Severance is widely regarded as one of the darkest series on television, but actress Dichen Lachman has an idea for adding a lighter touch to season 3.
“I mean, I am so excited to see what [creator] Dan Erickson is coming up with,” Lachman, who portrays Gemma Scout, exclusively told during Severance’s PaleyFest panel in Los Angeles on Friday, March 21.
“But I thought it could be fun if season 3 was like a sitcom and it was a timeshare where they live in a Friends-type apartment building.”
She elaborated on her idea, explaining, “They sever, and then they go and they have their little timeshare relationship with everybody.”
This would certainly be an unconventional way to resolve the predicament created by the season 2 finale, which saw Gemma escaping from Lumon without her husband, Mark (Adam Scott).
Meanwhile, Mark’s innie made the decision to remain on the severed floor with his newfound love interest, Helly (Britt Lower).
While there remains a chance that innie Mark could choose to reintegrate, that possibility is dwindling now that he’s aware his outie has no plans to allow his relationship with Helly to continue.
For the moment, fans are simply relieved that Gemma, also known as Ms. Casey, made it through her ordeal on the research floor.
Although Lachman, 43, is uncertain about what lies ahead for her character, she identifies with Gemma’s “desire to be liked and feel like she belongs,” even when that longing proves to be self-destructive.
“I think a lot of people feel like that, which is why they love her, in a way,” Lachman told.
“We all want to feel like we belong, and maybe sometimes we shouldn’t. Maybe that comes with being so much more sure of yourself, which I wish I was, sometimes, but we all struggle with that. That’s what I love about Ms. Casey.”
Meanwhile, Lower advised fans against forming any strong attachments to theories inspired by the season finale, particularly regarding the complex dynamic between Helly, Gemma, and Mark.
“I guess on the surface, it looks like a triangle, but if you know me, I love talking about shapes,” the actress, 39, quipped during the PaleyFest panel.
“It might be a tetrahedron or a hexagonal prism, and so, to add complexity, maybe in that last moment, Helly R. is — it’s love at first sight, seeing Gemma across the hallway.”
Severance season 2 is currently available for streaming on Apple TV+.
