The Margin Notes

March 2025 Edition

The purpose of The Margin Notes is to write about the things from the previous month that didn’t get the spotlight but deserve to be spoken and given a space. Ideally, this means that there is no theme to each edition of The Margin Notes; however, so far that has not been the case, and they have turned out to be very thematic (but that’s okay).

The theme that seems prevalent for this edition is relationships.

THE UNEXPECTED FAMILY CALL

They say that the best moments in life are unplanned. I used to disagree with that saying, but if I have learned nothing else in the past 3-4 years, it’s that the present moment is the best thing. And while we might not have planned for an event to happen, the intricacies and nuances that happen outside of our hands are what make the present so valuable.

It was spring break, and I had been nowhere… not exactly what I thought my life would look like at 25. And I was in my feelings and feeling very lonely, then as I’m making dinner one night, out the blue my phone starts ringing. And I was fully prepared to hang it up quickly because lately the phone calls that I’ve received are from bill collectors and spammers, but something told me to look at the caller ID. It wasn’t a bill collector nor a spam caller; it was a FaceTime call from my family. And honestly, not only have I been feeling lonely lately, but I’ve also been feeling a little homesick.

While I was in college, it was easier to push away my homesickness because I lived in a dorm full of people and I had a lot of extracurricular activities. However, lately, all I do is go to work then come home and it’s hard to push the feeling of loneliness and the feeling homesickness away when you’re in a 436 sq. ft. apartment by yourself.

Anyway, the reason for the family call was talk about a possible family vacation… at least for them. For me, getting that call was like someone pulling me out of the quicksand of depression.

SEVERANCE — SEASON 2 FINALE

Can we just take a moment to talk about the season 2 finale of Severance? I mean… we already know the dilemma both Innie Mark (iMark) and Outie Mark (oMark) face is a prime example of dilemma. But the ending of season 2 shows that dilemma at its precipice.

I think that this image has been ingrained in the mind of every viewer. Until season 3 begins, all we really know of this last scene is that iMark concluded that oMark has had a chance to live a life, albeit a happy life, and that it’s iMark’s chance at happiness now.

But I have a few questions…

1. What happens to Gemma?

Will she get lost because it’s been so long since she’s been outside of Lumon? Will she track down Devin in hopes that oMark will show up at Devin’s, eventually?

2. Will iMark clock-out of work as always… or…?

We’re all probably thinking it… they ran the opposite way of the exit which means Milchick is going to reprimand Helly R. and Mark S. But is it possible they will just continue the work day as usual and then clock-out? I highly doubt it because since Mark has completed Cold Harbor, there’s no need for him to return after he clocks out which will then suspend any hope of life that Mark S. had.

Here's what I’m thinking… I’m thinking that Helly R. and Mark S. will convince Milchick to join forces with them (I mean, after all, Milchick has been championing for innies to have some resemblance of a life) and with this new-found alliance the Over Time Contingency Protocol will become a tool to allow innies to have a life outside of Lumon.

These aren’t all the questions that I have surrounding the season 2 finale, but these are the important ones. But I do have a few more questions that deserve a space in this post…

3. Where the heck is Ricken?

Earlier in the season, Ricken was kind of cemented as an operative for Lumon. But we haven’t seen Ricken since Lumon called upon him!?!?

4. A MOTHER FREAKING MARCHING BAND!!!!

Okay, so this one really isn’t a question! I just had to point it out because I’m a musician of 14 years and love marching bands, especially the energy of a HBCU marching band which is represented in this episode.

I also have to admit that I have a love-hate relationship with Milchick. One minute I hate him to the core. The next minute he’s one of my favorite characters… it’s a never-ending cycle. And this scene was just another exhibit submitted to the court as proof of my love-hate relationship with Milchick.

Alright, enough about Severance… for now.?.? (This is probably the first show that has had me so involved cerebrally that I might just have to write some episode reviews next season.)