The Severance Season 2 trailer finally told us what happened after Season 1's gnarly cliffhanger — but it also left us with a ton more questions. To be fair, I wouldn't expect anything less. Would Severance really be Severance without several delicious mysteries to pick through?
From Lumon's dubious claims of "severance reform" to a surprise field trip, we've broken down the 12 biggest questions we have from the Severance Season 2 trailer. We hope you enjoy each of these questions equally.
1. So "severance reform" is a total lie, right?
At the end of Severance Season 1, Innies Mark S. (Adam Scott), Helly R. (Britt Lower), Irving B. (John Turturro), and Dylan G. (Zach Cherry) made their way into the outside world using Lumon's overtime contingency. Lumon switched them back, but not before the Innies could do some damage. Most came courtesy of Helly R., whose Outie is Helena Eagan, daughter of Lumon's current CEO. Helly R. took the stage at a Lumon gala and revealed how the company basically tortures the Innies. There's no way Lumon doesn't punish her and the rest of the Innies after that, right?
Yet the Season 2 trailer says otherwise. For starters, the whole team is back together, unharmed. And apparently, they've pushed Lumon to better its treatment of severed workers.
"What you all did was one of the most painful moments in the history of this company," manager Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman) tells Mark. "But the four of you have become known as the face of severance reform."
He even hands Mark a copy of a newspaper — The Kier Chronicle — as proof. The front page shows an image of the MDR team riding in a parade in their honor. But let's be honest, that image has been doctored to hell and back. For starters, the actual photo of the ticker tape parade comes from President Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1960 visit to Rio de Janeiro. Just look:
Meanwhile, the photo of the severed employees comes from the image Milchick took of the MDR team on Helly's very first day. I'd recognize those poses anywhere!
So why is Milchick lying about severance reform in the outside world? Is he trying to assuage the MDR team and make them think they're being heard? That seems like a whole lot of effort for employees you can just fire. After all, Lumon's done worse for less — think of Burt's (Chrisopher Walken) forced retirement from Season 1. Why, then, are Mark, Helly, Irving, and Dylan so important they can't just be fired for their indiscretions?
2. I ask again: What does macrodata refinement (MDR) really do?
The Season 2 trailer introduces several new cast members, including Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as a Lumon employee who delivers the ominous line, "Their work will be remembered as one of the greatest moments of this planet."
So what is that work? Why is it so momentous? And how does sorting numbers into boxes have such a great impact on this planet?
My best guess is that the work has something to do with resurrection. As we learned in Season 1, Mark's Outie's late wife Gemma was somehow brought back to life as Lumon wellness counselor Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman). Could the great work MDR is doing somehow involve cheating death?
3. How will Mark free Ms. Casey?
Innie Mark reveals to his team that Gemma is Ms. Casey and that he wants to try to free her from Lumon. I'm all for this being the big mission of the season, but the logistics are already stressing me out. Even if they do find her, how will they get her out of this very secure building? And do they really think Mr. Milchick won't notice the missing posters they've made? If they get caught, I bet those so-called severance reforms will disappear, lickety-split.
Last we saw, Ms. Casey was sent to the mysterious testing floor — the elevator to which Irving's Outie has been painting obsessively for who knows how long. Now that his Innie knows about the paintings from his time outside Lumon, maybe he'll at least be able to help Mark find them. Then we could find out what goes on down there. (I'm guessing nothing good.)
4. Will we get more Outie action beyond Mark?
Last season focused almost entirely on Mark's Outie's life, but based on the Season 2 trailer, it looks like we'll be getting more of Helly and Irving's Outies. How will Helena Eagan cope with being the face of a company disaster? By rewatching security footage of Helly and Mark's kiss, apparently. Seems healthy.
Meanwhile, Irving's Outie looks to be making some secretive phone calls — but who is he contacting? Could it be Burt, who pops up briefly in the trailer? Given that Irving's Innie showed up to Burt's place in the Season 1 finale, it seems like the pair's Outies could be connecting.
The trailer doesn't show us what Dylan G.'s Outie is up to, but here's hoping we see some of the family he learned he had in Season 1.
5. Is Irving retiring?
One of the strangest shots from Severance's Season 2 trailer is this snapshot of a watermelon carved to look like Irving's face. Could this celebratory fruit concoction be part of a retirement party for Irving? It does have the same festive, yet foreboding vibes of Burt's retirement party from Season 1.
As someone who desperately doesn't want to see Irving retire, though, I'll offer up another option. Maybe this is an upgraded perk for MDR employees, like the melon bar or waffle party. (Hopefully one of the fake severance reforms is getting rid of the waffle parties because nothing says unsafe work environment like company-mandated, breakfast-themed orgies.)
6. Is reintegration on the table this season?
Blink and you'll miss a familiar face from Severance Season 1 in the trailer, that of ex-Lumon scientist Reghabi (Karen Aldridge). Reghabi pioneered the reintegration procedure, which merges Innies and Outies. However, as we saw with Petey (Yul Vazquez), reintegration can be fatal.
Reghabi's presence in the trailer means that we may see more reintegration this season — perhaps this time on one of the core MDR employees. The leading candidate is Mark, as he already knows about reintegration. Plus, there are some shots in the trailer of Mark walking around Lumon in his outside clothes, suggesting that he's recalling some of Innie Marks' memories.
I won't rule the other Outies out for reintegration just yet, though, especially Irving. Could his mysterious phone calls be to Reghabi?
8. What is this light box?
One of the most intriguing moments from the Severance Season 2 trailer is Outie Mark staring into a light with the words, "who is alive?" written on it. The phrase has to be tied to Innie Mark screaming "She's alive!" after he saw Mark and Gemma's wedding photo. Maybe he's looking for confirmation that he was actually talking about Gemma? But what does the light have to do with it? Is he trying to jog his memory? Communicate with his Innie?
9. Why are the Innies outside?
Another intriguing trailer moment: The Innies are back outside, only this time they're trudging through a winter wonderland in matching black fur coats and hats. Vanity Fair described the moment as a "field trip" for MDR — but why take the Innies on a field trip in the first place? Is this another example of Lumon's attempted reforms? Couldn't they have taken them somewhere more relaxing, like a spa?
10. Will we get closure on the goats this season?
Good news: We're getting more goats in Severance Season 2. Even better news: The goats get a revamped goat room all to themselves, complete with sprawling grass hills, a bunch of herders, and even a man dressed as a black goat.
Also in the goat room? Gwendoline Christie (The Sandman, Game of Thrones), who is joining the cast as what looks like a key member of the goat department. Maybe she can tell Mark and Helly just what Lumon is doing with the goats. Probably something deeply sinister, but no biggie.
11. Who are the new severed employees?
Other new cast members we meet in the Severance Season 2 trailer are Alia Shawkat, Bob Balaban, and Stefano Carannante, who are playing new arrivals to MDR. How will they fit in with Mark, Helly, Irving, and Dylan? What are their thoughts on MDR's excursion to the outside world? And most importantly of all, can they be trusted?
12. Who is Miss Huang and why is she a child?
Without a doubt, the strangest new character we meet in the Severance Season 2 trailer is Miss Huang (Sarah Bock), the severed floor's new deputy manager. She's also just a kid — the only kid at Lumon. (Well, besides the baby goats.)
So why is Miss Huang at Lumon in the first place? Is this part of some twisted new Lumon experience? A very ambitious school extracurricular? Whatever it is, I need someone to get Miss Huang out of there and give her a normal childhood!
Severance Season 2 premieres Jan. 17 on AppleTV+.
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