The world of Severance is known for its chilling and sterile atmosphere, making the seventh episode of Season 2, titled “Chikhai Bardo,” a striking departure from the norm. This episode is characterized by flashback scenes that explore the love story and marriage of Gemma (Dichen Lachman) and Mark (Adam Scott). These scenes are visually distinct, featuring dappled natural light, ambient sounds, and a film-like quality that gives both characters a grainy, imperfect aura. Directed by cinematographer Jessica Lee Gagné, “Chikhai Bardo” reveals the harrowing fate of Gemma after her supposed death in a car crash—her severance into multiple consciousnesses, each designed to endure a different kind of torment, and her captivity on a hidden Lumon floor from which she cannot escape.
This episode effectively highlights the stark contrast between the cold, absurd world of Lumon and the vibrant humanity of the outside world. When Mark first meets Gemma, while donating blood through ominously Lumon-branded equipment, he asks her, “Who are you?” This question echoes the same inquiry he posed to Helly R. (Britt Lower) in the series’ opening moments. Unlike Helly, Gemma responds effortlessly, revealing her fully fleshed personality. Season 2 successfully transforms Gemma from a seemingly robotic figure—Lumon’s “wellness counselor,” Ms. Casey—into a fully realized human. The show depicts her as funny, sharp, and deeply in love with Mark, yet devastated by their struggles with infertility.
While Severance has always portrayed Lumon as a sinister yet somewhat absurd entity, its treatment of Gemma in “Chikhai Bardo” takes on a horrifyingly evil dimension. The company exploits her pain at a reproductive clinic, fakes her death, confines her to windowless quarters, and experiments on her like a lab rat, forcing her to endure staged dentist appointments and airplane disasters repeatedly. This twisted mission appears to culminate in the Season 2 finale, “Cold Harbor,” with the suggestion that Gemma must be sacrificed in a goat-attended ritual to revive the consciousness of Lumon’s founder, Kier Eagan.
Season 1 of Severance devoted ample time to exploring life outside of Lumon, effectively emphasizing the strangeness of the company with its cult-like devotion to Kier, obsession with round foods, and bizarrely hostile leadership. The characters beyond Lumon, including Mark’s sister, Devon (Jen Tullock), and a Lumon-protesting punk band, are portrayed as relatable and normal. However, Season 2 narrows its focus on the claustrophobic Lumon setting, making episodes like “Chikhai Bardo” stand out with their depiction of pre-severed Mark and Gemma.
The finale of Season 2, “Cold Harbor,” presents a cruel twist as outie Mark rescues Gemma from Lumon’s depths, only for innie Mark to abandon her, screaming, on the other side of the door while he rushes back toward Helly. Theoretically, this ending aligns with the show’s exploration of the distinct personalities and moral compasses of innies and outies. Innie Mark, emotionally innocent and impulsive, may choose Helly, despite their precarious situation. This sets the stage for a potential third season of Severance, with Lumon CEO Jame Eagan likely still pursuing Kier’s “grand addendum,” even amidst employee uprisings.
Britt Lower’s dual performance this season, toggling between her innie, the charming Helly, and her outie, the manipulative Helena, emphasizes the show’s philosophical inquiries about nature versus nurture and the potential for love to transcend severance. However, the question remains: why is Gemma’s suffering so difficult to digest? Perhaps it’s because her character has only known suffering—before, during, and after her time with Lumon. Even in her escape, she is left feeling lost, as evidenced by her bewildered reaction to kissing Mark while transitioning into the severed Ms. Casey.
“Cold Harbor” successfully accomplishes its plot objectives while incorporating a nerve-wracking marching-band sequence and a suspenseful escape. It offers significant revelations about Mark coding different souls for Gemma as part of a grand project to potentially resurrect Kier, raising questions about the identities of the other innies involved. Additionally, viewers ponder whether Kier Eagan exists in a digital form, imprisoned within his animatronic likeness. The episode features exhilarating insurrections, including Dylan and the band against Seth Milchick, and the enigmatic “goat lady” opposing Lumon manager Mr. Drummond.
Throughout Season 2, the significance of eggs has been a recurring theme—raw eggs, egg bars, and eggs meticulously cut into segments, serving as ominous symbols within the show. From its inception, Severance has portrayed the severance procedure as a form of birth, marking the creation of new, immature beings. With “Cold Harbor,” we are given insights into this life cycle: the childlike innies evolve into teenagers discovering love and sexuality, hinting at the eventual transition into adulthood and the inevitable cycle of death and resurrection.
The intricate symbolism, details, and Easter eggs embedded in Severance make it a captivating series for enthusiasts eager to decode its mysteries. The challenge for the finale was to provide enough intrigue to engage hardcore fans while remaining accessible to more casual viewers. For the most part, “Cold Harbor” succeeded in this endeavor, though the season itself exhibited a few inconsistencies.
As the season concludes, several questions remain unresolved. Is Mark, after undergoing a process meant to reintegrate his two identities, still severed? Who is Reghabi, the former Lumon employee performing brain surgery on Mark in his basement? And is Ricken, Mark’s quirky brother-in-law, merely comic relief? The revelation that many core Lumon characters, including Harmony Cobel, have been affected by trauma and childhood exposure to ether sheds light on their peculiarities. However, the season’s focus on expanding Lumon’s historical lore limited the exploration of its characters, leaving fascinating figures like Milchick underdeveloped.
As we anticipate the next chapter of Severance, viewers are left pondering the implications of the season’s events, the intricate relationships between characters, and the continuing exploration of the show’s central themes. The journey through Lumon’s unsettling world is far from over.
