Severancecontinues to deliver powerful moments in its acclaimed second season on Apple TV+, many of which end up raising a lot of questions. For example, Mark delivered a powerful line to Mr. Milchick inSeverance season 2, episode 9, which shows the former moving forward with Devon and Cobel with their plan against Lumon Industries. After telling Milchick that he needs a day off and that"work’s just work,“Mark convinces his boss to give him the day off from the office, making for one of the most heartfelt scenes ofSeveranceseason 2.
Mark’s conversation with Milchick marked a major step forward in the latter’scharacter development inSeverance. The dialogue and the way Milchick even parallels a scene featuring Mark and his former boss, Harmony Cobel, in season 1, shows the true power of Mark’s truth bomb. Ultimately, such an interaction conveys the entire message ofSeverance’s mind-bending story, which has resonated with so many audiences since its inception in 2022.
Mark Helps Milchick Rebel Against Lumon Even More In Severance
Image via Apple TV+
Though he became the head of Lumon’s severed floor after season 1, Milchick has grown disillusioned with Lumon asSeverance’s second season progressed. Earlier in “The After Hours,“Milchick told Mr. Drummond to"devour feculance"instead of apologizingfor his alleged failures. Following this act of rebellion, Milchick takes it one step further when he lets Mark take the day off to figure out his life instead of making him come to work to finish theCold Harbor file seen throughoutSeveranceseason 2.
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Milchick’s decision comes after Mark tells him that"work’s just work,“which causes him to shed a tear. Based on the board’s mistreatment of him throughout season 2,it’s clear from this moment that Milchick’s had enough of Lumonand that he laments sacrificing his time and morals to the company. As a result, Milchick gives Mark the time off that the former desires himself to focus on life rather than work.
Mark’s Call Parallels His Conversation With Cobel In Severance Season 1 Episode 8
Mark Said The Same Thing That Helped Cobel Break Away From Lumon
InSeveranceseason 1, episode 8, Cobel renounces Lumon after the company board fires her from her job on the severed floor. She then meets with Mark at Devon’s house as Mrs. Selvig, telling him that she had a bad day at work at the"shop.“He then tells her that"work’s just work,“and she agrees,mirroring Milchick’s reaction in the penultimate episode ofSeveranceseason 2.
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Cobel’s interaction with Mark made her realize that, like Milchick, she had put too much time and effort into a job and a company that just wasn’t worth it. Just as Milchick gives Mark the time off that he needs, Cobel tells Mark to quit his job at Lumon and get away from them. Both scenes show Cobel and Milchick turning against Lumon, at least for a brief moment, and prioritizing Mark’s well-being over the whims of their oppressors.
“Work’s Just Work” Is Severance’s Core Message
Severance Is All About How People Prioritize Work Over Life
The whole premise ofSeverancerepresents the divide between a person’s life at work and their life outside the office. Withthe characters literally splitting their lives by undergoing the severance procedure as employees at Lumon, their innies' work is very much the reason for their existence, making it a central part of their lives. Even the non-severed workers devote themselves to Lumon like they’re followers in a cult as they carry out their superiors' dark designs.
Like with Cobel, it may be as difficult for Milchick to free himself from Lumon’s iron grasp.
As Mark and his coworkers have learned throughoutSeverancethat there is more to life than their careers at Lumon, they begin to break free from their oppression and seek true happiness, accepting the fact that"work’s just work.“Cobel may have tried to take down the Overtime Contingency in the season 1 final, but she eventually accepted that she couldn’t go back to Lumon and get the respect she feels that she deserves.
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All in all,Severanceproved once again that working isn’t the same thing as living, as Mark helped Milchick see that he can’t live for Lumon anymore. Following their phone in “The After Hours,” it seems like Milchick will follow Cobel by turning against Lumon after the company mistreated and underappreciated him for so long. Like with Cobel, it may be as difficult for Milchick to free himself from Lumon’s iron grasp, butSeveranceis always full of surprises.
