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Spoilers ahead forSeveranceseason two through the finale,Cold Harbor.
Severancenever states what year its taking place.
When you decide to use a song, its a big statement or decision, Stiller explains.
Especially in a show like this, because our score is such an incredibly important element to the tone.
The depth of investigation to which people analyze it is something I never could have imagined.
I always wrestle with it.
So I never want to say,Oh, something is or isnt here for a specific reason.
Its fun to let people have their ideas and thoughts.
Sometimes, these decisions were determined by Stillers love of a particular artist.
There are no hard-and-fast rules, he says.
Its always just what feels right.
And this time, Mel Torme was the perfect fit.
Our music supervisor, George Drakoulis, and I go back a million years.
He has those types of relationships.
If Im reaching out for an idea about something, hell send me incredible playlists.
Part of the episode structure was to get the gang back together.
The core of the show for me is the relationships between these people these friends who are working together.
I didnt know the Allergies, either.
But it felt like something that was kicking us off into the rest of the season.
Were back in it and its as hopeful and fun as it can get onSeverance.
The song also featured prominently in a season-two trailer.
My friends and I were in a band, and we may have tried to play this.
Its always been a great song.
When Im editing a sequence, I always think about whats going to help bring it to light.
Is it a score or a song?
Theres a list of songs that I would keep trying for certain moments.
So it felt aligned, like it was all leading to Mark sitting up on the table.
Then, the lyrics were perfect.
But then I realized, well, why not use it?
This is one of those moments.
Im a huge Gordon Lightfoot fan.
The documentary about him is really cool, too.
Everything else beyond that, Ill let people theorize.
Burt watches, with a hardened expression, as Irving walks to his car.
It was never going to be the Cream version.
When a great director uses a song in a movie, like Martin Scorsese did withGoodfellas,its his.
You cant use it again.
When you take a deeper look at it, this is an episode about relationships and love.
That would have called for a different ending song.
As an audience, that would be a huge thing.
So, its more interesting to end on Burt and what hes thinking.
Because next time we see Burt, thats going to play into it.
Sunshine of Your Love isnt really romantic.
Its kind of dark and weird, and yet Ella Fitzgerald is singing it.
I was in Hawaii when I heard it.
I was like,Oh my God, this is crazy.
She asks to speak to Mark and tell her everything as she speeds out of her childhood town.
The big discussion was figuring out how to kick us off into where were going for the next episode.
This eighth episode is so quiet and stark.
This moment had to feel very different from the tone of the rest of the episode.
Its another song with a build.
It felt like it was from her era.
I had another Cult song, She Sells Sanctuary, I was playing around with.
But this one felt a little bit more right in the moment with the energy it brings.
But in this hellish prison of these hallways, where are they going to?
I was looking for the juxtaposition of the craziness of that with a hopeful song.
We knew we were going into slow motion and wanted it to feel dreamlike and weird.
Then, we knew we were going to have this freeze-frame at the end.
I even tried I Got You Babe by Sonny & Cher.
It was interesting and kind of unexpected, but you dont want to be too cute.
The Windmills of Your Mind is weird both with its lyrics and sound.
Its like a crazy drug trip.
Teddy was like, Oh, by the way, I hope you keep that Mel Torme song.
And I was like, Yeah, its kind of great.
Then we found Work Song by Bobby Darin for the end titles.
On paper, it was strange to open one song into another song.
But I loved how they fit together.
And then, its back to the guy who goes to work every day with Work Song.
