S2E9: The After Hours (with Sydney Cole Alexander)
Mar 14, 2025
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Sydney Cole Alexander, who captivates audiences as Natalie in the Severance series, joins the conversation. They dive into Natalie's complex dynamics with characters like Milchick and Cobel, exploring how corporate 'friendly feedback' can sting. Sydney also shares insights from her audition journey, highlighting the emotional rollercoaster of launching a career in a high-pressure environment. The trio banters about revelations from the penultimate episode and answers fan hotline questions with some amusing Lumon-approved responses.
Sydney Cole Alexander discusses the duality of her character Natalie, balancing ambition with empathy amid corporate demands.
The podcast highlights the emotional turmoil in Dylan and Gretchen's relationship, reflecting the challenges of severed personal connections.
Bert and Irving's love story poignantly illustrates how corporate control complicates personal relationships and sacrifices.
Deep dives
The Importance of Collaboration
The podcast highlights the significance of collaboration in the workplace through a discussion about a product called Confluence by Atlassian. This platform serves as a connected workspace that enhances team collaboration and streamlines project management. Confluence allows team members to access relevant resources easily, enabling them to discover crucial contexts that support their projects. With reports indicating an average productivity boost of 5.2% over a year, the benefits of adopting such collaborative tools are clear.
Character Exploration: Natalie
Sydney Cole Alexander, who plays Natalie in the series, shares insights into her character's complexity throughout the season. She describes how her interactions with other characters, especially Milchick and Cobell, evolve, reflecting a balance between ambition and empathy. The podcast discusses how Natalie's dynamics change as she navigates her relationships while maintaining allegiance to Lumen's corporate structure. Sydney's exploration of these nuances highlights the struggles of a character caught between personal ambition and loyalty to the company.
The Emotional Depth of Relationships
The episode delves into Dylan's heart-wrenching relationship with Gretchen, emphasizing the complexities in their dynamic due to his severed status. Dylan’s proposal to Gretchen reveals a desperate desire for connection, contrasting with her commitment to her husband. The discussion illustrates how severance complicates both personal relationships and emotional attachments, making the characters' struggles relatable and poignant. This narrative showcases the challenges faced by characters attempting to reconcile their innie experiences with their audi realities.
Bert and Irving's Tender Connection
The heartbreaking relationship between Bert and Irving is explored, shedding light on themes of love and sacrifice within a compromised environment. Their emotional scenes reveal the depth of their connection as they navigate the constraints imposed by Lumen. Bert’s decision to protect Irving by severing their ties underscores the tragic nature of their love story, made even more poignant by the forces of the company that seek to keep them apart. Their experiences illustrate the profound impact of corporate control on personal lives and relationships.
Tension Builds in the Penultimate Episode
As the penultimate episode unfolds, tension escalates among the characters, particularly in relationships impacted by the overarching corporate structure of Lumen. Mark's encounter with Helly serves as a pivotal moment where alliances must be questioned amidst rising stakes and loyalty dilemmas. The tension is palpable as characters face consequences for their choices, leading to a dramatic cliffhanger that sets the stage for the finale. This buildup of emotional and narrative tension emphasizes the intricate interconnections between character arcs and the overarching plot.
If you did a word cloud of this week’s podcast episode, the number one word would be PENULTIMATE. Because this week, we’re talking all about Season 2 Episode 9 — that’s right, it’s the penultimate episode of the season. For this momentous occasion, Ben and Adam are joined by Sydney Cole Alexander, who plays Natalie, conduit to the Board and conduit to our fan hotline. They discuss Natalie’s infamous smile, the different way she handles Milchick and Cobel, and how corporate “friendly feedback” can feel like getting stabbed in the heart. Plus, Sydney sticks around to give some Lumon-approved answers to your hotline questions.