Severance Season 2 Episode 8 doesn’t deserve the hate and there’s a simple reason why

Severance Season 2 Episode 8, ‘Sweet Vitriol’, has been receiving some not-so-sweet vitriol, officially becoming the worst-rated instalment on IMDb. And I just have to ask, were we watching the same episode?

The latest chapter of the Apple TV+ series centered on Harmony Cobel’s journey to her hometown, Salt’s Neck. It’s the land that time forgot; a desolate, snowy hell in which ether is the devil in disguise and Lumon is the enemy. 

Season 2 Episode 8 also introduced us to a number of residents and Cobel’s former acquaintances, including her maternal aunt and Kier Eagan enthusiast, Celestine “Sissy” Cobel.

Since dropping on the streaming service, ‘Sweet Vitriol’ has earned 6.7 stars out of 10, a stark contrast to the TV show’s 8.7 batting average. It’s not some Lumon-level conspiracy; complaints have repeatedly said “nothing really happened” – but I think the opposite is true. Warning: spoilers ahead!

Severance Season 2 Episode 8 is anything but filler

As a fan of the Apple TV+ show, I know I’m not alone in wanting answers to the show’s many long-running mysteries (without spoiling everything ahead of Season 3), and in Episode 8, we got them. 

Apple TV+

Namely, we found out Cobel invented the severance procedure. This fact alone makes Season 2 Episode 8 one of the most important in the entire series. 

Now, I understand many disparaging comments acknowledge this revelation, suggesting to just “skip to the last five minutes”. But without this crucial context, it simply wouldn’t land in the same way.

We learn more about Lumon’s shady history and the impact its ether factory has had on this one town. This is an evil conglomerate that created a drug epidemic among the residents before abandoning them for pastures new. 

We know it operates across the globe and has been doing so for decades. But before this was just background knowledge; ‘Sweet Vitriol’ allows us to peek behind the curtain at just how devastating Lumon’s influence really is. 

It’s also worth acknowledging the deeper insight we gain into Cobel’s past. The meaning behind her Season 1 shrine (and her later destruction of it), the fate of her mother, Charlotte Cobel, and her ties to the Wintertide Fellowship are all finally brought to light.

Aside from the finer details, it explains this crucial character’s motivations up until this point. 

And that’s before we get started on the introduction of “the Nine”, a key part of Lumon’s philosophy. To me, it’s absurd to say this was a “mediocre” filler episode when it’s so important to the show. 

Thankfully, there is one thing we can all agree on: the cinematography and the landscape was, quite frankly, breathtaking. But if the rest is deemed unnecessary, then one of us is huffing too much ether (and I’m pretty sure it’s not me). 

Make sure you know when the next episode drops with our guide to the Severance Season 2 release schedule, and check out our guides on the Glasgow Block and the Lexington Letter. We’ve also got recaps of Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, and Episode 7.