Severancegained both critical and commercial acclaim, as well as a dedicated fanbase, from its premiere on Apple TV+ in February 2022. The show,which was created by Dan Ericksonand is produced by Ben Stiller, is a science fiction series with psychological thriller elements. Dan Erickson is a relative newcomer in the world of television – having only worked on one short film and theLip Sync Battle Pre-Showbefore creating and writing this new breakout hit.
As the creator and showrunner of such a successful and acclaimed series, it’s likely audiences will see a lot more from him going forward, though. Ben Stiller, the executive producer and one of the main directors for the show, on the other hand, has a long and varied career working both in front of and behind the camera, lending his expertise and experience to the project. So, what isSeverancereally about, and how is it potentially linked to fellow sci-fi thrillerLOST?
What Is ‘Severance’ About?
Severancetells the story of employees forthe biotechnology company known as Lumon. The title of the show refers to a procedure that Lumon employees are required to undergo –the implantation of a device that causes them to lose all memory of their past and the world outside Lumon while they’re at work. The show focuses on a small group of employees within the corporation, led by Mark, played by Adam Scott, dealing with the challenges within Lumon and the strange atmosphere and foreboding of the corporation they work for.
Audiences also gain insight into who Mark is on the outside world – watching as he faces the death of his wife and the overwhelming grief that came with her passing. It’s obvious that this is the event that ultimately led to his decision to be severed and to give himself over entirely to Lumon. Although the series exists within a world that is, in many ways,vastly different from the one its viewers know, the speculative fiction and sci-fi elements are simply part of the world-building of the show and the backdrop for the real focus and heart of the story.
But like all good science fiction,the real point of the series are the characters– the Lumon employees that the show focuses on are interesting, and their struggles, triumphs and relationships with each other are what keep viewers coming back. But what is the connection betweenSeveranceandLost?
The Infamous Numbers
The three employees managed by Mark —Dylan, Irving and Helly, happen to have the locker numbers 23, 4, and 16. Although those numbers might not mean anything to a lot of people,observantLostfans might recognize them. 23, 4, and 16 are three of the numbers that recurred throughout the different seasons and storylines ofLost, along with 8, 15 and 42. Although the infamous numbers appeared repeatedly throughout the series in many different ways, they had two important meanings within the overall story.These numbers corresponded with the potential replacements for Jacob as protector of the island as well as being the coefficients in an equation that predicted the end of humanity.
Severance,as fans will know, is also a show in which numbers play a significant and prominent role. Within the show’s universe, it’s shown thatthe employees at Lumon are tasked with sorting and categorizing data in the form of numbers. What these numbers represent is a mystery to both the employees and the viewers, although fans have come up with quite a few theories about them. The most widely believed and accepted theory is that the numbers represent human emotions, or the four tempers — Dread marked as “DR,” Frolic marked as “FC,” Malice marked as “MA,” and Woe marked as “WO.”
What Could the Locker Numbers Mean?
23, 4 and 16 are all numbers that had significance within theLoststoryline.Although this could be mere coincidence, it’s also highly possible that there’s something behind this connection. Within the world of science fiction, very little is impossible – and since bothLostandSeveranceare science fiction thrillers, the potential for some sort of shared universe or deeper connection is possible,though maybe not probable.This could be the writers including a small hint or clue of something to come – perhaps a connection between Lumon and theLostuniverse, or maybe a character from theLostuniverse will pop up within Lumon in later seasons.
Or it could simply be the writers referring toLost.It wouldn’t be surprising if some of the writers and the people behindSeverancewereLostfans back in the day, and wanted to pay homage to the show or plant a little easter egg for attentive viewers to catch. Whether any of these theories prove to be true, it feels unlikely that a show where numbers are so important would include these specific numbers without having a reason behind it. Only time, and further episodes ofSeverance, will tell.
