<WRAP infobox>
| **Ricken Hale** {{ricken_face_cover.webp|Ricken Hale}} ||
^ Also Known As | Ricken Lazlo Hale |
^ Portrayed By  | [[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1985974/|Michael Chernus]] |
^ Status        | Alive |
^ First Appearance | [[s1e1]] |
</WRAP>

====== Ricken Hale ======

**Dr. Ricken Lazlo Hale, Ph.D.** is an inspirational author of five self-help books, the most recent of which is [[The You You Are (Book)|The You You Are]]. He is [[devon_scout-hale]]’s husband and [[Mark Scout]]’s brother-in-law.

{{INLINETOC width18 2}}

===== Biography =====
==== Early life ====
Ricken Hale was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, to two semi-successful theatre artists who both came from old money. Both his conception and his birth took place on stage as part of a 9-month performance piece. Ricken’s parents were emotionally distant and viewed Ricken as an unsophisticated child. They resented that they had to teach him how to speak and about the basics of art and culture. Ricken was a painfully shy teenager but found solace in writing plays and poetry. Ricken eventually worked up the courage to share his writing with his parents but they mocked it as “pedestrian.” When Ricken turned 18, his parents forwarded him a large chunk of his inheritance with the understanding that they’d have little to do with him until he found his “real voice.”(([[https://twitter.com/MichaelChernus/status/1509972996294791169|Source]]))

After misguided attempts at being a lamp electrician, a daffodil gardener, and a tree-and-pond photographer, Ricken returned to his first childhood passion of introspective writing. (([[http://blog.dojoklo.com/tag/bier-house/|Source]]))

Ricken fell immediately for Devon’s dry wit and ability to affectionately and kindly call him out on his pretensions. She was the grounding force that he lacked in his life. She found him to be funny and fascinating and sweet. Despite his pretentiousness.(([[https://twitter.com/MichaelChernus/status/1509977365551718401|Source]]))

Books he has written include most recently, //[[The_You_You_Are_book|The You You Are: A Spiritual Biography of You]]//, as well as //My Own Petard//, //Life of an American Gadfly//, //Wisdom from the Withered//, and //The Fun in Profundity//. Ricken is rumored to be publishing a sixth book, //These Values Nine: How I let Kier In//, but this has not been confirmed by any sources than a heavily redacted edition of [[The Kier Chronicle]].

 (([[http://blog.dojoklo.com/tag/bier-house/|Source]]))

===== Trivia =====

Devon and Ricken's [[devon_and_ricken_s_home|home]] is shot at Kaneji Domoto's Bier House, with a lovingly written [[http://blog.dojoklo.com/tag/bier-house/|fan piece]] giving a tour of this actual real architectural treasure, located in Usonia, NY. Sources for the photos and building plans are cited at the end of this fan piece.


===== Quotes & Dialogue =====

>There’s our captive. <WRAP attribution>Season 1, Episode 1, [[s1e1]] ([[good_news_about_hell_transcript#section003845284|38:45]])</WRAP>

>Well, we’re at the point where, traditionally, I would say something like, “Dig in.” But I must say, I do think that the lack of food has allowed us to already do so on a much deeper level. <WRAP attribution>Season 1, Episode 1, [[s1e1]] ([[good_news_about_hell_transcript#section004307963|43:07]])</WRAP>

>The fetus is drawn to clear air. Purging secrets can create a soul void that speeds the labor. <WRAP attribution>Season 1, Episode 5, [[s1e5]] ([[the_grim_barbarity_of_optics_and_design_transcript#section001129481|11:29]])</WRAP>

>Mark, would you help me hang the kelp? <WRAP attribution>Season 1, Episode 5, [[s1e5]] ([[the_grim_barbarity_of_optics_and_design_transcript#section001253482|12:53]])</WRAP>

>Okay, my dearest ones, we are nearing that hour, so if you’d all peacefully waft in the living room… <WRAP attribution>Season 1, Episode 9, [[s1e9]] ([[the_we_we_are_transcript#section000748803|07:48]])</WRAP>

>Balf. Prepare the neti pot. <WRAP attribution>Season 1, Episode 9, [[s1e9]] ([[the_we_we_are_transcript#section001420570|14:20]])</WRAP>

>I don’t know why my voice shakes like that. I sound like a sad old hamburger waiter prattling on about sauces. “Hamburger waiter.” What the fuck is that? Jesus, why do I ever open my buffoon mouth? <WRAP attribution>Season 1, Episode 9, [[s1e9]] ([[the_we_we_are_transcript#section001457023|14:57]])</WRAP>

===== Appearances =====

==== Season 1 ====

<html><ol class="manually-numbered">
  <li value="1"></html>[[s1e1]]<html></li>
  <li value="3"></html>[[s1e3]]<html></li>
  <li value="5"></html>[[s1e5]]<html></li>
  <li value="6"></html>[[s1e6]]<html></li>
  <li value="8"></html>[[s1e8]]<html></li>
  <li value="9"></html>[[s1e9]]<html></li>
</ol></html>

===== Ricken's Childhood Post =====

In April 2022 for an Apple TV+ promotion, Ben Stiller, Dan Erickson, and some of the cast were answering viewer questions. Michael Chernus, the actor who plays Ricken, posted a reply to a question about Ricken's childhood with approval from Dan Erickson. The original Twitter post/tweet was deleted when Chernus deleted his Twitter account and all posts but the text and an earlier screenshot is below. 


> Carol Iskiwitch @carolisk • Apr 1, 2022
> Replying to @AppleTVPlus @BenStiller and 8 others
> What was Ricken's childhood like?
> 
> Michael Chernus @MichaelChernus
> Replying to @carolisk @AppleTVPlus and 8 others
> Ricken Hale was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, to two semi-successful theatre artists who both came from old money. Both his conception and his birth took place on stage as part of a 9-month performance piece.
> 12:16 PM • Apr 1, 2022
> 
> Michael Chernus
> @MichaelChernus • Apr 1, 2022
> Replying to @MichaelChernus @carolisk and 9 others
> Ricken's parents were emotionally distant and viewed Ricken as an unsophisticated child. They resented that they had to teach him how to speak and about the basics of art and culture.
> 
> Michael Chernus
> @MichaelChernus • Apr 1, 2022
> Replying to @MichaelChernus @carolisk and 9 others
> Ricken was a painfully shy teenager but found solace in writing plays and poetry. Ricken eventually worked up the courage to share his writing with his parents but they mocked it as "pedestrian."
> 
> Michael Chernus
> @MichaelChernus • Apr 1, 2022
> Replying to @MichaelChernus @carolisk and 9 others
> All credit for this Ricken bio goes to our brilliant writer and creator of #Severance @DanErixon
> 


{{ricken-backstory-tweet-by-michael-chernus-2022-04-01.webp?500|Ricken Backstory Tweet}}

**Other sources for the Ricken Backstory tweet:**

Reddit post with alternate screenshot:

[[https://www.reddit.com/r/SeveranceAppleTVPlus/comments/tu2fbo/another_gem_from_the_twitter_qa_rickens_childhood/|Apr. 1, 2022 Reddit post with an alternate screenshot of the backstory tweet]]

Wayback Machine, Internet Archive capture of the start of the tweet thread:

[[https://web.archive.org/web/20220401191749/https://twitter.com/MichaelChernus/status/1509973100544335873|Internet Archive capture of the start of the backstory thread]]

===== Ricken and Devon Post =====

In the same Twitter Q and A, Chernus also replied to the question, "What makes Devon and Ricken's relationship tick?"

> Ricken fell immediately for Devon's dry wit and ability to affectionately and kindly call him out on his pretensions. She was the grounding force that he lacked in his life. She found him to be funny and fascinating and sweet. Despite his pretentiousness.

This is a spoiler...
Both Mark and his sister don't buy into Ricken the way his sycophantic followers, but when the "innie" Mark meets Ricken, he honestly says that Ricken's book changed his life. Indeed, we see a total transformation for "innie" Mark occur in season 1 that can be attributed to Ricken's perspective. If "innie" Mark and "outie" Mark get merged in Season 2, it will be interesting to see how these diametrically opposed views of Ricken play out before our eyes.

{{ricken_backstory_tweet_devon_relationship.webp?500|Ricken Backstory Tweet}}

[[https://web.archive.org/web/20220401193442/https://twitter.com/MichaelChernus/status/1509977365551718401|Archived Tweet]]

===== See Also =====

  * [[List of characters]]

{{page>:blurbs#Stub}}

{{tag>Characters Mark's_Family}}