Warning! This article contains spoilers for Severance season 2, episode 1.
Severance’s Break Room is a mysterious, dark place that holds a deeper meaning than first thought. The Break Room first appeared in season 1 as a place whereSeverance’s cast of charactersare sent if they cause too much trouble within Lumon’s Macrodata Refinement office. As ofSeveranceseason 1’s endingthough, the exact nature of the Break Room is only outlined a few times despite many characters entering the dark hallway at multiple points.
The true nature of the Break Room is one of thequestionsSeveranceseason 2 may answer, yet episode 1 of the continuation changes it from what has been seen before. The location is redesigned to be much more like a traditional break room found in real-world offices, though this does not overcome the feeling of overwhelming dread it gives off. With all of this mystery and intrigue surrounding the Break Room, it is worth exploring exactly what it is, what it is used for, and the darker meaning behind its name that links toSeverance’s innie personalities.
The Break Room Has A Simple, Brutal Purpose
InSeveranceseason 1,it is bluntly explained that the Break Room has a distinct purpose: to punish the workers of Lumon’s severed floor if they step out of line. This is highlighted most obviously by Helly’s time in the Break Room inSeveranceseason 1, episodes 3 and 4. After attempting to escape the severed floor, Helly is sent to the Break Room, with the episodes disturbingly showcasing exactly what happens to employees there. Helly is shown tearfully reciting a passage of text that condemns her own actions hundreds of times:
“Forgive me for the harm I have caused this world. None may atone for my actions but me, and only in me shall their stain live on. I am thankful to have been caught, my fall cut short by those with wizened hands. All I can be is sorry, and that is all that I am.”
Evidently, this passage is incredibly self-deprecating towards the workers of Lumon and reinforces the idea that they are nothing but tools to be treated horribly and overworked endlessly by their superiors. Moreover, there are hints inSeveranceseason 1’s storythat the Break Room utilizes physical punishment to an extent. In one scene, Mark is shown leaving the Break Room with bruises on his knuckles. This implies that old-school children’s punishments like the rapping of knuckles could be used in the Break Room to discipline Lumon’s workers in another way.
Lumon’s Break Room Is Used To “Break” The Employees Into Submission
The Break Room Exemplifies Severance’s Core Themes
Although the actions that take place in the Break Room are dark enough, the true meaning of the phrase and its thematic ties toSeverance’s story make it even more bleak. In the real world, a break room is exactly that, a place where employees can retire for a break from work.Severancetakes this unassuming element of everyday work life and turns it into a much more brutal plot point where the word “break” is taken literally. Rather than being a place of relaxation,Severance’s Break Room is used to break the minds and spirits of Lumon’s employees.
When Is Severance Set? Why Lumon Has Such Old Technology
Severance employs a visual style called retrofuturism, which lays the groundwork for the workplace comedy’s unique take on dystopian horror.
This links to the entire reason forSeverance’s existence. The show was created as a compelling story, but one that takes the ordinary conventions of work life and uses them as a vehicle for a mystery to unfold. The show explores work-life balance in a way nothing else has, with the Break Room typifying this. By taking such a common aspect of office life and taking it in the direction it does,Severance’s Break Room conveys the show’s deep-rooted messaging more than many other elements it possesses.
Why Lumon Redesigned The Break Room In Severance Season 2
Severance Edges Closer To Normal Life
Interestingly,Severanceseason 2 introduces a completely new side to the Break Room. While the dark, foreboding corridor to the room still exists, the room at the end has been made much more presentable. There are plushy chairs and a TV screen, almost akin to what a break room in the real world would look like. The reason for this stems fromSeveranceseason 2, episode 1’s severance reforms. Milchick explains that the events ofSeveranceseason 1’s finale caused controversy with the public, leading to several reforms Lumon was forced to implement to better the conditions of severed workers.
It is worth noting, however, that these elements are simply a front. Lumon remains as authoritarian as ever, now potentially even more so, thanks to Milchick’s leadership. No amount of fake break rooms or workplace snacks will change that, which is likely somethingSeverance’s characters will explore in season 2. These changes are simply a way for Lumon to put on a more benevolent facade to the public and the company’s workers, starting with the Break Room, which used to be the most harrowing place inSeverance’s already-chilling severed floor.
Cast
Severance is a psychological thriller series featuring Adam Scott as Mark Scout, an employee at Lumon Industries who undergoes a “severance” procedure to separate his work and personal memories. However, as work and life personas mysteriously begin to collide, it quickly becomes clear that not all is as it seems. Created by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle.
