re: Severance Season 2 Discussion (Spoilers)

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Also, what was macro data and the other departments doing before Mark and Gemma came to Lumon?

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Testing on others is my guess. I don’t think anything in Cold Harbor was meant to kill her. I think once they get the data they need, they would have disposed of her after she left the room to tie up loose ends about her death. Cold Harbor was a new test room, but the process is probably similar once any other tester finishes their assigned rooms.

Drummond explained the sacrificial goats are buried with people to guide them to Kier. Based on Brienne’s reaction, they have killed a lot of goats.

But also, it seems like Irv had a stint in the testing room so they don’t seem to kill everybody.

Yeah that makes sense. Also, the innie wouldn’t exist without the outie. So it’s psychologically like an ownership thing I think. Putting myself in his shoes, I think I would probably feel the same way? If I think about it too hard it does make my brain hurt a bit because the innie is essentially him just without the trauma that led him to create the innie in the first place.

Also I originally thought that they specifically selected Mark for some special reason. But it’s definitely become clear that he is in a long line of refiners and his work was just the finishing pieces of a much larger project. His work on its own is mysterious and important, but the larger project is a collection of all refiners before him which is significant enough to be considered the greatest accomplishment in the history of the planet. Just processing out loud a bit.

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Can someone remind me why it would kill Mark and everyone else if she was let go?

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Because if they successfully take Lumon down, the severed floor gets shut down. If the severed floor gets shut down, all of those innies cease to exist.

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Why wouldn’t Gemma know that was the innie and he wouldn’t know her ?

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She’s probably smart enough to figure it out considering she is also severed. But her reaction still makes sense - whether she knows that the “Mark” on the other side of the door is an innie or not, she wouldn’t want to leave him there. Hell she may not know where “there” even is at this point, other than the place she’s been held captive all this time.

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Also did they ever explain why they would fake Gemma’s death to keep her at Lumen? Wouldn’t a bunch of people have to be involved with that, including the cops and investigators?

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I don’t think they ever explained this outright but here’s a scenario I find plausible:

Gemma’s accident was an opportunity for them to secure an off-the-books test subject. The rest of the severed employees have to go home at the end of each day, but with Gemma they can run whatever trials they want for as long as they want with no outside repercussions. Additionally, they can have the debriefing conversations with her outtie without worrying about any secrets getting out.

It seems like the MDR team’s work requires them to have a deep understanding of the test subject’s “tempers.” So to me the big question is what all of the other refiners are working on. Did they also have loved ones abducted? Or maybe their subjects are other severed employees (I mean why else would they have a marching band on the severed floor if not experimenting on them)?

Said I wasn't going to post in the thread anymore but o well...

Just an overall great season of TV. Top tier television. It's not perfect, but it's close.

I'm torn on the finale though. Mainly because I think I'm on team Outie Mark. While the Innie Mark has a tragic story in itself, I can't help but feel more for the guy that literally lost the love of his life and then finds out she's basically a science project. So Mark S turning around at the end and going with Helly, possibly Helena (that look she gave Gemma seemed kind of sinister), was not what I was hoping for. Mark and Gemma deserve more.

The birthing cabin conversation was pretty great and I think Mark getting Helly's name wrong was probably what screwed himself over. Mark S was going to be good with it but then the doubt started to creep in that Mark doesn't really care about me at all. I think Mark for sure does and would share memories, but it came across as him not caring. When it came down to those final moments of making a decision, I could see that conversation sticking in his mind.

"If Cold Harbor is done she's already dead"/killing Gemma doesn't make a ton of sense. Not sure what the actual point of killing her would be. She put on her clothes from her car crash so maybe when she got out of Cold Harbor testing they were going to kill or retire her but it didn't seem like it.

The Jame and Helly meeting was great and weird and everything I love about this show but like other stuff, I don't get it It was last episode but the whole "you tricked me" thing was just him wanting to talk to Helly even though she doesn't really know him at all or would care what he says. Seems odd for him to come have that chat.

"I am her." Need to marinate on this one a bit. Initially I took it as she was trying to tell him basically "I am Helena, it's ok for you to go through with this, I am going to be ok no matter what." But I don't feel like that's it. But whatever her meaning behind it, she wanted him to go through with it and reassure him that he should trust Outie Mark, Devon, and Cobel.

Everything immedietly following the completion of the MDR was fantastic. Milchick and wax figure robot Kier was funny and equally as creepty. I was like if Milchick doesn't chill I got a feeling this wax figure has some Squid Games vibes to it and will kill your arse. Then Milchick becomes Nick Cannon from Drumline and freaking gets down. Dude killed it as the marching band major.

I'm for sure in the minority here but Dylan is by far my least favorite main Severance employee. At least out of the gang. Honestly it's in part to how completely unfunny he is in real life so that's not exactly fair but it is what it is. That gives me this distorted view of his show character where I find very little if anything he says as funny. All that being said, he pulled a Llyod Christmas and totally redeemed himself. Very nice stand by him there at the end.

Brienne of Tarth vs the Hound round two baby! She even had the same wail that she did when she was fighting the Hound. Immediate GoT flashback

I can't help but wonder why tf this uber controlling, top secret, and high tech company doesn't have more security, whether bodies or cameras, on the severed floor. It's almost comical at this point what the Innies are able to get away with. This seemingly endless floor of rooms has 2-3 Lumon employees max, none of them security.

Not sure what kind of life the Innies think they are ever going to have together down there. If that's all they wanted from Mark S it seems like they will just transfer him to a different department and Lumon could just not allow Helena to ever enter the severed floor ever again.

Is Gemma out out? Like out of the building and can go home/the police/anywhere? Can't really be the case right seeing as once Innie Mark leaves work (if allowed) he would be able to just see her there. Way too simple

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As an aside, are we concluding that the goats were basically just some sort of weird ritual sacrifice? Or do y’all think they were using the blood for something?

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My take is that the reason for the goats was the sacrifice, which re-emphasized the fact that at its core Lumen is a cult/religion not a tech company.

Here is a cool interview with Tramell about the band, animatronic Kier, and Milchick’s state of mind.

Interview with Milchick

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I also want to ask what it was like to act opposite the Kier wax figure.
Tillman: So, that was my first time acting with Ben Stiller. Ben was operating the controls.

Amazing. And was it speaking to you as you were filming the scene?
Tillman: Yes. Marc Geller is the voice of Keir — actually, the face of Kier. And he would say the lines, actually hanging out backstage, and he could see me, so we would be synchronized. And Ben was hanging out in the kitchenette and he was operating the head, and the arms, and so we really were just vibing off of each other to kind of create this vaudeville act, if you will.

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I just rewatched the ending and I still think it’s Helly. Mostly because I don’t like the idea of Mark falling for it again and rehashing the same twist when Helly finds out.

I think the ending with Mark S/Helly running through the hall is also a clue. The switch to mimic the look of the film used for the Mark/Gemma backstory scenes shows the genuine connection between Mark S./Helly.

ETA: you should feel confident with my opposition because I’ve been wrong about it most of my guesses this season

Need to go back and read the posts, but just wanted to say that was an excellent Finale and I fricking love Milkshake... His drumline dance was amazing.


And I nailed the ending, although on the wrong floor. Called it would end with Mark standing in between Gemma and Helly/na

I feel like this is a dumb question but why would they need to erase the triggers/depressing thoughts from a severed person. Wouldn't she be free from those once she goes in the room with the crib? Just like she has no memories of Mark when he comes in, she wouldn't have memories of losing a child.

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I feel like this is a dumb question but why would they need to erase the triggers/depressing thoughts from a severed person. Wouldn't she be free from those once she goes in the room with the crib? Just like she has no memories of Mark when he comes in, she wouldn't have memories of losing a child.

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She was free from those feelings BECAUSE macro data sorted them away. The cold harbor room wouldn’t work until the file got to 100%. So clearly some pre work has to be done to sever a person that is individual to each person.