"We don't quite understand": Severance helmer Ben Stiller breaks silence on Gemma's mysteries shortly after Season 2 Episode 7 

Severance Season 2 Episode 7, "Chikhai Bardo," has stirred up even more curiosity about Gemma. In a special YouTube video by Apple TV+, in the series Inside the Episode, Ben Stiller, the show's executive producer and director, discussed the episode and its mysteries.

He revealed that the episode was designed to pique viewers' interest in Gemma,

"We don’t quite understand [the full extent of what’s happening to Gemma]"

In Episode 7, we learn important things about her past, her bond with Mark, and her part in the larger experiment. Still, what the tests are really about, what Lumon is doing to her, stays a mystery.

Adam Scott, the actor who plays Mark, talked about the difficulty of piecing together Mark and Gemma's history:

"You can see the magic of Gemma, and why she immediately took over his life and his heart."

Jessica Lee Gagné, the director of photography, talked about the challenge of condensing a five-year relationship into a short 15-20 minute episode.

In Episode 7, we get a closer look at Lumon's mysterious experiments. Stiller's comment suggests that even the show's creators embrace the ambiguity that makes Severance's storytelling so interesting.

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Gemma’s past on Severance Season 2 Episode 7

"Chikhai Bardo" takes a bold step in showing Mark and Gemma's past with a special visual style that's different from other episodes. Gagné, the director, talked about it as an "idyllic time" for Mark, which is different from the cold, clean look of Lumon Industries. The show uses warm images and cozy moments to tell the story of their love before something sad happens.

The episode has a big surprise: it turns out that Gemma went through some harrowing experiments on a floor we haven't seen before. Stiller says these tests are something we still don't fully get, which means there's a lot about what Lumon does that's still a puzzle.

Creator Dan Erickson hinted that:

"What is going on on the Severed floor in some way contributes to what’s going on down below."

But he acknowledges,

"We still don’t know why."

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What does Gemma’s fate mean for the future of Severance?

Gemma’s Severance testing has implications for the show's future. It shows the tech isn't just for work efficiency. It might be part of a larger, darker experiment.

A quick, spooky chat between Dr. Mauer and Drummond makes us think Gemma’s situation is being watched for some secret reason:

"Are the Severance barriers holding?" "Yes. The technology is working."

Mark's warm interactions with Devon and Ricken imply that his life before getting severed was filled with strong emotional bonds.

This makes his present solitude all the more sad.

As Jen Tullock (Devon) explained,

"The idea was the four of them had been quite close before all of this happened... and to be able to reverse engineer that this season was really special."

Mark's journey to find the truth about his wife's fate gets heavier with emotion.

There are just a few episodes to go in Season 2. Fans can look forward to knowing more details about Lumon's goals and tech. Episode 7 has shown us a sad part of Gemma's story, but Stiller says there's more to come.

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Severance Season 2 is streaming exclusively on Apple TV+.