After he dropped to the ground last week, there was certainly some concern about how Mark (Adam Scott) would survive. Luckily, “Chikhai Bardo” — the seventh episode of season 2 — places us directly in his mind. Using kaleidoscopic editing and visuals, Gemma (Dichen Lachman) occupies the center of the episode and ties to larger questions in Severance. Doing so provides us with a pivotal backstory to their relationship. It also reveals a devilish figure lurking in the background of Severance.
Severance — “Chikhai Bardo” — The Recap
A woman walks across a college campus. As she emerges from a tunnel, it’s revealed to be Gemma, who teaches Russian literature at a local college. She goes to a blood drive, where she sits next to Mark Scout. The two joke about the papers they each need to grade and eventually introduce themselves. Later, Gemma has her blood drawn in a sterile doctor’s office, where a nurse (Sandra Bernhard) asks Gemma where her thoughts have taken her. She does not answer, but a montage of Mark and Gemma in bed flashes across the screen.
In the present, Reghabi (Karen Aldridge) checks Mark’s pupils. She thinks Mark will be fine and asks Devon (Jen Tullock) to help her move medical equipment upstairs. Devon angrily asks for more information and refuses to accept that Gemma is alive. However, Reghabi tells her again and repeats that Mark is reintegrating. He needs sleep.
In a medical office, Gemma goes through a series of tests. The Lumon logo is displayed on several pieces of equipment. The nurse questions Gemma, including if she’s scared of mudslides or drowning (Gemma responds, drowning). Afterward, Gemma gets dressed and prepares for a “Six room” day. The nurse walks her through the halls to the Wellington office.
It is revealed that Gemma has been severed, and her Innie is greeted by a dentist (Robby Benson). Gemma’s Innie believes she was just in the office, but the dentist confirms it has been 6 weeks. The dentist prepares to start, and Gemma jumps outside the room. It had been 2 hours. She follows the nurse again, and Gemma walks past a door labeled Cold Harbor.
Devon sits by her brother and asks him to return. In Mark’s mind, he gets off an elevator on a normal college floor. He walks to Gemma’s door and gifts her an Ant Farm. She tells him she likes “plants,” not ants. We montage ahead in time, and they kiss in a study. Mark bought a crib, and they joke that he is handsy, not handy. We flash through an extended montage of their relationship.
Ricken and Devon visit Mr. and Mrs. Scout after taking a long trip mountain climbing. When Devon tries to pour Gemma a drink, she refuses. They share a look and laugh. Later, Gemma stares into the mirror at their house. Blood runs down her leg from a miscarriage. She turns on the shower and sits on the floor, where Mark finds her.
He zaps out of the moment to his Lumon office. Ms. Casey (one of Gemma’s Innies) approaches him, confirming she’s here to observe Helly R. The camera zooms out and follows wiring until it repositions itself to a man watching Mark S. on a screen. A watcher (Eric J. Carlson) keeps his eye on Mark. Meanwhile, the doctor/dentist confirms to Drummond (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson) that the Severance barriers are holding. Drummond thinks the doctor likes Gemma, reminding him she tried to break his fingers.
Gemma walks down a Lumon hall, stepping through the door with Mark. She fills out paperwork at the clinic, and Mark tries to reassure her that a lot of people go through it. She flashes between sitting alone at Lumon and receiving a fertility injection from Mark. When she returns to Lumon, she speaks with the dentist again. This time, neither seems aware of their previous interaction. Her mouth hurts, but she cannot remember what happened in any of the rooms.
The doctor asks if any of the rooms caused her to retain feelings as she entered the hall. Gemma shakes her head and asks what is in the Cold Harbor room. The doctor preaches about Kier, and Gemma responds by saying she’s ready to see Mark again. When the doctor opts for more philosophy, she asks him to speak “like a normal person.” At home, Gemma struggles with her infertility.
Reghabi tells Devon that Mark remains asleep. They’ll have to remain vigilant. Devon thanks her and tells the doctor about “the Innie Cabin,” but Reghabi already knows. Devin asks if they can take Mark to the Cabin to get more information from him. When Reghabi tells her they must finish reintegration, Devon suggests they call Cobell. The two women fight, and Reghabi decides to leave if Cobell gets involved. She walks out the door, and Devon remains at Mark’s side.
Mark begins muttering and remembers “Chikhai Bardo,” a flashcard that shows a man fighting his own psyche. Gemma refers to it as Ego Death. Gemma says she’s getting the cards from the clinic. Mark asks her why she’s spending time on the cards at all, and Gemma says that it brings her joy. She still feels beat up, and Mark tells her it’s okay to stop.
Gemma wakes up in a room alone but quickly gets ready for the day. She puts on a new suit and experiences an extremely turbulent plane. The doctor continues to watch for Mark, but he’s stuck at 96% of the Cold Harbor file. Gemma eats and puts on her wedding ring before she walks through the halls. She steps into a room where she writes a Christmas Thank You card. The doctor sits in the room with her as she finishes the cards, but Gemma tells him it’s always Christmas. The doctor tells her, “I love you,” and he does not let her leave until she also says it. The Outie Gemma shakes off the hand cramps.
Mark tries to build the crib, but it does not come together easily. Soon, Gemma and Mark walk through life without saying much to each other. Gemma remains at Lumon, listening to “I’ll be Seeing You,” until Dr. Mauer finally enters her room.
When Gemma asks when she can go back to Mark, Dr. Mauer pushes back. He tells her that Mark has moved on and now has a daughter. He coyly suggests that she has a relationship with one of the men in the other rooms, but as he does, Gemma hits him with a chair. She runs out of her room, searching for an exit. The nurse walks the halls, but Gemma stays hidden until she can reach the elevator. However, when she goes up, her mind resets.
In the past, she asks Mark to come with her to a party for charades. He tells her no and that he has to get a paper that night. She tells him she’ll be back, saying “I love you” as she exits the room. He does not respond at first, but when Gemma presses him, Mark says it back.
When Gemma leaves the elevator, she’s in a massive black room. She approaches a door, and suddenly, Mr. Milchick breaks through. He calls her Ms. Casey, and she asks what’s happening. Milchick lies but tells her to return to the elevator. She tries to ask several questions, but Milchick pushes her back toward the elevator.
Mark continues to work alone when headlights from cars approach his house. It is the night Gemma “died.” The police come to tell Mark what has happened as Gemma’s Outie comes face to face with The Nurse again. Gemma cries and whispers for Mark. On the night of Gemma’s disappearance, Mark fades into the shadows.
Mark wakes up on his couch and finally focuses on Devon. She asks where he went, and his mind flashes to Gemma.
Was Severance Season 2, Episode 7 — “Chikhai Bardo” — worth watching?
Perhaps the biggest revelation of Severance comes from the experimentation done in “Chikhai Bardo.” It is not solely that one can have an Innie and an Outie. Instead, “Chikhai Bardo” reveals that one can have several Innies, depending on how the Severance procedure is implemented. Otherwise, Ms. Casey would be able to recall things from The Dentist and the Christmas card writing marathons. Instead, each room she enters has its own Innie, who carries its trauma and hurt. Doing so allows Severance to reveal that Lumon not only actively experiments on some of its employees but also holds them against their will.
“Chikhai Bardo” also works as a backstory episode while also providing enough breadcrumbs for what has gone on with Lumon. There are still plenty of questions about what Cold Storage is and where we’re heading, but it’s clear that Gemma has been stuck below the Severed floor for some time. After receiving the procedure, she became a guinea pig for Lumon’s testing, yet her connection with Mark remains the driving force behind the show. The performance from Lachman is devastating, and we hope she gets another opportunity to take center stage this season.
Mark continues to work toward reintegration, and the process has felt a little long-running. While we understand the procedure takes time to go into effect, we’re now four full episodes after he had the initial procedure. “Chikhai Bardo” tells part of Mark’s story, but still feels like he’s been sidelined for most of the season. Severance will eventually need to push his journey back into the spotlight. In this case, we needed to see the backstory of their relationship through Gemma’s eyes. While the sidelining of Mark has helped develop some characters, it makes Severance feel like it’s stalling to extend the show’s run.
“Chikhai Bardo” also gets credit for being more of an artistic episode of the season. While few things occur, the integral information about what pushed Gemma and Mark to work at Lumon feels more poignant. The heartbreak of miscarriage and infertility can destroy a person’s happiness. Watching Gemma go through that pain and her desire for a child is harrowing. The repetitive stress of that process and the repetitive work she does for Lumon make for a strong thematic tie of pain and suffering.
We also get a look at one of the true villains of the Severance in “Chikhai Bardo.” The doctor, who we learn is named Dr. Mauer, is not only sadistic in the pain he causes. He’s also connected with Gemma in an unhealthy way, forcing her into a relationship with him, reliving Christmas mornings. Robby Benson, best known for voicing The Beast in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, delivers an incredibly terrifying performance. The casting is no mistake, as the man tries to hold a woman against her will to fall in love with him. It’s brilliant work from both the casting director and Benson that adds a level to the harrowing story.
The casting of Sandra Bernhard also makes for some excellent moments. The comedian and actress is both unreadable and extremely curious as a screen presence. Bernhard has always been able to create comedy at the drop of a hat, but her underrated performance in The King of Comedy is low-key one of the best performances in a Scorsese film to date. Severance has a habit of calling in overqualified guest stars for small parts, but at the same time, Bernhard’s intensity is hard to shake. Perhaps “Chikhai Bardo” is just the first of several appearances. We would love to see it.
While “Chikhai Bardo” has a lot of great things to take apart, Severance is now entering the end-game. Can the season finish as strong as it started? Or are we heading for a letdown? With only three episodes left in Season 2, Severance has a chance to make some big waves.
Severance airs on Friday on Apple TV+. “Chikhai Bardo” was released on February 28.
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