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The Wait For It Podcast
Hosted by MrEricAlmighty and PhilTheFilipino, the guys discuss all things in Pop Culture from movies, gaming, anime and anything in between. New episodes every Wednesday, all you have to do is...WAIT FOR IT!
The Wait For It Podcast
Late To The Party - Severance
What if you could completely separate your work and personal life? Join us as we unravel the eerie and intriguing world of Apple TV's "Severance." We promise you'll gain a newfound appreciation for the show's intricate storyline and the unique concept of surgically divided memories. Eric brings fresh insights from his recent binge, while Phil revisits his initial thoughts from 2022, marveling at the growing recognition of Apple TV's high-quality content and the impact of Ben Stiller's creative vision. With the second season set to release in January 2025, our excitement is through the roof, and we can't wait to share our thoughts and theories with you.
Prepare yourself for a deep dive into the compelling performances and complex character dynamics of "Severance." From the standout performances to the magnetic chemistry among the core characters, we leave no stone unturned. You'll hear our thoughts on the moral implications of the severance procedure and whether such a concept could—or should—exist in real life. We even get into the nitty-gritty of office party realism, questioning the show's quirky choices and how they mirror or deviate from our own experiences.
Finally, we take you through the emotional rollercoaster that is the season finale of "Severance." The intense tension, shocking revelations, and exceptional storytelling have us comparing it to some of the all-time best TV shows. We also express our desire for more exploration of certain story arcs, and we dissect the pivotal moments that left us on the edge of our seats. With an eye on production quality and the series' future, we urge you to pay close attention to this masterclass in suspenseful television. Don't miss this episode—your gateway to understanding why "Severance" is a must-watch.
IMDB Synopsis: Mark leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives. When a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs.
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Speaker 2:Eric Almighty and Phil the Filipino. Yeah, they've got you covered and all you gotta do is wait for it. This is the Wait For it Podcast. Hey, everyone, welcome back to the Wait For it Podcast. I am your co-host, phil Smith, aka Phil the Filipino, and joining me, as always, is your other co-host, mr Eric Almighty.
Speaker 2:And Eric, we are here with the first episode of the month of September, and I feel like I'm saying this a lot now when I say it's a long time coming, because we've been knocking out some episodes and some shows and video games and conversations and all this stuff that have been like on the back burner and we're like is this ever going to happen? Well, here we are, the night of the evening of September 2nd, and we are going to be talking about an Apple TV show. Eric, Remember there was a time in the podcast with Netflix and Phil where I was just knocking out Apple TV shows and it's kind of funny because Apple TV is now getting a little bit of recognition on social media Twitter specifically where people are noticing the quality of Apple TV shows and the lack of any type of what's the word that I'm looking for I totally blanked on the word like commercials or any type of promotion. There we go. The word promotion totally escaped me for some reason, and people are wondering why the hell this is happening.
Speaker 2:Well, eric finally took this leap into Apple TV and we are going to be talking about Severance. So, eric, I know you have gotten through this show over the last few weeks. I'm excited to have this conversation as we revisit Severance, because I talked about Severance back in 2022. May of 2022 is when I did the Netflix and Phil episode and here we are a few a couple of years later to talk about it. So here we go. Here we are.
Speaker 1:Apple TV is in the building, baby. Very much the Microsoft Game Pass, the Xbox Game Pass to TV. If you hear it from Phil, he has been on a rant and rave about Apple TV and everything that it has to offer, and I'd be remiss not to admit that I've heard it not just from Phil but in general about how great these shows are Ted Lasso, shrinking, so many other ones that come to mind, but of course those being the big ones that you've definitely heard Phil talk about on this podcast. The cool thing about this series is, while we normally aim for shows or films that we have not seen together, this is an exception, and there are some exceptions to that rule, because Phil will talk about Severance and love to do an episode about it.
Speaker 1:We could do a Severance podcast and this man would be happy and I just watched it and I mean we're not doing this episode cause I didn't like it, cause it cause we would not be able to continue the podcast. So that should let you know the tone. It's also a nice shift from a couple of episodes here and there over the past few months where things we haven't enjoyed them as much as we thought that we would. So we're really just here to gush about this show called severance. I am excited to talk about it. It is fresh on my mind and I'm glad I finally pulled the trigger. Phil, you were right, you get your flowers.
Speaker 2:This whole episode, this show, absolutely phenomenal yeah, we're talking about a show that I believe has reeled in some awards off the double, yeah, two primetime emmy awards. And you know, it is one of these shows where we're waiting years for season two. And this is, uh, this episode is coming around at a good time because season two is coming out in january of 2025, so eric will be able to take that journey here together. Uh, you, it's funny, usually it's you introducing me to a show that has been on like a long hiatus, and then I get to catch up. And now you are in this position and, um, you know, as you uh texted me the other day, like if you had had to wait the amount of time that you had to wait for some sort of conclusion as to what happened in the season finale of Severance, you would be pretty upset. And, listen, we have been right there with you as far as fans of this show. But before we jump into this episode, we want to welcome any brand new or returning guests to the podcast and we thank you so much for being with us on this journey. We are a couple of weeks away from Ocala Comic Con, so hopefully we will see you there, or maybe you're from the future and you met us there and this is one of the first episodes you're listening to. Welcome, thank you so much for checking us out. Make sure you stick around to the very end of the episode and we'll let you know where you can find all the important links and information regarding the show. And yeah, otherwise, sit back and prepare for this ride, because Severance is a crazy show and I'm very excited to discuss it.
Speaker 2:I guess I'll throw out a synopsis. Like I don't think any type of synopsis, eric, would really encapsulate what this show is about, because I didn't even really 100% understand what I was getting into before diving into it. The one here on Google says Mark leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives. When a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs. So, eric, one thing I mentioned in my severance episode back when it came out in 2022 is just the fact that this came from the mind, partially, of Ben Stiller.
Speaker 2:Right, when we talk about Ben Stiller and we think about him, you know, probably in our age bracket we think about what Meet the Parents and films like that. When it comes to Ben Stiller, so the fact that something like this came from his mind, along with the other director I believe it's pronounced Ayo McCardle and then throw in Adam Scott as a producer and who we also know from a classic comedy right in Parks and Recreation, and throwing those people together and getting this was crazy. So you know, walk me through your first few episodes. Were you a little, you know, trying to figure out the vibe, or did it kind of like pull you in right away with the mystery?
Speaker 1:So the one thing I will say for our audience before I get started, I'm going to challenge us to and especially me, because, of course, I've just finally finished this challenge us to kind of go at the pace of the show. So, if you want to hear a little bit about the show and not too much about the mystery, like, stick around, but I would recommend going in blind, probably pausing here and coming back because we are going to talk about the show freely. The show has been out for a few years, Second season's coming up in 2025. So, again, we're going to talk about the show pretty freely because we are late to the party. And, with that being said, Phil, first off, the trailer I think is a very, very good trailer. I popped on the trailer before I put that on. Also, looked at the synopsis that you read and I feel like that kind of explained what I was getting into. Like I know you didn't think it offered too much, but I think it offered a pretty good glimpse into what I was seeing Now, understanding how severance works, all of that. That's what you're really diving into in that first episode. I think everything about the show. You know we're going to talk a lot about the characters, so I'm going to hold off on that.
Speaker 1:I got to say the aesthetic of this show is the first thing that really stood out to me. I mean, this show is absolutely. This is cinema. This is absolute TV cinema at its finest. It's one of those shows and I was trying to put my finger around this it's one of those shows that when you're watching it, you know that there are Easter eggs that you missed and you're excited about that, whether you dig them up in a YouTube video afterwards or upon multiple rewatches. This is a show that you can tell you're not fully getting everything, just what you need. And this show very much leads you with breadcrumbs and doesn't always expect you to fully understand what's going on. That can be really frustrating and could be frustrating to some viewers. For me, when it comes to a mystery, I absolutely, absolutely live on that for my engagement of the show. And from episode one, Phil, I mean again, the show is just a straight vibe.
Speaker 2:I believe I mentioned this the first time around, but it's just very eerie in the best way possible. So once again, you're talking about how severance really works Like. It seems like these innies which will you'll hear that term a lot here. Again, if you're here, we assume that you have watched the show. So you're hearing about this terminology and you know Adam Scott is is leaving the office and it seems like he has no idea what happened for the rest of the, you know, during his entire day and runs into Helly and they don't even know each other. You know like it does a great job throwing you into that mystery. Right away you meet this really unsettling character, eric Wright, and Milchick, who I'm gonna gush about a little bit later. I did that the first time around, but he is outstanding. Trammell Tillman, I think, is going to be a superstar in this business, so I am ecstatic to see more from him. But yeah, I think this is certainly one of those shows that lends itself to at least I think, one more watch.
Speaker 2:I started it when I knew we were going to be doing this episode and I only got through, I believe, three episodes, but I certainly plan on going back into it. So the unsettled nature of the characters and their actions and what's happening here, that's persistent throughout the entire series, throughout the entire season, like I said in the, in the best possible way. So I'm really glad you picked up on that vibe. I think, cinematography wise, this is right up your alley, which is why I kept banging the drum on. You need to watch this.
Speaker 2:I don't know if you're gonna like ted lasso, I don't know if you're gonna. I don't really know if you would like mythic quest, but this is is the one that I knew. I was like, this is Eric's vibe and he's going to be into it and that's why I threw. You know, you and I don't carelessly throw out comparisons to like a Breaking Bad or shows such. You know, shows like that, that just doesn't happen with us. So I knew that this would be something that would would draw you in pretty quickly and I'm just giddy. We haven't even gotten. We were going to talk about Irving and Bert. There's so much to discuss. It's so good.
Speaker 1:I know. So that's that's why I went there, cause I wanted to make sure I brought up that point. You know, it always feels like the low hanging fruit to bring up cinematography or how a show is shot in this sense not necessarily a movie, but this is almost like movie quality, like it's just again so, so good and there is so much happening behind the camera. Even if you're not a film buff or you don't fully know how much goes into making a tv show, when you look at this show you could just tell there's a lot, there's a reason why on the wall there's this thing there, there's a reason why this person is standing where they're standing in the shot. Like those are the type of things that you don't even have to go to school for. This is the type of show that brings that thought out of you and I just had to start there.
Speaker 1:But, phil, the characters are fantastic. I can't remember a show where, recently anyway, that I just love and I mean love the entire core cast, and that doesn't just mean your two or three main characters. We're talking about those core supporting characters that are in the show as well. Just kind of starting off with our main four, obviously you have Mark, dylan, helly R and then you have Irving man. What a great quadruple of a cast. It's just so, so good. I love all of them and I will say there are characters from the beginning you're not sure how you vibe with. I didn't really know if I would come around to liking Mark or Dylan or Helly R or Irving, and each one in their own unique way made me love them by the end and I'm itching to find out what happens in season two. So, phil, I'm curious what your thoughts are and we'll just kind of start with those four characters and dive into more from there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, mark, and with Adam Scott, you know, and he's done a lot of dramatic work since Parks and Recreation it feels like a little bit disrespectful to just remember him as Ben Wyatt, but that's such a good character and he's so great. So I was very much intrigued by Mark from the get go, because you're really wondering about, you know, the mystery of his past and what happened with his wife and he's trying to approach this relationship with Helly a different way than Petey did, right. So because he gets thrust into this management role that he necessarily I don't even know if he really wanted that role and obviously he's upset that his friend is gone. So you get to meet Petey in the first episode. So I was very much intrigued by Adam Scott because I wanted to see him in this, in this more serious role, so he pulled me in right, right away.
Speaker 2:We give a lot of shit and warranted shit to the Transformers franchise because it's awful, but John Turturro has always been really entertaining, so Irving playing this like straight-laced by-the-book company man just worked very, very well. And before this, zach Cherry right, eric was the guy from Shang-Chi, right, like he was the guy with the phone on Shang-Chi. And for him to deliver this performance and show like, holy shit, this range is out of control. So I agree with you that the core four characters, because they have such amazing chemistry which is an overused term, but, like when it's radiating off this, the screen, what else are you going to say? So they nailed it with those four and um again, I'm gonna, you know, let this segue into uh, when I want to talk about uh, milchak, but I did want to answer that first question. And yeah, the main four of the cast, especially by the end, you're just rooting so hard for them and you love them so much.
Speaker 1:And uh, yeah, they're, they're fantastic yeah and and again, I figured those, those like supporting characters are ones we're going to talk about. One of the first things you and me said to each other is you were just like so, bert Nervin, huh, and we just knew what that meant. So I know we're going to jump into it. Some of the other characters there's just so many good ones Devin, miss Casey, milchakickon, burt, peaty they're just, they're filled, they're all so good for what that, what they bring to the show. Um, I will say for milchak, because I know that's like, that's your guy, so good, so fantastic, I, I love it.
Speaker 1:Uh, he would just go from like, just dancing, having a good old time and then having, and then having the most a hell of a dancer and then having the most a hell of a dancer and then having the most stern, unsettling look and then he's sprinting like a football player down the halls, like absolutely unsettling. I also liked, obviously, miss Cobell, or Miss Selving, as we also know her by Just a lot there that we are still not aware of as far as intent, her reasoning, and that's kind of the thing. Phil, with a lot of those supporting characters. We learn a lot about the core four. But with those supporting characters I'm like dying to learn more about them If they execute it in the same way they do with the main four, because again and this will be a little jumping all over the place but mark obviously has a huge arc from start to finish with this show. It's really really big.
Speaker 1:Heli r is a character I don't really like at first, yeah, honestly. And then there is that moment, that very triggering moment in the elevator that like, oh, she has some resolve, like she's not, like there's a point in a return there. You also have irving and everything with bert. I can't wait to talk about irving and bert. We will dedicate the right amount of time to irving and bert and uh, dylan. I mean the moment he finds out what's on the outside, which that revelation that that could even happen, we'll get there, the fact that that even happens was wow, just amazed me. So all these characters had that defining moment that, for me, turned me around on them, from saying I don't quite get them or I'm still trying to understand them, to I I'm rocking with them. 110. So I think we got that with the main cast. We've got glimpses of that with the supporting cast.
Speaker 2:They're all fantastic, but I can't wait to learn more yeah, to bring it back to cobell, you know, like you said, we're just so unsure of what her intentions are and like kudos to her for for the incredible work that she does in this role, because she's playing two different characters, right that, and that's patricia arquette. You know she's playing essentially two different characters and the performance that she delivers is outstanding. Again, to bring it back to milchak, like eric, you and I have worked in corporate america for a while there's that guy, right, that is just like the raw, raw cheerleader. But then, like, when you piss him off, you're like, oh, I didn't know that side of this person existed and now I'm very uncomfortable around you. Like that guy exists.
Speaker 2:And you know, while this is not a direct shot at uh, you know the uh, well, I mean well, it is kind of a direct shot at. You know the well, I mean well, it is kind of a direct shot at the current like working environment here in the United States, like that's what it's tackling here, with obviously much deeper themes, but like everybody that's worked in an office has known a Milchik that has been like the you know, the right hand guy to kind of keep everybody in line, which is why you know the things you mentioned there, why his performance was so unsettling and just so outstanding to watch. But the sister, the brother-in-law hilarious character like delivers has outstanding delivery on his dialogue. So so many things that again back then, whenever you know, we were putting out why you should watch in Netflix and film.
Speaker 2:So many things that we don't really have time to address because we're trying to keep them relatively short. So I'm glad we have this long form episode to really really discuss it. I'm going to deviate here a little bit and maybe I should have saved this conversation for the end of the episode, but I just want to ask you now would you sever? Is this something that's that would be appealing to you, do you think?
Speaker 1:Something that would be appealing to you? Do you think it's so interesting to see that, upon reflection of what these characters go through, I feel like I have grown a lot because of my 9 to 5. Like you know, we talk about a lot of the things I've had to adapt and had to learn to and sometimes I've had to be the hoorah guy. Luckily I have not had to be the hoorah guy. Luckily I have not had to be the hey, you did a great job. Here's a pizza party guy, which, again, I feel like that was the only thing missing. If I could criticize this show at least once, it would be. There was no pizza party, totally unrealistic party.
Speaker 2:And then they got the uh, not the waffle party but they got eggs, the egg party. Yeah, highly sought after that egg party.
Speaker 1:Waffles and eggs. No, it should have definitely been like Domino's pizza Okay, the cheapest pizza they could find, papa John's. So, yeah, no, I feel like I've learned a lot from my nine to five. This show makes you think about stuff like that, though. So, like I didn't know, you'd ask that question, but I was kind of prepared in the sense of like, would I do that? I don't know, I would like to be disconnected and just be back to my normal life.
Speaker 1:There are days but I don't know. I just think that, um, I think that with that there would be so many consequences. It doesn't look like any of these characters are rejuvenated going back home. You know, they still feel the workday. If anything, I more envy the severed versions of them because at least I mean they know they got sleep. You know they may not feel it and there's also a kind of drawback on that, but they actually, like, get the rejuvenation of it. They start off fresh. So I don't know, I'm definitely torn on it. I'm not saying I definitely wouldn't, but I'm definitely torn on it. I'm not saying I definitely wouldn't, but this show definitely made me think about that, not just being such a simple choice, and that premise itself super interesting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's fascinating the type of discussion that that could open. So I'm hoping that we run into more people that have watched the show. And that's another one of the things, eric, about me wanting you to watch these is because no one's really watching Apple TV, which is crazy, and they're pumping out award winning shows. You know, I didn't even talk about the other show that I really much enjoy. I think you would like For All Mankind, because of the way that similar vibes, the way that it's shot and the way that the story is told.
Speaker 2:I think you would like that one, like that one, but hoping that with season two right around the corner, that maybe more people are jumping into this and seeing what all the the hype was about, because back in awards season, obviously that hype was certainly there for severance. So, eric, here at this point, you know we already talked about some branching storylines that we want to address, so I'll just throw it back to you. Which one do you want to talk about? First, because there's so much going on here the revelation about Miss Casey being Mark's supposedly dead wife, and that was obviously an insane reveal, and an insane reveal within a bunch of other insane reveals, which is just a crazy thing when it comes to a tv show.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's a lot. We're going to get into reveals and stuff. I feel like we're going to get there. Let's just jump into the Burt and Irving talk, because again I just want to. I want to talk about these two so badly.
Speaker 1:I don't think I've ever really known what true love is until I've seen Burt and Irving and Phil. It's like it's so crazy because I know this is like a hot button topic still in 2024 for people. I don't care. If it feels natural, then it feels natural. You love who you love Phil.
Speaker 1:This show, these two characters, absolute fireworks the moment they look at each other. I've never I don't know that I've ever experienced it with same sex or different sex characters or any characters in general. The closest I could tell you is like how I feel about your name, but that was a progression of me feeling, like the romance and the feelings and all that the instant Bert and Irving look at each other Soulmates. I just don't know how to explain that. I just don't know how to explain that to people without you seeing it, because it's absolutely magnetic, it's fireworks, it's all of it. And that phil, to me is just absolutely crazy because there's still so much mystery behind their characters at that point. So I curious like did you expect me to react that way? Was this as just simple as I'm making it? Like you look at them, you're like oh my God, yes.
Speaker 2:No, I definitely did, because one we love Christopher Walken and again, we have appreciated John Turner's work you know outside of, of course, the Transformers movie, whenever he shows up. I think we know you're going to get a solid performance, whether it's comedic, whether it's dramatic, like in this case. But yeah, like you said, there's not even necessarily like a slow progression. You can just see it in their eyes and that is a testament to both john and christopher for the worth that they put into. Because you can, obviously you see two characters thrown together all the time and they're supposed to have chemistry and they just simply do not.
Speaker 2:Like Mark and Helly do not have chemistry, right when this kicks off, and then as they go through this saga and figure everything out that is developing as it goes on, but again, like you said, irving and Bert, it's as if you know, like in anime or in cartoons, you see that the lightning bolt bolt like between the two of them, like the actual static shock happen, and then it's even elevated even more as far as like the heartbreak when you find out that Bert has like a life outside of the severance floor. And you see that reveal and you're like, no, but Irving is banging on the door, and that's one of the things where he's like I need answers now. It's been years, eric.
Speaker 1:We've been waiting for years, bert Bert.
Speaker 2:Just banging on that door. So yeah, I think when two characters, regardless of the background or not, have that type of chemistry, immediately that jumps off the screen. I wasn't really too surprised that you said that how much you enjoyed them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and again too, and this is kind of where we'll mix in maybe some criticisms. You know, you kind of mentioned it there. I do like the Mark and Helly are like romance. It felt like it needed a little bit more from suicide attempt to kiss Like it just felt like there could have been a little bit more. They had a little bit more work to do. Then again Bert and Irving, who instantly I want them to be together, I would die for them. Like that's where we are with those two characters. So that would be one part.
Speaker 1:I would also say that the Dr Casey reveal kind of you can tell like there's only so many characters in this show to pay attention to, and there I felt like there was a reason that she wasn't being highlighted very much. Uh, so there, that that I felt was a telling reveal, good reveal, and I think it's going to be interesting how Mark is going to have to handle this kind of love triangle. I think that's extremely interesting for what's to come. But the reveal that got me film, the one that I definitely want to talk about, is overtime when we see Milchak in dylan's house which is terrifying in and of itself.
Speaker 1:Imagine milchick just showing up at your house it was probably the only thing in the show that made me like audibly gasp. I audibly gasped and I was like, oh, they could do that. And I was shook, absolutely shook. And then he sees his son and I don't know if it's something about being a dad film, but the change from dylan instantly totally made sense, like it just wasn't forced. This goof who wants to win prizes and just wants to stay in his lane and hates the other departments.
Speaker 1:Now nothing matters matters because he has a kid and he just wants to know his name. Like at a simplistic level he's like I just want to know his name, I want to know why I have a child. Like that's life changing. You feel life changing stuff in this show through these characters and I just really resonated with that. Again, dylan, to that point, was the only character out of the main four I didn't really vibe with because I was like, ok, he's kind of the comedic relief, absolute change. And then he has that moment where he buys them the time, gives them the time to do what they need to do in a very precarious situation, trying to keep them in overtime out in the real world. So yeah, I would just say that reveal was the most gripping and unsettling reveal and the one I did not expect. Like I just did not expect that, which is a credit to the world building that they did here.
Speaker 2:When it comes to the procedure and what severance is really about, yeah, and I'll take this opportunity To just shout out Multiple Apple TV shows that do very, very good character work. Because, again, like you said, dylan is pretty straight forward. He wants caricatures, he wants the most credit, he wants the waffle party. These are his goals. And then, like you said, the huge reveal where you find out that they can activate this at any time and the most terrifying, handsome, muscle, muscle bound man can show up in your closet at any time and just do this. Fantastic. And there are characters littered throughout apple tv that do that as far as they seem pretty.
Speaker 2:One note in the beginning Jamie Tartt. I've talked about that in Ted Lasso. There are characters in For All Mankind that constantly flip back and forth in terms of who you're rooting for and who you think is an asshole. And, yeah, zach Cherry. To see him deliver this performance and flip that switch pun intended midway through the season is outstanding. So, yeah, it was. It was a huge reveal for us too, and when me and my sister and and brother-in-law were watching through it the first time, because it is, like you said, just outstanding writing and it takes a lot for us to be surprised, I think, for modern audiences in general, like a lot of us aren't really surprised by anything anymore and we see things coming from a mile away. This was not one of those things.
Speaker 1:No for sure. And then obviously, the probably biggest reveal from a thematic standpoint is Helly. R is an Egan which again did not see coming, probably the closest audible gasp that I was gonna get outside of the dylan reveal. But it made sense. And again, talking about heli's resolve, the second I got that realization I said, oh, that makes sense. Now, that's why she acted that way from the get-go, that's why she's so headstrong and that's why she's such a pain in the ass, like she's just said, in her way she's driven to do A, b and C her way and that makes a lot of sense because you then see the opposite side of that in the world that's around her and the way that she's having to adapt to that.
Speaker 1:I thought the whole thing kind of skipping ahead right now a little bit towards the ending parts of the show, them being out of the severed floor, I thought was very interesting how they were going to adapt to that and it was just all very compelling, like extremely compelling stuff. I don't want to jump too too far ahead because there's like a lot of stuff in the middle that we can still kind of pick at. But I was very curious how we left season one Season one did not end where I thought we would, so that is a good thing, but TBD, of course. So, phil, anything else kind of towards the middle of the season, before we get too far towards the end that you wanted to touch on, ask my opinion on or just shout out?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I do want to touch on Helly because upon rewatch and if you do go back and rewatch this, like you said, it makes sense you can see those hints as far as her identity and why she would put herself through this if she is looking to be this spokesperson for Severance. There are things with the world building Eric, I think you touched on that a little bit like when they're out in public and there is the anti-severance protesters, right, that's something that is just so small and there's like a sign at one point when they're walking around that says they sell clothes that work for severed individuals, which is something like why would you even think about that as the writer? But then, when it's pointed out as the viewer, you're like man, what a great small detail when it comes to building out this world, because obviously this is a very controversial thing. I think the thing about this severance and the reason I ask you that question because it doesn't really seem like it's too much removed from reality, like, yes, this is sci-fi. Is this ever gonna happen in our lifetime? Probably not. But something of this nature where they put you under some sort of sedative or a drug, right, where you don't remember your workday. You go in and you go out. I can see that happening. That certainly maybe already happens. Who the hell knows what's going on out there? That's terrifying, I don't to think about that. But the fact that this is something that is obviously very much sci-fi but also still feels grounded within what is happening, with the relationships and the clashes in terms of personalities and and motivations and everything like that, I think, is what really sets this thing apart.
Speaker 2:And um, it's been a long time, eric, I don't know outside of anime, because anime is just built for the type of storytelling that leaves you tensed up and not knowing what's going to happen. I don't know the last time that a series or a season finale made me as anxious as Severance. I'm sure if I went back and looked at, like the last few years of you know of Netflix and feel I could find one. But this is one of those, one of those season finales where I was truly, truly like just tensed up and and stressed out. I don't know how your Game of Thrones watch through is going as far as season finales. I don't know if that's happened with you, but this one truly made me anxious.
Speaker 1:Oh, 100 percent. And I haven't got that far with Game of Thrones because I stopped to watch this, so I'm jumping back onto that train. It'll be very curious to see how that goes. But I agree with you Like.
Speaker 1:This is a show, phil, that maximizes its time. Nine episodes, just under an hour each episode, some on the shorter end or 45 minutes. They cram so much in there, whether it's dialogue or just visually. They provide such such depth to what you're watching and you don't want to look away Like you don't want to miss any of it. So I think that this show, to a testament of like, the writing and the direction is just really well done from top to bottom. It's an excellent. It's an excellent and perfectly like crafted show when it comes to the execution of everything.
Speaker 1:Now, of course, are there a couple of gripes here and there? Yes, like I would say, towards the middle I would have liked to explore the Petey side of things a little bit more, uh, in who he was working with, what was going on. That's when I started to get the sense that this show maybe knew it was going to get a season two, and I don't know, phil, you can educate me if it had had a multiple season order, but this didn't. This didn't act like a show that thought it was only going to get one season, and I could kind of tell that by the middle and then definitely by the end, when we didn't get a lot of answers. And maybe that's a good place to transition, phil, or there's still stuff in the middle we want to talk about.
Speaker 1:But for season one I was at least thinking we'd be off the severed floor, but we are going back. We're going right back to that severed floor and dealing with the consequences. Not a bad thing, but not where I thought the show would end up. I thought we'd get a little bit more as far as answers, and I think that's what season two, hopefully, is going to deliver.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the series premiered in February of 2022 and season two was confirmed, I believe, in April of that year. So it was going very well and I think they had it. Yeah, april 2022. So a few months Literally a few months after the series had debuted and Apple TV does do week by week, so they did not release all nine episodes all at once. So now I watch this a little bit later in the year. I think my episode came out in like September, but I just kept hearing as far as Apple TV fans talking about this. So there is actually. I did look it up.
Speaker 2:The other shows that left me very, very stressed and tense as far as season finales were also Apple TV shows. It was for all mankind and shrinking. So they're onto something here. As far as building up that tension, yeah, I definitely agree. I would have liked PD to stick around a little bit longer.
Speaker 2:I do remember I haven't gotten to this episode of my rewatch I do remember when the severance doctor killed the guy. I remember thinking that was just very sudden, like it. Just it happened very, very quickly and we had to like process it very quickly. Again, I haven't gotten to that part of my rewatch, so maybe you can tell me how you reacted at that point. But I'll say this I mentioned this the first time around. This is not a multitask show, and there were definitely times where I I'm sure I got distracted. I had to rewind and then I realized, okay, lock in, let's watch this thing. I know you're a big stickler for that. So just to bring it back around, for if you're for some reason still here and you haven't, you haven't watched the show. This is not something you can multitask with. Put your phone down, focus on what's happening, because if you look away for a minute, you might miss something incredibly important. So pay attention.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I will say the death of the security boss was jarring, just happened so quickly. You do have to process it very quickly. Again wanted to just know a little bit more about what's going on in the real world when it comes to that. And it was such a centralized story point for Mark too, I felt like we could have gotten that Like. I really feel like we could have. But you know, it does bring us to the finale, phil. We've had a lengthy discussion about this, so I think this might be the right time to focus on the end and what's to come and maybe the reception of the show. But, phil, my thoughts about the ending and when we got to that final episode absolutely crazy, absolutely crazy I didn't audibly gasp, I kind of almost shouted no, when Mark is going through the motions trying to get to Devin and tell her everything and of course Miss Selving keeps egging on hey, is everything okay, mark? And then he says I'm fine, miss Cobell, and walks off, I literally was like no, mark, no, and I genuinely thought she stole that baby. I genuinely. And then when she left the car running and the car was still moving and she got out of the car, I thought that baby was dead. So really glad that that didn't happen.
Speaker 1:But you know then you learn with her that you know her, you know her name. Her name is Harmony. There seems to be something going on with her mom. You kind of get those hints throughout the show. And even her talk with Helly isn't so much that she's going to ruin the severance program, it's that her coworkers are going to suffer, and I just thought a lot of that was really interesting to set her up as a character for season two to suffer, and I just thought a lot of that was really interesting to set her up as a character for season two. Obviously she gets fired and she doesn't take that very well, but now kind of maybe got her way in after basically saving everyone's ass. So I'm very curious to see how that works.
Speaker 1:How does her relationship with, uh, with Mr Milchick continue forward? Everybody now back in the severed floor how is that going to work? Helly R and now her Egan version in real life How's that going to work? All interesting stuff that they definitely left off on. And of course you also then have Irving at Bert's door. That's going to be tragic. You have Mark shouting out she's alive and Devin, I'm assuming, is going to put those puzzle pieces together before he comes back to. So again, really interesting stuff, just really super interesting stuff. A show like this has to keep you engaged and it did do that. I just really am hoping the payoff is there, because I'm just scared anytime I see a show like this, scared that they're gonna fumble it. Please don't.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and we have a 10-episode order for Season 2, and it's going to run from January 17th to March 21st, so we are going to get some answers and, for all intents and purposes, eric, I believe this is going to be it, and we just talked about this on what Did I Miss? Right, with Coggerhead, with Sid and Andrew, you got a story to tell. Awesome, tell it, get in, get out and leave it at that. So I think this has the opportunity to wrap up nice and tightly, if they're able to do so. You know it helps that obviously, the episode length is is longer than a standard television show. So, yeah, and then you know, you have Milchak tackling Dylan, you know, while he's in there doing his, doing his Spider-Man and holding, holding everything together and being the hero that he is trying to, you know, just again, like, just figure out what his son's name is.
Speaker 2:And, yeah, it is an art form to write a good season finale. And you can tell, you know, when it leaves its impact on social media. And while I was not watching this when it initially came out, it wasn't hard to go into social media and find people discussing the season finale of this. So, really, really great. And, like you said, you just hope that they can pull it off. It does have one more episode than season one, so season one had nine episodes, season two has 10. So this is a show that I just want to learn as much as possible about when it comes to the creative process and how they shoot things and why they put certain things there and what the colors mean and the juxtaposition of everything. And luckily the show's been out for a couple of years, so there's plenty of that on social or on YouTube now, which is which has been great and very helpful when I went in and prepared for this episode.
Speaker 1:So I did look into that and I will say the only this is literally the nitpick that I wanted to forget. I kind of hate that. I I didn't think of it till now. Honestly, a lot of the show stylistically and everything made sense. But even after watching some breakdown videos I got over the goat thing, the random like goat thing in the middle where they run into that. Like I'm okay with that, that was fine. The room, the like sex room thing scene with the dancing, the uh oh, the like sex room thing, seeing with the dancing the, uh, the waffle party.
Speaker 2:The waffle party. I didn't get.
Speaker 1:I didn't get, I'm still not 100% sure, yeah, what's happening.
Speaker 1:It was the one thing that made the show feel like it was doing a little bit too much Like, like. Again, the show does a great job at being realistic and having a lot of themes that, like, make sense. I just walked away from that scene being like why did we need that? What symbolism was there? What was I supposed to get from that? I didn't really get anything, If anything. That makes me afraid we're going to get a little too weird with where we're going and I would like it to just stay within the realm of reality. Again, as much as a show about having a severed mind you know will do, I would like it to stay a little bit more grounded. So, again, not worried. But I had that nitpick specifically. I wanted to call out and I just wanted to make sure it wasn't just me, Like you weren't going to say you didn't get that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I'm glad you didn't understand the lingerie clad founder of Kier. Did you even watch the show?
Speaker 1:Did you watch the show God? Yeah, so that's good to know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think well, we know, because we have proof that I think audiences will buy into a certain amount of weird, and I think that reflects in the Rotten Tomatoes score, which we'll transition to. So, because it has a 97 percent tomato meter score from critics, which isn't surprising, and an 87 percent audience score and, again, that is still very good. But I think there's probably that portion of the audience that may be checked out because, one, they're probably multitasking and not really paying attention and, two, there are some things in there that are a little strange that if you're not 100% following the story, then you're going to check out. I actually mentioned this because I, whenever I did Netflix and Phil, I would always try and find positive and negative reviews, and a lot of the a lot of the reviews that were negative said they only watched the first episode, which is just not a thing, but that's just not possible to do with a show such as this.
Speaker 2:So I think that's probably where the 10 percent differences in terms of tomato meter score is, because some people probably just checked out before they really gave it a chance or they decided it was something they weren't going to be able to keep up with, which also, again, is perfectly within people's rights. So I actually think it's gone down. Yeah, whenever I I first did, it was a 93 audience score. So in the two years it's gone down a little bit in terms of that audience score, but it's obviously still very high and that's not surprising.
Speaker 1:Again, everything I've heard about this show. I don't know that I've heard anybody say they don't like this show and and I guess if you don't like mystery, like shows or you think this show is a little bit too pretentious, I guess like, oh, it looks too good, there's too much symbolism. I don't like shows like that. Like you're gonna sound kind of dumb not liking this show. But to each their own. I definitely think it's a huge minority. I think most people, if not all people that I've talked to or heard about from this show have said they liked it, and that's not a surprise. Upon watching it.
Speaker 1:This is a show I would recommend to basically anybody and feel very confident. Like phil mentioned, this is one of those shows that are up there. I don't know where it's going to land, phil, but this might be a top 10, top five show I've ever seen just off of the first season. It does hinge on the mystery and the finish line, like it just does A show like this has to. So I'm not going to give it that much of the flowers that it deserves, but it does deserve quite a bit of flowers for a fantastic season one and I'm just really glad that I got to see this and I'm kind of happy that I saw it this close to season two because, again, I cannot imagine waiting years for the following season. Fingers crossed, that crossed, that they nail it, man. But yeah, there's just that slight hesitation. But with everything that Apple TV has apparently been putting out, again, I don't have that to go off of, going off of your word. I think we're going to be in a good spot and I'm cool with that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're on the cusp right. We're on the cusp of something all time right now and, like you said, as far as season ones go and introductions, this is right up there with some of the best TV I think we've ever seen. But they got to stick the landing that. You got to take the whole thing into account and how do they? How do they finish? You know, are we going to get it? God forbid. Is it going to be Dexter? Is it going to be Breaking Bad? Right, two shows that went in completely. You know the Fast and the Furious meme where they're going in opposite directions. We got Breaking Bad, we got Dexter. God, please follow Vin Diesel into the right lane and not Dexter, which I don't even think we've mentioned. On what Did I Miss? Because we're just like why is this fucking guy coming back again? Just let Michael C Hall rest, please.
Speaker 1:I guy coming back again. Just just let michael c hall rest, please.
Speaker 2:So I don't like that you made. Paul walker the come on, got shot by his son and he's still coming back.
Speaker 1:I just didn't like the. I didn't like.
Speaker 2:You could have easily swapped that and it would have just made as much sense. Okay, no, I don't think so.
Speaker 2:So I didn't like that yeah, and also think about it this way, eric like it ended in 2022. We got nothing in 2023 as far as teasers, announcements. We didn't get shit in 2023. It wasn't until 2024. We got like a very brief teaser and announcements of you know coming soon and all that stuff. Nothing for a year and a half, and it was absurd.
Speaker 2:This is the one thing I'll bring this up, because we're in're in this era where it just takes so long for these shows to come out. I stopped watching this show, but I might pick it back up. Man, how to get or not how to get away with murder? Only murders in the building. Four seasons, three years Amazing, what an amazing thing. I might start watching the show again, despite my, uh, disdain for some of the the people that have been cast in that show since then. But come on, what are they doing over there and why can't more people follow that as far as when new seasons come out? So I just wanted to give only murders in the building their flowers because of the the rate in which they're releasing seasons.
Speaker 1:Yeah I I've never watched that show, but I can't imagine it's anything to the quality of this show, I mean just from the types of cameras that they have to use and the set pieces. Like I'm just assuming that this show costs a lot of money to make per episode, so I'm sure that has something to do with it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I will say, as far as Steve Martin and Martin Short, that is probably worth price of admission because those two are the best. But everything else is like yeah, but yeah, it's definitely not the same in terms of where they're and the Severance Building, that is a real building. I can't remember where it is, but I think it would be pretty cool and pretty eerie to go check out. But yeah, real, real onsite location, it's pretty cool.
Speaker 1:Oh, I do a tour of the severed floor.
Speaker 2:Oh, for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, going through those white halls and getting completely paranoid, severance building location.
Speaker 2:Let's see, it is in New Jersey. It's the former Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, new Jersey. All right, when are we going?
Speaker 1:Sign me up.
Speaker 2:Sign me up, let's go but yeah, no, this was good.
Speaker 1:I figured it'd be a little bit of a longer episode than some of our other ones, just because, again, this has been a staple of the show. If you've been with us for a while, you know this has been something we've been actively talking aboutic. When are you gonna watch severance?
Speaker 2:I'll get to it it's in my honestly, it's great that you watch this, but now, like this is the highest bar for apple tv, because there are there are very good shows in apple tv but, like you, started with the best they have to offer, so I really don't know what I would, what I would have I will say shrinking.
Speaker 1:Shrinking is one.
Speaker 2:I like oh, shrinking is so good, god, shrinking is so good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I might jump in Just because it's a different and I'm probably wrong here, but I would assume it just at least is going to be different in tone. No, okay, there's some shit, there's some stuff, okay.
Speaker 2:I was maybe going for something a little lighter. Do you know the synopsis of?
Speaker 1:shrinking. I remember it. I remember it being something about, like, maybe, mental health, maybe I don't know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's a therapist and his wife has passed away.
Speaker 1:God, they just can't keep those wives alive, man yeah.
Speaker 2:And Jason Segel is outstanding.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so maybe shrinking just because it is that one season commitment. I think the reason I have it I probably will wait on Ted Lasso is because there's multiple seasons to have to get up on and shrinking is coming back next year. Yeah and that too, but I do think Ted Lasso eventually will be something that I do end up entertaining, just because I've heard so many good things and I've seen enough of it on TikTok an eighth of it specifically to know that it'll probably be good.
Speaker 2:Well, eric, we did it. Our first joint Apple TV episode. Feels good man Feels good, especially after, like you mentioned at the beginning of the episode, it's been rough the late to the parties and the international features. They've been rough. We're hoping we've turned a corner into the last three months of the year to where we'll have some consecutive four months of the year I should say consecutive good times. The, the international feature episode I have high hopes for. But you know we've said that multiple times this year, so we'll see if we can keep this momentum going because, again, I'm just giddy to hear that you enjoyed this as much as I did. And what a show that is somehow still under the radar despite its incredible praise from so many other people. But, eric, anything else you want to mention, any other special shout outs you want to give to any of these characters, any of these, these actors and actresses and the cinematographers and the producers and the executive producers all of them, like you said, give them their flowers and let's hope they stick that landing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely fantastic work across the board, some career bests as far as performances here. I mean, again, you've got so many established actors and actresses here and they're just at the top of their game. Just so good. To be able to get put in a playhouse like this of so many interesting themes and so many different concepts, I think is just something you can revel in as a viewer. And that definitely is the experience that I had, and you know, phil, I think we're doing great. I think we bounced back top gun Hell of a time, you know. I think we bounced back late to the party wise from Lego Ninjago, which continues to be just one of those markers we can't quite recover from. But again, I think we're in a good spot. Let's just continue to go on up.
Speaker 2:Late to the party has been this year. We had some high highs and then we had lego ninjago. We you made me watch real steel real steel, which uh was um, yeah, honestly, like this kind of started with spirit in a way, in december it was. We should have known we were in for like a crazy ride when it came out. Shin Godzilla was a little rough we did Shin Godzilla in November, holy shit. The bear, which I kind of enjoyed, but not enough to continue watching it.
Speaker 1:Yeah and then Nope was kind of like a hit or miss, so there was a weird stretch there, I think.
Speaker 2:I'm going to rewatch Nope. Just based on some things I've seen about it, I think maybe we were a little bit more harsh on it than we should have been, but we also held it up to his other two incredible films and you know, I think that's fair as well. But, yeah, go watch Severance. If for some reason, you did not listen to us and you stuck around for this episode, make sure you go watch Severance. And uh and um take, uh and um take in. What again is uh, top tier television? So we uh appreciate everybody for sticking around uh for this episode and again, maybe you even circled back, watch the show and then listen to this episode again. We really, really appreciate you. Make sure you check the link tree link in the show notes of this episode. You'll find everything that you need, including our entire episode a library the month of September, totally stacked. And then, as I mentioned in the beginning of the episode, we are what? Two weeks away from Ocala Comic-Con and there are some big time guests. We're going to be there in a smaller capacity than some of our other shows, but we still will be there hanging out with all of you. We hope to see some of you there.
Speaker 2:If you want to support the show, you can do a couple of things. Well, first, you can find us on social media, the most important ones to follow us on being Instagram, tiktok, as well as our Discord page. You can also find us streaming on Twitch. There are going to be a little bit of changes to the schedule because football season is coming up and, as some of you may know, I also host a Jacksonville Jaguars podcast, so there might be some changes there on the horizon, but we will definitely let you know. You can also head on over to Apple Podcasts, spotify, wherever you possibly can. Youtube. Leave us a thumbs up, five stars, leave notifications on all of that. Stuff is so vital to the health of a podcast and we thank you so much for those of you that have already done so. But if you haven't, that's a great way to support us as well. But if you want some extra perks, maybe see some behind the scenes stuff. Eric will let you know how you can sign up for all of that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so of course, you have the free options, which are great, and we truly appreciate all the support there. But if you do want to help us and do a little bit extra to support the show, head on over to either our Buzzsprout page or I personally recommend our Patreon page, where patrons like T3Kato, stefan, briar and Corey are showing us their support and, in exchange, getting access to exclusive perks like behind the scenes access and early access to episodes like this one. So we'd really appreciate continuing to grow that platform and getting that support. But again, the likes, the comments, the shares, the listens, the engagement all of the above is always appreciated and we'll see you on the next one. My name is Mr Eric Almighty. That is my co-host, phil the Filipino, please don't forget. We release new episodes every Wednesday on the podcast, with bonus content on platforms like TikTok, tok and Twitch, and all you got to do is wait for it. That was cool.
Speaker 2:So I heard you're looking for a go-to source for entertainment. Wait for it Gaming. Wait for it Anime Plus, ultra, mr Eric almighty and Phil the Filipino yeah.
Speaker 1:Plus ultra Mr.
Speaker 2:Eric almighty and Phil the Filipino.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:They've got you covered.
Speaker 1:And all you got to do is wait for it.
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