fuckyeahmarkcobel

First off, informational notes on the specific drugs that have packaging depicted here:

Budesonide—steroid; in this pill form it's used to treat inflammatory bowel disease

First patented 1973

Metoclopramide—used for gastroparesis etc, but in pill/injection form

First introduced to US in 1979

First generics 1985

Topical forms seem to be only available from specialty pharmacies, which tracks with "compounded solution" on the box—in present day irl these are sold as transdermal gels

Fluoroquinolone—class of antibiotics, not a specific drug

Prescribing began in 70s and 80s

The kidney note seems appropriate—it looks like not all fluoroquinolones can cause kidney issues, but that is a common problem with antibiotics in general

The notes about preventing antibiotic resistance seem reasonable, given that knowledge of the problem of antibiotic resistance arose pretty much as soon as antibiotics did

Chlordiazepoxide—for anxiety (or withdrawal from other benzos/alcohol/etc), the first benzo to be produced

Began to be prescribed in 1960

Given the potential dependency issues with benzos and that this was indicated for short-term use, the small number of pills makes sense

Amitriptyline—tricyclic antidepressant, also used for certain pain syndromes—usually second-line option due to bad side effects

FDA approved in 1961

Diazepam - aka valium; another benzo

Launched in US 1963; generics launched in 1985

General notes on the drugs:

All generics—implies Lumon is manufacturing drugs but not doing their own research and drug development—was the severance procedure their first true innovation? did Cobel have any preliminary data or just a concept?

The only true "error" I would note (aside from a few typos) is the use of "fluoroquinolone" as if it were the name of a specific drug that could be prescribed.

It drives me crazy how innie mark and outie mark have the exact same conversations without knowing it...!!! And they respond to the same existential questions people throw at them with the same arguments, only flipped!!!

Innie Mark: You (but really, I) will never know if you have a family.

Outie Mark: It's the point for some people (but really, me) to never know if they have a family.

Innie Mark: are we really captive if every time we find ourselves down here its because our past selves chose to walk here?

Outie Mark: Are they really captive if every time they find themselves down there its because their past selves chose to walk down there?

But this is one painting by Caspar David Friedrich, and the man more often than not painted trees. He painted so many trees, dude. And I've seen them.

When I tell you I was screaming "IT'S HIS TREES" during episode 4, I mean I was annoying my husband watching with me.

Dead and gnarled and covered in snow. But also it's his snow and ice.

But they try this on Irving since he openly lives and breathes the ideology of Lumon. He really falls for and finds meaning in the romanticism and noble mission of the cult they're all part of, unlike Dylan, who finds meaning in earning perks and incentives, and Mark, who is a bit more complex, but - all three of them have different coping strategies for dealing with the Horror of their Existance, strategies which they try on Helly, and Irvings is... Religion.