The following contains spoilers for Severance season 2, episode 8, “Sweet Vitriol.”Severance star talks about season 2, episode 8’s shocking reveal about the creator behind Lumon’s severed products and protocols. In the episode, Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette), the former manager of the severed floor, travels to her childhood town, Salt’s Neck, once home to a Lumon industrial factory, with the remaining residents still strictly adhering to their nine core principles. While confronting those from her past, Harmony uncovers her original blueprints from the severance procedure, which Lumon CEO Jame Eagan (Michael Siberry) claims to be his invention.
In an interview with Collider, Arquette shed some light on the shocking twist. The actor explained that Harmony grew up in a “religious life” where she was taught to be humble and not to take credit for her contribution, which is why she “went along with” it. She also revealed that without a real parental figure in her life, all Harmony ever knows is “this giant, broken, and complicated organization.” She believes that Harmony is “proud of herself inside” about her accomplishments but angry about how she has been treated. Check out what she said below:
We’ve been talking about that for a while, playing around with these different kinds of ideas. But there’s something in this group think, this corporate think, where you serve and are good, and it’s not about the individual, whether that’s the military or corporations or whatever. As a woman, “Know your place.” There are languages that we’ve developed even as a species to talk about this phenomenon where you’re supposed to just serve the greater good or the larger principle. So, that was the religious life she’d grown up with, was being humble, “Don’t take credit for these things, this is for the glory of Kier.” So she kind of went along with that, and she did get bits of more power or more respect, or however she saw that, or success, or her own place in this organization, but it never was really what it was.
She was working on that with a bunch of people who were trying to work on that, because it had been one of Kier’s concepts, but they weren’t able to make that breakthrough, whereas she was able to come up with this. She also never got that kind of acknowledgment. Her mom wasn’t really around, her aunt wasn’t going to give it to her. Nobody’s really going to ever give her the approval that she’s been seeking her whole life, and she continues to seek. Nobody’s giving her the love that she longs for in some kind of way, the approval that she wishes she could have, but it’s really all she knows, this giant, broken, and complicated organization. But she is proud of herself inside, and I think she also does have a lot of what she considers righteous anger about what she is contributing and how that is just constantly being belittled and how she’s not being treated with any kind of respect.
Cobel’s Entire Identity Is Associated With Lumon
The twisted relationship Harmony has with Lumon is deep-rooted and spiritual. Season 1 reveals that Harmony has a Kier shrine in her basement, where she worships him as a father figure and a spiritual leader. Though season 2 has seen her being a rebel on the run, season 2, episode 8 sees her finding the missing piece of the puzzle that she’s been looking for.
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In a separate interview, Arquette revealed that Harmony’s trip to Salt’s Neck also allows her to confront the villains in her life, from her aunt, Sissy, to Lumon, and at the same time, gives her the chance to say goodbye to her mother and come to terms with her grief and sadness. Both Sissy and her mother held a certain level of anger towards Lumon, and Harmony also had conflicted feelings about the company. Severance season 2, episode 8, ends with her learning about Mark’s reintegration, but whether she’ll be their alliance is yet to be answered.
Our Take On Harmony Being Severance’s Creator In Season 2
Harmony’s Threat to Lumon Is Held Back By Her Loyalty
Harmony, being the severance products’ true creator, poses a threat to the company. However, with her entire identity being associated with Kier Eagan’s vision, it’s also very hard for her to come to terms with someone who wants to help destroy it, which is what releasing the information to the public means. Arquette’s comment seems to carry a hint of warning. Harmony is not to be trusted.
Even Sissy, who shared deep hatred towards Lumon, would choose to help the company and turn on her own blood, which says a lot about the cult-like loyalty they have to Lumon. Harmony learning about Mark’s reintegration may not be a good thing. On the other hand, Arquette’s comment also unveils the journey her character has been on since Severance season 1’s ending. She might just be disillusioned enough to take things into her own hands.
Severance season 2 episodes stream on Apple TV+ every Friday through March 21.
Source: Collider
Severance
8/10
- Release Date
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February 18, 2022
- Showrunner
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Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman
- Writers
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Dan Erickson