The Severance Season 2 finale, “Cold Harbor,” answered a lot of burning questions fans had, including what Cold Harbor actually is and (sort of) what’s going on with those goats. Fans got other resolutions in prior episodes as well, including the answer to where Gemma (Dichen Lachman) has been all the time and why Harmony (Patricia Arquette) felt so slighted by Lumon firing her (and why Helena — Britt Lower — still offered her a job to placate her).
The ending was beautifully, emotionally presented, but left fans with yet another epic cliffhanger to digest for the next little while until a not-yet-confirmed Season 3 arrives (it’s likely the show will be renewed). There are plenty of questions that remain, but one big, new question has arrived that’s crucial to how the story will move forward.
Release Date
February 18, 2022
Showrunner
Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman
What Is Mark Going to Do After the ‘Severance’ Season 2 Finale?
Season 2 of Severance ends with innie Mark (Adam Scott) doing what his outie asked of him, sort of. He finishes Cold Harbor, gets Helly’s help to create a diversion, and escapes to save Gemma. It’s not easy, but he gets her out of the building to safety. However, while staring at outie Gemma screaming in agony from outside once she recognizes who he is, Mark is having a crisis of conscience. He knows his outie wants him to walk out those doors with her and resume the life they had two years prior. But this is innie Mark. He has become his own person in the last few years.
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His existence has been in the confines of the Lumon severed floor and briefly in the birthing cabin. The most important thing, however, is that he now has Helly. Over time, the two have grown close. They have helped one another through their trying, monotonous days. She has helped him dig into his suspicions after learning details from Petey (Yul Vazquez). She has been by his side through everything. They have also become intimate. He has, he tells his outie, fallen in love.
Mark’s decision to abandon Gemma, walk back down the hallway to grab Helly’s hand, and run back into the building was jarring and unexpected. But it raises a major question: what happens next for them? Lumon has been compromised. They know what’s going on, and he knows what they have in store for him and Gemma by the end. He killed Drummond (Darri Ólafsson), albeit accidentally. Helly locked Milchick (Tramell Tillman) in a bathroom with Dylan’s (Zack Cherry) help, then convinced an entire marching band to support her. A full-on revolt has begun.
Mark and Helly Could Strike a Deal With James
There’s one moment at the beginning of the episode that could suggest the potential for Mark’s innie to get what he wants. James Eagan (Michael Siberry) arrives in the building, seemingly to monitor Gemma as she partakes in the final project, Cold Harbor. But before he takes his post, he visits Helly. She is surprised to see him, and he delivers a scathing speech, telling her he does not love his own daughter. What’s more, he claims that he used to see Kier in Helena but no longer. He adds that he sired others, effectively confirming he has had other babies but didn’t see Kier in them either. However, he claims to see Kier in Helly.
In other words, James wouldn’t bat an eye at keeping Helena trapped as Helly, seemingly the daughter he has always wanted, for all of eternity. It might be easier to do than expected now that Helly would likely be happy to be with Mark, and he the same. There’s also the peripheral benefit of getting revenge on outie Mark, who James knows orchestrated the whole thing.
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That’s just a theory, of course, but one worth exploring. Otherwise, the second Mark leaves the building, he will become his outie again and will most certainly find Gemma at home, plotting with her to figure out how to put an end to Lumon, Mark’s innie, and Helly. It’s in James’ best interests to never let that happen.
Mark’s innie seemingly has more control than ever if he can find a way to remain himself. He could even become a weapon by entering the outside world as his innie, using Overtime Contingency to mess with Gemma, Devon (Jen Tullock), and Harmony. There’s so much potential for a third season that it would be a travesty if it didn’t happen.
What Other Questions Remain in ‘Severance’?
Beyond what happens to Mark from here, so many other questions remain. There’s Milchick, who is finally speaking up for himself, insulting not only Drummond, who is now dead but also Kier Eagan’s consciousness during their celebratory speech to Mark. He’s had enough, and while he might be blamed for what happened on his floor when he was in charge, he seemed to almost already have one foot out the door anyway.
Where will Gemma go? It makes sense that she would first go to Devon’s house, seeking help from her sister-in-law. With Harmony seemingly in their corner now that she’s bitter, angry, and feels betrayed, she may be their only hope. The other option is Reghabi (Karen Aldridge). Might she attempt the reintegration process again should Mark ever leave the building and become his outie again? And if so, how would that work now that his severed other half seems to have a mind of his own?
The future of Lumon hangs in the balance as well. It wasn’t only Mark, Helly, Gemma, and Dylan who fought back. They also convinced an entire marching band of employees to stand their ground. There’s also Lorne (Gwendoline Christie), who reached the end of her rope, tired of raising these goats/kids only to sacrifice them for Kier. With the office in a state of emergency, the Cold Harbor program compromised, and Gemma gone, what will they do now? Will they start over, looking for their next victims?
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Why Is Mark So Important to Lumon in ‘Severance’?
MDR’s number refining might actually be a vital part of Lumon’s success, and Mark is seemingly at the center of it all in ‘Severance.’
Let’s not forget about Irving (John Turturro), who was sent away by Burt (Christopher Walken), seemingly to safety, versus the likely death sentence Burt usually sends detractors to. Where did he go, will he return, and will there ever be a reunion among friends? If anyone can talk sense into Mark’s innie, it’s Irving. He needs him right now.
Dylan’s journey is also an interesting one without resolution. After Gretchen (Merritt Wever) confesses to him that she kissed his innie, Dylan is devastated. When she reveals to his innie the next day what his reaction was, he gets on one knee and proposes, hoping Gretchen might choose him. But she shuts him down, and Dylan decides to quit. He no longer wants to exist. However, his outie writes him a heartfelt letter explaining that he needs him around and wants to be more like him in the outside world. How this will play out remains to be seen and will be tied to the future of Lumon as well.
Finally, the episode does sort of explain Cold Harbor and how those numbers Mark was clustering were indeed, as fans suspected, tempers. But they were clusters that made up Gemma’s mind, each one pertaining to a different innie and different room she entered. The ultimate goal of Kier still isn’t entirely clear. It appears they wish to be able to break down minds and consciousness into computable numbers. The goat, a child, may be a symbolic rebirth sacrifice as each test subject is eliminated and left to live a supposed immortal life through their consciousness and beyond their bodies.
Based on Lorne’s comments to Drummond, this is something that has happened many times before. Gemma and Mark are likely not the only couple to have been through this. And chances are that Lumon will find a way to ensure they won’t be the last. Stream Severance on Apple TV+.
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