All of the Severance Questions We Nonetheless Have...

Oh, how harmless we had been at the end of January, solely three episodes into the second season of Severance. We didn’t even know what Salt’s Neck was, or where Ms. Casey’s been tucked away! We might have a barely higher concept of what the hell is occurring as Apple TV+’s sci-fi sensation/web obsession heads into its season two finale subsequent week—however there are nonetheless secrets and techniques galore lurking in Lumon’s hallways.

With that in thoughts, it’s time to revisit io9’s earlier post working via our most burning Severance questions and see the place they now stand—and you realize we’ve acquired loads of new ones, too.

First, right here’s a rundown of our early-season questions—a few of which we’ve since realized the solutions to.

The place is Ms. Casey? 

In episode seven, “Chikhai Bardo,” we acquired an in depth backstory of Gemma (later often called Ms. Casey) and Mark’s relationship, from their first meet-cute at a blood drive, to their blissful early days of marriage, to their devastating struggles with infertility. We additionally realized that Gemma has been actually beneath Mark’s ft all the time; with a wide range of severed personalities activated relying on which room she enters, she’s been present process a sequence of extremely disagreeable experiences on Lumon’s testing ground, which is much more underground than the severed ground.

How did Gemma grow to be Ms. Casey—and why?

We don’t have exact particulars but on both of those, although we do have some extra clues to go on. We all know that Gemma and Mark visited a fertility clinic run by Lumon, and that Gemma remained involved with the place, or no less than acquired follow-up mail (the “Chikhai Bardo” card got here with some type of persona take a look at) related to it. We additionally noticed the night time she left alone for an occasion that Mark didn’t need to attend and by no means got here residence, with a pair of police displaying as much as ship the unhappy (pretend) information of her destiny. 

Whereas we don’t know precisely how she turned Ms. Casey—was she kidnapped? A keen participant till realizing what she’d truly agreed to?—we’ve got a barely much less foggy concept of why. Primarily based on episode seven, we all know she’s being held in opposition to her will, and that Mark’s work as a “Macrodata Refiner” has formed her experiences on the testing ground. We additionally know primarily based on this week’s episode, “The After Hours,” that when Mark finishes his most vital work file, the all-important Chilly Harbor, Gemma’s life will finish.

We don’t know, after all, any of the big-picture stuff, like what precisely Lumon plans to do with the outcomes of this barbaric experiment, and what future implications it could have.

What’s Chilly Harbor?

See above. We do not know what’s truly ready for Gemma within the room, but it surely’s going to be far more terrible than being on a airplane that’s seemingly about to crash, a painful afternoon on the dentist, or a passive-aggressive Christmas spent writing inane thank-you notes. After “Chikhai Bardo,” it appeared believable Chilly Harbor could be the place Gemma would re-experience her miscarriage again and again, however now that we all know it’s designed to be deadly—may or not it’s a automotive crash that truly kills her?

What’s Ms. Cobel’s plan and what’s in Salt’s Neck?

Because of episode eight, “Candy Vitriol,” lots of Ms. Cobel’s backstory has been fleshed out. We all know she grew up in a Lumon firm city that’s now almost abandoned, and that almost all everybody who nonetheless lives there may be—because of Lumon—an ether addict. We realized Cobel’s mom, who was a type of ether addicts whereas she was alive, hated Lumon. We additionally realized Cobel was a gifted scholar who earned the distinguished Wintertide Fellowship, and that Jame Eagan stole her designs for the severance process and handed the invention off as his personal. 

That each one actually explains lots of her habits till now: her eerie devotion to the cult of Kier, one thing she’s been entangled along with her whole life; her creepy curiosity in Mark each in and out of labor (since his completion of Chilly Harbor is someway tied into the success of severance), her excessive response when she was fired from Lumon, and (as we noticed in “The After Hours”) her obvious resolution to assist Mark and Devon proper as Gemma’s time is working out.

The place is Kier, PE?

Nonetheless no concept. Nevertheless it’s not simply snowy roads: you may take a practice far, far-off if you have to escape Kier, like Irving does in “The After Hours.”

Who’s on “the board”?

Nonetheless no concept. The one Eagans we’ve met are Jame and Helena. Might there be extra?

What’s the take care of Natalie?

Once more, no concept. If the season finale reveals Natalie is an innie whose outie is the exact opposite of “PR individual with a death-ray smile,” it wouldn’t be fully shocking. 

Why does Lumon need Ricken to re-write his e book for innies?

But once more, we don’t know, apart from maybe it was a approach for Lumon to maintain its hooks in Mark’s household—since we now know precisely how precious he’s to the corporate. Ricken hasn’t been seen a lot in season two, although his portrayal within the “Chikhai Bardo” flashback suggests his overly mannered persona was much more charming. The episode was all about Mark and Gemma, but it surely additionally confirmed the viewers that Devon and Ricken’s relationship isn’t as mismatched because it seems to be within the present’s current day.

Why is Miss Huang a child?

This we now know: like Ms. Cobel earlier than her, little Eustace is a Wintertide Fellow. She and Mr. Milchick by no means labored very nicely collectively, however he did enable her to graduate. In “The After Hours,” we see her being despatched away from the Lumon workplace (and her dad and mom, it’s pointedly talked about) for a brand new posting in Svalbard, most likely one among few locations on Earth that’s colder than Kier.

Why did Helly lie about her “Extra time Contingency” expertise?

We realized the reply to that in episode 4, “Woe’s Hole.” It wasn’t Helly in that scene, it was the duplicitous Helena Eagan. She was faking that she was her innie in an effort to spy on MDR.

Who’s outie Irv speaking to on pay telephones?

We don’t know, and we might by no means know, since “The After Hours” noticed Irv and his canine board that practice out of Kier, courtesy of Burt, with specific directions by no means to return. The very best guess is that he was someway tied into the anti-severance motion, and was chatting with a contact that most likely helped him compile that record of names and addresses of severed staff (together with Burt).

What’s up with the Exports Corridor?

We knew it led to the testing ground, since we noticed Ms. Casey strolling down that lengthy hallway on the finish of season one; in season two, it’s the place Dr. Mauer wheels his dental instruments, and Ms. Casey’s would-be escape route when she tries to search out her approach out of captivity in “Chikhai Bardo.” However we don’t know why it was haunting Irving’s ideas, a lot in order that his outie painted pictures of it again and again. With assist from Felicia in Optics and Design, Irv’s innie left behind some very convoluted instructions to search out its entrance, which Helly R. will get ahold of after Dylan—the supposed recipient—impulsively quits MDR in “The After Hours.”

How will Mark’s reintegration go?

It hasn’t been clean crusing, with sudden nosebleeds, the persistent sofa, what seemed to be a seizure adopted by a short lapse right into a coma, and a few complicated consciousness blips. The one medical skilled who is aware of his secret, Reghabi, took herself out of the equation when Devon determined to telephone Ms. Cobel. In order that’s not very reassuring.

Are the Macrodata Refiners truly doing something?

Whereas the main points aren’t fully clear, we all know their work sorting “scary numbers” and finishing recordsdata named for locations (Allentown… Chilly Harbor) has some sort of influence on the testing ground.

THE GOATS

We haven’t seen a goat since episode three, “Who Is Alive?”—until you rely production-design particulars just like the goat statue on the altar belonging to Ms. Cobel’s Kier-devoted aunt, seen in “Candy Vitriol.” The goat represents malice, one of many 4 tempers talked about as having been “tamed” by Kier Eagan as a part of his intensive lore. As to what sensible goal the goats in Lumon serve, and why the workers who care for them are so oddball, we don’t but have a solution.

Now, let’s dig into the most recent questions at present holding Severance followers up at night time, particularly now that there’s only one episode left to go.

What plan will Cobel, Mark, and Devon provide you with?

When final we noticed this unlikely trio, they’d gathered in one of many severance-rigged cabins on the “birthing retreat”—nice concept from Devon, by the way in which—in order that Cobel may discuss to Mark’s innie. Mark and Devon need to rescue Gemma from her Chilly Harbor destiny, and Cobel has some critical explaining to do, each to the Scout siblings and to the very curious viewers. So what is going to their subsequent transfer be? As we’ve seen, you may’t precisely barge your approach onto Lumon’s severed ground… a lot much less infiltrate the testing ground under. However as we’ve additionally seen, Lumon’s safety may be surprisingly porous generally—like when the innies pulled off the time beyond regulation contingency mission in season one, for example.

And talking of that birthing retreat scene… WTF?

We’ll be haunted by Ms. Cobel’s description of Devon (pretending to be a Lumon worker) as a lady needing discreet entry into the birthing retreat as a result of “she’s one among Jame’s.” What does that imply, precisely? Certainly one of Jame’s what? Prepared or unwilling vessels for his Eagan seed? You possibly can’t simply let that twist within the wind, Severance!

Will Mr. Milchick proceed to insurgent in opposition to Mr. Drummond particularly and perhaps Lumon at massive?

Mr. Milchick standing as much as Mr. Drummond, appropriately declaring that no matter Mark does when he’s not at work isn’t one thing he can management—true for any job, however particularly since Mark is severed and turns into a totally totally different individual when he steps off that elevator and goes residence—was an unexpectedly pleasant second in “The After Hours.” It’s felt like Mr. Milchick is getting ready to breaking from his good-soldier routine for just a few episodes now (his response to the work, his efficiency evaluation ordeal). Might he grow to be an surprising innie ally because the season attracts to a detailed?

Is that this the final we’ve seen of Dylan, Irving, and Burt?

It’s fairly clear Miss Huang has departed for good—however what about these different characters? All had what may be remaining send-offs in “The After Hours.” It’s important to hope we’ll no less than see what occurs to Dylan and his outie’s spouse, Gretchen, and perhaps be taught if Burt will face penalties for seemingly breaking Lumon farewell protocol with Irving.

Will Mark have to decide on between Gemma and Helly R.?

It might be a love triangle… besides one of many factors is 2 totally different males contained in a single physique. Mark S. loves Helly R. and Mark loves Gemma. It doesn’t matter what, somebody goes to get their coronary heart damaged—as we noticed with Dylan’s agonizing storyline in “The After Hours.” How will he select? Or will the choice be made for him, perhaps to the purpose that no person finally ends up joyful? Will Gemma die within the Chilly Harbor room? Will the sinister Helena Eagan triumph in completely erasing her a lot, a lot cooler innie?

And talking of Helly R… why is Jame Eagan creeping on MDR?

Who does he suppose he’s confronting in one of many remaining scenes in “The After Hours”—his daughter, or her innie, who he considers to be lower than human? Why does he need Helena to eat her breakfast eggs uncooked moderately than hard-boiled?

No solutions. Solely questions right here.

That brings us to the inevitable greatest questions of all. How will Severance arrange season three—will followers be left dangling on one other cliffhanger like the tip of season one?

And by the way in which, when will Apple TV+ affirm season three is on the way in which? And the way lengthy will we’ve got to attend to see extra?

The Severance season two finale, ominously titled “Chilly Harbor,” arrives subsequent Friday.

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