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Warning: Spoilers for Severance through Season 2, Episode 2.
The much-anticipated return of Severance for its second season on Apple TV+ has left fans with mixed feelings of resolution and new questions after its extensive three-year break. While the premiere has shed light on certain plot points, it has simultaneously opened the doors to a myriad of new theories and speculations. One prevailing theory suggests that Helena may be impersonating Helly (Britt Lower), while many fans are also curious about the role of Ms. Huang (Sarah Bock) within the enigmatic Lumon Industries, particularly given her youth. Additionally, the actions and implications surrounding Irving’s (John Turturro) outie remain a topic of intrigue.
The narrative picks up with viewers believing that Mark (Adam Scott) has been absent from his job for five months following the overtime contingency. In reality, however, it has only been a few days since he last entered the office, returning primarily due to pressure from Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman). True to form, Lumon has once again deceived Mark’s innie regarding both the passage of time and the status of his colleagues.
In the aftermath of the overtime incident, Lumon made the drastic decision to let go of all MDR employees except for Mark, seemingly pleading for his return by offering a substantial 20% salary increase. This intense effort to maintain Mark’s presence in the company coupled with their willingness to bend to his innie’s requests raises a critical question: What makes Mark indispensable to Lumon’s operations?
Mark’s Importance to Lumon Relates to Gemma/Ms. Casey in ‘Severance’
And It Has Something to Do With a File Named Cold Harbor
During the first season’s climactic finale, Mark’s innie uncovers the shocking revelation that his outie’s deceased wife, Gemma, is, in fact, Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman). This revelation becomes more complex considering Gemma’s death occurred due to a car accident two years prior. The implications of her presence at Lumon spark numerous questions regarding her involvement. In the second episode of Season 2, Mark asserts to his sister that Gemma cannot possibly be alive, having personally identified her body after the fatal incident. This raises substantial questions about whether Lumon has somehow managed to bring her back, potentially linked to the facility’s secretive testing floor, where Ms. Casey was sent in Season 1 and has yet to be seen again.
With Ms. Casey’s absence and Mark’s pivotal role in MDR, it becomes evident that his innie’s tasks are directly connected to Gemma/Ms. Casey and the mysterious Cold Harbor file he is currently working on. Viewers may recall that at the conclusion of Severance’s Season 2 premiere, Mark’s innie resumed his duties with renewed optimism coinciding with the return of his colleagues, shortly before the image of Ms. Casey flashed on the screen alongside the mention of the Cold Harbor file. This moment hints at the possibility that Mark’s work in sorting numbers is having a significant effect on Ms. Casey’s fate and that Lumon is fully invested in ensuring he sees this endeavor through.
What Do the Cold Harbor Numbers Mean in ‘Severance’?
Why Does Lumon Need Mark to Finish the File So Badly?
The lengths to which Lumon has gone to keep Mark satisfied reveal that his work within MDR is yielding the results Lumon desires. Consequently, they are pushing him to finalize his tasks. Speculation suggests that Mark and his colleagues may be adjusting numbers that correlate with the four tempers outlined by Kier Eagan: Woe, Frolic, Dread, and Malice. These adjustments seemingly dictate how the numbers are compartmentalized, each category reflecting different emotional responses from the innies.
It appears that for each file, including Cold Harbor, the corresponding ratios and sorting of these numbers align with activities occurring within the testing floor. If Lumon is genuinely in the business of resurrecting individuals, then it follows that MDR might be involved in mapping the psychological aspects of individuals like Ms. Casey according to the four tempers as organized by the innies’ classifications. However, the ultimate goal of such actions remains elusive. It could either signify Lumon’s intent to create a controllable workforce of severed employees or a more elaborate effort to fuse the principles of Kier Eagan back into the company’s operations.
The workings of Lumon feel eerily cult-like, and the perpetuity wing appears to be set up with the expectation of Kier’s eventual return. Thus, Mark’s contributions could be crucial for Lumon’s long-term aspirations. As referenced in the previous season, files often expire before completion, indicating an urgency tied to each case. If each file corresponds to an individual being tested, the clock is ticking, compelling Lumon to ensure Mark finishes the Cold Harbor file before Ms. Casey is lost forever, or the entire process must be restarted. Severance is currently available for streaming on Apple TV+, with new episodes released every Friday.
Source
movieweb.com