Severance season 2 episode 7 explained from Dr Mauer to Gemma’s purpose

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Severance season 2, episode 7 – Chikhai Bardo

The latest episode of TV+’s Severance finally provided some much-needed backstory for Gemma Scout, portrayed by Dichen Lachman.

Viewers were treated to a glimpse into her past, including her initial meeting with husband Mark (Adam Scott) at a blood donation drive for Lumon. The couple’s whirlwind romance was marred by tragedy when Gemma, a Russian literature teacher, suffered a miscarriage and embarked on a difficult fertility journey with Lumon.

Despite the heartbreak, Gemma maintained contact with Lumon, who assigned her various tasks, one of which involved peculiar cards that Innie Dylan (Zach Cherry) stole in the first season, prompting Milchick (Tramell Tillman) to initiate an OTC to recover it. The episode also revealed the truth about Gemma’s fate, suggesting she either naively joined Lumon in hopes of having a baby or was abducted by the corporation, which then staged her death.

As always, the episode left viewers with numerous questions, leading to fervent discussions on social media. Here’s a breakdown of some of the major plot points from the episode, including the meaning of Chikhai Bardo.

What does Chikhai Bardo mean?

Chikhai Bardo, a concept from Tibetan Buddhism, refers to the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. According to the Samye Institute, it originally referred only to the period between one life and the next, but later Buddhism expanded this concept to include six or more similar states, covering the entire cycle of life, death, and rebirth, reports the .

The fourth stage, Chikhai Bardo, is about the transitional period of dying. In the context of the Severance episode, this could hint at Gemma’s impending demise in Cold Harbor.

One viewer speculated on : “Its so interesting this could mean multiple things for the context of the episode. Mark is in between his past life as a separate outie and innie, and in a way is in the process of his current identity “dying” as he moves on through reintegration, eventually being reincarnated as the combination of his two selves. It could also represent Gemma and her current state, being dead to the outside world but not actually dead, perhaps she is partially brain dead, no matter what she is definitely in some sort of purgatory-like existence [sic].

“Sounds like an analogy for reintegration. Either Mark will wake up from his seizure fully reintegrated or he will remain blocked. He’s also risking his own life. Reghabi should have strapped him in for this procedure so he couldn’t jerk his head and get up,” said a second.

Another added: “Mark’s life is going to flash before his eyes…we will see his memories of his life with Gemma and, since he is reintegrating, his memories of Helly. He will be reintegrated, but is going to have to decide which life he wants. I think ALL of the MDR team is coming to a point where a decision has to be made, which life to continue to lead [sic].”

Is Doctor Mauer harbouring feelings for Gemma?

It appears so, or at least some form of unhealthy obsession with his test subject. Mr Drummond (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson) hints to Dr Mauer (Robby Benson) that she will eventually have to leave and he can’t cling onto her, suggesting his attachment to Gemma is evident.

The scene where Gemma is penning thank you cards and they seem to be married underscores his infatuation with her as he confesses his love for her and she is compelled to reciprocate. Although this mirrors the scene between Gemma and Mark, Mauer seems overly dedicated to his role.

Furthermore, his queries about whether she was more attracted to one room than another, and even his lying about Mark moving on and having a daughter with someone else all, indicate his twisted infatuation with her.

What transpired with Gemma on the testing floor?

Gemma’s character in the series has been speculated to have undergone multiple severances, with one Redditor suggesting: “It seems like they’re testing the idea on her of being severed for every unpleasant moment in life. An innie that only goes to the dentist. An innie to take all your flights.”

Another fan chimed in: “Wait you might be right. They could be trying to make an “on demand” severance chip for people to turn on through whatever happens. I thought there were either trying to make people to able to learn or become whatever they wanted through severance by you might be onto something.”

A third viewer theorised: “I think their goal is to have people split into the 4 different personalities based on each temper. Frolic would be the default/outie and any time they feel any of the other three: Dread, Malice, or Woe, they would shift to one of those innies, then once it’s over, the Frolic/outtie takes back over. She felt Woe at the Dentist. She felt Dread on the plane. And felt Malice while doing the Christmas cards [sic].”

Who were the MDR doppelgangers?

The MDR doppelgangers left fans puzzled, especially as they seemed to resemble the people they were observing. One fan commented: “All the stuff with twins and duplicated ties into what Gemma was saying about chikhai bardo, ego death, defeating oneself etc. [sic].”

Another speculated: “Are they learning the innies personalities or something? [sic].”

What is Cold Harbor?

Cold Harbor is not just the file that Lumon is eager for Mark to finish, but also a room on the testing floor. This could potentially be a death test environment.

The nurse’s (Sandra Bernhard) probing questions about whether Gemma fears suffocation or drowning more suggest this could be her final test. Furthermore, the repeated mention of Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilych, a novella about a man coming to terms with his own mortality, could hint at Cold Harbor and Gemma accepting her impending death.

One viewer speculated: “Since Cold Harbor is likely gonna record data before death, that’s probably why Mr Drummond told Dr Mayer he’s never going to see Gemma again once Mark is done with Cold Harbour, cause she’ll die there, not set free, as maybe they’ll even sell ships to severe you out from experiencing death. Which could explain why they had to “kill” Gemma irl, to cover her actual death in cold harbour [sic].”

Another added: “They had to “kill” Gemma its because what they’re doing in highly illegal, kidnapping, experimenting, torture and eventually murder. Having the person “die” essentially lets Lumon do to her anything they want because she doesn’t exist. Kill Gemma in Cold Harbor is just part of it. No one is going to charge them with murder if she doesn’t exist.”

One viewer speculated: “Cold Harbor is going to simulate Gemma drowning. The mudslide question and her answer setting off the machine tells me that’s her biggest fear, The question is, how is the new Gemma innie going to react to her first ever moment alive being unable to breathe. It’s terrifying to think about.”

The opening credits also hint at a chilling fate for Gemma, featuring a car submerged in an icy lake, suggesting Lumon’s eventual plan to dispose of her once her usefulness as a test subject has expired. But why are Mark and Gemma so crucial to Lumon?

In Severance, nothing is incidental.

It appears the couple possess certain qualities that Lumon desires, seemingly chosen from the moment they donated blood. Their shared traumatic fertility journey, particularly for Gemma, coupled with Mark’s belief that his wife had died due to Lumon, could be reasons someone might wish to undergo the severance procedure to erase these memories.

Intriguingly, Mark’s reading material – an essay on drug use during WWI – may allude to Lumon’s own ether factories. This drug could represent an early form of Severance, mirroring the fervent, cult-like manner in which Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette) compartmentalised different aspects of herself without undergoing the procedure.

Severance season 2 drops on Apple TV+ on Fridays