Wine and...TV: SEVERANCE Season 1, Part 4 - Episodes 7-9

The best TV show of 2022, sez us! This is the first in a 5-part series covering all of Severance Season 1, the show created by Dan Erikson, directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle, and starring Adam Scott.

Part 1: How Did This Get Made?
Part 2: Episodes 1-3 (and wine pairings with those episodes)
Part 3: Episodes 4-6 (and wine pairings with those episodes)
Part 4: Episodes 7-9 (and wine pairings with those episodes)
Part 5: Interview with Chris Black, Executive Producer and Writer on Severance

In this episode, we cover Episodes 7-9, the final episodes of Season 1, all directed by Ben Stiller, and cover the wine pairings for these episodes.

THE WINES:

DALLAS' WINE
No new wine pairing from Dallas! He says stick to the Cab Francs from the previous episodes:
2019 Red Newt Cellars Cabernet Franc, Glacier Ridge Vineyard, Finger Lakes, New York
or
2022 Domaine des Sables Verts Saumur-Champigny "Glouglou"

DAVE'S WINE
Brady Vineyard Paso Robles Cabernet Franc 2021
A warmer weather Cab Franc compared to Dallas' picks. Dave says you need the greater intensity for these intense final episodes - more extraction, more "sweetness" (not literal sugar sweetness, but jamminess), yet still with Franc's acidic and green pepper bite. The wine featured in the show is from the Lorimar Winery but that Cab Franc is not currently avaiable, so Brady Vineyard's also from Paso, is an excellent, available alternative!

Chapters

• 2:01 What's in Store for Part 5 - A Very Special Guest!
• 5:33 Episode 7: Defiant Jazz
• 18:13 Episode 8: What's For Dinner?
• 36:34 Episode 9: The We We Are
• 42:31 Dallas' Wine Pairing (He's Sticking to His Guns!)
• 43:29 Dave' Wine Pairing (Tweaking it Slightly!)

Transcript

0:16

He's Dave and I'm Dallas and we have opinions on just about everything. Sometimes they're on point and sometimes they go down better with a glass of wine. Join us. This is the Wine and Podcast. Welcome back everybody to Wine and the show where we pair wine with movies, TV, music, books and comics. Most of the time we talk about things we love. Sometimes we dissect something that we hate. We haven't done that yet, but one day we will. But whatever it is you love, whatever it is you hate, there is a wine that pairs with that. If you like what you hear, please make sure to hit that follow or subscribe button. It does help the podcast grow and reach new listeners. know Spotify and Apple podcasts allow for that. And if any other platform allows for reviews, take a look into that. Give us a review. Go see what you can find. And if you love us, please leave a five star review. Don't quibble. Don't equivocate. Just leave a full five stars. And if you don't love us, send us a message. No review, forget the review. Send us a message to wine. The letter N as Nancy POD is in podcast wine N pod at gmail .com. You can also find uncut episodes, articles on the intersection between established entertainment and wine. Woo hoo. It's a day. It's going to be a day today. Interactive polls, bonus pairings and more on our sub stack wine and dot sub stack dot com. All right. Today we are concluding our coverage of Apple TV Plus's Severance Season 1. In previous episodes, we covered the development of the show, episodes 1 through 3, then 4 through 6, and now today we're bringing it on home with the final episodes 7 through 9. We do, however, still have one more very special episode in this miniseries coming next week. We have a very special guest from behind the scenes of the show, Chris Black. the credited writer on episode eight and the man who ran the writers room during development will be joining us to discuss his experience in shepherding the show into existence. So if you're a fan of Severance, you want to know more about how it all came to be, you won't want to miss that one. That should be next week. We have not recorded with Chris yet, but it's scheduled. So we will see if we can get that in on time. We shouldn't be releasing these episodes until we've them all in the can, I hope. are pretty close to having them all in the can. So this should be a smooth segue into the fifth final coda episode of this mini series. We will of course also be asking Chris, like all our guests, what he would drink with this season of this show. So tune in to find out more about Chris and the show then. Chris is also, side note, the co -creator and showrunner of Monarch, the new Godzilla show on Apple TV plus alongside comic book writer Matt Fraction. and the show Outcast, the show that was based on a comic by Robert Kirkman of The Walking Dead and invincible fame. So we're going to have a lot to talk about. we may have Chris back for some of those IP at some point. Very, very likely. Very likely. We shall see. But he's definitely joining us for this one. So we are very excited. But for today, let's chat about episodes seven through nine, the final episodes of this show in Dallas. I don't know about you. These were fucking intense. They're very intense, man. I tell you, they know how to, first of all, this writer's room, bravo and kudos to Chris and everyone else involved because first of all, the first three episodes of on -ramping us into this world were pretty intense in their own way, but this kind of pull into home base, these last three episodes, was some of the most intense TV I've seen in a very long time. So it was serious stuff. I got some real serious questions for you, Chris Black, when you get here, my friend. For today, so I will say for today that, you know, breaking, I think it was really interesting the way, because we just sort of broke these into three episodes each per podcast episode, just because that's how they evenly divided as a nine episode season. But without even realizing that, of course, Ben Stiller directed the first three, then the one other director, E .T. McArdle, came in and directed the middle three, and then Ben Stiller came back to direct all the final three. They really did break down into these three segments of the show that act one act two act three beginning middle and end the yes as you were saying with the on ramp and you know we paired some really interesting lines with that on ramp I paired a racina of all things because of how weird and alien and off -putting that those first three episodes they're intriguing they're confounding they're captivating and then the middle three almost becomes like a political thriller And you start to get into this darker, richer, but very convoluted era where you're world building a little bit more and you're stretching it out beyond the office and into like, well, what is the rest of the world doing and how is it affecting them? And it becomes much more cloak and dagger and have this feel of like a definitely a political thriller and then almost verging onto a Jason Bournish. Kind of a thing, not quite going all that way, because there really isn't any action. And this first episode, episode seven, picks up on a bit of a cliffhanger from episode six, which is where we meet Ragabi, right? Which is a character behind the scenes that is very instrumental to what's happening, sort of the unseen war between Lumen Right. And those who are against Lumen, those who think they're really bad. Sort of of, you know, organization. And the chances, my guess is, Ragabi played a part in developing the Severance technology because there's some, obviously she knows, she's behind as far as we can tell what, this is not really spoiling anything. As far as we can tell, she's behind the, ooh, what do they call it? Not reconstitution. Reintegration. Yeah. Reintegration, thank you. That's why the reconstitution was on the tip of my tongue. Okay, reintegration. So she's behind that and we meet her and she shows up kind of for the very first time at the end of episode six. when episode seven starts off, Ben still are almost for this opening scene. I almost wonder if these weren't actually scenes that E .T. McArdle still continued to direct because they still, they're of a piece. It's like literally picked right back up and it's like, but it's kind of a quick scene. Something happens. It's really unexpected what happens. Another character shows up that you're like, whoa, what the fuck? And then something happens to that character that you're like, I'm sorry. Holy shit. No, that did not see that. that coming. Didn't see that one. But I will say that moment to hold up here a second, Dave. That moment made me think even more than anything else throughout the season that things may not be. what they seem in either world. Because when that moment happened, I was like, okay, there's no way that's the end of that. What's the right very good job without giving anything away? That's a way but yeah, there's no way that's the end of that character. There's no way there's no way. Mm hmm. Actually, way. And of that character, but I still have a slight suspicion that there may be a kind of eternal life that they're hunting for with this technology. we're going to see. where that goes, but I also am not sure if they're anywhere actually that like, they can do it yet. So maybe these characters are, this is the end we see of them, but we're gonna find out. But even that, brings up the idea of what the soul or the spirit or consciousness is, because, you know, they could show us sort of an extended consciousness and ever sort of an afterlife or an alternative kind of universe. And we would never really know until they revealed it, which, you know, I'm excited to get to season three. you guys keep it going, but go on to. Do you mean season two? Nope, I mean season three. Okay. You haven't gotten season two yet. Exactly. I want to make sure it goes to season three. Do you know... Yeah, and we don't know if season three... No one has revealed plans of like, is three seasons and it's done. Yeah, very tight, tight -lipped. I've read recently about the budget for season two and kudos to Apple for throwing money at great projects because the budget, not that it's astronomical or undeserved, but those numbers are... Press it. Wow. So this might be the low key version. Season two might be the crazy sci -fi version. There you go. Huh. I think we may be getting a little experimental because with this first season, you're right. Again, use this term again, that onboarding with episodes one, two, three being act one and then act two, they really get into the kind of, not the backstory, but the you know, the sort of foundation of all of this, which really, I think is going to give us a great kind of propellant and accelerant end to season two. I'm definitely excited about that. And you know, I'm realizing this show is just called Severance. Exactly. So it's not called The Office. Nope. And not that they would call it that because something else is already two things or already called Severance. But, you know, it's just about the Severance procedure. It does not have to stick to this season one. It can go way, way farther. So Ben Stiller, Apple, Chris Black, I'm pitching at this moment, reintegration season three of Severance series. Well, we do know from these final episodes, I guess we'll get there. We'll wait for the final, once we get past episode seven. But we do know from these that like the Severance procedure is a part of Lumen's plans are for like every man, woman and child to have the Severance chip in them. Like that is what they're after. And so this is hugely dystopian sci -fi is what we're walking into here. And it's very possible that we are entering Handmaiden's Tale territory for season two. Versus just which season one is still that also in its way. But it is a much more zeroed in. version of that and it's possible we're going to start seeing a much broader. think especially with what we uncovered about the heli character in Act 3 for sure. Yes, yes. And we get that in Episode 9. So Episode 7, just a few specific points to Episode 7. Episode 7 is called Defiant Jazz. It has one of the most memorable sequences in the entire show, which is the dance sequence, the Defiant Jazz sequence. I'm going to hit that in just a moment. But first, on that during that rugby scene that we open up in this kind of like wrapping up the cliffhanger from episode six, she mentions that Petey, the guy who was reintegrated and didn't end well, there were a lot of complications. And Mark, the Adam Scott character, kind of mentions this. And he's like, yeah, but reintegration isn't doesn't work. Look at look at Petey. And she basically says, Petey would have been fine if he hadn't run away at the first sign of sickness. this is, I took that to mean one pretty important thing though, which is this is, I wrote down this note, symptomatic of desire to run from problems, which is what all these people getting the severance procedure have in common. except for one, because there's one other revelation about John Turturro's character in episode nine that we're gonna get to. was a good one. But anyway, I noticed that it's like, know, he took Severance to, like everyone gets this Severance procedure for the most part. They usually have a personal reason that there's something they can't handle, there's something they can't manage. And so this is half their life they don't have to deal with. So yeah, the moment the reintegration didn't go well, he like ran and ran and ran like he could not just he had to deal with it in this not healthy, right dysfunctional self destructive way versus just sticking around and seeing it through with rugby, at least in so far as we know, like this is one line drop from right. It pops up. Yeah, Greeks have it and then you know, disappears again. Well, and the other thing that was interesting, so I noticed I wrote down another note. Ragabi is weirdly explosive. yeah. Like she's very, very intense, but more than that, like boom, either very aggressive, very violent, very serious or calm, talking very clearly, da da da. And I did write down the note, huh, severed and reintegrated herself. Possibly, possibly. And it's like this is one bit of a side effect is that almost like this flip. where you go from one personality to this other version. It's still you, but it's like this other version of your personality. And man, did she seem to be able to flip a switch and become someone a little more, a little different than the person you were just seeing a moment ago. And you know, I had that same thought when it came to what happens with Revelation with John DeToro's character, because the two facets that we kind of learn about him are so diametrically imposed in many ways. And the same goes for, and I keep forgetting her name, she's one of my favorite actresses, Arquette, for Arquette's character. I was definitely on that same kind of tether with you. I'm like, interesting. So maybe there's an issue with a reintegration that forces this sort of binary switch, this really acute switch between personality types. So yeah. I'm curious to see how that unfolds as well. Yes. And then the only other note I really had later on the topic of that run away from the first sign of sickness being symptomatic of the desire to run away from problems. So Mark has this sort of new found relationship that I'm always like, I'm like, Mark, what is your issue? Do like 30 seconds of attention to it. And he can't. to save his life. So he went out to find Ragabi after basically spending the night with someone for the first time left her there. And when it comes back, of course, I'm like, okay, well, you have to tell her something like give a little bit like, yes, I'm looking into data data data or you know, weird things have been happening at work. I've been digging into it. Like just give her you don't have to go into super uber detail. But give her something and he just doesn't. And then she shows up later to pick up something that she had left behind and he's drunk, but even drunk. He then tries to salvage this relationship in the worst way imaginable. And he's sort of like, no, no, no, no, no. I don't care about my dead wife anymore. And he takes a picture of her out and tears it up. And he says, Gemma poof gone. I was like, there's that symptomatic of running away from every, like. poof gone, like that's what he wants. That is what the character deeply desires is tear up the picture, poof gone, I feel nothing. He wants to be completely over it. That is that core kind of character want. And it's kind of fantastic the way they unveiled that through this first season, honestly. And we get sort of absolute concrete proof for the most part in episode seven. Yeah, that's good. This is his way of dealing with the issue, just like Petey was with running away from everything. And it's like, okay, we're really seeing a trend here. This is the theme. Yeah. And at the end of the episode, even puts the picture back together. And I got to give the filmmakers credit for this because they show the picture of Gemma and from the angle she's at. And with that big smile, you do not recognize her. Interesting. I did. I did not. I did not the first time and the second time I only knew what to look for because of the ending. okay. Interesting. There's a reason episode nine because they unveil the revelation in episode nine like it's unveiling to the audience. Yeah. I'm telling you, I think for most people it was because she was not recognizable because she never smiles. throughout the rest of the show. And again, they had her like turning her head at this angle where it's and then wearing a hat. It was not the most obvious. looked like it was crap. Just a very pretty woman, but not necessary. There was nothing standing out as like, it's this you've seen this face in the show and you don't realize it. And they did it well to where that exact face didn't come across as clearly until episode nine. Anyway, that was the last thing. I looked at it and I was like, yeah, I did not. I'm pretty sure the first time I watched this show years ago, I did not recognize it. this time, even seeing it now, knowing what to look for, was like, I'm pretty, I was like, yeah, I would not have recognized that. I would not have put those pieces together. I would have been like, -huh, that's his wife. Okay, great, sure. All right, episode eight. Episode eight is What's for Dinner. This is the episode that Chris Black, the guy who's coming on, is credited as writing. So let's talk about this a little bit. This is the first time we get to see Irving in his Audi state. And we see that he's a painter and he's painting an image of the break room as his Audi. So he's channeling some images. from his Innie and it's coming through, it's bleeding through. And it appears as though when we do this sort of scope of his apartment that he is a little obsessed with this imagery. Because there are a number of versions of that thing in the background. Which is another kind of texture. And and one thing we in episode seven, because of what happened to one of the characters at the beginning with the rugby scene, The characters in the office now have access to places in the office they didn't have before. and places that are a lot more mid -century mechanical than I think most people were expecting. There's a weird retro love for this type of machinery. even though this is very, very modern. I mean, they have a chip that goes in your brain and severs you into two Also, there are levers. are yeah, there are levers. So on the other note, I wrote down, what the hell is Patricia Arquette or Mrs. Cobell up to? Everyone around her can't seem to grasp what she's making, why she's making the decisions that she's making. So there's this moment when she puts Mark and the person who is soon to be revealed to everyone Dallas already knew but to everyone as his wife In this they she puts she she forced she's like make them meet up again make them make them do something together again and Milchick, know her right -hand man is like, are you sure right? what and then she's just like don't fucking question me but No one can seem to understand what the fuck she's up to. No one has any clue what she's up to now This is a note. I wrote down I wrote down dynamic between heli and milchick. Ooh Because it strikes me when you look at milchick right in the beginning of the season. I was automatically assuming she was so Deeply entrenched in the sort of lumen here Egan It's sort of mythos and cult for lack of a better term. as Helly's character kind of develops, I'm like, wait, wait, wait, hold on, hold on. Is this the great reach around? really feels like a massive shift in character is coming from Milchik's perspective. I really think she's up to something that we don't yet get a taste of. I really think it's a great kind of diversionary tactic. And if it is, goddamn it, I'm excited about it. So yeah, Miss Cobell, she is, and we're going to talk about her in episode nine here in just a moment, but episode eight actually has a bit of a reckoning for her because they finally find out she's been, the board finds out she's been keeping things from them. And she gets fired. Like straight fired. And I do want to talk about this because this was fascinating to me. One thing that I also can't, so I can not never quite understand what Miss Cobell is. And we've mentioned in a previous episode, she's a bit of a devout, like true blue worshipper of Lumen and the founder and Egan. So she is religious in nature, whereas the board does not seem to be. But what is she trying to do with this religiosity of her belief and the board? It's interesting because the Lumen is trying to essentially take over the world as far as we can tell, know, like take over the human populace be kind of like what Elon Musk wants to be to the world and isn't ever quite he is to like the wealthy people to anyone else, but it's like for what they want to accomplish. and how sensitive they are about it. They really seem very nonchalant. Like, Miss Cobell knows a lot of shit. And when she gets fired, they're just like, see ya. And she's gone. And it's like, do you not wanna, okay. Like she could talk to anyone. Like she knows everything as far as we know. Like she knows everything, And when she gets fired, it's literally just like. go back to your Lumen sponsored house and just like be there. Or maybe again, the point is the board is just, they're about the money. The success in money and they don't really care about the rest of it. I think part of it is, well two things. One, Lumen itself is apparently such a massive sort of behemoth of a company that this individual cog in their machine while she is powerful in the confines of this department, doesn't necessarily wield much power in opposition to don't know how many of these departments there are. Precisely. And on top of that, if they really wanted to make her disappear, mean, severance operation is there, and God only knows what other means they have to make people and things disappear. I think that's actually... Go ahead. I was just say, I was thinking... if there are a ton of these offices, a ton of these departments, and she's just one, just a cog in the machine, I'm like, yeah, but the board is still giving her a lot of attention, but then I'm remembering who Heli R turns out to be. And so that's when the attention is given to her department over all others. Right. furthermore, what's the reason? Because number one, Cabell clearly knows. Helly's background and I mean clearly knows Helly's background. That's what's more interesting to me is what is Cobell's view of Helly and what is her kind of modus operandi in relation to Helly because as you stated, Lumen the corporation has this overarching kind of global positioning aim and Cobell has this devout sort of devotee kind of thing, which those two things can be in opposition to one another. You have the purist, you know, and you have the kind of capitalistic kind of entity at odds with one another. And I'm interested to see how that plays out. Yeah, but even the purist doesn't seem to care that much about like the family line. Right. Right. Right. It's like only the OG founder is what she worshiped like the god amongst gods and like the rest of the lineage is I mean she could seemingly give two shits less. Right now here's what I'm thinking. I'm gonna throw some personal theories out there because I'm a world builder and that's the way my goddamn brain works. I think what we're gonna see is that Cobell's character is technically probably the heir, one of the heirs to the Lumen kind of lineage, but somehow has been misplaced and Helly is an unrightful kind of heir. can't reveal that. All right, gotta delete that part. All right, gotta delete that part. Anyway, think Bell's connection to Lumen runs much deeper than we know. Right. Maybe I or they're simply setting her up to be the you know, like with any mega church You've got the capitalist needs versus the real the actual true fervent believer needs Yeah, right. So you've got the religious mind Versus that that is really there for the money Yeah, that is really there for the business of them of the church where it's like no There's good money to be had here and then there's the people that are like, no, it's about It's about fulfilling the wishes of the founder. And look, when that coincides with the making the money all as well. And the moment that diverges, all is not well. And there's issues to be had there. But she does rescue Lumens ass in episode nine. We're going to get there. So we're going to see a lot more of Miss Cobell in the ultimate end. First of all, wait, pause here. When she gets the news that she's fired, I'm going to say right now that is some of the best Acting that I've seen on television or on the small screen in a very time The way in a very long time the way her face goes through all these different emotions before she even says a word No, don't know. Just no but go on Of course, we call our motherfucking goddess for a reason So the other notes I wrote down just on episode 8 before we get there heli are She reaches 100 % refinement, the job they actually do in the office, which we don't really know what the job is. But the job that we, the version of that job that we see, she reaches 100%, which seems to be a big fucking deal. It's interesting. big accomplishment, yeah. It's what everyone has waited for, waits for, longs for every time they arrive in this department. Right. And it seems like quarterly or annually or something like that. Like you can only reach 100 % over that course of time. But she does. And I'm wondering, the other severed workers can't seem to do it this easily. And we know Helyar is not trying that hard. She never has been. Her any version is like, fuck this job. I barely care. So I'm almost wondering, is who she is meaningful to the work that is happening? And this is why she's so fucking good at it. And it's in her way, whereas everyone else is actually right. been doing it longer. They don't even have as much natural resistance to it. And they need a one. The one or again, like there's something about whatever this work is where what her Audi is means something to how that work gets done. So I wondered how she could be that good and wondered if that had something to do with it. I do love the amazing 16 -bit graphics. When she makes 100 % refinement, they give her this Final Fantasy King's Quest end scroll moment. Question. Is Cobell's Audi... Selvick. Selvick. Is she a midwife? Am I remembering this right? Is that her occupation? She... No. She says she is and does it with Mark's sister, with Adam Scott's character's sister, but there is no proof that she ever was or is actually trained to be one. She's just like, I'll do this for you and does. All right, I'm going to go and put this on the table right now. We can revisit after season two. think her being a... Helly's midwife? Either Helly's midwife or Helly's mother, but go on. Interesting. We'll return. We'll return. Truly don't think mother, but we'll see. I'm saying, I'm saying. Just saying. The other thing that I mentioned, there's this moment where that 100 % refinements. I can't remember if it was Cobell or Milchek. I didn't write it down. It says this, but he says Lumen needed this. And I'm like, huh, I wonder, did that like just the proof that it could be like, what is this refinement? What is it proving? Yeah. You know, it's like, why did Lumen need that? And then of course they get the waffle party. and you know, jumping back to episode seven real quick, the fucking Defiant Jazz dance. Just shout out to the guy who plays Milchik for that scene. I know. Because that is such a memorable moment where it's these characters, Kobel and Milchik, where they seem to be the two that are truly devout faithful, where it's like the only way they can be this weird and this crazy and yet so. sincere about doing the job that they do. And so okay with taking it out on these poor office workers whenever they step out line in any way, or form. God. Like, Milchek is all about like, I will smile at you if you're doing what I want you to do. And the moment you are not, man, that smile disappears in a fucking flash. And he is... a like one of the harshest task masters so good at perfectly perfectly okay with it like not rubbed wrong by that even like no pangs of conscience even a touch i don't know where they that actor from either he's fucking phenomenal in that role he's so phenomenal he's perfect for it he's so perfect for it so anyways waffle party then so that was a defiant jazz thing where he dances up a storm Wow, being this horribly creeptastic. Which makes it even creepier. just, that was one of the creepiest moments in the entire thing. And relative to everything else that happens in the world, at least. But that jazz dance sequence, it's just so deliciously creepy. And even then, they do still try to top it a little bit with the Waffle Party. Because the Waffle Party in episode eight, is so obviously religious cult ritual in its way that you're just like, whoa, but in a way that we have not seen until this moment. It takes it to a new place and it is, it's interesting. Now, the other thing that's interesting is when Mark and the character that turns out to be his wife meet again because Cobell wants them to. Cobell does seem thrilled that it's almost like they're becoming fuller people, the innies. And this is good, like she's into that. She's like, yes, yeah. For whatever reason, whatever she's all about, this is a good thing, even though this is not what Lumen wants in any way, shape or form. As far as I could tell there, that seems to be two separate goals. which again is not explained in this episode. So we're not sure, but we have theories, we have ideas, have thoughts. So I did mention, I wrote down a note, this company would do so much better being, yes, being less ass -holy to each other. You'd think there was nothing on the line. Well, to be fair, they've been around for so long. Well, and how many companies that are doing shady shit are complete assholes to each other. mean, it's such a corporation, right? Where it's just like, why would you do this? Like you all could rat each other out. Why do you treat each other like this? Even successful culture, religions, same thing. Same thing. And then, and then there was a great line when Helly and Mark, so there's a plan being hatched to for the main characters to turn their innies on when they're on the outside. All right, and that's gonna be what all... Now, I'd seen this season before and even I thought that this was... I thought that the final episode, it was only in like the last five, 10 minutes that this happened and it was quick. And no, it's the whole episode nine. I was like, when episode eight ended, like, it ends? I thought that was kind of the end of season one. Like not the end of episode eight. I'm like, shit, do I even remember episode nine? And I really didn't. Yeah. But we're going to get there because it's intense. It's kind of I think the reason I didn't remember it or rather my brain made it all like this five to 10 minute rush is it kind of feels that way. It's a full hour. But it so much happens. And it's so fucking intense that you can easily make it seem like it was just a 10 minute intense rush rather than an entire episode. So I did just write down Helliar and Mark are they're about to go up and they're they're gearing up because the plan is we're gonna blink out ever so slightly in the elevator and We're gonna wake up on the outside somewhere. We don't know where that is None of us know where that is because we don't know who our outies are so They mentioned Helliar and mark. They're kind of falling for each other a little bit here their innies are anyway, and they mentioned Maybe I think was Helly who mentioned maybe we're about to meet our spouses Maybe it's each other that'd be a hoot. Which sort of is the shading for that. I'm not gonna reveal anything else, but it's a shading that kind of happens, but not in the way that that statement quite meant. All right, so episode nine, the We We Are, the final episode of season one. This is everyone's innie gets turned on on the outside. We get to see. Almost to everyone's one person has to stay behind to make this happen. So we never get to see his Audi. So we don't actually know any more information about him. But the rest, we get to finally find out who Heliar is on the outside. And as expected, it is a big reveal. Mark finds out about his wife. That's a big reveal. The only thing that bothered me about episode nine, I know we're jumping between POVs between all the characters. So really not. that much time is passing. It's not like a full hour because it's really like, here's five minutes for this person. This is the same five minutes for this other person and so on and so forth. when they were about at the end of episode eight, when they were going up, the big thing they said is like, don't waste time. Yeah. Get to someone you trust. Say, I don't know how long we can keep this. Yeah. Like this could be like this could this could have lasted 30 seconds for all they knew. And motherfucker, not one of them. Not a single one. Everyone, they're like, don't go exploring your life. Save that for another time. And everyone like Mark was like super polite and couldn't just be like, look, in a rush, let me tell you what's going on right now. Yes, to the whole crowd. Why did he need privacy? That was weird. It's like, just say it. Just get it done. Everyone else just starts exploring their life and you're like, my God, you asshole. Someone is sacrificing to make this happen for you. And you are all doing the thing you said you wouldn't do. The only person that even has some excuse is Heli R's Audi character. Because of the situation that She's dropped into a moment that is mind fucking. she's just, it is Not only mind fucking, but land mine filled. I mean, there is no one to talk to. Like it's plainly like, in fact, even she herself is not the person that she would have, she's like, shit. Right? And it's like, what do I do with this moment? She plays it as good as possible. For sure. Everyone else. was kind of a dick about it and just twiddled their fucking thumbs and I was like, I want to slap all I want to punch all of you so, so hard. That was a very effective moment for the writers. Because to be fair, you you need that kind of inertia right behind that because I think when as the audience is watching, we're like, yeah, the first thing you do when you come to you would go you would run you would find that person you would just scream that thing. But in reality, your sort of dominant senses would take over in the moment. It's just like, this is my reality? Wait, what's this about? And so I get why they did it, but it is annoying. It is annoying. And some, like there's some trepidation, because again, who do you trust? Who are these people? You don't know. Mark had to learn he had a sister. Any Mark had to learn he had a sister. And then which one was she? And what is their relationship like? And so on and so forth. there got to a point where he was pretty sure he needed to talk to her and she was like, okay, well, give me a minute to do that. No, no, no, no, no. That's where you don't give her that moment anymore. And he kept giving her that moment. And I'm like, okay, guys, this is what it is. It is effective in the hair pulling sense of the way like you are. And as this episode progresses, I mean, it just intensifies, intensifies, intensifies. The final five minutes of this episode are beyond chef's kiss. Beyond. chef's kiss. You're just like, you are back for season two without fucking fail. No matter any nitpicks you might have had until this moment makes no goddamn nevermind. Those final five minutes are so chef's kiss. You're just like, yes, this show. It's amazing. Anything else to add on these final episodes Dallas? Just that it really is some of the best TV I've seen in a while These final three episodes because of you know what Dave was just saying you were just saying Dave about that annoyance with the characters and they've been getting this final opportunity to run into their Audi world and scream fire And unfortunately only one of them Technically does that And a lot of pussy -footing around in the moment so it is annoying I'm definitely interested to see how it resolves. yeah, some of the best TV I've seen in a very long time. But to anyone else who is listening to this, watch this show. Watch it again, because I guarantee you there's probably some stuff you missed the first time or some stuff you need to see. Like Dave said, this was his second time viewing it. There was like a year between your viewings, right, Dave? At least a year. Yeah, more than a year, I think. And it's just a very well crafted story, very well crafted characters. It's fantastic. There's a lot of rewatchability to these. One, it's only nine episodes and it there's so much to pick up on. There's so much to catch. There's so much world building, so much hints and clues and things people say that, especially on second watch, you. They stand out and you question those moments where you're like, now that you know. in broad strokes what the fuck is going on, which you don't the first time. The first time you are literally just like, I don't know. I'm just like, what this show? What the fuck? And so you're just going with it. And then on repeat viewings, it's one of those shows that just gets richer and richer. think certainly from viewing one to viewing two. I think I enjoyed it even more and appreciated it even more on viewing two. And I thought it was the best show of twenty twenty two the first fucking time. Yeah. So for sure. There you go. All right. So. Wine pairings, do we change from what we had before? No, I'm not. Dallas is shaking his head. I'm not, mostly because I think as we stated when we first came up with the idea of doing this series, I'm going to attempt to pair a wine with the full series in retrospect before our next episode. And that's no obligation for you to do the same, Dave. No, I'm not. I know. But I think for me, I'm definitely going to have to go back and move through the curation and watch the series again. And I may come up with a single wine to pair with the entire series, because it's a hell of a ride. And I'm looking forward to the challenge of seeing if I can find something that complements this full season. So yeah. OK. And for me, like I said at the beginning of this episode, they're such distinct acts, act one, act two, act three, that I really do see the movement between them. Episodes one through three, I paired a retina because of how weird and batshit a retina is. That is the white wine with pine resin added to it that the Greeks make and they love and they drink it. like a daily drinker over there. And it's like an alien made wine to the rest of us. And it's really off putting and throws you off and. You could nurse one glass for all three episodes because it's just, you a while. You're just like, what am I drinking? It's not entirely unpleasant. It's just weird. And those are those first three episodes. So I'm sticking with my Rosina there. I went to a cool climate, Finger Lakes, New York, Cabernet Franc for episodes four through six, which is that's the political thriller. It's colder. It's darker. It's more intense. It's not as weird. It's just. It's got that intensity and danger and edge of a political thriller. And then for these final three, these final three become funner and intense in that like just momentum, sheer momentum way. So I went with warm climate Cabernet Franc for these final three episodes. I have this Paso Robles, Larimar, L -O -R -I -A -R. Larimar, yeah. Larimar 2018 Cabernet Franc. And this is a Cabernet Franc. Petite Syrah blend. I think it's 75 or I could not find the exact percentages. It is a Cabernet Franc solo on the front, meaning it's at least 75 Cabernet Franc to be labeled that way. But I do think the Petite Syrah is on the back. just says Cabernet Franc Petite Syrah. So I think it's like 15 to 25 percent Petite Syrah. So that gives it this nice darkness and depth and extra black fruitiness that is that intensity and darkness and just that sheer. It's more fun. Defiant Jazz Dance, the Waffle Party, Crazy Ritual, and then all that increasing intensity in the final episode. I think you go fruitier and darker and more tannic and just like something that is that warmer climate version of Cabernet Franc. I see that. Yeah, I for sure, you know, my curation has been fairly consistent. consistent with the exception of that's a lie they might they were they were diametrically opposed but I'm looking forward to the challenge of rewatching this binging it over the next sort of week or so and Tasting wines to see what I can come up with that has on the bottle the sort of full expression of this series because like you said It's it's all over the place in the best way possible. Yeah. Yes All right, so we got a couple of weeks, even though these are all going to be released one week after each other. We are recording this final episode a couple of weeks before we record with Chris. But once again, that is been season one of Severance on Apple TV Plus. We will be doing one more episode next week with special guest Chris Black, the credited writer on episode eight and the guy who ran the writers room during development. So join us then. We will be back next week with another wine and TV pairing for your entertainment. Ciao. Until then, guys. Later, guys. you you