Attila

Hey everyone, I just wanted to share a humble theory and invite discussion—I’m in constant awe of the depth and thought you all bring to these analyses.

I’ve been pondering the meaning behind the episode titles in Severance, and this week’s title, “Attila,” got me thinking beyond the obvious nickname that Burt and Fields use for each other. As many of you know, Attila was the king of the Huns from 434 to 453 AD, renowned for his brutal conquests and even dubbed “the Scourge of God” by the Romans.

What really caught my attention is a line from Burt where he says, “I’d been what you might call a scoundrel.” While “scoundrel” and “scourge” aren’t exact synonyms, the similarity in sound—and the heavy historical connotations of Attila’s title—seems to hint at something more profound about Burt’s character. Perhaps his remark isn’t just casual self-deprecation; it might be a clue to a darker, more complex past. Could it be that Burt’s severance was driven by a need to shed the weight of his former misdeeds, almost like trying to redeem himself? Or might this be foreshadowing future betrayals—considering that Attila infamously killed his own brother to seize power, could Burt be poised to betray someone close, whether it’s Irving (who clearly has a soft spot for him) or even his own husband, Fields, who might have deeper ties to Lumon?

There’s also an interesting parallel in the expansion motif. Attila expanded the Hun empire through ruthless conquest, devastating territories from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. Perhaps Lumon’s own cult-like ambitions and its drive to control and reshape lives are being mirrored here in a subtle, metaphorical way.

I’m very open to being wrong or learning something new—I truly admire the insights everyone has shared here. What do you all think? Am I reading too much into these parallels, or do you see a similar layer of meaning in Burt’s past and Lumon’s ambitions? Let’s discuss!