Dan Erickson, the mind behind the hit show “Severance,” has openly admitted that a particular episode from “Black Mirror” served as a direct inspiration for his critically-acclaimed Apple TV+ series. Both shows have mesmerized viewers with their chilling portrayals of technological progress and its potential misuse in the hands of those who wield power.
The shows we’re discussing possess similar thematic roots, delving into issues like job estrangement in the workplace and dominance by corporations. What truly sets them apart is their role as significant, provocative analyses of a technology-dominated tomorrow.
Is Black Mirror connected to Severance and how?
Dan Erickson, creator of Severance, has revealed that an episode from Black Mirror’s second season – specifically Episode 4 titled “White Christmas” – sparked his idea for the sci-fi Apple TV series. In “White Christmas,” we see a world where individuals’ consciousness can be manipulated and utilized at will.
The particular Black Mirror episode subtly encouraged viewers to ponder over the growth and impact of artificial intelligence on human subconsciousness. This was done by depicting a scenario where real-time dating advice is provided through a device that uses one’s retinas as a camera, along with other examples such as digital clones.
A key takeaway from the episode featuring Jon Hamm and Rafe Spall is that human feelings may prove fragile when confronted by an omniscient artificial intelligence. Audience members might easily recognize a parallel between the digital counterparts, or “cookies,” and the “innies” from Severance, suggesting a connection between these fictional concepts.
Back in 2022, when I sat down to watch that episode, the feelings it stirred within me were as chilling as winter’s first frost. The haunting concept of endless isolation left me feeling cold and terrified. It reminded me oddly enough, of opening a cookie jar only to find the last cookie has been eaten – a small comfort abruptly taken away. And just like Helly R with her innie, I too felt the urge to break free from the confines that Lumon had trapped us all in.
The 41-year-old screenwriter described it as a recurring dread: rushing out a door only to find yourself returning, realizing that you’re trapped in this transitional realm governed by dreamlike reasoning.
Besides Black Mirror, Erickson also acknowledged Kurt Vonnegut’s works as his sources of inspiration. He discussed the plot of his 1963 novel, highlighting “I find myself often contemplating the emergence of ice-nine, a technology capable of destroying the world, which everyone recognizes should not be created yet nearly comes into being due to bureaucracy.
At “Lumon,” as Erickson pointed out, there’s an overwhelming corporate takeover that encompasses everything. The relentless focus on processes seems to overshadow even the essence of humanity, which the writer found quite unsettling and reminiscent of a dystopian concept akin to Kurt Vonnegut’s works.
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2025-04-10 13:12