Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for Severance Season 2.
Although 75% of his character is the embodiment of a “nice guy,”Dr. Ricken Lazlo Hale is a more pivotal character than you might think in Apple TV+‘sSeverance. His glib and puffed-up literary style, as heard in his esteemed-for-some-reason bookThe You You Are, serves as a perfect guide for feeble minds in desperate need of any available inspiration, including those of our beloved innies. Portrayed by actorMichael Chernus, Ricken’s aloofness and general politeness have solidified him as asurefire source of comic reliefin such a dark and mysterious series. But thanks to the release of his latest book, he’s caught the attention ofthe sinister companybehind severance.
It’s Time To Start Taking Ricken’s Role in ‘Severance’ Seriously
Ricken’s lack of true self-awareness and simple-minded contributionsto Devon (Jen Tullock) and Mark’s (Adam Scott) relatively intellectual conversations offer somewell-earned moments of tension release, but they alsomake him an easy character to dismiss. His involvement with severance actually ties him into the series as a much stronger support beam than most of us are probably willing to give him credit for. Although he had no idea it was happening, it was his words that sparked theMacrodat Uprising, and this accidental gesture has not gone unnoticed by Lumon.
We chuckled when Ricken treated the loss of Mark’s advance copy of his book with the same pain as Devon’s pregnancy contractions. We even sympathized when he confided in Mark a sense of impostor syndrome about the way he speaks. But things got serious when Natalie (Sydney Cole Alexander) unapologetically made an appearance at his house inSeveranceSeason 2 Episode 3. Fully stroking his ego, she offered that he purposefully write a new version of his book specifically for severed innies.
We, the audience, could have guessed just as much as Devon (and Natalie, for that matter) thatthis new version of Ricken’s book would becomeblatantly Lumon-ized. InSeveranceSeason 2 Episode 5, Ricken edits some of his new pages withDevon, who is reasonably against the whole idea. Devon calls out the pages for contradicting what he wrote in his previous book, and she voices her concerns that he shouldn’t go through with the project. Ricken presents the argument that “Nat”s publishing deal is themost important creative opportunityhe’s probably ever received, and that following through would make a significant financial difference for their family. Having been tagged by the most dangerous power in the series, poor Ricken is now caught between begging his wife to just let him have this big break and abstaining from building any deliberate affiliation with Lumon.
‘Severance’s Latest Episode Just Set Up This Innie To Play a Major Role in Solving Its Big Mystery
“Just remember, hang in there.”
What’s So Great About Ricken’s Book in ‘Severance,’ Anyway?
The You You Are, whichYou are welcome to purchasehere in the real world, is riddled with Ricken’s self-absorbed personality.The book’s language is decorated and scholarly enough to make one feel inferior to the author, thus designating said reader in evident need of this book. The vocabulary that embellishes his sentences gives less-learned minds a sense of true education.
Ricken also conveys a sense of sophistication by using incorrect idioms (i.e., “bury your head in the sand like a duck”) about as often as Michael Scott, or false idioms which are effective enough to someone who doesn’t know any better than what they’re reading. Through a seemingly never-ending stream of tangential lists and run-on sentences,Ricken helps the reader to reflect on and ponder themes of individuality, personal identity, autonomy, sovereignty, oneness, and the singular self.
Ricken Makes the Perfect New Recruit for Lumon in ‘Severance’
Ironically, the pages ofThe You You Arethrive on relatability anda sense of connection, as Ricken frequently speaks from his assumed perspective of you, filling your mouth with ridiculous “I” statements. But to help you think for yourself,Ricken funnels down just which types of Yous you may be into five personality types– The Coward, The Warrior, The Dove, The Scribe, and The Vestal –which are generally ranked by the reader’s commitment to continue reading the book past the first page. (Don’t dare let yourself fall into Ricken’s Coward category, lest you be labeled a “milk-livered swoon” whose servant would be “better off a beggar.”) This kind of charged verbiage is starkly similar to that of Lumon andits founding father, Kier.
Much likethe way most cults operate, Lumon authorities likeMr. Milchick(Tramell Tillman) andMs. Cobel(Patricia Arquette) make it a priority to use language that seeks to condescend and keep their employees feeling inferior. According to Ricken’s personality groupings and criteria,anyone who dares to thinkthey’re better than reading this self-help book is a lost cause who should only feel embarrassed for not following through; or in Lumon’s case, for not being a team player. BecauseRicken’s and Lumon’s languages are aligned, the innies could comprehend the independence-themed subject matter of their contraband copy ofThe You You Are. But for this same reason,this makes Ricken an asset to the company, and it was only a matter of time before Lumon got its mitts on his very delicate ego.
Like Lumon, Ricken paints himself as someone who cares, and who likewise, to some extent, believes that his actions are always in everyone’s best interest. WithNatalie and the Boardin his ear, and with both sides of anow-reintegrated Markknowing the access they have to him,Ricken has become a much more valuable player inSeverance. As the tensions rise and as alliances form between Lumon and the innies, he’s about to get tossed back and forth in a violent political and ethical war.
New episodes ofSeveranceSeason 2 premiere on Fridays on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
