Severance Season 2’s Ending (& How It Sets Up Season 3), Explained

Warning: The following article contains major spoilers for Severance Season 2, Episode 10, “Cold Harbor.”

Severance just wrapped up its second season, resolving several of the Apple TV+ sci-fi psychological thriller’s long-running mysteries – and introducing several new ones. It’s a lot to process, so below, we’ve unpacked the plot key beats from Severance Season 2’s ending, including how it sets up Season 3!

What Is Cold Harbor?

Severance Season 2, Episode 10 finally, finally reveals what Cold Harbor is – and, by extension, the purpose of Mark S.’s work at Lumon Industries. It turns out that a popular fan theory was more or less right: the numbers Mark was sorting through during his shifts in the Macrodata Refinement department correspond to the four tempers – Woe, Frolic, Dread, and Malice – Lumon founder Kier Eagan believed the soul is made up of.

What’s more, the tempers Mark has been mapping belong to his wife, Gemma, who Lumon has effectively held prisoner in the bowels of its corporate HQ. Each “file” Mark created at MDR generated a new innie identity for Gemma. Cold Harbor represented the 25th and final of these identities, and was seemingly designed to suppress the grief Gemma’s outie carries over her and Mark’s inability to conceive.

Why? That’s still unclear. But Lumon could certainly make a lot of money selling a chip that removed people’s heartbreak. Episode 10 alludes to this when it describes Kier’s mission as ridding the world of pain. Presumably, Severance Season 3 will dig into Cold Harbor’s practical applications further.

What Does Jame Eagan Want With Helly?

In one of the creepier moments in Severance Season 2’s finale, Lumon CEO Jame Eagan pays Helly R. a visit at the MDR department. Jame reveals to Helly that he doesn’t love her outie (and his daughter) Helena, as he no longer “sees Kier” in her. He does, however, sense the Lumon founder’s spirit in Helly.

As Helly herself later observes, it’s all very cryptic. Does Jame want to somehow replace Helena with Helly in the outside world? We know that’s possible; it’s basically the reverse of Helena masquerading as Helly in Season 2’s first four entries. Either way, the big takeaway for now is that Jame clearly has plans for Helly’s future in Season 3.

Related: Ben Stiller Battled Apple to Cast Severance’s Lead Actor

Why Does Lumon Sacrifice Goats?

If Cold Harbor’s purpose is the biggest reveal of Severance Season 2’s ending, then finding out what Lumon does with the goats it breeds is a close second. Again, a widely circulated fan theory is broadly on the money here: Lumon does indeed slaughter the adorable little critters as a form of ritual sacrifice.

In this case, the goat Lorne brings Mr. Drummond is meant to die alongside Gemma once Cold Harbor is successfully completed. It’s yet another example of the strange, quasi-religious element Lumon injects into both its scientific pursuits and corporate practices (see also: Mr. Milchick forcing Miss Huang to smash her game in Season 2, Episode 9).

What Will Happen to the Severed Floor Now?

This is maybe the biggest unanswered question of them all. After all, Lumon’s plans for the severed floor are now in tatters. Cold Harbor is a bust, Gemma is free, and it’s hard to imagine Mark, Helly, and Dylan G. returning to business as usual after their open rebellion. And let’s not forget, they also involved the Mammalians Nurturable and Choreography & Merriment departments in their uprising. Basically, Lumon’s lost control of the floor.

So, how will the company respond in Severance Season 3? It’s possible they’ll terminate all the innies. Dr. Mauer hints at this, when he screams that “he” (presumably meaning Jame Eagan) will “kill them all” as Mark and Gemma make their escape. If so, Jame will likely spare Helly, given his apparent designs for her future. But as for Mark and the rest? We’ll have to wait and see!

Why Does Mark Choose Helly (& Where Are They Going)?

As heavily implied in Episode 10 (and confirmed in the accompanying behind-the-scenes featurette), Mark S. picks Helly over Gemma because he only has romantic feelings for Helly. And where are the lovebirds running to? According to Severance creator Dan Erickson in the featurette, not even they know! But long-term, Mark and Helly need a way out of Lumon that doesn’t involve reverting to their outie forms, so expect that to be a major plot point in Season 3.

Related: Severance Season 2: What Do Mr. Milchick’s Paintings Mean in Episode 3?

Is There a Post-Credits Scene?

No, Severance Season 2, Episode 10 doesn’t have a post-credits scene. This tracks with Season 1, which also didn’t include any bonus material with its finale’s credits. But (as noted above), there is a short behind-the-scenes featurette after Episode 10’s credits, so anyone keen for more insight into the second season’s ending should check that out.

All 10 episodes of Severance Season 2 are currently streaming on Apple TV+.