The Creepy "Black Mirror" Episode That Spawned "Severance"

Anyone who has seen the popular Apple TV+ show "Severance" understands that it draws inspiration from various sources. many major cultural phenomena that preceded it. "Lost" undoubtedly serves as a pivotal reference point for the show's creator, Dan Erickson. (working alongside his creative partner, executive producer Ben Stiller) — much like the renowned anthology series "The Twilight Zone" did — inspired Erickson’s concept for "Severance,” drawing particularly from a distinct episode of another well-known anthology program, "Black Mirror.”

The episode in question is "White Christmas." an independent installment of "Black Mirror" That premiered on the UK channel Channel 4 and was shown in the United States shortly before the complete series shifted to Netflix for subsequent seasons. During an interview with The New York Times In 2022, following the conclusion of the first season of "Severance," Erickson mentioned that "White Christmas," released in 2014, was so disturbing that it inspired several concepts for his show. Particularly, he drew from the aspect where the characters in "White Christmas" find themselves stuck in an endless cycle with no escape route—similar to how the 'innies' are confined within their section on the severed floor.

Erickson recalled feeling extremely chilled and terrified afterward, describing the horrifying notion of enduring perpetual isolation. He told the publication that he sees a direct link between this incident and the Season 1 scene from “Severance” where Helly R. (Britt Lower), an 'innie,' attempts to flee the separated level. Erickson explained it as a nightmarish scenario wherein one runs through a doorway only to find themselves retracing their steps back inside, realizing they are trapped in a surreal dimension governed by illogical rules.

Read more: The Finest Standalone Characters In Star Trek: Voyager

What Occurs in "White Christmas," the Black Mirror Episode That Contributed to Inspirations for Severance?

Let's take a step back for a moment: What occurs in "White Christmas"? How does this connect to "Severance"? Clearly set during Christmas time, the episode introduces us to two men—Matt Trent (played by Jon Hamm) and Joe Potter (portrayed by Rafe Spall)—who find themselves isolated together in a distant cabin for half a decade. Their relationship remains rather cold despite their shared confinement. When Matt begins recounting his past, things start unraveling. It emerges that Matt previously worked on something known as "Z-Eyes," which assisted socially awkward individuals boost their self-confidence before interacting with potential romantic partners. Notably, aside from being deeply involved mentally with these men, Matt would sometimes allow spectators to watch them approach random women. Following a tragic event resulting in one client’s death, Matt faces severe consequences. Additionally, it comes to light that Matt had experience dealing with “cookies,” devices capable of storing digitized replicas of actual persons within tiny egg-like structures. He treated these copies extremely harshly, making him appear quite ruthless towards them.

At this point, Joe shares that he was "blocked" by his ex-fiancée Beth (played by Janet Montgomery). This means he saw her as nothing more than a blurry, indistinct figure whenever they were in public during her pregnancy. In a moment of fury upon discovering that the baby was conceived through an affair with another man, Joe killed Beth’s dad. The conclusion of “White Christmas” contains such a brilliant twist that it deserves to be experienced firsthand; however, what can be said is that both Joe and Matt face consequences for their actions. It’s straightforward to connect how “White Christmas,” which involves technology trapping individuals like these two characters, relates thematically to “Severance.” In “Severance,” technological division imprisons workers known as 'innies' within the depths of Lumon Industries.

What Other Influences Led Dan Erickson to Craft the Distinctive Universe of Severance?

In the New York Times feature, Dan Erickson touches upon several influences, which might not come as a huge surprise—particularly Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman’s surrealist 1999 movie “Being John Malkovich.” When talking about the eerie atmosphere of the Lumon Industries’ severed floor compared to typical offices in reality, Erickson mentioned, “I believe the concept of encountering a recognizable place that has been distorted likely stemmed directly from ‘Being John Malkovich.’ The area features an unusually low ceiling, whereas our expansive M.D.R., complete with its central cluster of cubicles, appears far too diminutive within such vast confines.” This observation was made in reference to season two of “Severance,” notably. Adam Scott's character, Mark S., does run into a problem with a doorway that's too small when he enters the "goat room." which definitely Has some of the same quirky vibe as "Being John Malkovich."

Erickson mentioned to the publication that he greatly admires Terry Gilliam’s 1985 film “Brazil,” largely due to its dystopian atmosphere, which aligns well with the theme as the story revolves around employees managing machines within a totalitarian regime. He explained, "The movie had this retro-futuristic feel, yet Ben [Stiller] insisted on grounding everything in realistic logic and psychological elements, making sure Lumon confuses the staff about their temporal location. They lack awareness of both place and exact timeframe. This creates an eerie sensation of being disconnected from conventional timelines or blending various eras together. For me, this conveyed the feeling that although we seem detached from Lumon, we remain deeply entangled within it."

Beyond that, Erickson cited Kurt Vonnegut's novel "Cat's Cradle," the 1999 cult favorite "Dark City," and, incredibly, a Sizzler steakhouse ad from 1991 (which is, to Erickson's point, incredibly freaking weird ). In any case, "Severance" is available to stream on Apple TV+, and "White Christmas" is available to stream on Netflix.

If you're looking for the easiest way to keep up with all the major movie and TV news, why not sign up to our free newsletter ?

Read the original article on SlashFilm .