Apple TV+’s sci-fi series Severance left audiences with more questions than answers at the end of season 1, yet one theory offers an interesting explanation as to what Lumon’s work is really for. Originally released in 2022, Severance is a sci-fi thriller that centers on Lumon, a company where workers are “severed” from themselves, meaning they have a work self and a life self, neither of whom can see the other. A group of workers, led by Adam Scott’s Mark, begin to unravel the dark secrets Lumon is hiding beneath their sleek exterior.
One big question that lingers over Severance season 1 is what Mark, Helly, Irving, and Dylan are actually working on. Viewers see their computers and the strange sorting they must do, but no one can offer a true explanation as to what it all means. This is a question that seems to haunt Helly throughout the season, and thus, haunts audiences as well. Presumably, Lumon’s work will be another huge twist in Severance season 2 or beyond, but that doesn’t mean that early theories can’t be posited about what Lumon’s true goal is.
Lumon’s Macrodata Refinement Is Meant To Bring Kier Eagan Back To Life
Kier Eagan’s Role In Severance Explained
One popular theory about Lumon’s macrodata refinement is that it is being used to resurrect Kier Eagan. In Severance season 1, audiences learn that Eagan was the founder of Lumon Industries. Born in 1841, Eagan was an ill child (due to his parents’ close biological relationship) but showed an impressive work ethic that ultimately led to his founding of Lumon. Though Lumon began as a regular pharmaceutical company, it eventually expanded into the futuristic and secretive organization that it is in Severance’s present day. Although Eagan died in the 1930s, his legacy is overwhlemingly felt by Lumon’s employees.
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Considering Eagan’s godlike status within Lumon, it would make sense that the company is trying to bring him back to life. This could have been Eagan’s goal for his company all along. Since he suffered from chronic illnesses his whole life, perhaps he wanted to form a company that could not only fix his diseases, but bring him back from the dead. That would explain why Eagan is not just a long-forgotten figure, but someone to be praised and quoted. Plus, Lumon’s severed workers would be perfect candidates to do this work because they wouldn’t be able to tell anyone.
Restoring Someone’s Consciousness Wouldn’t Be Impossible In Severance’s Universe
What Severance Has Already Set Up
The idea of resurrecting someone isn’t that far-fetched in the world of Severance. Thus far, audiences have been shown that individuals can have their consciousness severed into two different parts, which means that Lumon has an enhanced sense of how the brain works. They essentially get to pick and choose which consciousness is present in a person’s body. Therefore, it doesn’t seem so crazy that Lumon could collect a person’s consciousness and implant it into a new body. However, that begs the question: where is Kier Eagan’s consciousness being kept?
Severance
season 2 is premiering on January 17, 2025.
This theory is also supported by other major Severance mysteries and storylines. For example, Helly is the daughter of Lumon’s CEO, and she allows herself to be severed as a show of loyalty to the company. Yet, perhaps Helly undergoing severance is part of the plan to resurrect Eagan because they share the same bloodline. On top of that, one of Severance’s biggest unanswered questions centers on the company’s goats. There’s a chance that the goats are test subjects for Lumon’s resurrection technology. Of course, this is all speculation, but it is riveting nonetheless.
Mark’s Wife May Have Been A Test Subject For Lumon’s Resurrection Experiments
Why Did Lumon Choose Mark’s Wife
One final connection that the resurrection theory creates is between Lumon and Mark’s wife. At the end of Severance season 1, Mark discovers that his dead wife is alive within Lumon as the wellness counselor, Ms. Casey. This raises questions about how Mark’s wife died and how she could possibly still exist in Lumon. If the resurrection theory is true, there’s a chance that Lumon brought Mark’s wife back from the dead in order to test their technology, not realizing that Mark would eventually figure out what they had done.
The idea that Lumon resurrected Mark’s wife makes sense, but the why and how are still massive question marks.
The big question that comes out of this theory is why Lumon chose Mark’s wife to be resurrected. Arguably, she would have had to be a Lumon worker before her death so that her consciousness could be severed. Yet, if that was the case, Mark likely would have known that she was the wellness counselor, and choosing to work for Lumon might have been difficult following her death. The idea that Lumon resurrected Mark’s wife makes sense, but the why and how are still massive question marks. Hopefully, Severance can offer more clarity in season 2 and later installments.
Should Severance Season 2 Reveal What The Macrodata Department Really Does?
Severance Benefits From Being A Slow Burn
So, the question remains: should Severance finally reveal what the macrodata department does in Severance season 2? The answer is up to interpretation. While audiences are definitely desperate to understand the countless mysteries in Severance, it may be too early for the show to reveal all its cards. If revealing what the macrodata department does is important to season 2’s story, then the show should definitely let audiences in. However, if the answer can wait, then perhaps it would make the story better to hold the mystery out for a little bit longer.
Arguably, a major strength of Severance is its withholding of information. Audiences are already thrown into the deep end of this futuristic world, so Severance’s many questions create an even bigger puzzle. Severance season 1 offered just enough information to keep audiences satisfied, but still in the dark. In some ways, it may be beneficial for Severance season 2 to do the same. Viewers may enjoy these reveals more if they feel like they’ve earned them, rather than being handed the answers. Either way, Severance season 2 has a lot of explaining to do, whether it is about resurrection or not.
From director and executive producer Ben Stiller and creator Dan Erickson comes “Severance.” Mark Scout (Adam Scott) leads a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a severance procedure, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in “work-life balance” is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and himself.
- Release Date
- February 18, 2022
- Seasons
- 1
- Streaming Service(s)
- Apple TV+
- Writers
- Dan Erickson
- Showrunner
- Dan Erickson , Mark Friedman
