In episode 8 of Severance Season 2, titled “Sweet Vitriol,” we see Harmony Cobel’s (Patricia Arquette) chilling return to Salt’s Neck. This town, once thriving due to a Lumon ether factory, has seen better days. Lumon has drained it of its life and resources.
This episode dives deeper into Cobel’s past. We meet her Aunt Sissy (Jane Alexander), who is obsessed with the cult figure Kier, and we hear about her mother, Charlotte, who distanced herself from the cult. We discover that Cobel participated in the Wintertide Fellowship, the same program that Miss Huang (Sarah Bock) is now going through at Lumon.
The biggest revelation? Cobel is the actual inventor of the severance procedure. This twist changes everything we thought we knew about the origins of severance.
At the end of “Sweet Vitriol,” Cobel finds an old notebook filled with her original designs and notes on brain wave graphs. As she flips through it, she exclaims, “Mine! My designs!” The pages reveal not just sketches but crucial details on the severance chip, including terms like “Circuit blueprint” and “Overtime Contingency.”
This discovery makes it clear that Jame Eagan (Michael Siberry) isn’t the true creator of severance, despite Lumon’s official narrative. Cobel likely conceived the procedure during her time in the Wintertide Fellowship. However, her commitment to the cult forbidden her from claiming credit.
She tells Sissy, “If I sought credit, I would be banished.” This indicates that Lumon’s manipulative practices extend beyond workplace cruelty; they seem to steal ideas and achievements as well.
The reveal of Cobel’s invention helps explain her obsession with Mark (Adam Scott) and Gemma (Dichen Lachman). Throughout Season 1, she seemed intent on bringing them together, possibly to see if their emotions could overcome the severance procedure. Her attempts to observe them reflected her interest in testing her own creation.
Cobel may have simply been carrying out experiments for Lumon, but knowing she is the inventor gives her actions a more personal motivation. She appears to be testing whether her invention withstands the complexities of love and relationships.
Moreover, this explains her fear of reintegration. If Mark reintegrates and shares Lumon’s secrets, it could jeopardize everything she’s worked on. How much control does she really have over her creation? Can severance truly stand against human connection?
With so much fresh insight into her character, “Sweet Vitriol” is setting the stage for an intriguing journey for Cobel. There’s potential for her to help Mark reconnect with his past, armed with her old notes.
This season of Severance is now streaming on Apple TV+, with new episodes released every Friday.
