Analyzing the Fetishization of the Office in “Severance”

When “Severance” first hit our screens in 2022, it felt like a dark, twisted tale about the struggles of the modern workplace—a spooky critique of technology and capitalism in an era of automation and upskilling. The show revolves around four employees at Lumon, a creepy biotech company where they sort numbers based on the eerie vibes they give off. Each character, split into an “innie” and an “outie” through a mysterious procedure, toiled away in the grim, soulless environment of the severed floor, a futuristic office space straight out of a sci-fi nightmare.

The central message of “Severance” seemed clear—work was making everyone miserable, turning them into hollow shells devoid of individuality. However, the storyline got a bit murky when we realized that even the characters’ personal lives outside of Lumon were bleak. They lived in a strange company town called Kier, where life was lonely and unfulfilling, despite the freedom they enjoyed. As the show premiered during the tail end of the pandemic, with many of us missing the structure and routine of the office, it struck a chord.

In its second season, “Severance” continues to explore the dark side of corporate culture while also glamorizing it. The new episodes delve deeper into the biotech aspect of Lumon, with nature increasingly encroaching on the characters’ lives in unsettling ways. The show portrays the office not just as a place of work, but as a form of control, keeping employees in a perpetual state of childish dependence. The characters of the M.D.R. team are treated like children, with infantilizing perks and celebrations that mask their powerlessness.

While “Severance” itself expresses concern about this infantilization of the workplace, other recent cultural artifacts have flirted with the idea, portraying the office as a playground where adults get to play dress-up. It seems that, in a world where the lines between work and personal life are increasingly blurred, the allure of the structured, if oppressive, office environment still holds a strange appeal for many.