Severance Season 2 Finale: 7 Burning Questions Left Unanswered

by

Everything that unfolded in season 2 of the captivating Apple TV+ series “Severance” has been building towards an explosive climax, now unveiled to audiences worldwide. The gripping 78-minute season finale offered some of the most memorable moments not just for the show, but for television as a whole. A unique scene featuring Mark (Adam Scott) conversing with his innie and outie via video camera is one of numerous creatively crafted scenes from this outstanding finale. With its exceptional writing, stunning visuals, meticulous editing, excellent direction, and top-notch acting, the season 2 finale of “Severance” is destined to be remembered as a television classic.

From its very first season, the series “Severance” consistently explores themes such as grief, trauma, corporate dominance, identity, and capitalism. Moreover, it delves into a spectrum of human feelings, with a particular focus on love. This episode, in particular, showcased the concept that love can conquer all, even separation – a notion beautifully portrayed through the relationship between innie Mark and Helly (Britt Lower), as well as outie Mark and Gemma (Dichen Lachman). Even the innie of Gemma from Cold Harbor couldn’t help but recognize the deep trust she has in Mark. Similarly to other emotions, love flows from the outie’s mind into the innie’s, and conversely.

Beyond shedding light on the efficacy of the severance device, the final episode of season 2 also addressed some significant mysteries, like what Mark was up to with Gemma and the Cold Harbor file, as well as why a whole department filled with goats exists. Despite all the revelations, there are still many unanswered questions lingering. Here’s a rundown of the major enigmas that remain post-season 2 finale of Severance (beware: spoilers ahead).

7
Cold Harbor Was About Refining Gemma’s Tempers, but Why?

Among the most intriguing queries posed by Severance enthusiasts since season 1 has been, “What exactly is Cold Harbor?” While we knew it was a project Mark was tackling in MDR that only he could finish and held great significance for Lumon, the seventh episode of this season shed light on a testing floor room called Cold Harbor, which was the one area Gemma hadn’t explored yet. This revelation sparked numerous fan speculations about Lumon’s intentions regarding Gemma, and the finale ultimately revealed that Mark had been honing Gemma’s Four Tempers in preparation for something.

Mark’s Biggest Task Finally Revealed

The Cold Harbor theory appeared most plausible because Kier Eagan’s Four Tempers form a significant basis for Lumon’s philosophy, with these emotions being fundamental human feelings: woe, frolic, dread, and malice. Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette) eventually disclosed to innie Mark that the Cold Harbor file served as a gateway into Gemma’s mind, and the information refined within was actually Gemma’s Four Temperaments – essentially, the emotions shaping her personality. Moreover, it was also revealed that the file and room were named Cold Harbor, derived from the brand name of the crib Mark and Gemma had purchased during their attempts to conceive a child.

It’s clear that Cold Harbor served to fine-tune the Four Tempers in Gemma, yet we didn’t learn directly why Lumon was so focused on this refinement. When Gemma stepped into the Cold Harbor chamber and activated her 25th innie, she was instructed to dismantle the crib positioned centrally within the room. This crib, you might recall, was assembled by Mark in episode 7. Initially apprehensive due to this innie’s initial awakening, Gemma eventually found and used a screwdriver left for her to carefully take the crib apart in silence.

It appears that Cold Harbor aimed to separate individuals from their emotions and memories, essentially producing an individual devoid of feelings or recollections. Lumon might accomplish this by marketing the concept of detaching oneself from distressing experiences, where such individuals would experience no emotions. Alternatively, it could involve amassing a multitude of emotionless people, ideal for serving as corporate drones due to their lack of emotional responses and personal opinions.

6
How Did Lumon Kidnap and Fake Gemma’s Death in the First Place?

In the seventh episode of this season titled “Chikhai Bardo,” it was revealed that Lumon staged Gemma’s car crash fatality, not as a tragic end, but to transport her to their testing facility. There, they subjected her to numerous distressing experiments, each one enacted by a unique inner Gemma, specifically engineered to withstand the physical and emotional pain associated with the assigned rooms. This grueling process culminated in the creation of her 25th inner self within the Cold Harbor room, where her four temperaments would be rigorously tested.

Lumon Must Have Had a Master Plan

Even though we’re unsure of the specifics, it remains a mystery as to how Lumon managed to stage Gemma’s death and imprison her within their testing facility in the Lumon building. We know that Dr. Mauer (Robby Benson) deceived her about Mark’s life outside of Lumon, claiming he had remarried and fathered a child. It seems clear that Lumon has been dishonest with Gemma since the beginning. However, what we’re curious to know is: did they stage a car accident to make it appear as if Gemma died, or was her home visited and the story of the car accident fabricated? Did they persuade Gemma to participate in Lumon’s tests with false information, or were more lies told about Mark? It seems unlikely that Gemma would willingly live on the testing floor forever without being deceived or given false hope.

5
Will Mr. Milchick Ever Turn His Back on Lumon?

During the course of the season, Tramell Tillman’s character, Mr. Milchick, has often found himself at odds with his Lumon colleagues. Managing the severed floor hasn’t been easy for him, as he struggles to get MDR to take him seriously and earn the respect of his superiors. The reimagined portraits of the Lumon founder as a black man particularly bothered Milchick, causing him to question those in authority. He frequently received criticism for his elaborate choice of words, which essentially suggested that Lumon found him too intelligent and threatened by his intellect. This issue was even highlighted during his performance review conducted by Mr. Drummond. In the last episode, Milchick retorted to Drummond’s comment about “Devouring feculence” by promising to explain the term “monosyllabically.

Milchick’s Tested Loyalties

Milkchick didn’t shy away from using his broad language when the robot from Eagan mocked him. It seems clear that Lumon doesn’t value Milchick and, once more, feels threatened by his intelligence. Milkchick might be understanding that everyone is disposable to Lumon and that he doesn’t fit in such a company. However, when Helly and Dylan initiated the uprising among the innies with the Choreography and Merriment department, Milkchick got angry and tried to prevent innie Mark from leaving with Gemma. Throughout the season, Milkchick’s allegiance was put to the test, and some of us were hoping he would eventually help the innies improve their lives. Will Milkchick ever choose to abandon Lumon?

4
Will Mark Ever Fully Reintegrate?

Since the third episode of the season, Mark has been working on the reconnection process, following confirmation from Reghabi (Karen Aldridge) that Gemma was still alive and situated on Lumon’s testing floor. With this knowledge, Mark set aside any doubts he had about the process and prepared to take whatever actions necessary to rescue his wife. However, reintegration has proven to be a gradual process, providing only brief glimpses of memories to both Mark’s outer self (outie) and inner self (innie).

In the fourth episode of the season, titled “Woe’s Hollow,” innie Mark experienced fleeting images of Gemma when he was with Helly (who was actually Helena at that time). By the end of the seventh episode, outward Mark had a kind of vision of Gemma/Ms. Casey in the sterile white corridors of the severed floor after navigating his memories with Gemma. To this point, this is the extent of Mark’s reintegration process.

Innie vs. Outie

At the start of the final episode, a video camera is used for a dialogue between Mark’s inner and outer selves. Outer Mark, explaining reintegration, assures Inner Mark that they will complete it once they rescue Gemma. However, Inner Mark doubts this because he understands that their merged consciousness would mainly be Outer Mark, given his lived experiences. Moreover, Inner Mark recognizes that reintegrating would mean parting ways with Helly, a prospect he is unwilling to accept as he’s not ready to let her go.

After the episode concluded with Innie Mark escaping through the corridors alongside Helly following the rescue of Gemma in the stairwell, it remains uncertain when Outie Mark will reawaken. Should Outie Mark remain unconscious for an extended period, his integration process will come to a standstill. If Mark doesn’t complete his full integration, their consciousnesses will persist in being divided.

3
Was Episode 9 the Last We’ll See of Irving?

Previously, John Turturro’s character, Irving B., was a model worker at MDR. He strictly adhered to Lumon’s guidelines and strongly endorsed their ideology more than any other employee. He even attempted to guide Mark, his superior in MDR, on how to conduct himself. However, after meeting Burt (Christopher Walken) from Optics & Design and developing feelings for him, Irving began to question some of the unusual events at Lumon.

At the end of season 1, when Mark, Helly, and Irving activated the OTC, it became clear that Irving’s outer self (outie) was also suspicious of Lumon and had information about them. Moreover, he discovered a painting depicting a black hallway leading to the testing floor in his outie’s apartment.

Irv’s Potential Return

This season, Irving’s journey revolves around the consequences of OTC’s collapse and Burt’s forced retirement from Lumon. He was unique in sensing that Helly wasn’t her usual self upon their return, and he eventually discovered she was her outie. Despite knowing the risks, he was prepared to sacrifice himself by getting fired to reveal Helena to MDR. In episode nine, Burt takes Irving’s outie on a car ride, leaving him at a train station. We come to understand that Burt, in essence, is an assassin for Lumon, intended to eliminate Irving, but instead, he secretly arranged for him to leave town by the farthest train available.

In my personal perspective as a movie reviewer, when Burt unequivocally conveyed that Irving and he couldn’t be together, it left Irving with no other choice but to board the train – what appeared to be an ending for his character storyline. Yet, the lingering hope among fans persists that this may not be the last we witness of him. There’s a tantalizing speculation that he could potentially play a part in helping Gemma extricate Mark from Lumon’s grasp.

2
What Are Mark and Helly’s Plans Going Forward?

Similar to how season 1 concluded with a dramatic cliffhanger, season 2 ends with a thrilling one as Mark and Helly dash through the corridors of the severed floor, with flashing red lights and blaring alarms. Throughout the story, Mark has been alternating between his innie (inner self) and outie (outer self) to reach Gemma, then bring her back up. During a heartfelt conversation with Helly in the MDR department, innie Mark makes a momentous decision to complete the Cold Harbor file so he can quickly proceed to the testing floor to save Gemma. After an encounter with Mr. Drummond and aid from Lorne (played by Gwendoline Christie), Mark manages to reach the testing area where he transforms back into his outie. He then gets Gemma’s new innie to exit the Cold Harbor room, which switches her back to Gemma, and they both rush to the elevator going up to the severed floor. After switching back to his innie and Gemma to Ms. Casey, the two make a dash for the stairwell door where Mark gets Ms. Casey out and she transforms back to Gemma.

Love Transcends Severance

Inside Mark, filled with hesitation, understands that walking through the door could mean the end of his life, as Helly approaches and calls out for him. Ultimately, he opts not to take the stairwell exit but instead joins Helly. This decision, given that Gemma is a stranger to him and Helly is the woman he loves, seems reasonable. Consequently, they both turn around and flee through the corridors, intertwining their fingers. It’s ambiguous where they are heading, but if they take the elevator, they’ll transition into their outies and may never revisit the isolated floor again. If Mark hadn’t rescued Gemma, MDR would have lost its purpose for Lumon once Cold Harbor was completed, effectively ending the innies’ lives as well.

Legion”). The fast-paced events at the end make it uncertain if they had a plan or chose to perish together.

1
Was That Helly or Helena Running Off With Mark?

After the surprising ending of the episode, many viewers are questioning whether it was indeed Helly who ran away with Mark. Earlier in the storyline, Mark proposed to Helly that they couldn’t complete Cold Harbor and be together because he is an innie. In response, Helly said, “I’m her,” indicating that a happy ending for them might not be possible due to their unique circumstances as well as who her out-of-body counterpart is. Throughout the episode, Helly helped Mark escape from the celebration and sneak onto the testing floor while he worked with his other self to save Gemma. Meanwhile, Helly and Dylan initiated an uprising among the innies and temporarily captured Milchick in a bathroom. By doing so, Helly enabled Mark to buy more time to reach Gemma and bring her back safely.

The Innie Uprising

When Innie Mark manages to usher Gemma through the door of the stairwell, he pauses before following her. Innie Mark adores Helly and realizes that joining Gemma would mean giving up his life and any prospect of being with Helly. Upon spotting Helly standing nearby, he decides it’s crucial to preserve his own life as well, so he can be with the woman he cherishes. Gemma cries out and implores Mark to go with her, but as he flees with Helly, she remains oblivious to the fact that he has been torn apart emotionally. To her, he is still her Mark. She doesn’t comprehend that he has chosen another woman over her, which makes for a poignant and sorrowful scene, something Helena might orchestrate.

In episode 4, it was noted that Helly, not Helena, seemed to act cruelly in a situation where one might expect kindness. However, given that Lumon previously used the character Helena, it seems unlikely they would do so again, especially if Mark fails to recognize Helly as someone other than Helena for a second time. It’s not clear if Helly was truly being cruel or merely acting out of love and desperation, as she chose her lover over another woman knowing their time together might be limited. We won’t know the truth until season 3.

Read More

2025-03-23 18:07