Chikhai Bardo

Wow, episode 7 of Severance deserves an Emmy!

It's nice to see that they gave their cinematographer, Jessica Gagnea, a chance to direct this episode and ended up delivering the best episode of the season. I was so intrigued the whole episode - the camera work, the transitions and the emotional journey was truly a work of art.

This episode also givesDichen Lachman (Gemma) the spotlight she deserves and she proves how talented she is. She perfectly shifts between her innie, outie and past self, showing her incredible range. It's also wonderful to see more asian actors getting more screen time.

It's kind of insane to think this was originally inspired by the backrooms. Almost every scene leaves you mind blown with the camera work, set design, color grading. Everything is phenomenal. The transitions are so constantly creative you are siting there wondering how did they do that nearly every other scene. As far as story telling goes this is easily the most abstract and non-linear severance has ever been. It's unclear who's memories we are looking at half the time and who's perspective we are watching, and yet it still makes senses. We see more of lumon and what they are doing but there is still pieces missing, everything is there but it isn't quite connecting yet. I think most importantly this episode effectively sells Gemma as a character and it sells Mark and Gemmas relationship as something we should care about. This show continues to push television as a median forward and I'm on the edge of my seat to what comes next.

Severance is a miracle, the fact that this show works as well as it does is truly groundbreaking. Episode 7 takes what some could consider to be filler, and turns it into a gutwrenching backstory that pushes the main goals of the season into a necessity. I will avoid spoilers, but the story we got this episode truly put me personally in the shoes of our main character, and I am heartbroken.

I can't go any longer without mentioning the cinematography of this episode, oh my god? This should come as no surprise as the show's lead cinematographer made her directorial debut, and she knocked it out of the park.

Adam Scott gives a career performance, which could be said for many episodes this season. I am in awe of the character work and writing that Ben stiller and co. Have crafted here.

Severance has exceeded my expectations in multiple ways. The last three episodes of season one cemented the show for me but this episode managed to bring this series to a whole different level.

The first thing I would like to point out is the cinematography and directing. Severance hasn't fallen short, especially in this second season, but this one blew my mind. You can feel the passion and care that has been put into this project. The transition and the grainy look in the flashback sequences really made it feel intimate and meaningful.

The acting was also top notch. Dichen Lachlan (Gemma) was incredible and managed to bring a powerful rollercoaster of emotions, all ranging from confusion, sadness, and hope. Adam Scott and Jen Tullock have always impressed me but they also tapped into untouched territory that we haven't seen yet in this series.

I'm trying to avoid spoilers but if you haven't seen this series and want to know if it's worth watching, the answer is yes.

Take a bow Jessica Lee Gagné! Everything about this episode - the plot, the pace, the sets and most importantly, cinematography is 10/10.

I have never seen better 50 minutes of television - and rarely 50 continuous minutes of any motion picture.

It has the dead wife montage. But it blooms in a way that we feel like the honeybee flying around in anticipation.

It opens up the Severance lore more than any other episode (barring S1 finale). But it makes it even more eerie.

We see more of the sterile Lumon but with georgious aesthetics. It is menacing with a friendly facade. Its clinical precision is handled by steely grip. It takes you to a prison of hope - that you volunteered into but cannot escape.

This episode should be (and I hope, will be) studied in art schools for ages.