What "Chikhai Bardo" Means In Severance Season 2 Episode 7
Warning! This article contains major spoilers for Severance season 2's episode 7.
Severance season 2's episode 7, "Chikhai Bardo," subtly calls attention to the titular concept by featuring it in one of its flashback sequences. Although the episode does not delve too deep into how it ties into its overarching narrative, a closer look at its meaning and the philosophy behind it hints at the direction the show's story is heading in. Since episode 1, Severance season 2 has had many major storytelling highs, with one revolving around the Helly/Helena twist.
However, Severance season 2's episode 7 makes the series even more fascinating and mind-boggling by presenting several revelations and mysterious plot progressions surrounding Gemma. Like most installments of the Apple TV+ sci-fi show, episode 7 also avoids giving away complete answers to many nagging mysteries. However, its "Chikhai Bardo" reference leaves enough to speculate on all the ideas and story beats it wishes to explore in future episodes.
Chikhai Bardo Is The Buddhist Stage Of Bardo When The Process Of Death Begins
The O&D Card Dylan Stole Represents Chikhai Bardo
Dylan stole a card from the O&D department in Severance season 1 before Milchick initiated the Overtime Contingency to ask him where he hid the card. The same card appears in one of Severance season 2 episode 7's flashbacks. In its 50-minute runtime, Severance season 2's episode 7 walks through Mark and Gemma's history, revealing that they hoped to have a child after they became a couple. However, Gemma's first pregnancy failed due to a miscarriage.
The Dentist from the testing floor briefly appears in the background when Mark and Gemma enter the fertility clinic, hinting that the clinic is run by Lumon.
Mark and Gemma then visited a local fertility clinic, seemingly run by Lumon, to go down the IVF route. However, that, too, did not work out, taking a toll on the couple's mental health. Gemma found comfort when the fertility clinic started sending her letters to aid her recovery. In one of the flashbacks, she skims through a bunch of cards. A closer look at one of the cards confirms it is similar to the one Dylan stole from the O&D in season 1.
In Buddhism, Bardo serves as the transitional period between death and rebirth.
When Mark asks Gemma about the cards, she reveals they portray Chikhai Bardo, symbolizing the death of ego. After Mark points out that the card shows a man attacking someone, Gemma reveals that it represents one's internal battle with one's demons. In Buddhism, Bardo serves as the transitional period between death and rebirth. Chikhai Bardo is the fourth stage in this transition, representing the inception of the process of death.
How Chikhai Bardo Applies To Gemma & Mark's Story In Severance Season 2 Episode 7
It Seemingly Hints At Gemma's Future In Lumon
The man depicted in the Chikhai Bardo card stands in the Virabhadrasana Warrior Pose II. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva's form, Virabhadra, used the same to chop King Daksha’s head after the King insulted him and his wife, Sati, which led to Sati immolating herself in a sacrificial fire. The story ends with Lord Shiva showing mercy towards the King by replacing his head with that of a goat. The tale is often seen as a metaphor for one's battle against ego, which is why even the poses are perceived as symbolic representations of one's fight against one's inner demons.
Kier Eagan’s “Four Tempers” In Severance Explained
Taming the Four Tempers is a crucial part of Kier Eagan's philosophy at Lumon in Severance, which also has a deeper connection to MDR's work.
By giving Gemma access to movements that encourage ego death and also helping her to learn about Chikhai Bardo, Lumon seemingly expects to accept a certain death. Before Gemma hits the Dentist with a chair in the Severance season 2 episode, he takes a book from her bookshelf and reads its title, The Death of Ivan Ilyich. The Leo Tolstoy classic is also about a man who learns the truth about his life's purpose in his final days as his ego and desire for material possessions gradually dissolve.
Severance is visually inspired by a popular creepypasta, titled The Backrooms, which explores the eerie idea of being transported into a desolate liminal space with an endless stretch of yellow-tinted rooms. This visual choice seems to align with its exploration of the liminal space between life and death.
With so many details in Severance season 2's episode 7 pointing towards the same concept, it is hard not to see how "ego death" ties into the show's overarching narrative. Gemma already seems to be in a liminal state between death and rebirth. Lumon has already "killed" her by isolating her from the outside world. Mark, too, is in the middle of reintegration, which will kill his former self and give birth to a new version of him. It would be interesting to see how these ideas surrounding ego death and Eastern philosophy will tie into Severance's story in future episodes.
Severance is a psychological thriller series featuring Adam Scott as Mark Scout, an employee at Lumon Industries who undergoes a "severance" procedure to separate his work and personal memories. However, as work and life personas mysteriously begin to collide, it quickly becomes clear that not all is as it seems. Created by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle.
- Cast
- Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry, Tramell Tillman, Jen Tullock, Dichen Lachman, Michael Chernus, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, Patricia Arquette, Sarah Bock, Marc Geller, Michael Cumpsty
- Showrunner
- Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman
- Directors
- Ben Stiller
- Writers
- Dan Erickson
- Main Genre
- Drama
- Seasons
- 2
- Story By
- dan erickson
- Streaming Service(s)
- AppleTV+
