The Mystery of Gemma in Severance Deepens: What Is Lumon Really Up To?

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Episode 7 of Severance Season 2.

The long-awaited Gemma-centric episode of Severance has finally arrived, offering jaw-dropping revelations while leaving us with even more questions. Episode 7, titled Chikhai Bardo, delves deeper into the unsettling truth behind Lumon’s experiments, especially the bizarre and tragic fate of Gemma (Dichen Lachman). But what exactly is happening to her, and what does this mean for Mark (Adam Scott) and the broader mysteries of Lumon?

Unraveling Gemma’s Past and Lumon’s Influence

The episode opens with a flashback showing Mark and Gemma’s first meeting at a Ganz College blood drive, hinting that Lumon’s involvement in their lives predates their time at the company. Mark, a history professor specializing in World War I, and Gemma, a Russian literature professor, bond over grading papers. Their respective essay topics—drug use among WWI soldiers and religious conversion in Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich—subtly foreshadow the themes of identity, transformation, and suffering that now define their fates.

Adding to the unease, the blood drive’s medical equipment bears Lumon’s waterdrop symbol, suggesting that the corporation has been orchestrating events in their lives far longer than either realizes. Was Mark drawn into this nightmare because of his connection to Gemma, or was it the other way around?

Gemma’s Torturous Existence on the Testing Floor

We previously saw Gemma’s innie persona, Ms. Casey, being sent to a lower level of Lumon via the Exports Hall elevator. Now, we learn that there isn’t just one innie version of Gemma—there are multiple, each confined to a different testing room, experiencing a specific and horrifying task whenever her outie self enters. These grueling experiments include enduring extreme turbulence simulations, agonizing dental procedures, and even writing Christmas thank-you notes to the point of hand-cramping exhaustion.

Her outie, unaware of the full extent of her suffering, confides in Dr. Mauer (Robby Benson), her supposed Lumon handler. She admits she never remembers what happens in those rooms, but the lingering physical pain suggests her body does. When she asks about Cold Harbor, the only room she has yet to enter, Dr. Mauer ominously tells her: “You will see the world again, and the world will see you.”

Is this room the key to her escape, or the final step in a larger experiment?

Clues That Lumon Has Been Manipulating Mark and Gemma’s Relationship

The flashbacks suggest that Lumon didn’t just recruit Mark and Gemma—it may have been controlling their relationship from the very beginning. A pivotal scene shows the couple at a fertility clinic after a heartbreaking miscarriage. Shockingly, Dr. Mauer appears in this moment, implying his involvement in their most intimate and painful experiences. Even more unsettling, small details from their marriage—like Mark teasing Gemma about hating to write thank-you notes—mirror her torment on the testing floor. Has Lumon been orchestrating their lives to break them down for some greater purpose?

Another cryptic scene shows Gemma contemplating a tarot-like card depicting Chikhai Bardo, a Buddhist concept representing ego death and the transition between life and death. Could this be foreshadowing her ultimate fate? Is Lumon using her as a human test subject to push severance beyond its known limits?

What Is Cold Harbor—and What Does Lumon Want?

Throughout the episode, we see rooms named after historic battles—Allentown, Rhodes, Wellington, and now Cold Harbor. This is no coincidence. The Battle of Cold Harbor was a brutal and lopsided Civil War fight, remembered for its staggering loss of life. What could Lumon’s endgame be?

A prevailing theory suggests that Lumon is striving to perfect a workforce of emotionless, obedient innies—corporate slaves without fear, anger, or sorrow. The macrodata refiners have long sorted numbers based on emotions: despair (WO), joy (FC), fear (DR), and rage (MA). Could MDR be refining severance itself, working toward erasing emotions entirely?

Fan theories go even further. Some speculate that by forcing Mark and Gemma—two people with a profound emotional connection—into Lumon’s severed state, the company is testing whether love can be severed. If Cold Harbor represents the ultimate test of emotional erasure, is Mark’s reintegration preventing the experiment from succeeding? Could his love for Gemma be the one thing Lumon can’t control?

Severed Soldiers? The Ultimate Corporate Nightmare

If Lumon’s goal is to create unfeeling, conscienceless workers, the implications are chilling. A Severance-related companion book, The Lexington Letter, suggests that refiners’ work directly affects real-world events—potentially even causing acts of corporate sabotage or warfare. Is Lumon building an army of emotionless soldiers, trained to execute orders without hesitation?

Mark and Gemma’s connection seems to be a critical variable in Lumon’s twisted experiment. The fact that Ms. Casey, despite her severance, almost remembers Mark suggests that love might be the one force severance can’t erase. If that’s the case, Lumon has a serious problem—because emotions, no matter how deeply buried, have a way of breaking through.

Final Thoughts: What’s Next for Mark and Gemma?

Episode 7 has left us with more questions than answers, but one thing is clear: Lumon’s experiments are far darker and more insidious than we ever imagined. With Mark unknowingly obstructing Cold Harbor’s completion, and Gemma inching closer to uncovering the truth, the stakes have never been higher.

Can love defy severance? Or will Lumon succeed in creating the perfect emotionless workforce? One thing’s for sure—Severance is only getting more mind-bending from here.

Stay tuned for more breakdowns and theories as we unravel the mysteries of Severance Season 2.

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