Did Severance Just Reveal The True Identity Of Its Most Mysterious Character?
The Board has concluded the call.
From the first moment Mark S. clocked in Severance, it was clear Lumon Industries was slightly off from your typical corporation. An incentive in a normal office may be a pizza party, but at Lumon, it’s a waffle party that leads to a strange interpretive dance. Retirement is something to be looked forward to in the normal office, but at Lumon it’s apparently akin to being murdered outright.
So in Severance Season 2 Episode 3, “Who is Alive,” when Mr. Milchick is summoned to have a conversation with Lumon’s board using Natalie as a proxy, fans were justifiably dubious about what the Board truly was up to. The leading theory suggests the Board isn’t all it seems. Instead, it could be part of the mystery at the center of the show.
Natalie serves as the voice of the mysterious Lumon “board.”
Redditor SyNiiCaL suggests that the “Board” isn’t a board of directors at all, but instead a computer generated model of Kier Eagan’s personality. That’s why Natalie refers to the Board as an “it,” not a “they.” In fact, the “board” may be more than just a cover story — it could be short for “motherboard,” not a “Board of Directors.” This explains a lot about the conversation Milchick has with the Board. Who would want to give Milchick racially insensitive paintings of him as Kier more than Kier himself?
It also adds credence to the leading theory around the “mysterious and important” work of Macrodata Refinement. The “Cold Harbor” tease at the end of Episode 1 seemed to suggest that the work Mark S. is doing is specifically connected to his late wife Gemma, who appears to be alive as Ms. Casey. The “refining” seems to be how the personality is replicated. Perhaps Gemma is a test case for the true goal: reincarnating Kier Eagan, replacing the CEOs in the Perpetuity Wing with Kier, who can lead Lumon in perpetuity. It certainly would explain why Helly, a descendant of Kier, would be in the room.
Helena seems to know about the Board and it’s influence, but does she know who’s behind it?
The Board is mentioned again towards the end of the episode when Helena confronts Ms. Cobel outside Lumon. She calls Natalie in order to speak with the Board. If the Board really was a group of Lumon executives, assembling them would be a lot more complicated than one call in the middle of the night. However, if the Board is just a program that can be summoned at any time, then that scene makes perfect sense. The only wrinkle is Helena saying, “Let’s go speak with them together,” but that could be referring to the Board and Natalie, not just the Board.
Lumon’s leadership has always been shady, and its worship of Kier treads well into a religious fervor. If the company is close to learning how to replace a soul, then Kier would be top of the list — and the Board could just be the first step.
