What Was Petey’s Real Role at Lumon, and Why Was Mark So Much More Important?

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Caution: If you haven’t watched the second episode of ‘Severance’ Season 2 on Apple TV+, there are spoilers ahead. Proceed with caution!

So far, with a total of 11 episodes (and many more expected in the future), I’d confidently argue that “Severance” has established itself as not only Apple TV+’s finest original series but also one of the top-tier shows across all media. The second episode of Season 2, titled “Goodbye, Ms. Selvig,” certainly didn’t disappoint in maintaining this high standard. It became clear that most of what Mark learned in “Hello, Ms. Cobel” was fabricated or misleading: it appears that we don’t even know if Helly is actually Helly.

Throughout the entire episode, it became strikingly obvious that Mark S. holds a significant and integral role in both Milchick’s and Lumon’s lives. To ensure Adam Scott’s Innie character would keep leading MDR for Cold Harbor, an elaborate web of deception was constructed – fabricated newspaper headlines and lore-filled stop-motion videos were among the strategies used. This intense emphasis on Mark as a leader made me contemplate the pivotal event that placed him in this position: Petey Kilmer.

Why Was Petey Previously Running MDR, And What Was He In Charge Of?

It’s important to note that it would be unreasonable for me to presume that a company like Lumon only has one hidden agenda behind the terminations of its employees. Given the size and complexity of such a corporation, there are likely multiple factors influencing the actions taken by the non-terminated managers.

In other words, I acknowledge that a single answer won’t suffice in this case, as the fundamental question of “What exactly does MDR do?” remains shrouded in mystery.

After considering all that, I believe it’s crucial and essential to understand more clearly Petey’s position at Lumon, focusing particularly on how it aligns (or doesn’t) with Innie Mark’s importance in the same job role. Let’s keep in mind these apparent differences:

  • Mark is so important that Ms. Cobel broke protocol to get closer to his Outie
  • A lot of pressure is on Milchick and Team MDR to achieve their goals, which the audience can assume are tied to the Cold Harbor visual at the end of the Season 2 premiere
  • Mark’s connection to Ms. Casey/Gemma appears to be vital to the Cold Harbor project and Cobel’s own interests
  • As opposed to Helly joining any other departments on the Severed Floor, the golden child of Lumon’s CEO was specifically put onto Mark’s team just after his de facto promotion
  • Milchick pushed hard to make Innie Mark believe in the five-month time gap, even retconning Irving and Dylan’s terminations and sending Helena back in to fulfill Mark’s request

Given what we currently know about Petey’s narrative, it seems unlikely that Yul Vasquez’s character was crucial to Lumon’s secret partnership with MDR, as portrayed in Severance. Although his reintegration-induced hallucinations might have been based on events that didn’t occur, I believe that revealing those seemingly ordinary office interactions as fictional could weaken the premise that reintegrations can be effective.

Since Mark assumed control of MDR, it seems Cobel and Milchick have been under an unprecedented level of stress they hadn’t anticipated or previously managed. This leads me to believe that neither has had to exert much effort beyond the basics to keep Petey and his previous superiors content, and that Petey’s personal life may not have been as intertwined with his Innie as it appears to be for the main characters.

More Severance News For Both Innies And Outies

1. Patricia Arquette from ‘Severance’ revealed to me what was going through Ms. Cobel’s mind when she faced Mark, and now I see her character in a completely different perspective.

2. Miss Huang is one of the most surprising characters in ‘Severance’ Season 2, and I learned about the cast’s thoughts on her.

3. The unrecognized appearance of Keanu Reeves in ‘Severance’ Season 2 is my favorite demonstration yet of how psychologically deep and clever this series truly is.

Considering all these factors, I’m not entirely clear if Cold Harbor is a long-term project that Petey has been managing unknowingly, with the Mark/Gemma connection as just a part of it or if he was ensuring some other plan was executed, in which his role would be optimal.

Regardless of how things unfolded, Petey found out about some suspicious activities, which ultimately led him to take part in the reintegration process initially. In this series with its intricate storyline, it seems plausible that Petey might have overseen something as revolutionary as Cold Harbor, but I don’t sense that he did so.

If Mark were to mysteriously disappear without any trace of contact, and soon after, the head of security was found deceased, I suspect that Lumon’s upper management would be on high alert, deploying covert agents to investigate in Kier and beyond. This contrasts with the apparent lack of action taken regarding Petey’s whereabouts or safety, or preventing him from revealing more information. Cobel wasn’t formally assigned the grim duty of retrieving the chip from Petey’s brain, but she undertook it for reasons known only to her.

Perhaps these questions and lines of inquiry seem utterly unnecessary and disconnected from the main theme of the show, which I can concede considering its broad context. Yet, it’s this precise obsession with detail that leads me to suspect delving deeper into Petey’s background could provide insights into what sets Mark apart for his employers.

It’s now time to begin crafting this month’s unique waffle syrup flavor for the upcoming Waffle Party. Don’t forget to catch up on the latest episodes of Severance, available every Friday on Apple TV+.

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2025-01-27 04:40