Warning! This article contains spoilers for Severance season 2’s episode 7.
Severanceseason 1 avoided delving into the details of why Milchick woke up Dylan’s outie using the Overtime Contingency, but season 2 finally provides some answers. Like season 2,Severanceseason 1 had many defining moments that helped establish its eerie and mysterious sci-fi world. However, one of the most memorable arcs in theApple TV+ sci-fi show’s season 1 came towards the end when the innies finally stood up against Lumon by triggering the Overtime Contingency (OTC) to see the world through their respective outies' eyes.
BeforeSeveranceseason 1 walked through its gripping finale, it featured a scene in which Dylan stole a card from the O&D department. The fact that Milchick used the OTC to retrieve the card from Dylan established that it was important and held confidential information about Lumon’s work. However, season 1 never disclosed its true purpose. Although many aspects of the overarching narrative remain a mystery,Severanceseason 2’s episode 7might have finally explained why Milchick used the protocol on Dylan in season 1.
Severance Season 2’s Episode 7 Reveals Why Milchick Used The Overtime Contingency Protocol In Season 1
The Card Dylan Stole Is Crucial For Training Lumon’s Test Subjects
A flashback fromSeveranceseason 2’s episode 7 reveals Gemma had resorted to using IVF treatment to get pregnant after a miscarriage. After three failed IVF attempts, Gemma and Mark decided to back off from the process. This is when Gemma started receiving letters from the local clinic that was providing her with the treatment. The letters seemingly contained instructions and exercises she had to follow to be able to process the mental toll the treatment had taken on her.
…The O&D cards have always been crucial training for Lumon’s test subjects, explaining why Milchick used the OTC to get one of them back from Dylan.
The letters also included a set of cards,one of which seemed similar to one Dylan stole from theO&D department inSeveranceseason 1. When Mark asks her about the card in the flashback, Gemma reveals it represents “Chikai Bardo,” the death of one’s ego. AlthoughSeveranceseason 2’s episode 7 does not delve into the details of the card, Gemma practices the pose on it during her stay on Lumon’s testing floor. This establishes that the O&D cards have always been crucial training for Lumon’s test subjects, explaining why Milchick used the OTC to get one of them back from Dylan.
The Meaning Of The Illustration On The O&D Card In Severance Explained
The Card Is “Mysterious & Important”
Since Lumon’s work on Gemma is “mysterious and important,” and the cards are seemingly helping Lumon prepare Gemma for whatever they wish to achieve through her, it makes sense that Milchick did not even think twice before using OTC on Dylan. When Mark asks Gemma about the illustration on the card and questions if it shows a man hitting another, she says that both figures on the card are the same person because they represent one’s battle with one’s own demons. A closer look at the card reveals it showsthe Virabhadrasana Warrior Pose II.
The meaning behind the pose on the card suggests that Lumon wants Gemma to experience a certain kind of death.
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva summoned one of his forms, Virabhadra, to exact revenge on a king who harmed his wife, Sati. Virabhadra rose in front of the king in Warrior Pose I, chopped his head with Pose II, and planted it on a stake with Pose III. The story ends with Shiva replacing the king’s head with that of a goat (Lumon has goats?) and the King becoming Shiva’s devotee. The poses are also used in various martial arts and interpreted asa metaphor for one’s spiritual battle against ego and other human shortcomings.
What “Chikhai Bardo” Means In Severance Season 2 Episode 7
Severance season 2’s ep. 7 introduces the concept of “Chikhai Bardo,” making it hard not to wonder what it reveals about Gemma and her Lumon future.
The meaning behind the pose on the card suggests that Lumon wants Gemma to experience a certain kind of death. While it remains unknown why they would want that, it should have something to do with her severance barriers. The subtle inclusion of real-world mythology and religious references inSeveranceseason 2 makes the Apple TV+ series even more fascinating.
Severance
Severance is a psychological thriller series featuring Adam Scott as Mark Scout, an employee at Lumon Industries who undergoes a “severance” procedure to separate his work and personal memories. However, as work and life personas mysteriously begin to collide, it quickly becomes clear that not all is as it seems. Created by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle.
