S2E8: Sweet Vitriol (with Patricia Arquette and Jimmy Kimmel)

Summary

The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller & Adam Scott Episode Summary: S2E8 - "Sweet Vitriol" (Featuring Patricia Arquette and Jimmy Kimmel) Release Date: March 7, 2025

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Introduction

In the eighth episode of Season 2, titled "Sweet Vitriol," hosts Ben Stiller and Adam Scott delve deep into the intricacies of the Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning TV show Severance. This episode features special guests Patricia Arquette, who portrays Harmony Cobell, and celebrity guest Jimmy Kimmel. The discussion offers a behind-the-scenes look at character development, filming locations, and the emotional depth of the storyline, providing fans and newcomers alike with a comprehensive understanding of the episode's nuances.

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Conversation with Patricia Arquette

Character Analysis: Harmony Cobell

Patricia Arquette takes center stage as she dissects her character, Harmony Cobell. She shares her initial reactions to the script and the complexities of portraying someone who has been severed from her memories.

• Initial Impressions:
  Patricia Arquette (08:10): "I was like, what the hell is he giving me this for? I'm like, ben, who is this lady? What is this company doing?"

• Character Development:
  Arquette discusses Harmony's struggle with identity and approval from her aunt, Sissy, highlighting the internal conflicts that drive her actions within the show.

  Patricia Arquette (27:43): "Because subconsciously, as much as I hate my aunt, I am also structuring myself in my success to be like my aunt, to be like somebody who that she would approve of."

Filming and Locations: Newfoundland

The conversation shifts to the unique filming location of Newfoundland, specifically the town of Bonavista, which serves as Salt's Neck in the series. Arquette and Stiller elaborate on the challenges and beauty of shooting in such a rugged and secluded area.

• Challenges of Filming:
  Ben Stiller (17:48): "We couldn't actually stay at this modern looking hotel. It was crazy. We were there for about five weeks."

• Authenticity of the Setting:
  The team aimed to capture the stark and isolated atmosphere of Newfoundland, which mirrors Harmony’s internal struggles.

  Patricia Arquette (18:21): "They have a certain way that they sound like with the ice frozen this whole time from the late 1700s, early 1800s."

Emotional Scenes and Character Interactions

Arquette provides insights into pivotal scenes, such as Harmony’s breakdown and her relationship with her aunt, portrayed by Jane Alexander.

• Emotional Depth:
  Patricia Arquette (25:03): "I took care of my mom when she was sick and dying. There's a crossover where you can take that human element within your own experience and understand this strange lady."

• On-Set Dynamics:
  The chemistry between Arquette and James Legro (playing Hampton) adds layers to the narrative, enhancing the emotional resonance of Harmony’s journey.

  Ben Stiller (21:49): "We had this cookie moment 30 years ago. I felt like I knew you guys were in LA in the 90s when we all were starting out."

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Guest Appearance: Jimmy Kimmel

Jimmy Kimmel joins the podcast to engage with the hosts and address fan questions, bringing his unique perspective as a passionate Severance enthusiast.

Appreciation for the Show’s Detail

Kimmel lauds the show's meticulous attention to detail, comparing its complexity to that of the cult-favorite series Lost.

• Attention to Detail:
  Jimmy Kimmel (36:03): "The attention to detail is just absolutely insane. I sometimes just look at it and I go, like, there must be something wrong with these guys."

• Creative Process:
  Stiller explains the balance between having a flexible creative process and maintaining the show's intricate structure.

  Ben Stiller (43:59): "How we're getting there is not always completely set. Every little beat, the creative process we're figuring out as we go along."

Audience Engagement and Q&A

Kimmel participates in a lively Q&A session, answering fan-submitted questions that range from plot clarifications to humorous anecdotes.

• Fan Interaction:
  Jimmy Kimmel (45:03): "I nailed it to the wall and I said, if I'm still working here in one year, I'm gonna eat this bacon."

• Humorous Insights:
  The interaction highlights the show's blend of suspense and humor, reinforcing its unique tone.

  Jimmy Kimmel (48:00): "It's not like when you go to a national renter car and they're all kind of the same and you're like."

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Closing Remarks and Future Episodes

As the episode wraps up, Ben Stiller and Adam Scott reflect on the show's impact and express gratitude towards the guests and fans for their continued support.

• Future Predictions:
  Zack Cherry (50:44): "Harmony Cobell returned home to her childhood home, and I have a feeling she's gonna want to stick around."

• Engagement with Fans:
  The hosts encourage listeners to engage with the podcast and share their thoughts, fostering a strong community around Severance.

  Adam Scott (53:04): "Make sure you're listening to our podcast, which drops right after the episode airs."

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Notable Quotes

• Patricia Arquette (09:00): "Put money in the bank before I even pick up the phone."

• Jimmy Kimmel (36:37): "I started rearranging the letters in Keir Egan to see what the anagram might be."

• Ben Stiller (43:59): "How we're getting there is not always completely set."

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Conclusion

"S2E8: Sweet Vitriol" of The Severance Podcast offers an in-depth exploration of one of the show's most compelling characters, Harmony Cobell, through Patricia Arquette's experienced lens. The episode balances behind-the-scenes insights with engaging discussions, enhanced by Jimmy Kimmel's enthusiastic participation. Listeners gain a richer understanding of the show's themes, character dynamics, and the meticulous craftsmanship behind its production, making this episode a must-listen for fans and newcomers alike.

Transcript

[Ben Stiller]

This episode of the Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller and Adam Scott is presented by State Farm. Learn [e-mail] severance like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Hey, Adam.

[Adam Scott]

Yeah?

[Ben Stiller]

Is your experience at work a bit dysfunctional lately?

[Adam Scott]

I don't know. I think it's.

[Ben Stiller]

It's okay. I'll take that as a yes. Your team could undergo a highly controversial surgical procedure that would mercifully sever any and all memories of that work experience from your home lives. Or you could try Confluence by Atlassian.

[Adam Scott]

Oh, my God. Well, if it's a choice between those two things, I think I would 100% choose confluence by Atlassian.

[Ben Stiller]

Confluence is the connected workspace where teams can collaborate and create like never before, where teams have easy access to the relevant pages and resources their projects call for, while discovering important context they didn't even know they needed. A space where AI streamlines the things that normally eat up their time, letting teams generate, organize, and. And deliver work faster. In fact, with Confluence, teams can see a 5.2% average boost in productivity in one year.

[Adam Scott]

So that would equal out, like, if we're playing with, like, let's just say, 100%, 5.2 of those percentage points. Yeah, that's the improvement.

[Ben Stiller]

I mean, I'm not great at math, but that sounds very close.

[Adam Scott]

Well, I'm doing the math in my head right now as we speak, and I think that's great.

[Ben Stiller]

So why not keep your team unsevered in Confluence, the connected workspace where teams can do it all set, knowledge free, with Confluence. Learn more at atlassian.com confluence that's a t l a s s I-a n.com c o n f L-U-E-N c e.

[Patricia Arquette]

Action da na na light the lights we got nothing to hit but the heights. Starting here, starting now. Honey, everything's coming up roses.

[Ben Stiller]

Hey, I'm Ben Stiller.

[Adam Scott]

I'm Adam Scott.

[Patricia Arquette]

And I'm Patricia Arquette.

[Ben Stiller]

And this is the Severance Podcast with Ben and Adam and Patricia Arquette. Yes, where we break down every episode of Severance.

[Adam Scott]

And today we're talking about the eighth episode of season two, Sweet Vitriol, written by Adam county and KC Perry and directed by Ben Stiller.

[Patricia Arquette]

Amateur Sharkette. Just kidding.

[Ben Stiller]

Not really, though. And this is an exciting episode of our podcast. Cause you're here, Patricia.

[Patricia Arquette]

I like being here.

[Ben Stiller]

Have you been on a podcast before?

[Patricia Arquette]

I probably have, but I don't want to.

[Adam Scott]

Wait a second.

[Ben Stiller]

Do you remember?

[Patricia Arquette]

I'm trying to block it out.

[Ben Stiller]

All right, this is what we deal with, folks.

[Adam Scott]

Are you gonna block this out?

[Patricia Arquette]

Eventually, like, five minutes after I leave.

[Ben Stiller]

And also, our other guest on the podcast after Patricia is the great Jimmy Kimmel.

[Adam Scott]

Yeah. He's gonna help us answer some of.

[Ben Stiller]

Your hotline questions, and he'll remember being here and enjoy it.

[Patricia Arquette]

Good. He's gonna enjoy it, whether he enjoys it or not.

[Ben Stiller]

And also, we have Zack Cherry, of course.

[Patricia Arquette]

Oh, I love him.

[Ben Stiller]

Yes. To predict what's gonna happen in next week's episode. But before we dive in, here's your spoiler warning and ours that we are talking about. Everything from episode eight of season two. So go watch that before you listen to the podcast. Now, interestingly enough, Patricia, you probably can't give any spoilers. Cause you. Have you seen Severance?

[Patricia Arquette]

Not really. I mean, I've seen episode one of season two.

[Ben Stiller]

You're up to episode one of season two?

[Patricia Arquette]

Yeah.

[Ben Stiller]

What did you think?

[Patricia Arquette]

I loved it. I loved it.

[Adam Scott]

Do you like to wait till it's going out into the world before you see anything?

[Patricia Arquette]

I. I do. And in general, I don't like seeing anything I miss, so it's kind of a little bit like dragging a mouse who has its nails out digging into.

[Adam Scott]

Wood towards a television to watch themselves.

[Ben Stiller]

A little mouse.

[Patricia Arquette]

Yeah, that's me.

[Adam Scott]

Mice hate seeing themselves on TV shows.

[Ben Stiller]

I know.

[Patricia Arquette]

It's so big. You're so big up there. And daunting.

[Adam Scott]

Did you ever see Escape at Dannemora?

[Patricia Arquette]

I did, yeah.

[Adam Scott]

Okay, good.

[Patricia Arquette]

I saw it once. I mean, I'll run into myself on TV sometimes. Like, I'll be changing channels and I'll see, like, oh, my God, that's me in True Romance. And I might watch a bit that's cool. And be like, wow, I'm so young. Or I'll see us in Flirting with Disaster.

[Ben Stiller]

Wow, we're so young.

[Patricia Arquette]

We're babies.

[Adam Scott]

Ben, don't you wish you could say that you run across yourself in True Romance.

[Ben Stiller]

I do. I do. I was never that cool.

[Patricia Arquette]

Flirting with Disaster is pretty damn cool.

[Ben Stiller]

I never got into the Tarantino verse, and I know that was a Tony Scott movie, but it's a Tarantino verse.

[Adam Scott]

As you guys both know, Flirting with Disaster is one of my very, very favorite movies.

[Patricia Arquette]

I've told you so many times. We had so much fun.

[Ben Stiller]

We had a great time. And then, like, weirdly, didn't really see each other for a while until Escape at Dannemora. Like, 25 years went by or something.

[Adam Scott]

Yeah, that's crazy.

[Ben Stiller]

But it was like, we never stopped being, like, a Brother and sister is what I feel like.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Yeah.

[Patricia Arquette]

Yeah. As soon as we were back together, the gang was back together.

[Ben Stiller]

Yeah.

[Patricia Arquette]

You know, it was like the Beatles getting back.

[Ben Stiller]

Just kidding.

[Patricia Arquette]

I wish.

[Adam Scott]

So Dannemora is like, who are you? Escape it. Dannemora is Ringo.

[Patricia Arquette]

Sergeant Pepper, we're all Ringo.

[Ben Stiller]

I'm sorry, can I just say, Ringo is the best.

[Adam Scott]

Ringo rules.

[Ben Stiller]

Yeah.

[Patricia Arquette]

And listen, I don't think Ringo's a joke. Don't get me wrong. No, I love Ringo.

[Ben Stiller]

Ringo star, literally one of the. And also, talk about eternally youthful him and Paul McCartney. It's crazy. I mean, I've never really met Ringo Starr. I wonder if he watches Severance.

[Adam Scott]

Have you met Ringo?

[Patricia Arquette]

I don't know. I vaguely feel like maybe I did for one second.

[Ben Stiller]

Wow. So how come you don't remember anything that ever happened to you?

[Patricia Arquette]

Just too much trauma. Too much trauma. Yeah. And severed. Maybe I'm severed.

[Adam Scott]

What about Paul McCartney? Did you guys meet Paul McCartney?

[Patricia Arquette]

I did. And also I have an NGO. Paul McCartney was one of the first people to donate to it.

[Ben Stiller]

Oh, wow.

[Patricia Arquette]

Which was really cool. My sister actually dated him for a while.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Whoa.

[Patricia Arquette]

Yes, exactly.

[Ben Stiller]

Whoa.

[Patricia Arquette]

Okay. My sister dated a beetle.

[Adam Scott]

That's amazing.

[Ben Stiller]

Oh, my God. Wow.

[Patricia Arquette]

That's pretty incredible.

[Ben Stiller]

Who did you date back in the day? Come on, give us a. I'm not.

[Patricia Arquette]

A kiss and tell, sweetheart.

[Ben Stiller]

I need a clip from this podcast. We need to get something out.

[Adam Scott]

We gotta put something out on social.

[Patricia Arquette]

Push it out. I have to find a dead person to talk about.

[Ben Stiller]

But you were around show business as a child. Like, you grew up in this crazy showbiz hippie world with brothers and sisters who were all in it. And your dad, Louis Arquette, was really just a very accomplished character actor. Really funny. He's in Waiting for Guffman.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Yeah.

[Ben Stiller]

Oh, my God.

[Patricia Arquette]

He's the old man in Waiting for Guffman. Yep. The Waltons he was on.

[Ben Stiller]

Maybe that's why we feel like brother and sister little. Cause we have similar stories, background.

[Patricia Arquette]

Yeah. And also that kind of sense of humor. And there's something about the time we grew. It was a very strange time in the world. Like, it was a really inappropriate time. And funny.

[Adam Scott]

You mean the 70s, generally sort of thing.

[Patricia Arquette]

Yeah. Like, there was a lot of satire on television. Political satire and public, for sure.

[Ben Stiller]

People talked about stuff on TV in talk show situations that they would now never talk about.

[Adam Scott]

Right.

[Ben Stiller]

Never Real stuff. People just talk about real things. It's fascinating. Did you ever watch any of those old Dick Cavett shows?

[Patricia Arquette]

Oh, I love those.

[Ben Stiller]

Mike Douglas or David Susky.

[Adam Scott]

They would have actual conversations that unf. Not worrying about laughs or when everybody's.

[Ben Stiller]

Smoking and just being.

[Patricia Arquette]

Yeah, I think Judi Henrich was on acid on one of them.

[Ben Stiller]

Oh, really? I'm sure, yeah. You're not on acid now, are you?

[Patricia Arquette]

I don't know.

[Ben Stiller]

Okay.

[Patricia Arquette]

Sometimes one. I'm not.

[Ben Stiller]

Patricia, you're so great as a person. First of all, I love you, and you're a great actor. Amazing actor. And just in regards to severance, what was it when you read the script and you saw Harmony Cobell? What went through your head?

[Patricia Arquette]

Well, Ben, you know damn well you only gave me the pilot. And you know damn well I'm barely in the pilot. So I was like, what the hell is he giving me this for? I'm like, ben, who is this lady? What is this company doing? What is going on here? Where is this going? What's my art? And so you'd give me a few little cryptic answers. You know, what am I getting paid?

[Ben Stiller]

What's the first thing you ask?

[Patricia Arquette]

Let's be pay me yesterday, why don't you?

[Ben Stiller]

That's Patricia's first question.

[Adam Scott]

Money in the bank.

[Patricia Arquette]

Put money in the bank before I even pick up the phone. So you guys just gave me all these cryptic answers. And finally I just thought, okay, this is a really interesting genre. I haven't really done sci fi, which I like. And this lady is inscrutable and interesting, and this is weird, and I totally trust Ben, so I'm gonna go to this blind date and just jump in.

[Ben Stiller]

I love that you were willing to do that, too, because I got excited when I read it, because I could see you in it, and I didn't know exactly what you'd do with it, but I just knew that you could create something really interesting with this person. And that's been. The whole thing on the show has been like, kind of. The actors kind of jumped in, and we talked a lot about this, about having this room to kind of experiment and figure it out, which we kind of did over the course of the first season. Right?

[Patricia Arquette]

Yeah. And even just finding the look and the character and everything. I don't know why. Early on I was like, you know, I kind of see her with gray or white hair. And you were like, what? What do you mean? And I was like, let's just try it, you know, let's just do a camera test, a makeup test, and we'll just have one of those wigs and look at. And I think we were all like, oh, yeah, there's something about that.

[Adam Scott]

It's cool. It's like silver hair.

[Patricia Arquette]

There was a lot of strict structure in the Lumen world, and for a long time, I didn't really understand what the tone was. And then you cut it together and showed me.

[Ben Stiller]

What about her voice?

[Patricia Arquette]

Well, that, to me, was like something she had picked up from other people, like, subconsciously had decided, like, oh, this is what upper management sounds like. And that's the sound of, like, success in the workplace. Like, this is what I'm supposed to be, and this is what I'm supposed to sound like. And how do I get up this ladder? I have to look like this, sound like this, be like this.

[Ben Stiller]

Right.

[Patricia Arquette]

So she kind of had that.

[Adam Scott]

In season one, you had Mrs. Selvig as well. Was Mrs. Selvig, like, a place to kind of put everything she's not allowed to do in her regular life? Like, it's just interesting.

[Patricia Arquette]

Yeah. It was sort of like trying on what is it like to be a normal person? You know, like, experimenting with the freedom of that. What is it like to make friends in a kind of normal way? I mean, there was a part of it. First it was this affectation of, I'm gonna disarm you with your mommy issues by being the fumbling, bumbling auntie whatever, next door.

[Ben Stiller]

Next door neighbor.

[Patricia Arquette]

Yeah. Next door neighbor's a little nosy, but you are a nice boy, so you're gonna be nice to the mommy lady. And, you know, I'll insinuate myself into your life so I can sneak around more and find out. But then it also became like, are we chums? We are having fun. And, oh, is this what it's like to have fun with somebody in the world and go do things outside of work? And, wow, what does this feel like?

[Ben Stiller]

I love Mrs. Selvig and your relationship with her in the first season. It makes me laugh so much. Every time you have an interaction where you're sort of perplexed by her or just not wanting to deal with her, or when you come outside, first of all, when you make the bad cookies, the awful cookies, and then we sort of reveal in your house all the cookie tray and the mess.

[Adam Scott]

Oh, it's mess.

[Patricia Arquette]

There's a real closed circle with the cookie thing, which we will get to later.

[Ben Stiller]

Okay.

[Adam Scott]

Yeah.

[Ben Stiller]

Okay. Yeah. The scene outside in the snow when you're taking the garbage out and you're like, ooh, looks like Jack Frost is dandruff. He's running out of dandruff shampoo. So Ridiculous. That was an improv. You also improv. Open or closed? Both.

[Patricia Arquette]

That's right. Yeah.

[Ben Stiller]

But then your thing of like, you say, let's go have some lavender tea or something later, and you're like, I just want to kind of see how the day develops.

[Patricia Arquette]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ben Stiller]

It's like such a lame out.

[Adam Scott]

Yeah, but a lame out that should work with your nosy neighbor. Like, you don't need to come up with something better than that.

[Patricia Arquette]

Right, right.

[Adam Scott]

We also, we shot a scene in season one where we were driving together. You hitch a ride with me. On the way back from the funeral. We shot a scene where we're driving and you try holding hands with me. Remember shooting that?

[Patricia Arquette]

Oh, yeah.

[Adam Scott]

It was interesting. It probably just ended up being like, too much or something.

[Patricia Arquette]

Right, right. Yeah.

[Adam Scott]

We had this whole scene in the car, which was.

[Patricia Arquette]

Which maybe we could use as a flashback or a fantasy of Marx.

[Ben Stiller]

Oh, mar.

[Adam Scott]

I would buy it.

[Ben Stiller]

Okay, you know what? It's time for us to take a drive down to Salt's Neck. So when we come back, we're going to keep talking to Patricia Arquette about episode eight. Is that cool, Patricia?

[Patricia Arquette]

So cool, Ben. So cool.

[Ben Stiller]

Okay. And you will remember, who are you?

[Patricia Arquette]

Where am I?

[Ben Stiller]

Who are you? That's very appropriate for the show.

[Patricia Arquette]

Exactly.

[Ben Stiller]

All right, we'll be. We'll be right back.

[Zack Cherry]

You know, this conversation with Patricia is reminding me of the early days of severance when we first met and gave.

[Ben Stiller]

The cast the pilot script.

[Zack Cherry]

And it was obvious that the show was very unique and most of us hadn't really done a mix of tones that were in this show, kind of this office comedy meets sci fi meets puzzle box mystery. I don't even know what puzzle box means, but everybody was really excited. But also, it was kind of like, what's going on here? Where's this going? Is this going to work? But everyone's willingness to take that leap of faith, to join the team and to really develop their characters in this world and just take chances has had an amazing outcome. And while it was probably a scary thing to jump with both feet into something so unknown, I'm really glad they did. Kind of like when you're hesitant to take the leap into getting your own insurance, luckily, your State Farm agent is here to support you when it's time to get severed from your parents insurance plan and start your own policy. Plus, if things get complicated, State Farm gives you lots of ways to get help, whether you prefer in person, over the phone on statefarm.com or through the app, your agent is there to help. So if it's time to get off your parents insurance and into your own, go to statefarm.com severance to find out how State Farm can help. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Hey Ben here. I know you love listening to podcasts, so I wanted to introduce you to a brand new show called Campus Files. It's a weekly series that digs into the archives of American colleges and universities to take us behind some of the most outrageous scandals in the history of academia. While often a beacon of integrity and excellence, the reality of college life can also expose the darkest parts of American culture. From rigged admissions to sports scandals to Greek life drama, Campus Files shares the stories you won't hear on the campus tours. Listen to and follow Campus Files, an Odyssey original podcast available now on the free Odysee app and wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ben Stiller]

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[Adam Scott]

Okay, so sweet vitriol. Episode 8. This is a very different episode for severance. It's the Harmony Cobell Show. Essentially, we get to follow her as she returns to her old home in Salt's Neck. Patricia, what was your first reaction when you read this particular script?

[Patricia Arquette]

I liked it. I mean, we had been talking for quite a while, quite a long while, about her origin story, sort of, and the school that she'd grown up in and how Lumen had impacted her and her relationship with her mom. And so to kind of see it more fleshed out and see the space and the coldness. And we went up to Newfoundland and it was very. It's such a special, unique place. You know, it's so difficult to get to and so difficult to live there that it's very locked in its own time. And it had this sort of difficult terrain to survive in. And then you can really see how Harmony is an extension of that.

[Adam Scott]

Yeah. How it like hardens people. How did you find that Newfoundland would be the perfect Salt Neck?

[Ben Stiller]

Yeah, we were knowing that we needed to have some sort of a vibe of the Northeast ish look that Kier sort of has. Cause we shoot in upstate New York and we want it to feel like it was a drivable location from Kier. And then Ryan Smith, our location manager, went out. But really, Jessica Lee Gagne, our cinematographer and director of episode seven, had worked in Newfoundland 10 years ago on an island called Fogo island, which is off the coast of Newfoundland. There's actually an incredible hotel there, which we didn't stay at, like this modern looking hotel.

[Patricia Arquette]

Thanks, Ben, I appreciate it.

[Ben Stiller]

It was crazy. I mean, first of all, it's a beautiful place. We shot in a town called Bonavista. And yeah, you land in gander and then you have to drive about three hours to get there. And the thing about the terrain in Newfoundland is it's rugged and beautiful, but it's not. The scale of it is not like somewhere like Iceland or Greenland or something like that where it's gigantic mountains.

[Adam Scott]

Right.

[Ben Stiller]

You know, it's a little bit smaller, but it's still as beautiful in its own way.

[Adam Scott]

It has a vastness to it.

[Ben Stiller]

Just it's not. A lot of things are filmed there. And it's tough, the people who are living there having to deal with long, cold winters.

[Patricia Arquette]

They have a certain way that they sound like with the ice frozen this whole time from the late 1700s, early 1800s, this broke from Ireland. They'll eat things like a bowl of fried cod, fish tongues.

[Ben Stiller]

I had that for breakfast every morning.

[Patricia Arquette]

Delicious.

[Adam Scott]

And was the town essentially in the episode, is it as you found it, or like the coffee shop, for instance, was that an existing structure?

[Ben Stiller]

It's an existing structure, yeah. It's actually a coffee shop that we redid and painted and we shot in, I think, two different little villages and Bonavista too, for different locations. And we were all living in Airbnbs and it was. I loved it. We had an amazing time. We were there for about, I don't know, five weeks. And Jessica put together a crew from Montreal of people she had worked with. So it was a much smaller unit and we found these great places to shoot. And James Legro, who plays Hampton, came up and so great. Had you known James from before?

[Patricia Arquette]

So, I mean, growing up in la, I was a big fan, like everybody, of Drugstore Cowboy and he was amazing in that movie. And then I was dating this guy at the time, John Philbin was his name, he was an actor. And I had to move. I was living in my mom's garage at the time and I was moving out and so he had a friend come over to help me move all these boxes. So I made him and his friend for helping me like, some cookies, right? And I put in the cookies, these walnuts. So I gave them some cookies when they were done. And his friend was James Legro, who was helping move all these boxes. And I was like, oh, thank you so much, and here's some cookies. And thanks. And he was like, these are the best cookies I've ever had in my life. And then I was like, oh, thank you very much.

[Adam Scott]

Very different from Mrs. Salvey to say.

[Patricia Arquette]

Exactly. We're back to the cookies. But I tasted the cookies when he left, and I was like, these are salty. Because I didn't realize the walnuts were salted. Now, smash forward 30 years. Everyone's adding salt. So caramel salt, chocolates. So he meant it when he said they were good, but I was like, these are the worst salty cookies ever unmade.

[Ben Stiller]

So Mark was lying when he said they were good in the show. Yeah, but James legro.

[Patricia Arquette]

But in 30 years, Mark will be wrong. James Legro was telling the truth.

[Adam Scott]

I think they sound delicious.

[Patricia Arquette]

They were delicious. And when we talked and we were working, he's like, oh, I remember those.

[Adam Scott]

Wow, that's great.

[Patricia Arquette]

Those were the greatest cookies.

[Adam Scott]

Wow.

[Ben Stiller]

Let's. Let's listen to a little scene when you guys first see each other.

[Patricia Arquette]

Harmony Cobel. Well, flip my toboggan.

[Ben Stiller]

You want coffee?

[Patricia Arquette]

No.

[Ben Stiller]

Tables are for paying customers.

[Patricia Arquette]

Fine, then buy me a coffee.

[Adam Scott]

Harmony is hardcore. She wakes up in her car, brushes her teeth in the parking lot, and then doesn't even want coffee.

[Patricia Arquette]

I want coffee, but I want him to buy it for me.

[Ben Stiller]

I mean, there's a lot of history between you two. Yeah, a lot of history that's just unspoken, and that was, I think, the reason that we thought James would be great. Even if it was just this cookie moment you guys had 30 years ago. I felt like I knew you guys were in LA in the 90s when we all were starting out, and it just felt like there would be a history there with you guys in some way that you could share. And he's such a great actor, and I just love that you kind of played off of that.

[Patricia Arquette]

Look. James Legro is a heavy hitter, so sometimes, you know, you have those people and you're like, you don't have a lot of scenes to, like, establish this depth between people. Yeah, but there's something there. And you could see them together, and they're of this time together, and we could communicate in this way. And, you know, he's so good, so great.

[Adam Scott]

It's amazing watching you guys when you're talking in the parking lot. The dialogue is so minimal, but there is so much there. And you completely get. You completely get it. Just watching your faces.

[Ben Stiller]

Yeah. Between your eyes and James eyes. You know, you just train the camera on them and let you guys interact. By the way, also, in the drippy Pot, going back to history, there's a guy sitting who's kind of giving you the stink eye, who's my old friend Jerry Stahl, who I knew from Permanent Midnight. I played.

[Adam Scott]

Yeah, you played him.

[Ben Stiller]

And he wrote the book Permanent Midnight. We met in LA in 19 whatever. 97. So there was. You know, I felt like we were kind of dipping into our histories there together.

[Adam Scott]

And who was that woman in the trippy pot?

[Ben Stiller]

She was a local actress.

[Adam Scott]

Really?

[Ben Stiller]

I think she came from St. John's and who's amazing.

[Adam Scott]

Great.

[Ben Stiller]

And her name is Claire Coulter. And she just had a lovely quality about her and was just so.

[Adam Scott]

I rewound her stuff today. I was just.

[Ben Stiller]

Yeah, you can top me off anytime. I like the new dude, Trey Chic.

[Adam Scott]

You see that Hampton has a bit of a drug issue. He's huffing ether. But he also seems to be the supplier or the dealer of ether at the coffee shop. Am I right?

[Ben Stiller]

He is, yeah. He's dealing.

[Patricia Arquette]

Yeah.

[Ben Stiller]

That's interesting, because he's dealing to Jerry Stahl early.

[Adam Scott]

Yeah, he sure is. This town seems to have been kind of hollowed out by Lumen, certainly, but also by ether. It was an ether factory that everybody was working at.

[Ben Stiller]

Yep.

[Patricia Arquette]

We were once chums. Old colleagues. Lift each other up.

[Ben Stiller]

Colleagues. Child fucking labor.

[Patricia Arquette]

Kier and Imogen met her at the Ether. Mel, you know, that.

[Ben Stiller]

Was she hacking up a lot at the time. I love that we were able sort of to dig into its own vibe for the episode that felt, you know, it just was its own thing. And you and James have this connection that then gets to play out later when you're in your mom's room. And we'll talk about that in a second. But that moment between the two of you where we realize you both worked at the factory. At the ether factory, and we're basically child labor and we're huffing ether as.

[Adam Scott]

Children and working long hours as children, too.

[Ben Stiller]

And I loved in that scene, it wasn't really specified that the two of you would kiss, but it's the first time we see Harmony Cobell. I mean, we've seen you when you go into your mother's room and you lay on the bed and you hold the breathing tube, and you put it in your mouth and you have this, I think, incredibly beautiful moment where you're just feeling and connecting with something.

[Patricia Arquette]

I feel like crying right now. Just connecting with someone.

[Ben Stiller]

I remember, like, on its face, it was a little bit of a weird scene. It's like, okay, she's gonna go into the room, find the breathing tube, and then she's gonna put the breathing tube in her mouth and break down crying.

[Patricia Arquette]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ben Stiller]

But what I love about you is that you didn't really question that. You were like, okay, yeah, no, I get that. And it's. I watch that and I'm really moved.

[Adam Scott]

And there's a sound you make that is kind of like heart shattering.

[Ben Stiller]

Yeah. You were making this sort of moaning, crying sound, which sounded to me like weirdly like a whale.

[Patricia Arquette]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, I.

[Ben Stiller]

Like a whale in the ocean sound. It was a whale and a whaley animal.

[Patricia Arquette]

Yeah. There's a whole conversation about the sound of keening, the crying, that weeping, that women do, that kind of, like, loss where you're losing a baby or you're losing a loved one. What is that kind of sound? And there is a spirit, spiritual, kind of a power in that sound, I think, and an otherworldly power in that sound. And it is the mix of the adult and the baby within you. And I think she had that for her mom. And I took care of my mom when she was sick and dying. I took care of my sister. I've taken care of a lot of dying people in my own life. And while I'm very different than Harmony, there's also that crossover where you can take that human element within your own experience and. And understand this strange lady, you know, who will never get what she needed from her mom.

[Adam Scott]

Yeah.

[Ben Stiller]

And we meet your aunt when you come up to the house. Who's Sissy?

[Patricia Arquette]

Jane Alexander.

[Ben Stiller]

Amazing, incredible, wonderful Jane Alexander. Had you worked with her before or known her before?

[Patricia Arquette]

I had never. And I'd grown up, like, in the 70s watching her on TV, like, you know, everybody. And she's just this huge presence, incredibly generous, warm lady. And we're shooting in this old house up there. It didn't have any insulation. It was really the real deal. This old wallpaper kind of crumbling off, and we're freezing, and, boy, she was up for it.

[Adam Scott]

Oh, yeah. And the moment you see her, you know that she is related to Harmony Cobell.

[Patricia Arquette]

Oh, yeah.

[Adam Scott]

Cause of that hair.

[Ben Stiller]

It was her idea. Speaking of hair on the show, and we've talked with other actors on the show. About their ideas for the look. She had the idea of seeing your hair on the show, where she said, my hair is white, like that. I want to do a cut, like a Cobell cut, which was just like, kind of created the character in that moment.

[Patricia Arquette]

Because subconsciously, as much as I hate my aunt, I am also structuring myself in my success to be like my aunt, to be like somebody who. That she would approve of. And again, this is somebody that I'm always going to for approval and who will never, ever give it to me.

[Adam Scott]

Oh, yeah. You see, Harmony kind of seek that from her a few different ways throughout the episode, and she doesn't give it up.

[Patricia Arquette]

I didn't even get to say goodbye. Your studies were more important. Mr. Egan saw Keir in you. He really did. And the Wintertide Fellowship, even at the factory, no apprentice was more industrious than you. Such a disappointment you proven to be.

[Ben Stiller]

And the resentment you have because you feel like she's responsible, really, for your mother's death when she kind of flips that on you at the end of the episode.

[Patricia Arquette]

Yeah.

[Ben Stiller]

And calls her a coward. And, you know, you see this breach, and in that moment, we learn what the purpose is of why you come out here is to get this notebook that has the, you know, the drawings and the first ideas of how to do severance, and we learn that you are the person who. And was able to figure out how to do it.

[Patricia Arquette]

Yeah.

[Ben Stiller]

Not Jay Megan, who we, you know, we believe created it. But no, it was you, mine, my designs.

[Patricia Arquette]

Circuit blueprint, base code, overtime contingency, Glasgow block, all of it. Jay Megan was the inventor.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Okay.

[Patricia Arquette]

So I've heard. And that's kind of the history of the world, right, where that people are inventing things and other people are usurping them and taking credit for it. And, I mean, I think she's been so indoctrinated to this organization, this slash religion slash corporation for so long that even that through her aunt's view, would be like. That in itself, would be amazing. Part of the mindfuck of the whole thing is that you want to be humble. And so she needs to give it to Lumen and to the Egans and not take it as her own. And yet it is from her.

[Ben Stiller]

Yeah. I mean, she's taken advantage of. I think we get a sense of that over the course of the season with how Milchick has been looked on as less than and how, as a woman, I get the sense that that was part of why you didn't get the credit and whatever glass ceiling at Lumen is there.

[Patricia Arquette]

Well, a lot of times these organizations, too, whether they're religions or military or corporations, they do set up this thing where it's, like, unseemly for you to question things, where it's tacky or it's bad or it's not a group think or it's not of the corporation, or you're not somehow behaving the way that you're supposed to if you question these things. Like there's not supposed to be an individual.

[Adam Scott]

Yeah. And you even see you present this to Sissy. It was all me. And she looks at the notebook, and you can see on Jane's face, she's learning this for the first time, and she is absolutely astounded by it. But then immediately turns again and tries to burn the thing. It's wild. And you see Harmony abandoned yet again.

[Patricia Arquette]

Yeah. Well, it's like whatever. That archetypal, even Greek, kind of sad situation of these family relationships where people just cannot ever be seen by that person.

[Ben Stiller]

Yeah, it is sad. But I do feel another aspect of the episode is that's somewhat redemptive. Is that a connection that has come back between you and Hampton, you know, that was left that at the end he does help you. And basically we see him standing in the road as you leave with these headlights of whatever this car is coming that Sissy has apparently called from Lumen, and we don't know what's gonna happen to him. And he has this great reading of Come and Tame these Tempers. It's great.

[Patricia Arquette]

Was that an ad lib?

[Ben Stiller]

No, that was in the script, but read to perfection by James, who I just loved working with. I'd never gotten a chance to work with him. Also. And, Patricia, I know you won't remember this conversation, but it's been so great having you on the show.

[Patricia Arquette]

Thank you.

[Ben Stiller]

You're the best.

[Adam Scott]

Thank you. I admire you so much. So great to have you here.

[Ben Stiller]

And I know the fans of the show just love you so much and the work you do on the show, like, every day. I'm so appreciative that we get to work together.

[Patricia Arquette]

Me, too. Guys, I love working with you. And also, I really love these fans. They're super smart.

[Ben Stiller]

Isn't they cool?

[Patricia Arquette]

And so engaged. Yeah. And also, they make really cute arts and crafts. And, you know, we're all into the arts and crafts, too, like our wardrobe department and our props and our set dressing. So I feel like we're all making this thing all together.

[Adam Scott]

Yeah, totally.

[Ben Stiller]

I am so into all the clips that fans make, the music cuts, they're incredible.

[Adam Scott]

And the drawings and the paintings are amazing.

[Patricia Arquette]

Everything. And the Halloween costumes, I mean, it's just so.

[Adam Scott]

Every time I see one on Instagram, I take a screenshot of it. Just so. I have a collection of all of these.

[Patricia Arquette]

Oh, that's so cool.

[Adam Scott]

There's so much creativity just kind of being spurned.

[Ben Stiller]

What's Instagram?

[Adam Scott]

It's an app. Do you want to explain it, Patricia?

[Patricia Arquette]

I don't know. Who am I? Where are you? Who are you? All right, bye, boys.

[Adam Scott]

Thanks, Patricia.

[Patricia Arquette]

Until we meet again.

[Adam Scott]

All right, let's take a break and when we come back, Jimmy Kimmel will be here to answer some of your hotline questions.

[Patricia Arquette]

I'm going to take. Sorry, guys. We're gonna take a quick break and we'll be back.

[Adam Scott]

That's so much better than either of ours.

[Ben Stiller]

We do that, Patricia.

[Patricia Arquette]

I'm doing it too.

[Adam Scott]

No, she's doing it for now.

[Patricia Arquette]

I'm doing it like the boys.

[Ben Stiller]

No, now she's gonna do a thing better than you.

[Patricia Arquette]

Everyone, we're taking a break. Taking a break. We'll be right back.

[Ben Stiller]

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[Patricia Arquette]

Oh, sheet. Honey, chill. It's just laundry.

[Ben Stiller]

Not that I'm talking about these Arm.

[Patricia Arquette]

And hammer power sheets. All the power of Arm and hammer laundry detergent in a convenient tossable sheet. Oh, sheet. That's what I'm saying. And arm and hammer power sheets deliver an effort effective, clean at a great price. Think of all the laundry we'll do.

[Ben Stiller]

And all the money we'll save.

[Patricia Arquette]

Oh, sheet. Arm and hammer. More power to you.

[Ben Stiller]

Um, I think I just won my Taxes. Yeah, I just switched to H and R Block in about one minute. All I had to do was drag and drop last year's return into H and R Block, and bam. My information is automatically there so I.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Don'T have to go digging around for all my old papers to switch.

[Patricia Arquette]

Nope.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Sounds like we just leveled up our tax game.

[Zack Cherry]

Switching to H and R Block is easy. Just drag and drop your last return.

[Ben Stiller]

It's better with block. All right, we're back, and we're very happy to welcome to our Severance podcast, one of Severance's biggest fans, Jimmy Kimmel. The man.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Very cool.

[Ben Stiller]

Yeah, thank you, Jimmy. Thanks for joining us.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Hey, I'm very glad to be here and honored to be part of this, but I just want to start with. I guess I could call an excuse. I don't know how to put this, but I love the show so much that I refused to just gorge it so I could catch up with where you guys are in the podcast. And you sent me all the episodes, and that was exciting. And at first I was like, oh, this is good. But I do like watching them one week at a time. I like the conversations I have with other people during the week. I don't love binging. I like. It's like, I'm a pit. I'm a glutton. I can't be trusted with a pile.

[Adam Scott]

Of stuff, especially if you're, like, seven weeks ahead of everyone else. It kind of sucks. Yeah.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

And you have to be careful. You can't have discussions. And I know it makes me a bad podcast guest, but you just done such a good job with the show that I refused to jump ahead. So I didn't. And I'm gonna be behind on the facts. But I do have a lot of questions for you guys. I know that this is your show, but I also am aware that the audience does not care about me at all. They're listening to hear about the show. Right.

[Ben Stiller]

So do you have any experience asking people questions in this kind of atmospher?

[Jimmy Kimmel]

To a fault. To a fault. Yes.

[Ben Stiller]

I want to hear your questions for sure. And by the way, by the way, let me just say I totally agree with you about watching people not caring about me. Yeah, that was a yes. No. But the idea of watching something once a week, and it's changed for everybody. But that's the generation I grew up in. You watch stuff once a week. But something like this, I feel when we send the whole link to everybody and like, hey, here are all the episodes, something in my stomach sort of like, tightens up because, I don't know, there's just something different about it. I get excited when we've done all this work over the last few years to click on Apple TV and watch it for real. Just to see it, like, oh, it's actually a real thing out there. And it just feels different to me somehow. But I'm definitely interested. Do you want to start hitting us with any questions?

[Adam Scott]

Yeah, please do.

[Ben Stiller]

Please.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

I do. I do. I'm going to tell you some of the things I love about the show. The attention to detail is just absolutely insane. I sometimes just look at it and I go, like, there must be something wrong with these guys. I mean, how much time? I know it took a lot of time to put the show, but it seems like you layered six different shows into one show.

[Ben Stiller]

Yes, definitely something wrong. You're right. You hit a nail on the head.

[Adam Scott]

I mean, that is Ben Stiller.

[Ben Stiller]

No. Yes.

[Adam Scott]

Not something wrong. But, you know.

[Ben Stiller]

No, definitely something wrong. Yeah. No, it's definitely, like, when it's there in front of you, you go, okay, what can we do here? How can we be specific? And it sort of evolved that way, I have to say. Second season now, watching how the audience watches the show, I feel like it's that we're paying attention to detail because people are scouring it to the point where I get stressed out about it because they're thinking about it a lot.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Yeah. I think with Lost, which is. I think probably a lot of people compare this show to Lost. I haven't been this absorbed in a show since Lost. Adam, I think I told you. I started rearranging the letters in Keir Egan to see what the anagram might be. And there's a Scrabble word, reginae, which means of the queen. And I was like, of the queen. That could be something. And then there's like, a. There's Ike. Reagan. You know, it was like, reagan and Ike. Does that mean anything?

[Adam Scott]

Right.

[Ben Stiller]

Are you into the aspect of the show that is like. Cause I've said this before. Embarrassingly, I did not watch Lost. So when all of these comparisons come up, I'm incredibly flattered that the show gets compared to this show that people have such a huge connection with and opinions about how it played out and all that. But it was, like a cultural phenomenon, but I never watched it. So for me, that mystery box term, I guess, is a term for a show. It was not one that I was that familiar with before we started working on the show. Is that the thing that you're Interested in. In the show, or are you interested in other aspects of it, like the tone of the humor or the weirdness of situations?

[Jimmy Kimmel]

I'm interested in every aspect of the show. I love the characters. I'm rooting for Mark, rooting for all the Innies that we see regularly and we know. But one thing that I really love about the show and about the company, Lumen, it's this big, kind of scary, somewhat menacing, mysterious organization. But they're also kind of dumb. They do things wrong.

[Ben Stiller]

It's exactly right. That's one of the things that we think about all the time, is that when it's a big corporation, there's things that are just clunky and just don't quite work right. We really, from the beginning, wanted to make sure that we showed the outlets and the walls all the time. That there's places where you gotta plug stuff in. Milchick has to wheel in the AV cart. And there's probably only one AV cart.

[Adam Scott]

There's just a DVD player, like in seventh grade.

[Ben Stiller]

Yeah. I think also part of the show is that sort of the idea of corporate culture. For me, my experience of that is from movies and tv, you know, like Office Space and the Office and Parks and Rec. But what's fascinating to me is, like, I felt like Dan Erickson, he'd, like, hit on both that idea of, like, a show like the Office, that kind of humor. But then this other weird, overarching ideology thing that was like taking a corporate culture or religion, you know, and like, infusing that. And then with this other Twilight Zone y kind of aspect to it. So it was like all of these things to me were like, oh, there's just something about this that. That is sort of like, crystallizing something that we all are so familiar with now in the world.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Yeah.

[Ben Stiller]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

It's so interesting, I think. I wonder if it makes people take another look around their own workplaces.

[Ben Stiller]

In some ways it's fascinating. Right. Cause, like, what I like about how the show's developed is that the Innies have found a life for themselves down there and have figured out how to cope. And I feel like that's sort of, in my mind, a little bit of a metaphor for life. How you just, like, you deal. Human beings adapt, Right. And you adapt to whatever reality you're in. And you then figure how to get the things that you need as a human being in whatever environment you're in.

[Adam Scott]

Right. It's a matter of accepting your circumstances and then going from there and how you choose to do that?

[Ben Stiller]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Here's a really big question for you guys and it's possible that Adam doesn't know the answer and that Ben does, but I don't know. I saw the pilot for Lost two months before it came out and I was just crazed for it in the next episode. I mean, I was absolutely crazed. And it was funny because I think ABC didn't really like the show and I went nuts over it. And they were like, huh, maybe this is something. And so I was very involved on a week to week basis in the show. We had all the cast members on all this work. I became friends with these guys to the point where they said to me, and this was really, when I look back on it, it was a really sick thing they did to me. Cause I said, do you know what the ending is? And they said, yeah, we know what the ending is. And I was like, really? You know, you're not just figuring it out as you go along? And they said, you know what we're gonna do? We're gonna write the ending down on a piece of paper and we will give you a manila envelope with the ending in it. And you can choose whether you wanna open it or not. Which is a very losty thing to do, you know?

[Adam Scott]

Yes, yes, it is.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

And I thought about it for a while and I'm like, fuck you guys. I don't like it because I know, I' I know I'll smoke a joint or something like that.

[Adam Scott]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

And then I'll have this secret I have to keep for who knows how long. And I declined their offer, but it was a real offer.

[Ben Stiller]

Wow.

[Adam Scott]

Wow, that's incredible. I wonder if that changed. I wonder if it was the same ending that they ended up.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

It was. And they told me exactly what they would have been in the envelope. You know, Jack's eyes open, you know, the whole as it ended.

[Ben Stiller]

But spoiler for me 15 years later.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Do you know the ending?

[Ben Stiller]

Yes.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

You do.

[Ben Stiller]

Okay, but here's what I'll say exactly. How we're getting there is not always completely set. And I think that's important. It's like we know we're going, but like every little beat. To me, that's the creative process that we're figuring out as we go along. And we want that to be flexible as we're going forward. And I think that's important too. So people know, right? I can say that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Adam Scott]

Okay, Jimmy, so in the spirit of your days as a dj, let's go to callers from the hotline.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Yeah, sure.

[Adam Scott]

Shall we play the first one?

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Hi, this is Eric, and I have a question about the egg episode and how it relates to other foods you may have eaten on set. Curious to know what maybe disgusting, revolting foods you've eaten on a set and if there are any plans to force actors to eat disgusting things in future episodes of Severance. Love the show. Thanks.

[Adam Scott]

What kind of atmosphere does Eric think we're making the show in?

[Ben Stiller]

I don't like eggs.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

I was on the radio. I felt that my television career was heating up, and so I announced to the guys I worked with. One of the guys was a vegetarian, but he didn't mind a little bacon on his food. He got an egg McMuffin and you know those McDonald's, like, circular pieces of bacon? They're like prefabricated bacon. He pulled it off and I picked it up and I said, if I'm still working here. And I nailed it to the wall and I said, if I'm still working here in one year, I'm gonna eat this bacon. And so it hung on the wall for a year. And of course, I was still there at the end of the year.

[Adam Scott]

Oh, no.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

And I felt I had to eat it because I said I would, and I did. I ate the bacon. It had the consistency of like a giant fingernail.

[Adam Scott]

Did it. Did it make you sick?

[Jimmy Kimmel]

It did not make me sick. You know, I started feeling sick just because people were calling in and telling me about trichinosis and various pork related parasites.

[Adam Scott]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

It turns out you can. You can do that. You can put McDonald's. One of the great things about McDonald's food, you can put it on a.

[Adam Scott]

Shelf for a year and you can nail it to things.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Yeah.

[Adam Scott]

I feel like you were probably in your 20s or early 30s, right?

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Oh, I was in my mid-30s, yeah.

[Adam Scott]

Jesus.

[Ben Stiller]

All right, let's listen to another one.

[Caller 1]

Hi, this is Steve from Dallas, Texas.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Would you rather be a shambolic rube.

[Adam Scott]

Or a fetid moppet?

[Ben Stiller]

Okay, so that's a reference to episode one and two.

[Adam Scott]

And do you want me to define shambolic rube and fetid moppet or shall we just let ourselves?

[Ben Stiller]

I'd like to know.

[Adam Scott]

Okay. A shambolic rube literally means disorganized country bumpkin. A disorganized country bumpkin. A fetid moppet is a smelly child. So those are your choices?

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Well, all children are at least kind of smelly, right? I mean, I know mine are.

[Ben Stiller]

If you don't bathe them. Yes.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

I think I'd rather be a shambolic rube. I'm not far off from that. In the first place, I kind of.

[Ben Stiller]

Gravitate toward shambolic rube myself.

[Adam Scott]

Okay, then I'll go for fetid moppet, because I would get to be a child.

[Ben Stiller]

Yeah. Well, then we could do the episodes.

[Adam Scott]

Remotely so I don't smell up the place.

[Ben Stiller]

Yeah.

[Caller 1]

All right, let's listen to another hi and praise Kier. This is Leah H. I was just playing some sudoku and thinking about my impending move to the town of Kier, but there's a problem. I own a 2019 Honda Accord and I've noticed that all the cars in Kier seem to have been manufactured prior to, like, 1986. So I just have two questions. Why and where can I trade in my Honda for a Kia approved vehicle? Thank you so much. Praise Kier and love you guys.

[Adam Scott]

Thank you. Leah H. You've got people calling you.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

And saying praise Kier now.

[Adam Scott]

Actually started a religion.

[Ben Stiller]

Yeah. Yeah. It's a good question. I don't know. I mean, that's what the cars are like in the show.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

It's not like when you go to a national renter car and they're all kind of the same and you're like.

[Ben Stiller]

Those were the only cars we could get for the show.

[Adam Scott]

That's right.

[Ben Stiller]

We couldn't. I did have a Rabbit. Cobell drives a rabbit. My first car was a 1983 Slate Gray Metallic Volkswagen Rabbit with a moonroof.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

I love that.

[Adam Scott]

It's a hot car, man.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

When I was in high school, only girls drove rabbits. Also, my parents weren't going to buy me one, so that was the other reason they didn't have one. But it was considered to be a girl's car. But I loved them. I have a Volkswagen thing that I converted to electric. Yeah.

[Adam Scott]

Oh, wow. Those are great.

[Ben Stiller]

Yeah. Should we do one last? One last one. Okay, let's do it, Bro.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

What is going on?

[Adam Scott]

That's a very good question.

[Ben Stiller]

Oh, man.

[Adam Scott]

Well put.

[Ben Stiller]

I wish we knew. I wish we knew, bro.

[Adam Scott]

Sorry.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

You do know. I think I take a lot of comfort in the fact that, you know.

[Ben Stiller]

Yeah. It's great to be at this point with a show where we've had these two seasons that we've made, and every time we've gone off and made a season, we've lived in this bubble with it for years.

[Adam Scott]

Yeah.

[Ben Stiller]

And now it's out in the world and people are interacting with it and like, that is, like, it's such a good feeling to have people responding in Any way to it. Because it becomes a thing that's actually, like, alive, you know? So those questions are all but pressure, I bet, right?

[Jimmy Kimmel]

I mean. Cause then you have to think of the next one.

[Ben Stiller]

I guess so. But of course. But I am really enjoying now that we're just, like, in it. And. Yeah, okay. The next one will be the next one. But that's.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

I think what's happening there is. I think what you're saying maybe is that it is impossible for the audience to put more pressure on Ben Stiller than Ben Stiller puts on himself.

[Adam Scott]

Yeah, I think that's perfectly put.

[Ben Stiller]

Oh, yeah. You know me, Jimmy. Well, you're the best, man. Thanks for joining us.

[Adam Scott]

Yeah, thanks, man. Thank you for doing this.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Thanks, guys, for making such a great show and for working. So. I know how hard you work on it, and I think one of the great things about the podcast is you can hear how much people appreciate it, and we definitely do.

[Adam Scott]

Thanks, man.

[Ben Stiller]

Thanks, man. All right, see you soon.

[Adam Scott]

Okay, Ben, we can't end our episode without hearing from Zack Cherry. Last week, he told us that everyone was gonna go see the dentist. That didn't happen. Sorry, Zach. Better luck next time, I guess.

[Ben Stiller]

I'm very excited to see what his clairvoyant printer, natural. Natural sense is going to tell him for next week.

[Adam Scott]

Yeah, me too.

[Zack Cherry]

Okay. Hi, everyone. Here we are all back together again. Ben, I'll leave some space for you. Hey, Adam, Anything you want to say to me?

[Adam Scott]

What's up, Zach?

[Zack Cherry]

Amazing. Thanks so much, guys. Thanks for that feedback. So, anyway, let's get started on this week's prediction for the next episode of Severance. Next time on Severance. Cobell returned home to her childhood home, and I have a feeling she's gonna want to stick around. I know, I know. She's on the run and someone is following her, but her high school reunion is coming up, and she wants to have that one last dance with the boy who got away. Some guy who we haven't met yet. That's right. Who was your person who got away? Make sure to call in and let Ben and Adam know in detail about someone you had a crush on in high school. My first crush, of course, was the main character of the 2003 film Nobody Knows Anything, in which your friend and mine, Ben Stiller, appeared as the uncredited role of Peach Expert.

[Ben Stiller]

Ouch.

[Zack Cherry]

I saw that movie on my first birthday in 2019.

[Adam Scott]

What?

[Ben Stiller]

Wait, his first birthday in 2019?

[Adam Scott]

That's what he said.

[Ben Stiller]

I don't even understand what's going on with him.

[Adam Scott]

What's. Nobody knows anything from 2003.

[Ben Stiller]

It was a movie that I was.

[Adam Scott]

In as the peach expert.

[Ben Stiller]

Yeah. Apparently Zach has IMDb.

[Adam Scott]

He has access to that website.

[Ben Stiller]

Yeah. All right, thanks, Zach. Just, look, take it a little more seriously here, okay?

[Adam Scott]

Truly.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

Come on.

[Ben Stiller]

All right.

[Adam Scott]

And that's it for this episode, the Severance Podcast with Ben and Adam. We'll be back next week to talk about season two, episode nine, otherwise known as the penultimate episode.

[Ben Stiller]

That's right. And you can stream every episode of Severance on Apple tv, with new episodes coming out every Friday for two more weeks. Weeks.

[Adam Scott]

And then make sure you're listening to our podcast, which drops right after the episode airs. The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller and Adam Scott is a presentation of Odyssey, Pineapple Street Studios, Red Hour Productions and Great Scott Productions.

[Ben Stiller]

If you like the show, be sure to rate and review this podcast on Apple Podcasts, the Odyssey app, or your other podcast platform of choice. Our executive executive producers are Bari Finkel, Henry Malofsky, Gabrielle Lewis, Jenna Weiss Berman and Leah Rhys Dennis. This show is produced by Zandra Ellen, Ben Goldberg and Naomi Scott. This episode was mixed and mastered by Chris Basel. We had additional engineering from Javi Krustas and Davey Sumner.

[Adam Scott]

Show clips are courtesy of fifth season music by Theodore Shapiro. Special thanks to the team at Odyssey, Maura Curran, Eric Donnelly, Michael Lavey, Melissa Wester, Matt Casey, Kate Rose, Kurt Courtney and Hilary Schuff.

[Ben Stiller]

And the team at Red, John Lesher, Carolina Pesikov, John Pablo Antonetti, Martin Valderruten, Ashwin Ramesh, Maria Noto, John Baker and Oliver Agar.

[Adam Scott]

And at Great Scott, Kevin Cotter, Josh Martin and Christy Smith. At Rise Management, we had additional production.

[Ben Stiller]

Help from Kristen Torres and Melissa Slaughter. I'm Ben Stiller.

[Adam Scott]

And I'm Adam Scott.

[Ben Stiller]

Thank you for listening.

[Adam Scott]

See you next time.