One of the strangest things about Severance is that viewers only know a little about how most people feel about the severance procedure. Some people are openly against it.
For example, Dylan G. (Zach Cherry) was denied a job because he had undergone the procedure. This happened in Season 2. Since his other jobs did not work out, his role at Lumon was the only long-term position he kept.
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On the other hand, Mark S. (Adam Scott) decided to work on Lumon’s severed floor because he wanted to escape the pain of losing his wife, Gemma (Dichen Lachman). However, his sister, Devon (Jen Tullock), had serious concerns about the procedure and did not support his choice.
These examples show only a few reasons why the Macrodata Refinement team members accepted their jobs at Lumon. But like any company, Lumon also uses different strategies to attract workers.
The job requires a surgical implant in the brain, so convincing people is not easy. Lumon may use common hiring platforms like Indeed and ZipRecruiter. However, the latest episode, Attila, revealed a much more deceptive way the company finds new employees.
Also Read: Severance: The Mystery of Miss Huang and Lumon’s Dark Influence
Burt Shares His Story About Joining Lumon
In the latest episode, Burt (Christopher Walken) invites Irving B. (John Turturro) to his house for dinner. His spouse, Fields (John Noble), is also present. Burt’s innie believes he retired from Lumon, but this is not true. The company actually fired him for having a romantic relationship with a co-worker. That co-worker was Irving.
When Irving’s innie visits Burt’s home during the Overtime Contingency, Burt and Fields finally realize that Irving was Burt’s secret lover at Lumon. The dinner is awkward, but it reveals something unexpected about Burt’s past.
Burt and Fields explain that they once attended a Lutheran church. The sermon that day focused on severance. The preacher claimed that if someone went through the procedure, their innie could achieve salvation. The church suggested that a person’s outie might be a sinner, but their innie could still be pure.
Fields worried that Burt’s troubled past meant he would go to hell. Burt wanted to make sure he could be saved, so he became a severed employee. He believed his innie would have a chance to go to heaven.
This message from the church was disturbing. It went against religious teachings about forgiveness. Religion usually teaches that people can repent for their sins. But the church’s message suggested that salvation was only possible through severance.
What made things worse was the connection between Lumon and the church. Lumon seemed to have deep ties to society outside the company. This sermon suggested that churches were spreading false promises to recruit severed employees. Lumon might have paid the church to encourage more people to undergo the procedure.
Lumon’s Recruiting Strategy Mirrors Real-Life Corporate Practices
Severance is known for showing how big companies try to control their workers. The connection between businesses and churches is not just fictional. In reality, many corporations work with religious institutions for different reasons.
Churches and companies sometimes join forces to address social problems, provide community support, and promote shared values. This happens through programs like Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Public Policy Advocacy, and Investment Advocacy.
CSR programs involve churches asking companies to focus on issues that align with their beliefs. Public Policy Advocacy works similarly, but churches and companies also push for legal changes they support. Investment Advocacy happens when churches invest in businesses that share their values.
Lumon seems to be using a similar tactic, but in a much darker way. Instead of simply sharing values, the company appears to be controlling churches to create more severed employees. If a church convinces someone that severance leads to salvation, they may feel pressured to take the job. In return, the church likely benefits financially.
Churches already function as powerful organizations with financial interests. But Lumon takes things further by offering something even more extreme—a promise of eternal life.
Does Severance Change the Meaning of Love and Morality?
During dinner, Fields asks Burt and Irving if they believe they had a romantic relationship while working at Lumon. He says that innies deserve to find love, just like anyone else.
This raises an interesting question. If someone’s consciousness is split in two, what does that mean for relationships? An innie and an outie are technically the same person, but they live completely different lives.
If an innie falls in love with someone at work, but the outie is already married, does that count as cheating? If so, would that mean the church’s promise of salvation is even more of a lie?
Fields may wonder if Burt’s innie still has a chance to enter heaven, even after falling in love at Lumon. The dinner conversation makes it clear that the situation is morally complicated.
Lumon’s Control Extends Beyond the Workplace
This recruitment strategy also highlights how deeply Lumon manipulates people. The company does not just want to control its workers—it wants to influence society itself.
The corporation already owns entire towns where many Lumon employees live. It also operates in 206 different countries within the show’s fictional world. This means Lumon has a massive global reach.
The company’s founder, Kier Eagan, is treated like a religious figure. Lumon’s culture suggests that the innie version of a person is pure, while the outie may be flawed. This belief system creates an environment similar to a cult.
Lumon’s power goes beyond just managing employees at work. It actively shapes the way people think, behave, and even how they see the afterlife. The company seems willing to go to extreme lengths to fulfill its mysterious mission.
What Will Happen Next?
The latest episode of Severance raises many concerns about Lumon’s influence. The idea that a company could use churches to recruit employees is disturbing. It suggests that Lumon is not just a business but a force that affects the entire world.
The show has already revealed many unsettling details about Lumon. But there is still much more to uncover. The full extent of the company’s goals remains a mystery. Fans can watch new episodes of Severance Season 2 every Friday on Apple TV+.
Also Read: ‘Severance’ Season 2 Episode 6 Recap: Hidden Truths, Twisted Fates, and Bold Moves
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