# **The Orpheus and Eurydice Connection in *Severance*: An Epic Love Narrative in a Corporate Nightmare**
Apple TV+’s *Severance* has mesmerized viewers with its eerie corporate landscape, where workers undergo a drastic procedure that separates their professional and personal selves. Yet, behind the show’s unsettling hallways and psychological dread is a poignant love story—one that potentially branches from ancient mythology.
Recent developments regarding Gemma (Dichen Lachman) in *Severance* Season 2, Episode 7, reveal striking similarities to the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice. If Mark S. (Adam Scott) embodies our contemporary Orpheus, then Gemma represents his Eurydice—confined not in the realm of Hades, but in Lumon’s cryptic testing area, an underground limbo where disjointed consciousnesses flicker between identities. This mythical resonance not only deepens *Severance’s* storyline but may also hint at the tragic outcome awaiting Mark and Gemma.
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## **A Journey into the Underworld**
In Greek lore, Orpheus, a talented musician, ventures into the underworld to save his beloved Eurydice, who succumbed to a serpent’s bite. His music is so enchanting that it compels Hades to grant Eurydice a second chance at life—on one condition: Orpheus must not glance back at her until they both reach the surface.
In *Severance*, Mark’s venture reflects this treacherous descent. As his *outie* (his non-working self) navigates the world above, his *innie* (his work self) labors on the severed level—one floor above where Gemma suffers in psychological anguish. The separation between them is not death, but memory, a void formed by the severance procedure itself. Mark’s desire to reunite with Gemma, even if he’s largely unaware, propels both sides of his fragmented identity.
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## **The Dual Identities of Orpheus and Mark**
One of *Severance’s* most adept narrative strategies is its examination of dual personas. Mark’s quest to harmonize his *innie* and *outie* reflects Orpheus’ divided spirit—a figure caught between two realms. Orpheus exists as both a living man and an inhabitant of the dead. Similarly, Mark navigates life as both a mourning husband and an oblivious worker, straddling layers of reality he cannot entirely grasp.
However, Mark’s situation becomes even more tragic since reintegration—the unification of his dual selves—might be the sole means to liberate Gemma. Just as Orpheus needs to guide Eurydice out of the underworld personally, Mark must connect the divide between his two personas. This odyssey could either set them both free or completely shatter him.
In Episode 7, we witness Gemma trying to orchestrate her own escape, only to revert to her *innie* self as soon as she exits the elevator. Before she can truly break free, Milchick intervenes, sending her back into the depths of Lumon’s maze. This moment highlights the show’s core tragedy: even when the truth is tantalizingly close, the system is engineered to drag them back into obscurity.
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## **Will Mark ‘Look Back’?**
The most heartbreaking twist in Orpheus’ tale is his failure. At the crucial moment, doubt consumes him—he turns to check if Eurydice is still behind him, and she disappears back into the underworld forever.
If *Severance* adheres to this narrative structure, the real question is not if Mark can save Gemma, but whether he can withstand the self-sabotaging lure of doubt, fear, or even love. What transpires if he uncovers the entire truth too early? What if he attempts to reintegrate before he is prepared? Could his desperate need to see her again spell disaster for them both?
Complicating matters further is Helly/Helena, whose presence in Mark’s life might act as a distraction—or even a calculated manipulation by Lumon. Is the corporation devising a scenario where Mark’s emotional complexities hinder him from rescuing Gemma? If truth be told, his quest may be even more perilous than Orpheus’, with forces actively ensuring his failure.
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## **A Love Story Encased in Tragedy?**
The legend of Orpheus and Eurydice captures themes of love, loss, and the harsh grip of destiny. If *Severance* indeed draws inspiration from this age-old story, then Mark and Gemma’s journey might be fated for sorrow. However, myths also function as cautionary tales—perhaps Mark will discover a way to defy the tragic cycle, crafting a new narrative where love and identity can overcome corporate dominance.
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