The Damona Birthing Retreat is a ''peaceful'' place shown in the Apple TV+ series Severance. It's in the middle of nature, by a calm lake in PE. This retreat has different types of cabins, from simple to fancy. It's a special place where moms-to-be can have their babies in a serene setting.
Devon Scout-Hale (Mark Scout's sister, played by Jen Tullock) and Ricken Hale, had their baby girl, Eleanor, there.
The retreat's logo is a crocus flower with chincapin oak leaves. The flower means new life and the leaves mean strength. They picked these images to show what the retreat is all about. So, the Damona Birthing Retreat is a cozy spot for having babies. It has a logo that matches its purpose.
Meaning of the Damona Birthing Retreat on Severance
In Severance, the Damona Birthing Retreat is a key place that goes beyond being just where babies are born. It's a special spot where the stories of the people there connect with what the big company, Lumon Industries, is doing.
While she's there in Season 1, Devon meets Gabby Arteta, the wife of powerful Senator Angelo Arteta, who is a strong supporter of Lumon. This makes it seem like Lumon has a hand in people's personal lives, maybe even using the retreat to keep an eye on things that are happening.
Cottage #5 at the retreat is really interesting. It has a special area where pregnant women can go through labor without their outies knowing. This tells us that Lumon isn't just playing with this tech at work, but they're also using it for personal reasons. It makes you think about how much say we have in our own lives and how far a company should be able to reach into them.
The retreat brings up important questions. It's like a place where Lumon can watch over people's most personal moments, and that's not always a good thing. It makes you wonder if we're in charge of our own experiences or if big companies are taking over. It's a bit scary to think that a company could have so much power over something so personal like giving birth.
But in Season 2 Episode 9 of Severance, we find Cobel teaming up with Devon and inviting Mark to the retreat so that they could have access to his innie while he is there and be able to tell him big things like his wife Gemma, and the way Lumon essentially sucks.
Filming locations and symbolism in Severance
The team behind Severance put a lot of thought into choosing the right filming spots. They picked the Mohonk Testimonial Gateway in New Paltz, New York for the entrance to the Damona Birthing Retreat. This place gives the retreat a feel of being private and cut off from the rest of the world, which is perfect for the show.
The logo of the retreat is full of meaning. It has a crocus flower, which comes from a story where it bloomed when Persephone returned from Hades, and it means new life. That makes sense for a place where babies are born.
There are also chincapin oak leaves, which symbolize strength and are sometimes used in pictures of death. This might be a hint about how hard it is to have a baby or the show's main ideas about life and death.
The retreat in Severance is like a mini version of the show's main theme: the balance between big companies and personal freedom. It makes you think about the ethics of a special technology called "severance." This technology lets people separate their work and personal lives completely.
If you want to look into the world of Severance, you can watch it on Apple TV+. It's all ready to stream whenever you want.

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