The Marque

On a recent drive down Washington Avenue here in Houston, TX, I saw the above, “Your Outie Wants a Cocktail” on the marquis of a bar.  It clearly is a reference to the Apple series, “Severance”.  I find it fascinating when a TV series crosses over into everyday vernacular. I suppose that is the sign of an impactful series.

The Series

I am about two years behind the rest of the world when it comes to watching this series.  Season One debuted in early 2023 and I have been hearing about it ever since.  But now, in early 2025, I have just began watching it. This writing is in the context of the first series.  I am just beginning to work my way through the next season. When I first started watching it, it seemed to start out slowly, but eventually it hit its stride, and I was hooked. 

Some Context

If you are not familiar with the series, I will provide some brief context.  The employees who go to work for the Company in the series agree to an unusual set of rules. If you thought your employee handbook had some odd things in it, wait for this. Through an operation on the brain and the implant of a chip, the employee is able to completely separate their work like from their personal life.

While they are at work, they know nothing of their personal life.  They do not know if they are married or have kids.  They do not know how they spend their free time.  Like Sergeant Schulz in Hogan’s Heroes, “They know nothing.” Likewise, when at home, they cannot recall anything about work. The characters have agreed to this arrangement and are well aware it is happening.  So do their close friends outside of work. They would not recognize their coworkers if they saw them outside of work. Your “innie” is the person you are at work and the”outie” is the person you are outside of work. This transformation at the beginning and ending of each day occurs on the elevator descent and ascent each morning and end of workday, respectively. The “office” is the basement on a monstrous, non descript office building.

Is there a message here?

So what does all this mean?  Does it mean anything outside of being an interesting series to watch?  Is there an underlying message? I do not know and I have done no internet searches to attempt to answer that question.  I do think it was written with multiple underlying themes which could be interpreted in many ways.  Each viewer will interpret their experience in watching the series according to their own personal experiences in their career.

Work Life Balance

To me, it is a play on work life balance.  The ultimate in work life balance. I have never quite understood the concept of work like balance.  To me, it ebbs and flows based on your stage in life and your stage in your career.   Sometimes it leans in one direction, other times in the other direction.  But rarely balanced. To me, it is saying – so you want perfect work life balance here you go.  And everything that goes with it.

After 35 years in corporate America, I think that many people in that context have lived some level of “Severance.”  Do we assume a role when we walk in the door at work that might not be fully what we are outside of work?  Do we leave some part of our outie identify at home when we go to work and some part of our innie identity when we go home? And is that all bad? Does the daily grind necessitate that we “fall into step” to some extent.  Completing time sensitive projects, receiving and delivering performance reviews, managing through the anxiety of raises, promotions, year-end bonuses or lack of each. Not taking all these things home with us. Not bringing all of our personal issues to the office.

 Is this series simply taking that “falling into step” or “leave it at the office” to an extreme?

What is your innie trying to tell your outie and vice versa?