When Is Severance Set? Why Lumon Has Such Old Technology
Warning: the following contains SPOILERS for Severance.
Severance tells a story about the effects of futuristic technology – yet Lumon Industries' floor for severed employees, in which much of the story takes place, is fully outfitted with retro computers and design. The juxtaposition of retro design and advanced technologies that are yet to exist is a characteristic of retrofuturism, a creative movement that was born out of depictions of the distant future as imagined in earlier eras. Indeed, the mid-century look and feel of the severed floor is more than just an aesthetic choice. It serves to immerse the audience into the surreal and futuristic lives of the cast of Severance.
Severance is focused on Lumon Industries' practice of bifurcating or splitting the memories of employees into two. The “innie” selves of severed employees work 9-5 within a retrofuturistic environment, complete with old school computers and mid-century interior design. Meanwhile, their “outies” have access to smartphones, the internet, and other modern accommodations. Despite this juxtaposition, Severance protagonist Mark Scout's (Adam Scott) driver's license shows that he was born in 1978 and that his license will expire in 2020, which means that the show is clearly set within the present.
Related: How Severance Works (& Why It's Terrifying)
Severance purposefully employs these visual cues in order to give viewers a glimpse into the confusing and sheltered lives of the severed as well as their place in modern society. The visual language of retrofuturism explores tensions between the past and the future, a comparison of the empowering and alienating effects of advanced technologies – perfect for tackling the effects of employees' memories being
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