Severance S2 E7 - Chikhai Bardo

Our minds are BLOWN after Severance season 2, episode 7! Listen along as we talk through all the happenings in "Chikhai Bardo," including some of our ever evolving theories, and speculation on what will happen next. Praise Kier!

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WHAT WE KNOW FROM EPISODE 7:

1. In a series of beautiful flashbacks, we watch Mark and Gemma meet at a blood drive. The two go on to have a loving marriage which is eventually marred by difficulties conceiving a child. After a miscarriage, Gemma and Mark visit a fertility clinic run by Lumon. We also revisit the night that Gemma died.
   
   1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
   2. We needed to “meet” Gemma
   3. Chikhai Bardo cards! (in Buddhism, bardo is an intermediate, transitional, or liminal state between death and rebirth). Duck/rabbit statue in Milchick’s office
   4. Blood drive scene shows Lumon symbol. Same on fertility clinic paperwork. Dr. Mauer walks by Mark & Gemma in the fertility clinic. Presence of Lumon confirms Lumon manufactured everything, including Gemma’s “death”
   5. Sunny, birds chirping - totally different from what we’ve seen
   6. People online thirsting for Mark
2. In the present, we find that Gemma lives on the testing floor at Lumon, where every day she visits multiple rooms (which share the names of the files MDR has been refining). Each room is overseen by Dr. Mauer and corresponds to an uncomfortable situation experienced by a separate innie version of Gemma. 
   
   1. Dr. Mauer is mystery man we saw last episode collecting the dental tools
   2. If you were caught in a mudslide, would you be more afraid of suffocating or drowning? (Gemma answers drowning)
   3. Rooms: Dentist, Thank you cards, Flying in plane. Things we learn are particularly unpleasant to Gemma. (degrouter reference)
      
      1. Some rooms are simulations? - Wiseguy144 on Reddit says “Does the airplane scene confirm the ORTBO was a simulation?”
   4. The fits??
   5. We learn you can be severed into many different realities
   6. The Watchers! - There is a whole separate group of workers watching the MDR team. So they are still being surveiled somewhat.
3. Meanwhile, as Mark lies unconscious, Reghabi confirms to Devon that Gemma is alive, and tells her Mark is voluntarily reintegrating. Devon is distraught and suggests calling Cobel. Reghabi gets spooked and leaves in a rush.
   
   1. Devon with that extra large print on her phone
   2. People are suspicious of Devon!
4. On the testing floor, after Gemma finishes her rooms for the day, Mauer interviews her about her memories and emotions from the experiences. Gemma asks about the Cold Harbor room and what will happen when she visits all the rooms. Dr. Mauer says, “You will see the world again, and the world will see you. Mark will benefit from the world you’re siring. Kier will take away all his pain, just as Kier has taken away yours.”
   
   1. So they are wanting to do this to everyone
   2. What is Cold Harbor??
      
      1. Mark or Gemma dying/coming close to dying to eradicate “bad” feelings from death experience. Few references to death: grief of miscarriage, asking Gemma mudslide question, “The Death of Ivan Illyich”
5. Later, Mauer visits Gemma in her Testing Floor apartment. She tells him she wants to leave, and he lies to her saying Mark remarried and has a daughter. As he’s talking, Gemma sneaks behind him, knocks him out, and steals his keycard. She attempts to escape via the elevator to the Severed Floor, but reverts to Ms. Casey. Milchick blocks her in the hallway and redirects her back down the elevator. In the final scene, Mark awakens with Devon beside him, still recalling memories of Gemma.
   
   1. Yet again Milchick called in to do damage control (fresh off the hog and catching his breath)
   2. She is trapped trapped. What did they tell Gemma to keep her there??

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Listen to the episode for a HUGE theory about what is in "Cold Harbor". Plus, what we think will happen next. Only three episodes left in this season—it's getting good!

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As always, thanks for listening, and we'll see you next Monday!