Warning: Spoilers forSeverancethrough Season 2, Episode 2.
AsSeverance’s second season finally returns to Apple TV+ after a massive three-year hiatus, viewers are anxious for their various questions to finally receive some answers. However, while the show’s Season 2 premiere provided some resolutions, it also garnered a whole new set of inquiries that likely won’t be fully addressed for some time. That being said, it hasn’t stoppedvarious theories from springing up online.With many fans speculating Helena might actually be posing as Helly (Britt Lower), a number of viewers are also questioning Ms. Huang’s (Sarah Bock) purpose at Lumon, given her young age, and are curious about what Irving’s (John Turturro) outie is up to. However, those are merely a few queries in a sea of others.
In the wake of the overtime contingency debacle, viewers are led to believe it’s been five months since Mark (Adam Scott) has been to work. Nevertheless, it has only been a few days, and Mark promptly returned to work at the behest of Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman). As usual, though, Lumon lied to Mark’s innie about how much time had passed as well as why the rest of his team hadn’t returned to work.
As a result of the overtime contingency, Lumon was quick to fire everyone in MDR except Mark. In fact, they seemingly begged him to return to work and even offered him a steep 20% raise. Given the lengths Lumon was willing to go to for Mark to return and the way they eventually caved to his innie’s demands,it suggests that Mark is vital to whatever Lumon is doing, and time is of the essence. Why is that exactly? Why is Mark so important to Lumon?
Mark’s Importance to Lumon Relates to Gemma/Ms. Casey in ‘Severance’
And It Has Something to Do With a File Named Cold Harbor
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During the finale of Season 1, Mark’s innie discovers that his outie’s wife, Gemma, is, in fact, Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman). However, Gemma died in a car accident two years prior, which raises a whole host of questions as to her role at Lumon. Whileviewers don’t know the full details, in Season 2’s second episode,Mark reminds his sister that Gemma can’t be alive because he identified her body after the crash. This bit of information might indicate that Lumon has somehow resurrected her. As such, it could explain the purpose of the testing floor, which was where Ms. Casey was sent to in Season 1, never to be seen again, at least for now.
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With Ms. Casey gone and Mark’s work in MDR seemingly vital to Lumon,it’s clear that whatever Mark’s innie is doing directly pertains to Gemma/Ms. Casey and the file known as Cold Harbor that he’s currently working on. Viewers will rememberat the end ofSeverance’sSeason 2 premiere, Mark’s innie happily resumed his work upon the return of his team before viewers were given a flash of Ms. Casey’s face. Along with her image, audiences saw the Cold Harbor file name and four boxes at the bottom of the screen that appear to match exactly with the same boxes MDR uses to sort their numbers.Mark is sorting the numbers in MDR is clearly affecting some kind of progress for Ms. Casey, and Lumon wants him to see it all the way through.
What Do the Cold Harbor Numbers Mean in ‘Severance’?
Why Does Lumon Need Mark to Finish the File So Badly?
After sparing no expense in order to make Mark’s innie and outie happy, it’s clear his work with MDR isproviding the outcome Lumon is looking for. As such, they need him to complete his work.Many have theorized that Mark and the others are refining numbers that relate to the four tempers, including Woe, Frolic, Dread, and Malice, as outlined by Kier Eagan and his teachings. Once the numbers in MDR elicit a certain response from the innies, they’re sorted into certain boxes that each appear to have certain ratios of the four tempers.
For each file, such as Cold Harbor, the ratios and number sorting seemingly align with whatever happens on the testing floor.If Lumon is truly resurrecting people, then it would make sense that MDR is somehow mapping the brains of people like Ms. Casey per the four tempers as sorted by the innies in MDR. However, the purpose of such actions remains a mystery. Lumon could be simply creatingtheir own workforce of severed employeesthey’ll one day be able to fully control, or they could be researching ways to bring back their beloved Kier Eagan.
Lumon undoubtedly feels like a cult, and the perpetuity wing feels like preparation for a time when Kier might return. As such, Mark’s work could be vital for Lumon to achieve such goals. As mentioned in the first season, the files are rarely ever completed before they expire. If one file corresponds to one person on the testing floor, then it’s clear there’s a finite amount of time for success to occur. Because of this, Lumon wants to ensure Mark completes the Cold Harbor file before it expires and Ms. Casey is gone forever, or the process is somehow forced to start all over again.Severanceis currently streaming onApple TV+, and new episodes of the series premiere every Friday.
