After three long years of theorizing, waiting, and wondering when we’d ever return to the eerie halls of Lumon Industries, “Severance” season 2 has finally wrapped up with the finale, “Cold Harbor.”
And true to form, the episode gave us just enough answers to keep us satisfied — while yanking the rug out from under us yet again. The finale moved forward on a number of fronts: the fate of Gemma, Mark’s romantic dilemma, the love triangle involving Dylan’s innie and outie, and whatever’s going on with the goats.
But if you thought this finale would neatly tie up all the loose threads, well … have you seen this show? With new questions now swirling and plenty left unresolved, “Severance” remains as mind-bending as ever. The work is mysterious and important — and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Let’s break down what happened in “Cold Harbor” and what it might mean for “Severance” season 3, which thankfully is already in the works.
Warning: Massive spoilers ahead!
Everything that happens in the ‘Severance’ season 2 finale
The finale picks up where episode 9 left off, with Mark’s innie “waking up” to the sight of his outie’s sister, Devon, and Ms. Cobel. They give him a video recorder with a message from Mark’s outie, pleading with Innie Mark to help save Gemma.
What follows is a pretty funny sequence of the two Marks speaking to each other through a video recorder. At first, they’re both polite and understanding, and Outie Mark pitches reintegration as a way for both Marks to continue existing. But it’s not long before they devolve into wariness and mistrust.
Both Marks have a lot to lose in the form of a romantic partner: Gemma for Outie Mark and Helly for Innie Mark. Neither wants to back down.
Ultimately, Ms. Cobel delivers some harsh truths. First, the Macrodata Refinement numbers are related to Gemma. They are “the building blocks of her mind,” Ms. Cobel explains. “Every file you completed is a new consciousness for her — a new innie.”
Second, when Cold Harbor is finished, Innie Mark and Helly won’t get a honeymoon ending. As Ms. Cobel brutally states, Helly is an Eagan and all innies are disposable.
Innie Mark returns to Lumon, where’s confronted by a terrifying new painting of himself, his innie co-workers, Gemma, Devon, Rickon, and others. He reunites with Helly, and the two enter the MDR room to find a creepy life-size figure of Keir Eagan and a card with a folding paper waffle congratulating Mark on his 25th project.
As Mark clusters numbers, he fills in Helly on what Cobel said. He isn’t sure whether to go through with the plan to save Gemma, but it’s Helly who convinces him that reintegration might give him a chance at living.
Mark reaches 100% on Cold Harbor, which prompts a celebration to break out. As with all Lumon events, it’s super weird. Milchick does a comedy routine with the figure of Keir, then a marching band arrives.
Helly uses the hubbub to bar Milchick in the bathroom, while Mark flees with the map to the long dark corridor.
Meanwhile, Dylan returns to Lumon after tendering his resignation letter and learns his outie has written him back. Outie Dylan is open and vulnerable about feeling less than compared to his innie, who clearly sympathizes with him. I would, too, except that I can see Gretchen is sporting a black eye. Outie Dylan, you did not! I will kill you!
Mark madly runs through the halls in a scene echoing the premiere. He finally finds the door, but his badge won’t work, so he begins banging on it.
His efforts are heard by Mr. Drummond, who’s across the hall with Lorne, the goat lady from episode 3. They are engaging in some kind of ritual to sacrifice an adorable little goat.
Drummond emerges and starts beating up Mark. He’s about to choke him to death when Lorne stops him with the gun she was supposed to use to kill the goat. Turns out, Lorne is attached to her goat children. She and Drummond fight, and just when she points the gun at his head, Mark prevents her from shooting. He needs Drummond to find Gemma.
Mark and Drummond take the elevator down to the testing floor, but just as Innie Mark reverts into Outie Mark, he accidentally shoots Drummond. Oh, well, don’t need to kill him after all.
Outie Mark is able to find Gemma in the Cold Harbor room and persuade her to leave with him, despite the vocal warnings issued by Dr. Mauer and Jame Eagan.
Mark and Gemma run through the corridors and take the elevator to the severed floor, where Innie Mark takes over again. They find the emergency exit and Mark pushes Gemma out.
He doesn’t go through the door, though. As Gemma screams for him to join her, he turns to see Helly. Innie Mark has to make a choice — and he chooses his innie love.
The last thing we see is Mark and Helly, hand in hand, running down the hall.
Questions for ‘Severance’ season 3
So, the season 2 finale gave us a lot of resolutions: Gemma is safe, Drummond is dead, Innie Mark has chosen Helly and Dylan is still a Lumon employee.
But “Cold Harbor” also left many questions unanswered and asked new ones. Here’s what we’re hoping to find out in “Severance” season 3:
Where is Irving?
Last we saw Irving, Burt had sent him off on a train to a destination unknown. It’s unclear if we’ll ever see him again (I really hope we do).
What is the ultimate goal of the MDR project?
While Ms. Cobel explained that the project was building 25 different innies based on Gemma, she didn’t explain why. All signs point to Gemma’s physical body being disposed of (with the goat), so these various consciousnesses are for some other purpose … or person.
How will Mark and Helly stay together?
As romantic as it is that Mark and Helly ran off into the not-sunset, Ms. Cobel was right that they are disposable. Milchick or anyone else can physically take either off the severed floor.
Is reintegration actually possible?
We’ve seen two instances of reintegration, but in one case (Petey), the person died, and in the other case (Mark), it wasn’t completed. Ms. Cobel seems to think it’s possible, but I’ll believe it when we see it happen and not be fatal.
Will Miss Huang return?
The most unsettling new character in season 2 was a standout, but she was sent away by Milchick for a fellowship. Like Irving, we may never see Miss Huang again, but I hope we do.
What other events are carried out by Choreography and Merriment?
That marching band’s performance was tight.
