Season 2 of Severance just ended. Here's everything mysterious and important we've learned
Warning: This review of Severance's Season 2 finale goes full spoiler. If you haven't watched it yet, and want to, stop here. But come back later. It'll be more fun than a waffle party.
Usually, on a work day, our innie would write about news. Politics, global events and the such. But, like so many of you, our outie watched the Severance Season 2 finale last night, and the episode was so powerful that it infiltrated some deep, subconscious plane within our mind.
All this to say, like the members of our beloved MDR team, our innie is rebelling, and now the only news that matters today is whatever-in-the-name-of-Kier we all just witnessed. And we're here to break it down for you. As Mark S. would say, "the work is mysterious and important."
A global phenomenon, the dark and dystopian Severance has broken records as the most-watched series on Apple TV+. Last night, the highly anticipated finale to the second season, called "Cold Harbor," dropped at 9 p.m. ET.
The Emmy-winning series follows Mark Scout (known as Mark S. on the severed floor, and played by Adam Scott) as he leads a team at Lumon Industries, where the employees have undergone what they call a severance procedure. The severing surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives, or their innies and outies.
Their inherently innocent innies work on seemingly mundane projects kept secret even from them at the cult-like Lumon, which was founded by the god-like Kier Eagen. Meanwhile, their flawed outies remain unaware of what goes on during their nine-to-fives.
The show has touched a nerve with viewers who appreciate its take on compartmentalization, work-life balance, ethics, bodily autonomy and identity.
For many, part of the show's irresistible draw is trying to piece together its meaning and mysteries (and there are many). Theories and conspiracies abound on TikTok and in online reviews, ranging from multiple timelines to innie/outie pregnancies to the real meaning of the goats.
And last night, we finally got (some) answers.
Here's what we now know about the inner workings of Lumon Industries.
Warning: Seriously, folks. Spoilers. Don't say we didn't warn you.
What's the meaning of the data?
The biggest reveal came from Harmony Cobel, played by Patricia Arquette, when she finally tells innie Mark S. the meaning of the data he's been refining for two years. The numbers were pieces of consciousness for his outie's wife, Gemma (Dichen Lachman).
"The building blocks of her mind," Cobel explains.
Essentially, Mark S. has been creating multiple innies for his outie's dead wife on the testing floor. Yep. Twisted.
This, of course, raises the question: What were the other MDR employees refining? Are they all creating innies, too? For who? Sweet merciful Kier.
WATCH | Bonavista makes an appearance in Severance:
What is Cold Harbor?
We also learn the meaning of Cold Harbor, the name of Mark S.'s final file, as well as the name of the final room Gemma enters on the testing floor.
It's the final test for Gemma after her other innies were tested in an endless loop of dentist appointments and turbulent plane rides. But this test is personal, by triggering her outie's most traumatic memory: losing her pregnancy, and her subsequent struggles with infertility.
In having her disassemble a crib, in the outfit she last wore in the outside world, while one of her and Mark's favourite songs plays in the background, Lumon tests the emotional limits of her severance barriers. Which were holding, by the way, until Mark busted in and convinced her to leave with him.
The theory, then, is that Lumon has been testing severing for the mass market. Ah, capitalism.
Dichen Lachman, who plays Gemma, is seen in an episode from Season 2 of Severance. (Apple TV+)
Why... the goats?
I mean, why not the goats? But yes, many fans have been bewildered by the appearance of goats on the severed floor. Even more so this season, after stumbling into Lumon's creepy Mammalians Nurturable Department. Which is, essentially, an indoor field of goats and their oddball goat caregivers.
In Cold Harbor, Lorne (Gwendoline Christie) wheels a particularly cute baby goat to a room near the exports hall to be sacrificed. And thus, their biblically dark meaning is revealed.
The mystery of the Lumon goats is finally revealed in Cold Harbor. Here, we see the Mammalians Nurturable Department. (Apple TV+)
"This beast will be entombed with a cherished woman whose spirit it must guide to Kier's door. Is it up to the task?" asks Drummond (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson) as he loads a gun.
Luckily, before the little baby goat can be committed to Kier, they're interrupted by Mark S. awkwardly trying to bust in a door across the hall. An epic fight scene ensues, hearkening to Christie's Game of Thrones she-warrior brute strength as Brienne of Tarth. Get him, Brienne! Save Mark S. and Emile!
Gwendoline Christie, who plays department head Lorne, goes full Brienne of Tarth to save Mark S. (and Emile) in Severance's Season 2 finale. (Apple TV+)
Our favourite moment
We have three words, and three words only: Choreography and Merriment.
OK, we lied, we have many more words. Turns out, there is an entire severed department whose sole purpose is to entertain. And they formed a marching band. Then, performed in a scene so masterfully filmed (cameras on the drums! That timing with Gemma on the testing floor! Helly darting around them! Dylan G.! An innie rebellion!) that we laughed out loud multiple times while also nervously clenching our chest from the tension.
WATCH | Introducing Choreography and Merriment:
In some ways, the scene seemed designed specifically for the diehard fans who have been sharing memes and gifs of Milchick's (Tramell Tillman) unhinged dance moves from Season 1's "music dance experience" for years. A little "we see you and we thank you" moment. And we appreciate it.
This scene was perfect in every way. No notes.
As a runner-up moment, we must acknowledge Dylan G. (Zack Cherry) for his one-liner when Milchick finally escapes from the bathroom: "F--- you.... Mr. Milchick."
A gentleman, always.
Zach Cherry and Tramell Tillman are seen in the Severance Season 2 finale. Cherry delivers one of the best lines in the episode, when Tillman's character finally escapes the bathroom. (Apple TV+)
Now what?
First, we may never recover from the absolute heartache and dissonance of watching outie Mark find innie Gemma, outie Mark and outie Gemma reunite, innie Mark help innie Gemma escape, and outie Gemma plead with innie Mark to join her. In quick succession. Please, just give this duo an Emmy.
But as innie Mark chooses Helly R., and the episode ends with them running back into Lumon together as Gemma wails on the other side of the door, we have to wonder: where.... are they even going? Are they just going to hide out in the labyrinth of the halls and hope no one finds them? Have they thought this through?
Lower, who plays Helly R., appears just as Mark S. seems about to escape with his outie's wife, Gemma. No one knows who to cheer for in this love hexagon. (Apple TV+)
And what happens to Gemma now? Can't Lumon just find her and bring her back? Is Milchick on Team Lumon or Team Innie?
Will we ever see Irving again?
In some ways, we have more questions now than answers. But luckily....
Season 3 is confirmed
Cue the choreography and merriment!
Apple TV+ confirmed today that they have renewed the show for a third season.
"Making Severance has been one of the most creatively exciting experiences I've ever been a part of," said executive producer and director Ben Stiller in a news release. "While I have no memory of this, I'm told making season three will be equally enjoyable, though any recollection of these future events will be forever and irrevocably wiped from my memory as well."
And it looks like fans won't have to wait three years this time.
"No, no, the plan is not [to take that long]," Stiller said in the latest episode of the New Heights podcast, after Travis Kelce asked the question.
Praise Kier.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘Wallace & Gromit' Studio Aardman Partners With France's Foliascope On Cross-Border Stop-Motion Training Program
Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep animation studio Aardman is joining forces with France's Foliascope and training expert Rhinoceros to launch a cross-studio training initiative in France and the UK to advance the skills of professional stop-motion animators. Oscar-winning Bristol-based studio Aardman and Foliascope, the credits of which include features such as Leonardo da Vinci biopic The Inventor, host some of the largest and most advanced stop-motion sets in Europe and are currently expanding their production slates. More from Deadline Annecy Revs Up For 2025 Edition; Kicking Off With Michel Gondry & Matt Groening Honors & Shorts Selection Featuring New 'Stars Wars: Visions' Title Gkids Takes North America For Cannes & Annecy Title 'Little Amélie Or The Character Of Rain' Nickelodeon Acquires Animated Kids' Show 'Mr. Crocodile' From Joann Sfar's Magical Society & Mediawan Per a release announcing the program, the partners recognizing their need for highly skilled animators, decided to work with Rhinoceros to offer the cross-border program. The four-week intensive course will begin with two weeks at Foliascope Studio in France, followed by two weeks at Aardman's training facility, the Aardman Academy in the UK. The training will focus on enhancing animation technique, speed, character performance, and expressivity—preparing participants to contribute to upcoming stop-motion feature productions. Applications for the training program open in September 2025, with the course scheduled to take place in March 2026. The training is fully funded for eight selected animators, with support from AFDAS, France Travail Scène et Image, and the participating studios. 'The Aardman Academy has existed for over 20 years training, nurturing and inspiring new talent,' said Rachel Plant, producer at the Aardman Academy. 'We are delighted to be partnering with Foliascope and Rhinoceros with this new course to inspire the next generation of animators Interested animators can apply via the Rhinoceros website.' The partners will be presenting the new program in a session a the upcoming Annecy International Film Festival next week. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
UK Filmmaker Joanna Quinn Dedicates Annecy Honor To Gaza Animator Haneen Koraz
UK filmmaker Joanna Quinn paid tribute to Gaza animator Haneen Koraz as she received the Annecy International Animation Film Festival's Honorary Cristal at its opening ceremony on Sunday evening. The Bafta-winning and three-time Oscar-nominated The Canterbury Tales and Affairs of the Art director praised Koraz's work in the Gaza Strip spearheading women-run animation workshops for children. More from Deadline UK Comedian Dawn French Apologizes For "Clumsy Tone In One-Sided Gaza Video" Goodfellas Racks Up Sales On Annecy-Bound 'Little Amélie', 'Arco' & 'Angel's Egg' 'Wallace & Gromit' Studio Aardman Partners With France's Foliascope On Cross-Border Stop-Motion Training Program 'One day, she'll be stood here, holding one of these, hint, hint,' she continued, referring to her Cristal award. 'Wouldn't it be wonderful if the kids could come here and watch their films.' Quinn's was speaking amid growing international criticism of Israel's military campaign in the Palestinian territory – aimed at annihilating Islamist militant group Hamas in response to its October 7, 2023 attacks and retrieving Israeli hostages – which has left more than 54,000 people dead and the population on the brink of starvation. Speaking to Deadline afterwards at the opening night party, Quinn revealed she has just launched an initiative entitled 'To Gaza, With Love: A Global Anijam', inviting animators and artists from around the world to create 10 to 30-second animated messages of love and support to the Palestinian people. The contributions will be collected in an online interactive map, which Quinn hopes to premiere via livestream in August with the works then touring animation festivals around the world. Sunday night's ceremony also recalled late Gaza artist and photojournalist Fatima Hassouna due to the presence of Iranian-French director Sepideh Farsi in the main feature film jury during alongside composer Pablo Pico (Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds) and György Ráduly, Director of the Film Archive at the National Film Institute Hungary Hungary Following animated feature The Siren, which opened the Berlinale in 2023, Farsi turned to documentary to capture Hassouna's life in her film Put Your Soul On Your Hand And Walk. The film recently played in the ACID line-up in Cannes, having been announced for the parallel section just 24 hours before the young woman was killed in an Israeli airstrike on her home. On a far lighter note, Quinn recalled her first trip to Annecy in 1987 with short Girls Night Out. The work which introduced her signature figure, Welsh housewife Beryl, on a trip to see a male stripper, won the Special Jury Prize. 'I remember 1987 so well. My film was right at the end of the festival. I spent the whole festival looking at people having fun through misty windows, thinking how do I get in? Anyway, I'm in now,' she recalled. Quinn also gave a special mention to her life partner, producer and writer Les Mills. 'Animation is a team effort, so I want to say a big thank you to Les, my partner because we're a team,' she said. Since 1987, Quinn has continued to garner acclaim with subsequent credits including Bafta-winning and Oscar-nominated children's 30-minute film Famous Fred (1997/98), adapted from Posy Simmonds' book about a kitten who becomes a famous singer; Dreams and Desires: Family, which reprised Beryl and won Annecy's Special Jury Prize, and Oscar and Bafta-nominated Affairs of the Art, also featuring Beryl. Commenting on the short compilation of extracts from her films which played prior to her receiving her award, Quinn said ruefully to laughter: 'Animation is so sad – that was my entire life and it only took, what? a minute? And it takes so long.' Breaking with tradition, Annecy opened with five animated short this year rather than a single feature film this year. Canadian Oscar-nominated, stop-motion directorial duo Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, who work under the banner of Clyde Henry Productions, opened the program with charming rags to riches fable The Girl Who Cried Pearls. The pair revealed they had finished the film just six days prior to unveiling it in Annecy. 'We've been here before and it's aways been a super good time, but we've never had the joy to show you a premiere for a film, which we finished on Monday, six days ago,' said Szczerbowski. Further titles in the line-up include 9 Million Colours, an underwater tale of unexpected friendship between a predatory shrimp and vulnerable blind fish, by Czech director Bára Anna Stejskalová; Shinya Ohira's Star Wars: Visions – 'Black', from Japanese anime studio david production, produced by Lucasfilm for Disney+, and French directors Marjorie Caup and Olivier Héraud's Carcassonne-Acapulco about a flight which takes an absurd turn. Bulgarian Oscar-nominated director Theodore Ushev, who won Annecy's Best Short Award in 2020 for he Physics of Sorrow, also returned with timely political allegory Life with an Idiot, adapted from a collection of short stories written by dissident Soviet writer Victor Erofeyev. 'If you follow an imbecile, the chance you'll become an imbecile is very high; if you admire an idiot, your risk of becoming an idiot is very high,' said Ushev. He then apologised to the festival's Artistic Director Marcel Jean, before declaring,'F**k Putin, F**k Trump and F**k Netanyahu' with the audience in the 1000-capacity Grande Salle of the festival's main Bonlieu Theatre venue erupting into applause. Annecy gets into its stride on Monday with sneak peaks of Marvel Animation's Eyes Of Wakanda and Sony Pictures Animation's Goat as well as the world premiere of Andy Serkis' Animal Farm and Competition screenings for Olivia And The Invisible Earthquake, Dandelion's Odyssey, Arco, Little Amélie And The Character Of Rain and The Magnificent Life. Best of Deadline Tony Awards: Every Best Musical Winner Since 1949 Tony Awards: Every Best Play Winner Since 1947 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More

Hypebeast
5 hours ago
- Hypebeast
Jared Leto Accused of Sexual Misconduct by Multiple Women, Including Minors
Summary Oscar-winning actor and musician Jared Leto is facing serious accusations of sexual misconduct from at least nine women, according to a detailed report published byAir Mailon Saturday, June 7, 2025. The allegations describe a pattern of inappropriate behavior spanning over a decade, with some women claiming the incidents occurred when they were underage. The report includes interviews with nine women who describe troubling interactions with the 53-year-old actor. 'It's been an open secret for a long time,' an anonymous woman told the outlet. Among the disturbing allegations are claims that Leto asked sexual questions to a 16-year-old girl, walked out of a room nude in front of a 17-year-old, and exposed himself and masturbated before putting an 18-year-old's hand 'on him.' One woman, a model who was 16 in 2008, recounted meeting Leto at an animal rights event before visiting his studio, where she claims he flirted with her and appeared nude. Another woman stated she was also 16 when Leto approached her at a Los Angeles cafe, and later called her at night with sexually suggestive conversations. These allegations gained renewed attention last month when DJ Allie Teilz reposted a Facebook status from 2012 on her Instagram Stories, accusing Leto of inappropriate behavior when she was 17. She described his actions as 'predatory, terrifying, and unacceptable.' Following her post, Teilz shared over 50 responses from individuals who reported similar experiences, some of whom were reportedly as young as 14 to 16 years old at the time. A representative for Jared Leto has vehemently denied all allegations, asserting that the claims are 'demonstrably false' and that there was 'never any recruiting, complaints, or impropriety.' They have stated that Leto has abstained from drugs and alcohol for over 35 years. As of now, no criminal charges have been filed against Leto, and he has not publicly addressed the allegations himself.