Severance Finally Reveals What Cold Harbor Really Is

Season 2 of Severance slowly unraveled the mystery of the Testing Floor, where Ms. Casey/Gemma (Dichen Lachman) was sent in the Season 1 finale. As we are now aware, the work of the MDR team is tied to what happens on the Testing Floor, as each file the refiners finish represents a room where Gemma’s severance chip gives her a new memory-less personality and a traumatic experience to overcome. The goal is to test the limits of the severance chip by forcing dozens of different personalities to exist within the confines of a stressful scenario. If the barriers hold and no memory leaks from one personality to another, that proves the severance chip is successful, allowing Lumon to expand their operations beyond their workforce. Severance Season 2 has underlined that Gemma’s final test room, Cold Harbor, is the key to Lumon’s victory. Unfortunately, the completion of Cold Harbor also has nefarious consequences for Gemma.

WARNING: Spoilers below for Severance Season 2, Episode 10

Throughout Severance’s second season, multiple characters have underlined how Gemma would not survive the experience of Cold Harbor. For instance, Mr. Drummond (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson) tells Dr. Mauer (Robby Benson) that he must say goodbye to Gemma once Cold Harbor is complete. In addition, Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette) explains to Devon (Jen Tullock) and Outie Mark (Adam Scott) that the completion of the Cold Harbor MDR file leads to Gemma’s death. Yet, there’s nothing dangerous inside of Cold Harbor. As revealed in Severance’s Season 2 finale, the room is mostly empty, with only a crib and a screwdriver in its center. However, that deceptively simple design is enough to show the depths of Lumon’s cruelty.

Why Is Cold Harbor Gemma’s Ultimate Severance Test?

Season 2 of Severance revealed that Mark and Gemma’s marriage was scarred by painful struggles with infertility. The couple experienced a devastating miscarriage, after which Gemma turned to IVF treatments that ultimately failed. These experiences introduced grief to their relationship, eventually straining the bond between them. This history makes the presence of a crib in Cold Harbor particularly sadistic. It means Lumon deliberately chose the object that would trigger Gemma’s deepest emotional wound, exploiting her personal pain as the ultimate test of the severance technology’s effectiveness.

When Gemma enters the Cold Harbor room in the Season 2 finale, she’s instructed to dismantle the crib. Without the severance chip, this task would clearly be impossible. The crib represents her deepest desire and the unfulfilled promises of a family, a reminder that she never got to be a mother. Yet the new Gemma programmed by Mark S. in the MDR department performs the action without emotional distress, unaware of the crib’s meaning. This demonstrates the terrifying power of Lumon’s technology, which can successfully block even the most ingrained trauma from affecting a severed consciousness, allowing people to perform tasks that would normally be psychologically devastating. Still, dismantling a crib is physically harmless. So why does everyone in Lumon think Gemma will die after that?

[RELATED: Severance Season 2 Reveals Who Created the Memory-Splitting Technology (And Why)]

While the Cold Harbor room is harmless, the final episode of Severance Season 2 explains that Lumon murders test subjects once they serve their purpose. The death of test subjects is part of a disturbing ritual involving the sacrifice of a goat raised by the Mammalians Nurturable department. As Mr. Drummond puts it, the animal must be entombed with Gemma to guide her spirit to Kier. With a single twisted action, Lumon ensures its employees keep following the precepts of their cult-like beliefs while protecting the corporate secrets of the severance technology.

To make matters worse, Lorne (Gwendoline Christie), the supervisor of Mammalians Nurturable, complains about the high number of goats she has already offered as sacrifices, implying Lumon killed many test subjects before Gemma. The company is willing to do the unthinkable to protect its secrets, meaning Gemma is still at risk even after her daring escape.

The two seasons of Severance are currently available on Apple TV+.

Are you satisfied with Severance‘s explanation for Cold Harbor? Do you think Lumon’s personnel truly believe Kier’s words, or is it all a façade to justify their unethical practices? Join the discussion in the comments!