#7: Review of Severance (TV Series)
With the COVID-19 pandemic seemingly in the rear-view mirror for many countries, many organizations are pushing hard for workers to go back to the office. It’s perfect timing for the Apple TV+ exclusive TV series, Severance. After it was recommended, I binge watched to check it out for myself to see if I can relate to it since I have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). (Mild spoilers)
Two Lives
The premise of Severance: What happens when there is a wall between our work lives and our personal lives? Imagine constantly working without the distractions of a personal life outside of work. Imagine not thinking about work at all after you go home. In the show, the main characters go through that every day while constantly looking at numbers and looking for patterns. My first thoughts: Fond memories of dumb terminals with single color text from the 1970s and 1980s, the anxiety of working in a cubicle just like in the Dilbert comics, and the peace and serenity from looking at security logs. But is separating work life from personal life heaven or hell?
Heaven
On one side, especially with my ADHD, being able to hyper focus on a task and not be distracted by personal things would be heaven. Many folks with ADHD such as I, when in “the zone” and free from distractions can achieve high levels of productivity. The key to this of course, a person needs to really like/love what they do. I was very much inspired a few weeks ago when a great person said, “Life is too short to do something you don’t love”.
Hell
On the other side, it can be hell. First, as the show depicts, with the separation between work life and personal life, the main characters are practically living double lives in their mind. Second, depending on point of view, the person that is not working might get bored and be denied the opportunities to develop relationships at work. Third, the person that is always working might feel angry and miserable about not being able to go home and spending what feels like an eternity.
Structure
Severance also shows an office environment with a lot of structure, very essential for many folks with ADHD such as me. The main characters look at daily written updates and utilize checklists, key essentials. Also best of all, the work tasks assigned are clear and not complex.
Reflection
Severance shows the ups and downs of working in the office and adds some mystery and suspense just as organizations want workers back in the office. With two extremes, the TV show does a great showing it can be heaven or hell. For I do believe that in the great debate over going back to the office vs working from home, the organizations that will win will be the ones that offer the most flexibility. Some people will want to be in the office, others will want to work from home. The key is having the freedom to choose instead of being forced. The show also showcases some of the many ways that people with ADHD can thrive in structured environments. Overall, it’s a great show and made me think a lot.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.
