Severance Season 2 Episode 1's Ending Might Have Confirmed One Fascinating Theory About Macrodata Refinement's Real Role At Lumon

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Severance season 2’s episode 1.

Severance season 2 episode 1’s ending features a cryptic scene that seems to confirm one plausible theory about what the MDR department does at Lumon. Like its predecessor, Severance season 2 starts slowly and gradually builds its overarching tension by walking through the aftermath of season 1’s Overtime Contingency incident. In its early moments, the episode highlights how only Mark has agreed to return to the Lumon office to continue his work.

However, at Mark’s request, the Board agrees to bring his old team back, marking Helly, Irving, and Dylan’s return. With what follows, the episode unfolds all the new changes Lumon has introduced to enhance Mark and the other MDR workers’ experience as innies. However, as the episode’s ending confirms, nothing is as it seems, and the true nature of the Macrodata Refinement department’s job in Severance is way darker than Mark realizes.

Severance Season 2’s Episode 1 Seemingly Confirms Mark’s MDR Role & Numbers Have Something To Do With Gemma

Season 2 Episode 1’s Ending Hints At What Mark Has Been Working On

A lot happens in Severance season 2’s episode 1. However, the most intriguing moment of the episode is in its final moments when the MDR team finally sits down and starts working on their Marcodata Refinement files. Mark seems to be working on a file called “Cold Harbor.” As soon as he sorts some data on his screen into the bins below, the show briefly switches to another computer screen that shows a picture of Gemma/Ms. Casey with other information. A closer look at the screen reveals Gemma’s heart rate and other vital functions.

When Mark sorts the data on his screen, his file’s progress bar increases to 68%, which is the same number reflected on the progress bar on the screen with Gemma.

The screen that shows Gemma also has “Cold Harbor” written in the top right corner, suggesting that Mark’s work has something to do with her. When Mark sorts the data on his screen, his file’s progress bar increases to 68%, which is the same number reflected on the progress bar on the screen with Gemma. These subtle details from Severance season 2 episode 1’s ending seem to confirm that Mark’s MDR work is directly linked with his outie’s wife, Gemma, who is believed to be dead.

Severance’s Season 2 Story Development Further Supports Mark & Gemma’s MDR Theory

The Gemma Revelation Makes A Season 1 Theory More Convincing

After Severance season 1, many viewers theorized that the MDR is performing machine learning by sorting the numbers and data sets. They are unknowingly helping Lumon either train something or manually “edit” certain people or groups to make them more pliable or compliant. It was also theorized that Mark had specifically been working on Gemma’s file, which would explain why, when he was a new employee, he managed to sort all the data in his first file in one go. The MDR employees call it his “freshman fluke,” but his success could have something to do with his familiarity with his file’s data.

Adam Scott as Mark in Severance

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Severance’s “Macrodat Uprising” Video & Why MDR Is Considered Heroes At Lumon

Lumon shows a strange “Macrodat Uprising” video to the MDR workers in Severance season 2’s episode 1, raising questions about the company’s motives.

In Severance season 1’s ending, Ms. Casey was also sent to the testing floor after failing to fulfill her responsibilities. She also seems eerily robotic almost throughout Severance season 1, suggesting she is not a normal human. The “Cold Harbor” file also has a section that says “25.00 (Build),” hinting that Mark is working on Gemma’s 25th iteration. Although the true nature of MDR’s work and Lumon’s purpose remains shrouded in Severance, these little details hint Mark and the other workers are “refining” or “developing” actual people.