#how dylan views gretchen vs how mark views gemma and helly

[oncelerfucker]

Yes autonomy is a major theme in Severance. Yes there was a bold and beautiful statement about the autonomy of the innies, Mark S. in particular, at the end of season two. Yes it makes complete sense for Mark S. to have made the choices he did.

And also — trauma and healing from it (or a lack of healing from it) is also a major theme in Severance.

It's very common to view yourself as disconnected from yourself after trauma. Who you were before and who you are after are two "different" people. As such, a huge part of healing from trauma can be working towards seeing yourself as "whole" again. That's not to say that trauma makes one "incomplete" but that for some people beginning to recognize the "ugly" parts of their emotions as part of themself wrt healing from trauma is related to self compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance.

Which I think lends itself to the fact that innies and outies are the same person in the sense that their personalities and emotional patterns shine through regardless of their memories. Because of that I think the way they are treated by each other (innie vs outie) is more reflective of how the characters view themselves than anything else.

For example: Dylan hates himself, but he wants to like himself. He wants to be better, he just doesn't know how (thinking about how it's very heavily implied he has ADHD or another kind of neurodivergence that contributes to the way he struggles). Dylan is uncomfortable with and self conscious about his disregulation. He idealizes the parts of him that he wants to be more like, that he wants to strive for. Of course wanting to believe a part of him that he'll never fully meet is cool is something that is true for himself regardless of if he's at home or at Lumon — he desperately wants to like himself and find something he is good at. That's why he is angry but understanding to himself regarding Gretchen. That's why he gives himself autonomy.

Dylan sees himself and goes "That's a man I may not know, but I recognize him" because he recognizes his emotions and knows who he is despite the ways he may hate it.

Mark hates himself, but he fundamentally doesn't want to change. Mark does not see himself as autonomous because for the last several years he's been the guy that a bad thing happened to who can't confront it. Grief can cause you to strip your autonomy from yourself in real life, the severance procedure is just an extremely literal way of going about it. Mark is comfortable in his suffering. He's stuck in bargaining and depression. He is a man who lives comfortably in his depression hole and only changes his tune when it is theoretically possible to get his old life back. Of course neither part of himself sees the other as an equal — he hates that guy and constantly belittles himself because of his grief. He already doesn't see himself as autonomous so why would he ever view himself that way in any other context?

Mark sees himself and goes "That's a man I refuse to know and refuse to recognize" because he cannot bring himself to recognize his own emotions and understand himself in his emotional complexities.

For some the only way to heal from your traumas is to find a compassionate lense to look at and understand yourself through.

Dylan is beginning to do that without even working towards reintegration.

Mark has completely rejected that despite forcing himself into reintegration. Mark — innie and outie — will continue to lose narratively for as long as he cannot view himself with empathy.