Ranking the Severance Season 2 Episodes
In case you have been living under a rock this year, Severance has taken the world by storm after there years away from our screens. Season two just wrapped up and was epic in many facets. Below are the episodes ranked:
10. Episode 8-Sweet Vitriol
A Ms. Cobel episode was a good idea in theory for a character with little backstory but such a strong personality. However, I didn't really feel like this accomplished much besides explaining Kier’s initial wealth and Cobel’s part in the Severance operation. It was just kind of a snooze and took away from the momentum of the season especially after we just had a backstory episode in the previous installment. This may have worked better earlier in the season but I understand the timing of it considering the ending phone call.
9. Episode 2-Goodbye Ms. Selvig
After focusing on the innies in the premiere, we cut to the lives of our favorite outies, all struggling since the events of the OTC. We see why they all decide to return along with Mark’s denial about Gemma. Not the most interesting of content but it was important to receive the context of the events immediately after.
8. Episode 5-Trojan’s Horse
Ahhh the episode where Ricken sells out is so frustrating but so fitting for his character just being an absolute tool. Elsewhere, this is decent episode that dealt with the effects of Irving’s death and the falling action of an explosive ORTBO. I just loved Irving's funeral and Dylan’s speech even if it was bittersweet.
7. Episode 1-Hello, Ms. Cobel
Following the cliffhanger from season 1’s finale, we’re introduced to new workers for Mark S who happened to come back to work after “months”. Miss Huang makes her debut here too and is a mysteriously hilarious addition to the show to shake things up along with Milchick’s promotion. A shout out is also needed to that Lumon video completely hamming it up with their lies mixed.
6. Episode 6-Atilla
Atilla takes a break from the Lumon-MDR battle to focus on our core four’s romantic lives. The dinner with Burt, Irving, and his husband is so uncomfortable yet hard to look away from. Same here goes for Dylan and Gretchen entire situation with her “cheating” with Dylan’s innie. It’s such a complicated situation to make you wonder what an appropriate reaction is. Then, Helly and Mark go at it again (officially) in a moment that soldifies them as a power couple going forward. Not much wow factor here but great relationship dynamic development going on.
5. Episode 3-Who is Alive?
I remember watching this episode for the first time and feeling that this is exactly when things are about to hit the next gear, similar to episode four of the previous season. With an expansion of the severance floor in the meeting of the goat people and Mark’s momentous decision to start reintegration, the show was about to change in a big way starting here.
4. Episode 9-After Hours
Our penultimate episode of the season is kind of a dark one leading up to an explosive finale. Burt and Irving go their separate ways in a touching yet depressing manner for the near future. Cobel, Mark, And Devon also try to work together to defeat Lumon but have some obvious trust issues. You can really feel the suspense building and the fear of what Cold Harbor’s completion means in this episode.
3. Episode 7-Chikhai Bardo
FINALLY, we get some backstory on Gemma. As an episode focused on her past with Mark, inability to have children, and time at Lumon, we get so many answers that we have been waiting for years to find out. It doesn't give us everything, but it gives us a taste as to what Lumon is up to and how disturbingly present Lumon has been in their lives leading up to her kidnap/death.
2. Episode 10-Cold Harbor
Holy shit, this was insane. I was audibly talking to the tv during the episode throughout considering the amount of wild stuff that takes place here. This is a perfect episode giving us action, Cold harbor’s purpose, Gemma and Mark’s reunion, goats, A MARCHING BAND, and an ending that makes you so mad for making so much sense. That doesn’t even cover it all, but it makes season three seem way too far away.
Episode 4-Woe’s Hollow
Here we are, with yet another perfect episode. If Cold Harbor was the climax of the show, I would say that Woe’s Hollow was the turning point or the catalyst to it. The ORTBO gives us amazing cinematography and a new memorable location to center on. Irvin’s farewell is a showcase for his character and actor feeling there was nothing to lose anymore. The revelation that Helly was actually Helena was one of the biggest shocks off the show, especially with the drowning scene it took to get there. Speaking of Helena, hooking up with Mark was just diabolical in hindsight. Everything that makes the show great really gets to shine here and truly stands out as the best Severance has to offer.
