Severance hurts its own momentum with Cobel-centric bottle episode

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After delving into an hour-long Gemma-focused episode “Chihkai Bardo,” the show Severance follows up with another character-centric episode, “Sweet Vitriol,” which heavily features Harmony Cobel. While Cobel has been a recurring figure in season one, her relevance seems to have dwindled in season two. As such, dedicating an entire episode to her character, “Sweet Vitriol,” might seem disjointed from the main storyline and central characters of the series. This back-to-back structure without substantial ties to the primary plot could potentially dampen anticipation for Mark’s return and other Lumon Industries enigmas like the severance process. Although it provides additional insights into Cobel’s character and Lumon Industries, the episode does not significantly advance the storylines for many of the series regulars.

As a dedicated cinephile, I’ve been deeply engrossed in “Severance” – a series where the viewers need to stay alert and attentive to keep up with the intricate storylines unfolding within Lumon and the broader world outside. However, by airing two bottle episodes consecutively, it disrupts the narrative flow, particularly since Gemma’s and Cobel’s bottle episodes are markedly distinct in tone and narrative structure.

The most significant event in the Cobel-centric episode was the confirmation that Mark has successfully re-integrated, a development hinted at in “Chikhai Bardo,” but we, as viewers, were left in the dark about Mark’s response upon waking up. It would have been more coherent to transition from “Chikhai Bardo” to Mark’s perspective post-re-integration, allowing us to witness his reactions, rather than diverting from the main characters to focus on a secondary character who has had minimal screen time in season two, set in a town detached from the primary plot. Even though Lumon does have a history in the area, it feels disconnected from the overarching narrative.

In a surprising twist, it’s revealed that Cobel played a much larger role in the development of the Severance process than initially thought. This new revelation strengthens her bond with Lumon and provides a stronger motive for her character. However, dedicating an entire episode to this plot point feels excessive, especially when other characters could have been highlighted instead. If Cobel’s interactions with these new characters don’t become pivotal in future episodes, it seems that the time spent on her town storyline was more about filling screen time than advancing the overall narrative. Unfortunately, these newly introduced characters didn’t add much intrigue or depth to the series.

In the closing stages of Severance‘s second season, it’s crucial for all the season’s significant mysteries to be resolved, and these two standalone episodes have potentially slowed down this process because they were placed toward the end of the season, a time when the storylines typically converge to build up to a climactic ending. Although the two-episode arc “Sweet Vitriol” provided essential information, concentrating on characters other than the main cast for two episodes consecutively might have affected the rhythm and coherence of season two’s narrative progression.

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2025-03-11 01:55