Severance might just be one of the weirdest shows you’re watching right now . That’s saying a lot, given the strangeness of modern TV. Season two has already broken Apple TV+ viewership records, with 589 million minutes viewed in the US. It’s currently sitting with a near-perfect 9.6/10 on IMDb, and critics like Indiewire have called the finale “exceptional”.
If you haven’t caught up yet, the show follows a group of employees who’ve had their memories surgically “severed,” meaning they experience two separate versions of themselves — one that lives for work, and one that exists in their free time. But beyond its premise, Severance is filled with bizarre details that leave viewers scratching their heads, particularly when it comes to the mysterious and seemingly symbolic presence of eggs. Yes, you read that right.
So, what’s going on with its obsession over eggs
The corporate giant, Lumon, has a logo that looks eerily like an egg, and the company’s idea of a reward for good work is access to an “egg bar.” There’s even a scene in season two where the company’s owner insists on watching his daughter eat a deviled egg, claiming he’d prefer if she “took it raw.” It’s… strange, to say the least.
via Apple TV+
Now, creator Dan Erickson has finally revealed why
In a chat with LADbible, Severance creator Dan Erickson explained, “I mean, think about it— eggs are so normal, right? We don’t even question them. But the more you think about it — what is an egg? Where does it come from? It’s actually pretty bizarre when you step back and really look at it. And that’s the point.”
Erickson continued, “The show plays with this idea of how normal things can actually be pretty unsettling if you dig into them. So yeah, eggs became a sort of metaphor for that.”
Ben Stiller, who directs many of the episodes, and is also an executive producer, isn’t exactly a fan of the egg moments. “I don’t like eggs,” he admitted. “Being around Britt Lower, who eats eggs on screen, was uncomfortable for me. It was a weird experience.”
It’s no surprise, then, that Severance is an exercise in personal discomfort for both the creators and the actors. As Erickson quipped, “Ben hates eggs, and I hate elevators. This show is basically therapy for us.”
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Featured image via Apple TV+
