And that vintage slice of existential dread is indeed a very cool companion piece.
Spoilers for 2025s The After Hours and 1960s The After Hours follow.
Its a very odd exchange:
Cobel: Were going to cottage five.
Anne Francis in The Twilight Zone.© CBS
Guard: I dont have anyone scheduled.
Cobel: Shes one of James.
No ones to know… Miss Marsha White, ninth floor.
© CBS
Guard: Specialties Department.
Cobel: Im looking for a gold thimble.
That does the trick and Cobel, Devon, and the hidden Mark drive through.
© CBS
This happens to beThe Twilight Zone.
Nobody is there, except the mannequins, who start moving around and calling out to Marsha.
But it makes you wonder, doesnt it, justhow normalare we?
© CBS
Justwho arethe people we nod our hellos to as we pass on the street?
A rather good question to askparticularly inThe Twilight Zone.
TheSeverancedialogue feels deliberately nonsensical in Cobels exchange with the security guardalmost like theyre speaking in code.
Rather than it being an in-universeTwilight Zonereference (do Lumon employees watchThe Twilight Zonein their free time?
), its more like a wink at the audience acknowledging this clever echo.
The outies, if you will.
Or maybe, who knows, there are also mannequins that come to life roaming Lumons halls.
Weve certainly seen somefreakystuff happen in that office.
it’s possible for you to streamThe Twilight Zoneon Paramount+;Severancestreams on Apple TV+.
Want more io9 news?
News from the future, delivered to your present.
