Harmony Cobel’s Investment In Mark & Gemma Is “More Than Just Scientific,” Teases Severance Star Patricia Arquette

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for the Severance season 2 finale.

Severance star Patricia Arquette teases how Harmony Cobel’s investment in Mark (Adam Scott) and Gemma (Dichen Lachman) goes beyond any scientific interest. Even before it was revealed that Mrs. Casey was Mark’s wife in season 1, Cobel had displayed an unusual interest in her and Mark. Severance season 2, episode 8’s ending provided new context to her interest in Mark and Gemma with the reveal that Cobel was the one who came up with the idea of the severance procedure in the first place.

While speaking with Business Insider, Arquette hints at how Cobel cares about Mark and Gemma’s relationship for reasons other than testing the boundaries of the severance procedure. She touches on how Cobel’s relationship with Mark and Gemma is complex and how there is a “sentimental underpinning” to it that serves as one of Cobel’s primary motivations. Arquette also acknowledges how she sees Cobel as deeply conflicted about decisions that involve Mark, Gemma, and Lumon. Check out Arquette’s comments below:

I think it’s a very complicated relationship that she has with Mark and Gemma, and she has always had something that’s more than just scientific. There’s been a sentimental underpinning in that relationship that I think motivates her. That doesn’t mean it can’t be eclipsed by other things, or she minimizes that. I think there’s been a lot of conflict she’s had within her about Mark, and Mark and Gemma and Lumon.

What This Means For Severance

Cobel Still Needs Mark & Gemma

While season 2 explains a great deal about Cobel’s role in Lumon’s history, along with seeing her actively working against the corporation, she is still a largely enigmatic character. In season 1, her interest in Mark and Gemma was rooted in testing the efficacy of the procedure she invented and to see if the severance barrier would hold even between a husband and wife. Yet, a part of her also grew to care for Mark and Gemma, especially since she had the rare experience of getting to know Mark’s innie and outie.

Cobel’s actions in Severance season 2’s ending allow her to defy Lumon, save Gemma’s life, and reunite Mark and Gemma in one fell swoop. These steps serve her short-term goals, but Cobel’s endgame is still a mystery, and will continue to make her a wild card in season 3. It will be intriguing to see how she responds to Mark’s innie choosing Helly (Britt Lower) over Gemma, especially given Arquette’s comments about how invested Cobel is in Mark and Gemma’s relationship.

Her Story Will Continue To Be One Of The Best In Severance Season 3

Cobel’s childhood and adulthood have been consumed by suffering, both for herself and those around her, and that extends to Mark and Gemma. Given these experiences, Cobel seems to have partly latched onto Mark and Gemma as a way to ensure that all this suffering has not been in vain, and that it can at least help them in the end. Between trying to help Mark and Gemma, waging war against Lumon, and other mysterious pursuits, Cobel is poised to continue being one of the most fascinating and unpredictable characters in Severance.

Source: Business Insider

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Severance

8/10

Release Date

February 18, 2022

Showrunner

Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman

Writers

Dan Erickson