The Grim Barbarity of Optics and Design

Last updated

"The Grim Barbarity of Optics and Design"
Severance episode
Grim Barbarity of Optics and Design.jpg
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 5
Directed by Aoife McArdle
Written byAnna Ouyang Moench
Cinematography by Jessica Lee Gagné
Editing by
  • Gershon Hinkson
  • Geoffrey Richman
Original release dateMarch 11, 2022 (2022-03-11)
Running time43 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"The You You Are"		Next →
"Hide and Seek"

"The Grim Barbarity of Optics and Design" is the fifth episode of the American science fiction psychological thriller television series Severance . The episode was written by Anna Ouyang Moench, and directed by producer Aoife McArdle. It was released on Apple TV+ on March 11, 2022.

Contents

The series follows employees of Lumon Industries, a biotechnology corporation that uses a medical procedure called "severance" to separate the memories of their employees depending spatially on whether they are at work or not. When severed workers are at work, they are dubbed "innies" and cannot remember anything of their lives or the world outside. When outside work, they are dubbed "outies" and cannot remember their time at work. Due to this, innie and outie experience two different lives, with distinct personalities and agendas. In the episode, Helly survives her suicide attempt, while Irving tries to find more about Optics and Design.

The episode received highly positive reviews from critics, who praised the writing, character development and tone. For the episode, Christopher Walken received a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Plot

Mark (Adam Scott) leaves for the day, but is shocked to find Helly (Britt Lower) hanging in the elevator. As he holds her, Graner (Michael Cumpsty) arrives to cut the cord and forces Mark to get into the elevator to leave. A shaken Mark soon shifts into his "outie" version.

The following day, Mark finds Cobel (Patricia Arquette) and Milchick (Tramell Tillman) waiting for him. Cobel informs him that Helly has been in the hospital, and that she will return in a few days since her outie refused to quit. She blames Mark for the incident, telling him it happened under his watch. However, Cobel neglects to tell the board about Helly's suicide attempt; Graner, who Cobel assigned to investigate Petey's chip, confirms that Petey's memory was reintegrated. Mark continues secretly reading Ricken's self-help book in the office, finding that it encourages the reader to challenge authority.

After his shift is over, Mark goes to a birthing lodge where Devon (Jen Tullock) has gone after starting contractions. Devon goes for a walk and meets a fellow expectant mother named Gabby (Nora Dale) in the cabin next to hers. As Mark and Ricken (Michael Chernus) discuss Lumon and Ricken's book, Devon goes into labor.

Helly returns to Lumon, and Mark helps her innie transition back into the office. Per Cobel's instructions, Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman) is assigned to observe Helly. While using the printer, Irving (John Turturro) discovers a disturbing painting depicting Optics & Design employees slaughtering MDR workers, consistent with rumors of a violent coup by O&D years ago. Milchick arrives and apologizes, claiming he sent the painting to the wrong printer by accident and that it was intended as a joke for Cobel, but he is soon revealed to have intentionally shown Irving the painting to discourage him from spending time with Burt. Irving, however, decides to visit O&D for answers.

Mark intentionally spills coffee, forcing Ms. Casey to leave the room to find new notepads. While Ms. Casey is gone, Mark takes Helly on a walk through Lumon's hallways, where he shows her that he has tried to reassemble Petey's map and asks for her help, but she refuses. As he tries to convince her, they find a room where a man is feeding baby goats, claiming "they are not ready". Cobel watches them on the cameras; Graner admonishes her for letting the innies discover other departments, but she replies that "the best way to tame a prisoner is to convince them that they are free."

Irving finds Burt (Christopher Walken) in the conference room, having been tipped off by Ms. Casey. Before they can talk, Dylan (Zach Cherry) locks Burt in the room, confronting Burt over lying about the number of employees at O&D. Burt admits they do not trust MDR due to rumors circulating around their office. Irving releases Burt, who in turn takes them to O&D. There, they find a painting nearly identical to the one Irving found, except it instead depicts MDR slaughtering the O&D employees. Mark, meanwhile, tells Helly he is happy to have her on his team and apologizes for not being able to do more to help her; Helly agrees to help Mark complete Petey's drawing, just as Ms. Casey returns to continue the observation. Burt takes Irving and Dylan to O&D's back room and introduces them as friends to the rest of his team.

Development

Production

The episode was written by Anna Ouyang Moench, and directed by producer Aoife McArdle. This marked Moench's first writing credit, and McArdle's second directing credit. [1]

Critical reviews

"The Grim Barbarity of Optics and Design" received highly positive reviews from critics. Matt Schimkowitz of The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A–" and wrote, "To make up for lost time, Burt takes Irving and Dylan to introduce them to his whole team. The proverbial walls are coming down, and Severance is about to kick into high gear." [2]

Erin Qualey of Vulture gave the episode a perfect 5 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "It's not hyperbole to say that Severance is the most visually arresting show on TV today. Along with the gorgeous costuming, deft art direction, meticulous production design, and spot-on cinematography, the entire credit sequence is a glorious work of clay-like animation designed to compliment the series' artistic sensibilities. I can't stop watching it. And the setting — Eero Saarinen's stunning Bell Labs — is a real-world piece of mid-century modern art that serves as a crucial centerpiece for the narrative." [3]

Oliver VanDervoort of Game Rant wrote, "One of the reasons Severance is so good is that the simple truth is that those answers don't have to be spelled out. The show relies on keeping people off balance and for the most part, it works incredibly well. Some shows could go out of their way to be weird to the point where it's annoying, but Ben Stiller's show continues to handle it almost perfectly." [4] Breeze Riley of Telltale TV gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "If you thought a show about people being severed into two different consciouses couldn't get weirder, I'm happy to report that you're wrong. Severance Season 1 Episode 5, “The Grim Barbarity Of Optics and Design,” makes its predecessors look mundane in comparison." [5]

Mary Littlejohn of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4 star rating out of 5 and wrote, "Will Severance give us the tools to break free of the system we see ourselves trapped in, or will watching the Macrodata team do it be enough to satiate us?" [6] Caemeron Crain of TV Obsessive wrote, "Perhaps the whole purpose of Lumon centers on the manipulation of emotion itself, with O&D not just putting up paintings but tracking the responses to them and doing some kind of data entry that then gets kicked over to MDR for refinement. But the overall vision and Ms. Casey's role in it remains something I don't even have a good speculative guess about." [7]

Awards and accolades

Christopher Walken submitted the episode to support his nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards. [8] He would lose to Matthew Macfadyen for Succession . [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Walken</span> American actor (born 1943)

Christopher Walken is an American actor. His diverse work on stage and screen has earned him numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Tony Awards. His films have grossed more than $1.6 billion in the United States alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolly zoom</span> In-camera effect that appears to undermine normal visual perception

A dolly zoom is an in-camera effect that appears to undermine normal visual perception.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union suit</span> One-piece underwear

A union suit is a type of one-piece long underwear, most often associated with menswear in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dichen Lachman</span> Australian actress and model (born 1982)

Dichen Lachman is an Australian actress and model of partial Tibetan descent. She earned recognition starring as Katya Kinski in the soap opera Neighbours (2005–2007) and as Sierra in Joss Whedon's science fiction drama series Dollhouse (2009–2010).

"Drinking the Kool-Aid" is the ninth episode of the first season of the American mystery television series Veronica Mars. The episode's teleplay was written by Russell Smith, from a story by series creator Rob Thomas, and was directed by Marcos Siega, the episode premiered on UPN on November 30, 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hela (character)</span> Marvel Comics fictional character

Hela is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is based on the goddess Hel from Norse mythology, and was first adapted by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Journey into Mystery #102. Hela is the Asgardian Goddess of Death who serves as the ruler of Hel and Niflheim. The character is usually depicted as an adversary of the superhero Thor.

"City of Angels" is the eleventh episode of the fifth season of the American musical television series Glee, and the ninety-ninth episode overall. Written by Jessica Meyer and directed by Elodie Keene, it aired on Fox in the United States on March 11, 2014, and features New Directions defending their National Show Choir Championship in Los Angeles. This episode includes brief flashbacks to scenes showing the late Finn Hudson.

<i>Severance</i> (TV series) American television series (2022–present)

Severance is an American science fiction psychological thriller television series created by Dan Erickson, and executive produced and primarily directed by Ben Stiller. It stars Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, Jen Tullock, Dichen Lachman, Michael Chernus, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, and Patricia Arquette. The plot follows Mark Scout, an employee of the fictional corporation Lumon Industries who agrees to a "severance" program in which his non-work memories are separated from his work memories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good News About Hell</span> 1st episode of the 1st season of Severance

"Good News About Hell" is the series premiere of the American science fiction psychological thriller television series Severance. The episode was written by series creator Dan Erickson, and directed by executive producer Ben Stiller. It was released on Apple TV+ on February 18, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Half Loop</span> 2nd episode of the 1st season of Severance

"Half Loop" is the second episode of the American science fiction psychological thriller television series Severance. The episode was written by series creator Dan Erickson, and directed by executive producer Ben Stiller. It was released on Apple TV+ on February 18, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In Perpetuity</span> 3rd episode of the 1st season of Severance

"In Perpetuity" is the third episode of the American science fiction psychological thriller television series Severance. The episode was written by executive producer Andrew Colville, and directed by executive producer Ben Stiller. It was released on Apple TV+ on February 25, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The You You Are</span> 4th episode of the 1st season of Severance

"The You You Are" is the fourth episode of the American science fiction psychological thriller television series Severance. The episode was written by co-executive producer Kari Drake, and directed by producer Aoife McArdle. It was released on Apple TV+ on March 4, 2022.

Hide and Seek (<i>Severance</i>) 6th episode of the 1st season of Severance

"Hide and Seek" is the sixth episode of the American science fiction psychological thriller television series Severance. The episode was written by producer Amanda Overton, and directed by producer Aoife McArdle. It was released on Apple TV+ on March 18, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defiant Jazz</span> 7th episode of the 1st season of Severance

"Defiant Jazz" is the seventh episode of the American science fiction psychological thriller television series Severance. The episode was written by Helen Leigh, and directed by executive producer Ben Stiller. It was released on Apple TV+ on March 25, 2022.

Whats for Dinner? (<i>Severance</i>) 8th episode of the 1st season of Severance

"What's for Dinner?" is the eighth episode of the American science fiction psychological thriller television series Severance. The episode was written by executive producer Chris Black, and directed by executive producer Ben Stiller. It was released on Apple TV+ on April 1, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The We We Are</span> 9th episode of the 1st season of Severance

"The We We Are" is the ninth episode and first season finale of the American science fiction psychological thriller television series Severance. The episode was written by series creator Dan Erickson, and directed by executive producer Ben Stiller. It was released on Apple TV+ on April 8, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hello, Ms. Cobel</span> 1st episode of the 2nd season of Severance

"Hello, Ms. Cobel" is the first episode of the second season of the American science fiction psychological thriller television series Severance. It is the 10th overall episode of the series and was written by series creator Dan Erickson, and directed by executive producer Ben Stiller. It was released on Apple TV+ on January 17, 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig</span> 2nd episode of the 2nd season of Severance

"Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig" is the second episode of the second season of the American science fiction psychological thriller television series Severance. It is the 11th overall episode of the series and was written by co-executive producer Mohamad El Masri, and directed by executive producer Sam Donovan. It was released on Apple TV+ on January 24, 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seth Milchick</span> Fictional character

Seth Milchick, often referred to as Mr. Milchick, is a fictional character on the Apple TV + series Severance, portrayed by Tramell Tillman.

Gemma Scout, also known as Ms. Casey, is a fictional character on the Apple TV + series Severance. She is portrayed by Dichen Lachman.

References

  1. ↑ "Severance - WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West . Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  2. ↑ Gajjar, Saloni (August 29, 2024). "On Severance, baby goats have entered the chat". The A.V. Club . Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  3. ↑ Qualey, Erin (March 11, 2022). "Severance Recap: Inexplicable Goats". Vulture . Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  4. ↑ VanDervoort, Oliver (March 11, 2022). "Severance Episode 5 Review". Game Rant . Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  5. ↑ Riley, Breeze (March 12, 2022). "Severance Review: The Grim Barbarity Of Optics and Design (Season 1 Episode 5)". Telltale TV. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  6. ↑ Littlejohn, Mary (March 11, 2022). "Severance Season 1 Episode 5 Review: The Grim Barbarity Of Optics and Design". TV Fanatic. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  7. ↑ Crain, Caemeron (March 11, 2022). "Severance S1E5: Wordplay and "The Grim Barbarity of Optics and Design"". TV Obsessive. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  8. ↑ Davidson, Denton; Beachum, Chris (July 26, 2022). "Christopher Walken ('Severance'): Emmys 2022 episode submission revealed". Gold Derby. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  9. ↑ Lattanzio, Ryan (September 12, 2022). "Matthew Macfadyen Wins Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Emmy for 'Succession'". IndieWire . Retrieved November 29, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.