really the real thing walks like me.

Oh, I was going for Slim Shady.

Oh.

Anyway, you know, I'm at least going to ask.

Hey, you know, like, what are you.

What are you doing here?

How much you know something about that other person?

And they said nothing, but, like, they're refining the data that MDR is refining.

Or they're just watching them.

Why couldn't they just use cameras they need.

I mean, they have to be there for some reason.

Yeah, I don't.

I have no idea.

But they haven't spoke at all.

You know, like those refiners.

And in this episode, when we look back at them a little bit later, you're right, because of the timing, because Irving is gone.

And then the shadow Irving is also gone after that.

So it's clearly related directly to the refiner.

I don't know.

You know, they don't speak.

They're just.

I mean, they're just odd.

Like, what is their point?

I mean, I know just what you're.

Saying, but Milchick ends up telling Ms.

Casey that her.

Her Audi came for some reason, but she took the wrong elevator and she did.

But it wasn't a rowdy.

I mean, I guess it was.

Yeah, it's weird.

And sends her back down.

And she's like, but what?

And he's like, off you go.

Off you go.

Bye.

Bye.

Milkshake, Milkshake.

Come on now, dude.

But he's already had so many strikes against him.

I think he's just like, I need to play it by the book.

You know, he's already been super creepy in the mirror and.

Yeah.

So grow, grow, grow.

He's Trying to grow himself, I guess.

And poor Gemma, just, when she wakes up, is just defeated, Crying all on the ground.

She just.

Yeah.

And the nurse takes her back and seems like she at least cares for her to some degree, but.

And obviously not fully, because she's letting her deal with all of this.

Yeah.

Okay, so while this episode is happening, we see Mark on the couch.

He's still out of it from when he fainted last episode.

Looked like he had a seizure, whatever.

But he's on the couch.

And Devon and Rappi are arguing over what to do with Mark.

Devin wants to call Kovalvig.

And Ragabi is like, if you're going to do that, I'm out of here.

Like, I'm not.

I'm not dealing with her.

Yeah.

And she kind of argued with Devin, but, like, didn't really put up much of a fight.

Just, like, later, like, I'm real invested in this, but now I'm not.

Okay, bye.

You called her.

Okay, bye.

Okay.

Like, you couldn't put a little more behind why you didn't want to stay to give Devin the reason not to call her.

But Rigabe is like a walking plot device, so she's not really needed for other exposition.

That's what, you know, Cobell's probably going to provide once they.

Seems like they'd contact her.

And then, you know, Mark wakes up and Devin asked him, where you been?

Where you been?

And the face acting on that dude right there, like.

And you can see, like, realizations happening.

Yeah.

And it felt like that was his Dagobah moment.

Like, dude, Dagobah.

He went off into the woods to train with Yoda, you know, and now he can use the Force.

Like, you know, he's integrated.

This is a man who has some power now.

He didn't have all the power, but he's got some power.

If you don't watch Star Wars.

That was a Star wars reference.

I think the Yoda part gave that away to anyone who would be listening.

But sure, yeah.

I had some observations this episode.

And if you turn on the subtitles when Rickon and Devin and Mark and Jim are having dinner or lunch or whatever, says, did you know you can purify urine into drinkable water?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

He's.

He's still a little nuts, but not as nuts as we've seen him, you know, thus far.

Gemma is listening to.

Before she hits Dr.

Maurer over the head, she's listening to I'll be seeing you.

Just like when Mark was taping up her photo in season one.

Which I thought was cool.

Maybe a little song that they both enjoyed.

But this time, I think it has to do with Dr.

Maurer.

Like, she's gonna be seeing him again, which is kind of sad.

It is, yeah.

It's.

It's real sad.

And then Mr.

Drummond, when he was talking to Dr.

Maurer in the twin room, as I guess it's.

We're going to call it now.

Sure.

He says he's stuck at 96%.

This nosebleed set us back.

And so that kind of gave me a hint into, like, the timeline there.

Because he talks about the nosebleed he had.

Yeah, yeah, you're right.

You're right.

Now, Dylan was not in this episode.

He was not and so said.

But so I think for your first observation there, that probably should be the.

The quote of the episode.

Unless you have another option.

Wait for which one?

About.

About purifying.

Oh, yeah.

That should probably definitely be it.

Rickon wins the cake this time.

He does.

So that has been worth the binge.

Our severance series for episode seven.

If you'd like to call in and give us your thoughts or questions, you can call 417.

No, you can.

415.

Podline.

4150 podline.

I would.

Almost there.

You were almost there.

And we.

We'd love to hear from you.

Tell us your theories, tell us if we were.

If we were wrong on any of that.

I probably was.

So, yeah, let me know, because otherwise I'm just going to keep being wrong, and then that's not good.

So.

All right, we'll see you later.

Bye.