Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Severance season 2, episode 8, “Sweet Vitriol.”
The massive reveal about Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette) inSeveranceseason 2, episode 8 exposes a harsh reality about the Eagans. The episode sees Cobel returning to her hometown, Salt’s Neck, to find something of great value to her. She and the audience are introduced to newSeverancecharacters, including her sister Sissy Cobel (Jane Alexander) and an old love interest, Hampton (James Le Gros). They help provide valuable insight into Cobel’s past, her previous loyalty to Lumon, and the grief she still carries with her.
When Cobel finally finds what she has been looking for inSeveranceseason 2, episode 8’s ending, it is one of the show’s biggest plot twists yet.Cobel is revealed to have designed the severance procedure, with the notebook including her designs for it. This includes the circuit blueprints, the base code, theOvertime Contingency Protocol, and the Glasgow Block. Such a major revelation is shocking in its own right, but it also recontextualizes what was already established about the Eagans.
Their Present And Future Are Built On A Lie
Image via Apple TV+
Jame Eagan (Michael Siberry) is credited with creating the severance procedure, which has become the foundation of Lumon’s present and future. Between this achievement and Lumon’s substantial influence in the outside world, there was a perception of theEagan familybeing genius masterminds. That perception has been shattered now that the truth about the severance procedure has come out,exposing the Eagans as frauds who stole their crowning achievement from one of their own followers.
Severance Season 2 Finally Explains Why Cobel Was Really Testing Gemma & Mark Back In Season 1
Cobel was conducting her own private tests on Mark and Gemma’s Innies back in Severance season 1, and the real reason for them is finally revealed.
Since the Eagans did not create severance, all of their other past achievements and claims are now also brought into question. Everything known about Kier Eagan, along with the creation and development of Lumon itself, may be a lie as well. As seen by the impoverished state that Lumon leftSalt’s Neckin, the company destroys the places that it touches and lets others suffer for their failures. Without stealing and taking credit for Cobel’s idea, Lumon and the Eagans may have been destroyed by their own failures too.
Many Severance Theories About The Eagans Now Give Them Far Too Much Credit
Their Eagans' Real Power Is Not Their Scientific And Technological Innovations
Theories about Lumon’s boardand what they are doing with Gemma/Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman) included the Eagans resurrecting the dead and creating a collective consciousness of all their ancestors. However, if the Eagans were unable to figure out severance on their own, it is highly unlikely that they are capable of such death-defying feats. The resurrecting the dead theory was also quashed with season 2, episode 7 showing that Gemma did not die in a car crash.
When it comes to actual science and technological innovation, though, the Eagans are not as formidable as mostSeverancetheories believed them to be.
The Eagans' greatest achievement is not severance, but convincing the world to believe that they are the pinnacle of human intelligence and power. The Lumon brand is seen practically everywhere and acts as a constant, subconscious reminder of the Eagans' influence. Manipulating Sissy and others to worship their family and their corporation makes the Eagans effective cult leaders. When it comes to actual science and technological innovation, though, the Eagans are not as formidable as mostSeverancetheories believed them to be.
