The trouble with puzzle box mysteries is that fans are rarely satisfied with the resolution. Expectations have been built up too much to measure up to what people have formulated in their minds. Though this is a widely accepted fact, Severance seems to be the exception that proves the rule.
After three years of waiting, the Apple TV+ series finally returned, and it was worth the wait. Mark and his cohorts at Lumon attempted to figure out the mysterious company’s secrets, all while fielding sabotage from their managers. But the biggest concern was, of course, the status of Mark’s wife, Gemma, who the group realized had been taken prisoner within the bowels of the company. What Lumon actually wanted with Gemma was a mystery for a long time until it was answered, as well as many other questions, during the Season 2 finale.
10
Where Did Miss Casey Go?
A large drag of Season 2 was the search for Miss Casey, the wellness director at Lumon. In the first season, she was one of the more bizarre attributes of the company as she held sessions where she listed personality traits of employees’ Outties in the real world. But after being tasked to look after Helly and then losing her, Casey was effectively terminated from her position.
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Mark and the rest of MDR were appalled at her disappearance, which was tantamount to Lumon killing her. With the added pressure of Mark’s Outtie wanting to find Gemma, Miss Casey’s corresponding persona on the outside, the department head went on a search for the missing woman. The final episodes of the season revealed that Miss Casey was sent back to the testing floor. This was the basement of the company where scientists would probe her mind to make sure the severance procedure was still taking hold of her. This secret department is one of the most insidious components of Lumon, and what they were really doing down there was another mystery to be solved in later episodes.
9
The Refiners Get a Company-Sanctioned Origin Story of Kier
Like any company, Lumon has a workplace culture that many employees buy into. Workers at the company are often seduced by god-like figures such as the deified Kier Eagan, who founded the company. In Season 1, MDR went to observe the grand history of Lumon in the Perpetuity Wing. Essentially a museum dedicated to the man himself, the Perpetuity Wing also showed every Eagan who ran the company up until the current day. MDR only had a vague introduction to this culture, but it was further expanded upon in Season 2.
While on their work excursion, Mr. Milchick guided them through the history of the company, which all started with Kier. He read from an ancient tome and explained the almost biblical origins of Lumon’s founder. Whether the story can be believed or not is certainly up for interpretation, but the philosophies at the center of the story overshadow the skepticism of the story. Long ago, Kier once had a twin named Dieter, and at some point, the two left their parents’ house to live in the woods. Kier’s twin wanted to stay in the woods and live there indefinitely, but Kier was the dutiful son who wanted to return home. A vague event divided the brothers, and Kier was horrified to see his brother turned into the woods like some kind of Annihilation creature. This event drove Kier to encounter a woman named Woe, who would become significant to the creation of Lumon’s philosophies. Though this story reads like a mythological origin story, Severance very well could be telling a story with a grain of truth.
8
Helena’s Betrayal Was Episodes In the Making
From the beginning of Season 2, there had been signs that Helly wasn’t as she seemed. Upon returning from the Overtime Contingency, the MDR department immediately debriefed each other on what their experiences were. The only one to hold back was Helly, who lied and said that her Outtie was no one of importance. Viewers, of course, know this wasn’t true because Helly’s Outtie is none other than Helena Eagan, the heir to Lumon. There is only one reason why Helly would lie about what she saw when the whole team was trying to bring down Lumon.
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Irving seemed to sense this as well, immediately becoming suspicious of Helly’s story. This all came out during the team’s excursion to Woe’s Hollow, where Irving forced Helena to reveal herself — after she had already slept with Mark under the guise of Helly. Irving sacrificed himself to make sure his team knew about this duplicity, allowing Lumon to terminate him for his actions. Helena’s game had significant ramifications for the crew, sowing discord and distrust throughout the ranks. While no one blamed Helly, it was a long time before Mark and Dylan could be at ease around her after Helly returned to the workplace.
7
Gemma and Mark Didn’t Have a Perfect Marriage
Everything that fans understand about Mark’s grief naturally only comes from the man himself. But in Season 2, viewers got an unobjective look at the relationship that eventually broke the man’s heart. For the most part, Severance has pushed the narrative that Gemma was this wondrous light that is sorely missed. While that it was true, Season 2, Episode 7, revealed that like anything in this world, things are always more complicated.
The episode charted Gemma and Mark’s first meeting and how quickly they fell into a courtship. Gemma was all but perfect for Mark, which was what made their issues with infertility so heartbreaking. The couple’s lack of a child was referenced earlier in the series but was significantly downplayed. Gemma’s episode showed a devastating miscarriage and their attempts at IVF. This more than likely led to Gemma making a connection with Lumon and her seemingly consensual agreement to be constantly tested in the basement. Mark’s entire life at Lumon was essentially informed by a decision his wife made without his knowledge.
6
The Goat Room Finally Gets Its Due
If there is one thing that represents all the weirdness going on at Lumon, it is the goat room that Helly and Mark encountered in Season 1. While wandering the halls, they found a solitary man feeding a group of kids, insisting that they weren’t ready yet. The twosome found out more in their search for Miss Casey when they discovered an entire field at Lumon entirely devoted to cultivating the goats. The workers there were strange, clearly as affected by severance as everyone else. But the reveal didn’t come until the season finale.
The head of the Mammalians Nurturable department, Lorne, returned when Mr. Drummond summoned her and her prized goat, Emile. The dark purpose was revealed when Drummond compelled Lorne to sacrifice her goat in a room specifically designated for that purpose. The implication was that this had happened many times before and would happen again as these goats were raised specifically to be sacrificed. Lorne thankfully found a way out of the situation, but the cult-like ritual is just another connection to the religious aspects at Lumon.
5
Season 2 Also Presented a More Tangible Origin For Lumon
Just as Gemma got an episode solely devoted to her character, Harmony Cobel got the same when she returned to her hometown of Salt’s Neck. She was on her own personal mission, but upon her return, viewers got to see more than they bargained for with her origin. Salt’s Neck is a seaside town that, in the present day, has been gutted by poverty and drug addiction. As it turned out, the town was the home base for one of Lumon’s ether factories.
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When Miss Cobel returned and reconnected with a childhood acquaintance, Hampton, the two discussed all the reasons why Lumon is a parasite. The two of them worked in the factory as children, doing either so they could man the industrial equipment for 10 hours a day. This was only one of Lumon’s many crimes in the area. They bled the town for all it was worth before moving on and leaving it a husk of its former self. All the people that still remain there are dried-up shells, and the only economy to speak is the drugs left behind.
4
Cobel Was Instrumental in the Severance Program
Cobel’s episode had many revelations, one of the most surprising being the germination of the severance program. She returned to her hometown, intending to find evidence of how significant she was to the company. In the basement of her mother’s house were blueprints and plans that Harmony had made when she was young. This proved that she was the person who came up with severance and even the Overtime Contingency.
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This reveal added more weight to earlier scenes with Helena Eagan. Lumon had no qualms about dismissing Harmony, despite the contributions she made to the company. There would be no severance without her, and she was never given that respect. She got blamed for all the mishaps on the floor while the Eagans got all the credit. This episode further contextualized Harmony’s division with Lumon and her eventual partnership with Mark.
3
Miss Huang’s Age Is Another Facet of the Lumon Monster
Harmony’s backstory also added context to the strange appearance of Miss Huang, a child who took over Mr. Milchick’s position after he was promoted. No explanation was given at the time of her arrival, but there was no doubt that she completely bought into the culture at Lumon. Harmony’s journey to Salt’s Neck explained that this strange phenomenon was not a phenomenon at all, but something that Lumon did regularly.
In her day, Harmony was part of the Wintertide Fellowship when she was a child. Because of her promise, Lumon snapped her up and raised her to be indoctrinated into the company. Miss Huang was also part of this fellowship, which is why she was advising people much older than herself. While it was unclear exactly where Miss Huang came from, her future with the company is likely secure.
Everything to do with Kier Eagan is rooted in established lore. For the most part, workers took this with a grain of salt. Companies tend to elevate their CEO’s or founders, compelling workers to buy into the workplace culture. Lumon did this with Kier’s Nine Principles, which are customary for many jobs. But Kier’s battle with the Four Tempers made the mythology of the founder even more fantastical. According to Kier’s words, he discovered the Four Tempers that make up a person. Woe, Frolic, Dread, and Malice. Once he conquered them, he was unstoppable.
These tempers have come out in the past, most disconcertingly during Dylan’s Waffle Party, where dancers donned masks representing each temper and played out a seductive routine. Season 2 doubled down on the Tempers, indicating that Kier literally met a half-woman dressed as a bride named Woe. The final episode made it clear that Lumon truly believed in these tempers and applied them to their own workers. This final reveal connected to what fans had been waiting for all season to discover.
1
Cold Harbor Gets a Climactic Explanation
In the first season, Mark was just a menial worker, but the stakes were raised significantly in Season 2. After he and the rest of MDR blew the whistle on the company, Lumon did everything it could to retain him. As it turned out, this was because he was doing important work on a file known only as Cold Harbor. Once he completed the file, Lumon boasted that this would change the company forever.
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Cold Harbor was revealed in the season finale in a heartwrenching fashion. As it turned out, the Cold Harbor file Mark worked on was actually connected to Gemma’s consciousness. As he refined the data into buckets, he was actually creating Innie personalities for his wife. Viewers saw Gemma enter many different rooms on the testing floor, one called Cold Harbor, where she would be severed into a different personality. The final room instructed her to disassemble a crib as it tested her response. This was a clear reference to her infertility issues. As she disassembled it, she had no traumatic response to the crib, and when Mark came to save her, did not immediately recognize him. Lumon has been creating Innie personalities for some time, though what they will do with this information is unclear. The only thing that Mark knew was that his wife was being experimented on in a basement with no hope of escape.
