All theSeveranceQuestions We Still Have Ahead of the Season Finale

Oh , how free we wereat the end of January , only three episodes into the 2nd season ofSeverance . We did n’t even be intimate whatSalt ’s Neckwas , orwhere Ms. Casey ’s beentucked away ! We may have a somewhat better idea of what the hell is going on as Apple TV+ ’s sci - fi sensory faculty / internet compulsion heads into its season two finale next week — but there are still secrets galore lurking in Lumon ’s hallways .

With that in brain , it ’s time to revisitio9 ’s earlier postrunning through our most burningSeverancequestions and see where they now endure — and you roll in the hay we ’ve get plenty of fresh ones , too .

First , here ’s a rundown of our early - time of year interrogative — some of which we ’ve since read the answers to .

It’s a bad place.

It’s a bad place.© Apple TV+

Where is Ms. Casey?

In episode seven , “ Chikhai Bardo , ” we get a elaborated backstory of Gemma ( afterwards know as Ms. Casey ) and Mark ’s family relationship , from their first sports meeting - cute at a blood thrust , to their blissful early days of marriage , to their withering struggle with infertility . We also learned that Gemma has been literally beneath Mark ’s foot the entire time ; with a form of severed personalities trigger off depending on which room she enters , she ’s been undergoing a serial of highly unpleasant experiences on Lumon ’s testing floor , which is even more underground than the cut off level .

How did Gemma become Ms. Casey—and why?

We do n’t have exact details yet on either of these , though we do have some more clues to go on . We know that Gemma and Mark visited a fecundity clinic endure by Lumon , and that Gemma remained in link with the place , or at least received follow - up ring armor ( the “ Chikhai Bardo ” card came with some variety of personality test ) consort with it . We also saw the night she left alone for an event that Mark did not want to go to and never came home , with a pair of police prove up to deliver the sad ( phony ) tidings of her fate .

While we do n’t bang exactly how she became Ms. Casey — was she kidnapped ? A unforced participant until earn what she ’d in reality correspond to?—we have a more or less less foggy idea of why . base on episode seven , we know she ’s being held against her will , and that Mark ’s work as a “ Macrodata Refiner ” has form her experiences on the testing flooring . We also know based on this calendar week ’s sequence , “ The After 60 minutes , ” that when Mark complete his most important work file , the all - important Cold Harbor , Gemma ’s life will end .

We do n’t lie with , of course , any of the big - picture stuff , like what exactly Lumon plans to do with the results of this barbaric experiment , and what future implications it may have .

io9 spoiler bar

© Apple TV+

What is Cold Harbor?

See above . We have no idea what ’s actually wait for Gemma in the room , but it ’s going to be way more awful than being on a plane that ’s seemingly about to dash , a atrocious good afternoon at the tooth doctor , or a passive - aggressive Christmas spent indite inane thank - you notes . After “ Chikhai Bardo , ” it seemed plausible Cold Harbor would be where Gemma would re - experience her abortion over and over , but now that we have intercourse it ’s design to be disastrous — could it be a car crash that in reality kills her ?

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

Thanks to instalment eight , “ Sweet Vitriol , ” a lot of Ms. Cobel ’s backstory has been fleshed out . We know she turn up in a Lumon company townsfolk that ’s now about deserted , and that most everyone who still lives there is — thanks to Lumon — an ether addict . We learned Cobel ’s female parent , who was one of those ether junky while she was alive , hated Lumon . We also learned Cobel was a talented scholarly person who earned the honored Wintertide Fellowship , and that Jame Eagan steal her designs for the severance procedure and passed the innovation off as his own .

That all certainly explain a lot of her behaviour until now : her eerie devotion to the cult of Kier , something she ’s been entangle with her entire biography ; her creepy-crawly interest group in Mark both inside and out of workplace ( since his pass completion of Cold Harbor is somehow tied into the success of break ) , her extreme chemical reaction when she was fired from Lumon , and ( as we saw in “ The After 60 minutes ” ) her apparent decision to help Mark and Devon right as Gemma ’s time is running out .

Where is Kier, PE?

Still no idea . But it ’s not just snow-clad road : you could take a train far , far away if you need to miss Kier , like Irving does in “ The After hour . ”

Who’s on “the board”?

Still no idea . The only Eagans we ’ve met are Jame and Helena . Could there be more ?

What is the deal with Natalie?

Again , no idea . If the season close uncover Natalie is an innie whose outie is the complete opposite of “ PR person with a demise - ray smile , ” it would n’t be entirely surprising .

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

Yet again , we do n’t know , other than perhaps it was a way for Lumon to keep its hooks in Mark ’s family unit — since we now know exactly how valuable he is to the ship’s company . Ricken has n’t been seen much in season two , though his portrayal in the “ Chikhai Bardo ” flashback suggest his overly mannered personality used to be a lot more sorcerous . The sequence was all about Mark and Gemma , but it also showed the audience that Devon and Ricken ’s relationship is n’t as mismatch as it looks like in the show ’s present mean solar day .

Why is Miss Huang a kid?

This we now experience : like Ms. Cobel before her , little Eustace is a Wintertide Fellow . She and Mr. Milchick never worked very well together , but he did allow her to graduate . In “ The After Hours , ” we see her being send out away from the Lumon office ( and her parent , it ’s pointedly mentioned ) for a new poster in Svalbard , belike one of few place on Earth that ’s cold than Kier .

Why did Helly lie about her “Overtime Contingency” experience?

We learned the answer to that in episode four , “ Woe ’s Hollow . ” It was n’t Helly in that conniption , it was the duplicitous Helena Eagan . She was faking that she was her innie so as to espy on MDR .

Who is outie Irv talking to on pay phones?

We do n’t know , and we may never know , since “ The After Hours ” saw Irv and his dog dining table that train out of Kier , good manners of Burt , with denotative instructions never to return . The adept guess is that he was somehow tied into the anti - severance movement , and was utter to a contact that probably help him compile that list of names and addresses of severed actor ( including Burt ) .

What’s up with the Exports Hall?

We have intercourse it run to the testing floor , since we saw Ms. Casey walking down that foresighted hall at the conclusion of season one ; in season two , it ’s where Dr. Mauer wheels his dental prick , and Ms. Casey ’s would - be escape itinerary when she tries to receive her way out of enslavement in “ Chikhai Bardo . ” But we do n’t know why it was haunting Irving ’s thoughts , so much so that his outie painted persona of it over and over . With avail from Felicia in Optics and Design , Irv ’s innie go away behind some very Byzantine directions to ascertain its entranceway , which Helly R. gets ahold of after Dylan — the intended recipient role — impulsively quits MDR in “ The After Hours . ”

How will Mark’s reintegration go?

It has n’t been smooth sailing , with sudden nosebleeds , the tenacious couch , what appeared to be a capture followed by a brief lapse into a coma , and some confusing consciousness blips . The only aesculapian professional who knows his arcanum , Reghabi , take in herself out of the equation when Devon decided to phone Ms. Cobel . So that ’s not very reassuring .

Are the Macrodata Refiners actually doing anything?

While the detail are n’t solely clear , we live their work sort “ chilling numbers ” and completing files named for place ( Allentown … Cold Harbor ) has some kind of impingement on the testing trading floor .

THE GOATS

We have n’t encounter a caprine animal since sequence three , “ Who Is Alive?”—unless you number product - design details like the goat statue on the Lord’s table belonging to Ms. Cobel ’s Kier - devoted aunt , seen in “ Sweet Vitriol . ” The Capricorn represents venom , one of the four tempers mention as having been “ tame ” by Kier Eagan as part of his wide lore . As to what practical purpose the Capricorn in Lumon serve , and why the employees who take tutelage of them are so oddball , we do n’t yet have an result .

Now , let ’s dig into the Modern doubt currently keepingSeverancefans up at nighttime , especially now that there ’s just one episode will to go .

What plan will Cobel, Mark, and Devon come up with?

When last we ensure this unlikely trio , they ’d gathered in one of the severance - rigged cabins at the “ birth retreat”—great idea from Devon , by the way — so that Cobel could talk to Mark ’s innie . Mark and Devon desire to rescue Gemma from her Cold Harbor fate , and Cobel has some serious explaining to do , both to the Scout sibling and to the very rummy audience . So what will their next move be ? As we ’ve seen , you ca n’t on the nose barge your way onto Lumon ’s sever flooring … much less infiltrate the testing floor below . But as we ’ve also seen , Lumon ’s security can be amazingly porous sometimes — like when the innies pulled off the overtime contingency mission in time of year one , for instance .

And speaking of that birthing retreat scene… WTF?

We ’ll be frequent by Ms. Cobel ’s description of Devon ( pretending to be a Lumon employee ) as a charwoman postulate discreet entering into the birthing retreat because “ she ’s one of Jame ’s . ” What does that mean , on the dot ? One of Jame’swhat ? Willing or unwilling vessels for his Eagan seed ? You ca n’t just let that twist in the farting , Severance !

Will Mr. Milchick continue to rebel against Mr. Drummond specifically and maybe Lumon at large?

Mr. Milchick abide up to Mr. Drummond , right pointing out that whatever Mark does when he ’s not at work is n’t something he can check — true for any occupation , butespeciallysince Mark is break up and becomes a completely different soul when he steps off that elevator and goes home — was an unexpectedly delightful moment in “ The After hour . ” It ’s felt like Mr. Milchick is on the verge of break from his good - soldier function for a few episodes now ( his reaction to the house painting , his performance review trial by ordeal ) . Could he become an unexpected innie ally as the season depict to a end ?

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

It ’s pretty decipherable Miss Huang has departed for good — but what about these other characters ? All had whatcouldbe terminal send - offs in “ The After minute . ” You have to hope we ’ll at least see what find to Dylan and his outie ’s married woman , Gretchen , and maybe learn if Burt will front issue for seemingly break in Lumon leave-taking communications protocol with Irving .

Will Mark have to choose between Gemma and Helly R.?

It would be a beloved triangle … except one of the points is two different man contained in a single trunk . Mark S. loves Helly R. and Mark have a go at it Gemma . No matter what , someone is going to get their center break — as we saw with Dylan ’s agonizing plot line in “ The After Hours . ” How will he opt ? Or will the decision be made for him , possibly to the power point that nobody ends up happy ? Will Gemma snuff it in the Cold Harbor elbow room ? Will the sinister Helena Eagan victory in for good rub out her much , much cool innie ?

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

Who does he think he ’s confronting in one of the final scenes in “ The After Hours”—his daughter , or her innie , who he see to be less than human?Why does he want Helena to eat up her breakfast eggs raw rather than heavily - boil ?

No answers . Only questions here .

That bring us to the inevitable big questions of all . How willSeveranceset up season three — will fans be bequeath dangling on another cliffhanger like the end of season one ?

Severance Christmas

© Apple TV+

And by the room , whenwill Apple TV+ corroborate season three is on the way ? And how long will we have to hold off to see more ?

TheSeveranceseason two finale , ominously titled “ Cold Harbor , ” arrives next Friday .

Want more io9 news ? watch out when to expect the latestMarvel , Star Wars , andStar Trekreleases , what ’s next for theDC Universe on film and telly , and everything you need to know about the succeeding ofDoctor Who .

Severance Helena