[Spoiler] Clark's Confidentiality Question to Mary

"Have you ever 5150'd someone?"

Clark asks before divulging the Backrooms to Mary

I was curious about what seems from context to be almost certainly a statute regarding the legal authority for a counselor to divulge confidential information. And what do you know:

California Welfare and Institutions Code § 5150 (2025)

5150. (a) When a person, as a result of a mental health disorder, is a danger to others, or to themselves, or gravely disabled...a professional person designated by the county may, upon probable cause, take, or cause to be taken, the person into custody for a period of up to 72 hours for assessment, evaluation, and crisis intervention, or placement for evaluation and treatment in a facility...

Kinda interesting that Clark knows by heart the exact section of the law for his therapist to have him committed. And in an era where that may not be easy to just google.

I think this is most consistent with an abusive Clark already having looked into where the line is in case he mentions something about what happened with his wife during counseling. But it could also just be something he looked up when wrestling with whether to tell anyone about the Backrooms. Interesting either way for Clark's state of mind.

(Caveat: I'm not positive the film actually takes place in California or says so - that much is a guess but I think the language Mary repeats directly says that they had this provision in mind.)