Severance Recap: John Noble Hams It Up — and Is [Spoiler] Actually a Villain?
Severance played host to a sumptuous ham dinner this week, with guest star John Noble manning the stove as Burt’s husband Fields. We were left with a bitter aftertaste, though, by one slip of the tongue.
In Friday’s episode, Irving takes Burt up on his offer of a nice home-cooked meal, showing up at Burt’s door with a bottle of red wine and a freshly brushed mustache. When Burt opens the door, he’s puzzled: “Who the hell are you?” But he’s just kidding! He invites Irving inside, where Fields (played by the Fringe alum) is cooking up a ham with a cumin glaze. Burt reveals what led him to undergo the severance procedure: He was “a scoundrel” in his youth, he admits. He told Fields he didn’t think he’d go to heaven, and Fields didn’t want to go there without him. But a pastor at church contended that Innies can be judged separately from their Outies, so Burt figured maybe his Innie could make it to heaven.
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At dinner, Burt and Fields giggle over their shared nickname “Attila,” which evolved from the original “hun.” Fields remembers it started 20 years ago, when they had drinks with Burt’s partner at Lumon. But wait, Irving says: Didn’t the first severed office open 12 years ago? Burt blames Fields’ mistake on the wine — but we’re not so sure. Are these two hiding something? Why do we have a bad feeling that Burt is still working for Lumon and stringing Irving along to keep him off the trail? We did notice that Lumon henchman Mr. Drummond was searching Irving’s home while he was out at dinner.
Fields abruptly changes the subject by asking: “Do you think you two ever made love at work?” OK, then! He’s concerned they may have had unprotected sex, but he does hope their Innies found a beautiful connection with each other. Burt later apologizes for his husband, and suggests to Irving that they get together again sometime. With or without Fields, Irving asks? “Either way,” Burt replies. Our antennae are definitely up about Burt now, though. We don’t want to see Irving get hurt again!
Elsewhere in “Attila”:
* Mark continued working on reintegration with Reghabi, finding himself stuck between Innie and Outie. As an Innie, he told Helly that he and Helena had sex during the outing, and he and Helly decided to have sex, too, setting up a makeshift tent in an empty office. But afterwards, Mark discovered his nose was bleeding — and suddenly, he found himself on the outside with Reghabi again. He wanted to speed up the process, encouraging Reghabi to push further, and he ended up glitching out and collapsing to the floor as an Outie while his sister Devon looked on in horror.
* Outie Mark also had his first encounter with Helena (!), who joined him in a booth at a Chinese restaurant. She complimented his work and apologized for “the systemic error” of the overtime switch, and the vibe between them was weirdly flirty. She said he should meet her father sometime, and he quipped, “You want to take me home to Dad already?” (P.S. They’ve had sex, but he doesn’t know that!) But when she offered condolences on the passing of his wife “Hannah,” he turned cold as he corrected her: “Gemma.” He quickly excused himself after that with an awkward goodbye, where it seemed like she wanted to kiss him. Again.
* Speaking of kissing: Dylan got closer to his Outie’s wife Gretchen during another spousal visit, and he admitted he really likes these visits. In fact, “I wish we could really be together,” he told her. “Like, all the time.” She countered that they are together already, but he reminded her: “You and him are. But I’m not.” He wanted to try hugging again… and they ended up sharing a kiss. Then Gretchen lied to Outie Dylan and told him her Lumon visit was cancelled. Now that’s what we call a love triangle!
* Milchick’s patience with Lumon seemed to be wearing thin: He fumed about last week’s performance review, practicing putting paper clips on the right way and using simpler words. (In a mirror, he progressed from “You must eradicate from yourself childish folly” to “You must abandon childish things” and finally to “You must grow up. Grow up. Grow up! Grow!”) Is anyone else holding out hope that Milchick switches sides and starts fighting for the resistance? Or is that just childish folly?
Got thoughts on this week’s Severance? We’re passing the red ball to you: Make your voice heard in the comments below.
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