Kier Eagan’s “Four Tempers” In Severance Explained

WARNING! This article contains minor SPOILERS for Severance season 2, episode 4!Among the most important philosophies outlined by Kier Eagan in Severance is the Four Tempers, a framework that Lumon Industries’ founder believed must be “tamed” to achieve a fulfilling life. Throughout season 1, many of the teachings, credos, and beliefs of Kier Eagan are introduced to Severance’s main characters as they work on the severed floor, with Kier being glorified and praised by his fervent believers as somewhat of a messianic figure. Lumon’s employees are expected to act in ways that carry out Kier’s mission long after his death, which includes working to tame the Four Tempers.

Severance continues to highlight the importance of the Four Tempers across various departments in Kier propaganda. When MDR visits Lumon’s Perpetuity Wing in season 1, an audio speech from an animatronic replica of Kier outlines the Four Tempers. Additionally, Optics and Design was involved with the oil painting of Kier Taming the Four Tempers, with Dylan’s Waffle Party including a performance with dancers dressed as the Four Tempers. In Severance season 2, MDR is brought to Woe’s Hollow to learn more about the Four Tempers’ basis in Kier’s life, emphasizing their importance in Lumon’s shady work on the severed floor.

The Four Tempers Are Woe, Frolic, Dread & Malice

Each Temper Is Associated With Different Emotions & Character Representations

According to Kier Eagan, four emotional elements make up a person’s soul, which he calls “tempers.” The tempers he outlined before he died in 1939 are as follows: Woe, Frolic, Dread, and Malice. The Four Tempers are each associated with different emotions and feelings, and are each represented by different archetypal characters in symbolic depictions of the components.

Kier believed that each of these tempers must be overcome and controlled, or “tamed,” in order for a person to gain control over themselves and the world around them. Additionally, he believed each person’s character is defined by the “precise ratio” of Woe, Frolic, Dread, and Malice within them, which is why they must be properly “controlled” – and Lumon Industries doubtlessly has an ideal balance in mind.

Woe

The first of the four emotional frameworks within Kier Eagan’s philosophy of the Four Tempers is Woe. More straightforward, Woe is the temper associated with feelings of sadness and melancholy, which often ties into stories of grief within Severance. The character that represents Woe within Kier’s philosophy is the “Gaunt Bride,” a melancholy woman who is half the size of the average woman and wears a white wedding dress.

The location of Woe’s Hollow in Severance is named after the cave where Kier encountered Woe as a young boy. In Severance season 2, episode 4, Milchick and the deputy manager Miss Huang bring Macrodata Refinement’s Innies outside the office to Woe’s Hollow to teach them about Kier’s experience taming Woe and first encountering the Gaunt Bride.

According to Kier’s story in his Fourth Appendix book, he conquered Woe after the tragic death of his twin brother, Dieter Eagan. While using plenty more euphemisms to describe the situation, Kier’s account suggested that his twin Eagan family member died after masturbating in front of him, with Dieter being punished by brutally becoming the woods around him. Kier walked to the waterfall to “drown out [his] brother’s cries” and encountered “the temper Woe,” who told him that Dieter’s death was his fault because he suffered his “wantonness.”

Frolic

The second temper outlined by Kier Eagan is Frolic, which is associated with frivolousness and joy. Frolic is represented by the smiling jester in Lumon’s depictions of the Four Tempers, and seems to be Kier’s way of teaching others to avoid being too carefree or unserious, otherwise they risk becoming a fool. The concept of Frolic was tied into the story of Dylan’s Innie early in Severance season 1, demonstrated by his focus on Waffle Parties, fun perks and rewards, and frequently making jokes with others in the Macrodata Refinement department.

Dread

The third of Kier Eagan’s Four Tempers is Dread, which is associated with the emotions of fear and anxiety. The icon representing Dread in Kier’s philosophy is an old crone, who is depicted with a scared and nervous expression on her face. In folklore, crones often fall into the archetype of having disagreeable dispositions, but they can also represent women who are valued for their experience and wisdom. Given Lumon’s crone has a terrified expression, it seems Kier uses her to symbolize the dread of aging, change, and novelty.

Malice

The last of the Four Tempers that Kier Eagan believes must be tamed is Malice. Lumon associates the temper of Malice with rage, intentions to harm, and ill will, which the company doubtlessly uses to caution against rebellions like Severance’s “Macrodat Uprising.” Kier uses a ram to represent Malice, arguably the most curious choice for his symbols of the Four Tempers. The exact correlation from Kier’s perspective hasn’t been made clear yet in Severance, but could have something to do with Lumon’s mysterious goat department.

How Kier Eagan’s Four Tempers Are Used In Macrodata Refinement’s Number Sorting

MDR Unknowingly Sorts Number Clusters Into The Four Tempers

While there’s still plenty of speculation about what exactly they’re being used for, the Four Tempers are a component of Macrodata Refinement’s number sorting task. When working on different files, the refiners must sort clusters of numbers based on the feelings that they elicit when looking at them. Early on, Mark describes an example of certain numbers seeming “scary.” The numbers are then sorted into one of four categories in boxes at the bottom of the screen: WO, FC, DR, or MA, each associated with different colors.

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It’s implied that each of these boxes corresponds to one of the Four Tempers. WO (represented by a green bar) corresponds to Woe, FC (the yellow bar) signifies Frolic, DR (the red bar) relates to Dread, and MA (the blue bar) corresponds to Malice. The Macrodata Refiner’s Orientation Booklet included in The Lexington Letter also reveals that WO numbers make a refiner feel melancholy or despair, FC elicits joe, gaiety, or ecstasy, DR evokes fear, anxiety, or apprehension, and MA prompts rage or a desire to do harm.

Therefore, when Mark says that some of the numbers look scary, he’s unknowingly associating them with the temper Dread, though he has no idea what the numbers or their groupings actually mean. While Cobel and Milchick almost certainly know exactly what Macrodata Refinement’s numbers really represent, Severance’s Innies have yet to explicitly put the pieces together that they’re sorted by the Four Tempers.

What’s The Real Purpose Of Macrodata Refinement Sorting Numbers Into The Four Tempers?

What Does It Mean For Lumon’s Experiments On Ms. Casey/Gemma?

Though the Four Tempers are a crucial part of Macrodata Refinement’s job, Lumon’s intentions and the real purpose of the refined data are still mysteries. Some theories speculate that MDR’s numbers are used to refine severed human beings, namely by sorting aspects of their personalities and biology (represented by clusters of numbers) into the Four Tempers until they reach a perfectly even ratio. That theory has also been connected to speculation around the real purpose of Mark’s Cold Harbor file, with some believing it’s being used in Severance to refine Gemma into achieving an “ideal” character in Kier’s eyes.

New episodes of Severance season 2 release Fridays on Apple TV+.

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Severance

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Release Date

February 18, 2022

Showrunner

Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman

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