Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Severance season 2, episode 8.Severanceseason 2 is one of the best shows I have watched in 2025. I love the momentum that was built going into episode 7, which finally allowed us to dive deep intowhat Gemma has been going through at Lumon. Seeing how she was also trying to get back to Mark just as he was doing for her was quite emotional. We also got some interesting teases as to what Lumon’s end goal for her is, as each time Gemma entered a room, it seemed like her personality was different.
Despite having only one episode devoted to her story in all ofSeverance’s two seasons, Gemma became one of my favorite characters in the show by the end of episode 7. I was looking forward to seeing what the next step in her story would be and how Mark’s reintegration process is advancing in the new episode. However,Severanceseason 2 decided to throw a curveball. While there are certain things to like in episode 8, as well as major reveals, I believe it to be the weakest of season 2 so far.
Ms. Cobel Takes Center Stage
The Overall Story Suffers From Pacing Issues
I have to start by saying that Ms. Cobel is one of the show’s most intriguing characters, and Patricia Arquette does a phenomenal job adding a flair to her. While I wanted to see more from Cobel at the start of the season, delving into what her life looked like outside of Lumon, having that take place so late in season 2 and in an entire episode dedicated to her felt like too much. It completely interrupted the overall story’s momentum after the Gemma episode explained many of the questions I had related to her story.
The overall tone ofSeveranceseason 2 is darker than the sci-fi show’s first season.
Severanceseason 2’s bottle episode has us follow Cobel at Salt’s Neck, a coastal town with almost no inhabitants and which used to be the home of a huge Lumon factory. The overall tone ofSeveranceseason 2 is darker than the sci-fi show’s first season. I’m a fan of that choice. In season 1, we discovered the world of Lumon and slowly got to understand all that was wrong at the company. In season 2, those lines have already been drawn in the sand, so all that is left is embracing the darkness and knowing its depths.
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Ms. Cobel’s episode is geared towards that specific goal. Set in a ghost town,Harmony Cobelbegins to relive her past as she looks for something valuable that can change everything. We learn about her tragic backstory, including how she worked as a child for Lumon, just like Miss Huang now does, and how she could not say goodbye to her sick mother when she died. There is a lot of trauma related to Lumon and that explains why Cobel is not accepting anything else from the company she helped build.
An Unexpected Team-Up Promises To Shake Things Up
Image via Apple TV+
One of the worst things that can happen in a shorter episode is that it starts to feel too long. Well, that happens to be exactly how I felt while watchingSeveranceseason 2, episode 8. While I somewhat liked the emotional depth it gives Cobel, and her relationship with Otis makes Harmony feel like an actual person and not a robot, I expected way more intensity from a story centered on Cobel. At least we got some of that towards the end of the episode.
Cobel is the reason why Lumon has the power it does, so that also means she could be the one to help take it all away.
Cobel’s mother hated Lumon, and her death ties back to the company that plaguesSeverance’s characters. After having dedicated her entire life to making sure Lumon became the powerhouse it had the potential to become, Cobel is done with the company after how they treated her. That grudge runs deep, as we discover that Cobel was the mastermind who designed Severance, the Overtime Contingency, the Glasgow Block, and more. Cobel is the reason why Lumon has the power it does, so that also means she could be the one to help take it all away.
After we discover just how important a role Cobel played in Lumon’s rise,Severanceseason 2 sets up an exciting next chapter. Cobel finally picks up Devon’s calls, and we see the start of what could be an alliance between Cobel, Devon, and Mark to get Gemma back and strike Lumon. That is the kind of thrilling story that I want to see Cobel involved with. While episode 8 had some good ideas, and learning Cobel’s backstory is good, I wish it had been condensed into a couple of flashbacks that did not detract from the season’s main plot.
Severanceseason 2 episodes stream on Apple TV+ every Friday through March 21.
Severance
Severance is a psychological thriller series featuring Adam Scott as Mark Scout, an employee at Lumon Industries who undergoes a “severance” procedure to separate his work and personal memories. However, as work and life personas mysteriously begin to collide, it quickly becomes clear that not all is as it seems. Created by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle.
