My SEVERENCE Theories up to S2E9
I believe that Lumon is working on a grand experiment to recreate a living, breathing replica of Keir Eagan. They are experimenting on cloned test subjects first to refine the process and then plan to use the process on one of Keir’s ancestors.
To lay out my theories, here are my subjective theories of facts. (Caution: possible spoilers)
· Gemma is a clone.
o I believe that Lumon has been cloning a person that they created in a lab and Gemma is the 7th iteration or clone of this person. Why 7th? I believe that each clone follows an alpha naming scheme. G is the 7th letter of the alphabet.
o The clones are developed over the years to become test subjects put out into the real world to ultimately find a partner who is ideal for the grand experiment.
o Gemma is the 7th clone, but only the 3rd clone to get to the severance floor testing stage of the grand experiment and referred to as Ms. Casey. C being the 3rd letter of the alphabet.
o The goats are results from tests Lumon is performing to further refine the cloning process.
· Miss Huang is the 5th clone.
o She is named Eustice because E is the 5th letter of the alphabet.
o While being the 5th clone, she was removed from storage or “cold harbor” more recently than Gemma.
o She is the 8th clone to get to the severance floor testing stage of the grand experiment and referred to as Miss Huang. H being the 8th letter of the alphabet.
o Her time on the severance floor was a failure and proven to be when she apologized to Dylan G. She received her Wintertide Fellowship award early due to this to remove her from the severed floor. She is being sent to Gunnel Eagan Empathy Center in Svalbard and being placed back in storage or “cold harbor”.
o Svalbard is currently home to the global seed vault. It is intended to safeguard the seeds of the world’s food plants in the event of a global crisis. The site was chosen for its cold conditions and permafrost, which would help preserve the seeds in the event the vault’s cooling systems failed. Something like this is perfect for the future for storing human clones.
o Svalbard is also a large research location. Some research done there is, but not limited to, CRISPR stem cells, RNA, DNA, gene therapy and more. The natural evolution of this research could realistically lead to cloning humans in the fictional future of Severance.
· Mark was the perfect specimen.
o Mark was Gemma’s emotional equal. By pairing them up, it allowed Mark to mirror Gemma’s emotions and personality. It is possible Mark is a clone too, but I think this is unlikely. However, they are literally made for each other.
o Once Gemma became pregnant, it triggered two things. 1) Gemma and Mark’s relationship and symbiotic nature were solidified, proving it was time to take Gemma back to the severed floor to start the final stages of the grand experiment. Had to force her miscarriage so she could go through the emotional turmoil of loss. 2) In taking her back to the severed floor, they had to “kill” her to get Mark to that same level of grief due to loss she was at. Hence, the car accident.
o Mark S’s job on the severed floor is refining data, but that data is him and his team erasing all the emotional parts of Gemma to get her to become the perfect human specimen to complete the grand experiment.
o Mark was never truly in love with Gemma. It was all a chemistry connection that was biologically engineered to have that symbiotic emotional connection and was perceived as love.
· The data refining team all represent fears of the original person that Gemma was cloned from.
o Mark is her emotional and equal personality. He is refining out the data that is related to all her negative emotions and personality traits.
o Gemma is afraid of drowning as is Helena Eagan. Most likely other fears are similar as well. Helly R. is refining out the data related to these fears.
o Dylan is insecure, quick to give up, and is prone to failure. He is refining out the data that represents these in Gemma. He is a happy go lucky personality as well. He is refining data to preserve those traits in Gemma.
o Irving is untrusting and has the personality of a conspiracy theorist. He is easily distracted by his concerns and is quick to anger. He is also one that looks for good and happiness He is refining out the data that represents the untrusting and conspiratorial traits in Gemma.
o They are the four tempers tamed by Keir.
§ WOE – Mark S.
§ FROLIC – Dylan G.
§ DREAD – Helly R.
§ MALICE – Irving B.
· Irving is a spy and informant for James Eagan.
o James has been the one to be used to create the perfect replica of Keir once the process is refined and perfected through the experiment testing. However, at his advanced age, the board decided to move on to the newest descendant of Keir, Helena.
o James sent Irving to the severed floor to be his eyes and ears on what was happening, because he knew that with the board’s decision, Helena would be sent to the severed floor at some point.
· Cold Harbor is where clones are created and stored.
o In S2E9, when Harmony Cobel is sneaking Mark to the cabin, she says code phrases to the security guard at the gate.
Cobel: “We’re going to cottage five.”
Guard: “I don’t have anyone scheduled.”
Cobel: “She’s one of Jame’s. No one’s to know… Miss Marsha White, ninth floor.”
Guard: “Specialties Department.”
Cobel: “I’m looking for a gold thimble.”
o This is a reference to a 1960 episode of Twilight Zone called “The After Hours”, which is also the title of season 2 episode 9 of Severance.
§ Marsha White is looking for a gold thimble as a gift for her mother. She can't find it anywhere in the store and an elevator operator suggests she try the 9th floor. She arrives there to find it abandoned but a salesclerk suddenly appears and has just what she is looking for. On the way back down to the main floor, she realizes the thimble she bought is scratched and goes to the complaints department where she is told there is no 9th floor in the building. She is shocked however to see a mannequin that looks just like the woman who served her. A return to the absent floor reveals the floor is storage for mannequins. She sees a mannequin that is the salesclerk that sold her the gold thimble.
§ I believe that Harmony’s code phrase reference here is analogue to “Cold Harbor”, or where the clones are stored.
· The grand experiment is to refine a person’s personality traits to mirror Keir and to create the perfect worker and soldier for Lumon.
o Research to do this has been conducted with every descending generation of the Eagan family.
§ Bastard children of Eagan’s are born at the cabin and take to cold storage research facility to be raised. The mother is killed after the birth. The children are not given who they are until it is determined they are a fit to become a candidate for the second coming of Keir. Most recently chosen was Helena. She was given false memories of her upbringing as James’ daughter. She was most likely his daughter, but if not, she was a bastard child of one of the Eagans.
o Harmony Cobel’s research was a huge step forward for the project.
§ She is not credited with creating the theories and process for severing and refining a personality, but we learned she did, and the Eagans appropriated the ideas for themselves.
o Gemma is the first clone to get as far as the data refinement stages of the testing. She will go through several “rooms” as a different severed personality to provide data on certain emotions and experiences. Each room has corresponding data files that are projects that MDR is working on. Each project helps set up parameters for the next room. The final room is “Cold Harbor” which is MDR’s current project. Once that is complete and Gemma goes to that room, she will be sent back to “Cold Harbor” (storage or possibly death).
o Once the testing is complete and the process perfected, Helena will go through the process to unlock her inner Keir and become his second coming.
o This process will also allow Lumon to create severance chips that eventually will create an army of perfect Keir-like workers/soldiers for Lumon.
While I have other pieces of these theories, I could go on about, this was the bulk of my thoughts. What do you think?