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Heads up, spoilers ahead for Severance season 2!
Season two's explosive start delved into the Innies' world within Lumon after the events of the series one finale. Come episode two of the Apple TV+ show, and viewers were drawn into the swirling aftermath of the Macrodata Refinement department's revolt.
Audiences glimpse the chaos enveloping Helena Eagan (played by Britt Lower), heiress to the enigmatic Lumon empire, as she scrambled to contain the fallout. She faced the wrath of her disgruntled father, Jame Eagan (portrayed by Michael Siberry), who ferociously dubbed her a "fetid moppet", reflecting his contempt for her inner self's insurrection, entangled with those of Mark (Adam Scott), Irving (John Turturro), and Dylan (Zach Cherry).
The phrase 'fetid moppet', loaded with disdain, painted Jame's deep-seated disgust without needing any coarse barbs or swear words. With 'fetid' signifying an intense, stale stench courtesy of the Cambridge Dictionary, and 'moppet', an old-timey endearment for a child according to Merriam-Webster, this compound insult adeptly underlined Jame's fury in a rather unique manner.
It meshed beautifully with the odd, vintage essence of Severance's setting. Fans flocked to Reddit post-'Goodbye, Mrs Selvig', the title of the mind-bending second episode, throwing around conjectures and intrigued by Jame's peculiar choice of words, 'fetid moppet', reports the Mirror US.
One individual, known as Equivalent-Dress5906, commented: "I looked it up cause I was curious. Fetid-smelling extremely unpleasant Moppet-a nickname , mainly for young girls. Basically just little girl, but it could also mean baby doll. I was at first confused why Eagan would basically call his daughter smelly. Then you start to think about how Fetid is usually describing something that's gone off or bad, that smells so bad it's wrong. He basically is saying how the Innie, Helly R, Has essentially rotted, polluted, or tainted his darling daughter Helena. To the Eagens, to Lumon and Kier, the innes more rebellious side is a virus that needs to be controlled [sic]."
Another user, fusion2k2, noted: "And the scene just before you can hear Ricken complain about a poopy diaper... This show is working on so many levels! " "Or I'm thinking fancy term for a spoiled brat. Spoiled can be quite stinky. Maybe some insight into her past," suggested fan Steely-Dave. "I think it's to hint at somehow previous Eagans memories or consciousness is being transferred to younger Eagans. It's such an old way of insulting someone, like it's an insult from the 1800s. Similarly, last season he said she looked like a "film star". He speaks using words and mannerisms older than he is," added stompinstinker.
InformalJello9322 remarked: "If you go back and look at Jame Eagan's face...it's almost as if he was surprised that those words came out of his mouth...and Helena had to call him "father" to bring him back.."
Helena became the talk of Severance with her controversial actions after being dubbed a 'fetid moppet'. She bounced back by releasing a video claiming her previous allegations that Lumon tortured their employees' Innies were made under the influence and were meant as a "joke".
However, the show's aficionados are still clueless if it was Helly or Helena who made her way back to the Severed Floor in the lift. Adding to the speculation, Helena's decision to rewatch the footage of Helly and Mark sharing a kiss hints that she might harbour feelings for his Innie, living up to the 'fetid' label in more ways than one.
Severance season 2 drops weekly on Apple TV+ on Fridays
English (US) ·