Warning! This article contains spoilers for Severance season 2, episode 1.
Severanceseason 2, episode 1 includes new characters in the form of Mark W, Gwendolyn, and David; who are these new Lumon employees, why are they introduced to the show, and what becomes of them after the premiere? SinceSeveranceseason 1’s ending, audiences have been eagerly anticipating a continuation of the mystery thriller to find out exactly what became of Mark S, Helly, Dylan, and Irving after their uprising against Lumon. The world ofSeverance’s innies and outiescame crashing together in season 1, with season 2, episode 1 left picking up the pieces.
Interestingly, season 2 does not hold the audience’s hand, and thestory details ofSeveranceseason 1are expected to be fresh in the mind as Mark S is thrown back into Lumon’s offices months after his rebellion. After acclimatizing to the fact he is back where he started, Mark makes a startling discovery regardingSeverance’s cast of characters. Rather than the typical Macrodata Refinement team of Helly, Dylan, and Irving, Mark finds Gwendolyn, David, and Mark W in their place, leaving many to wonder who they are and what fate they meet inSeveranceseason 2, episode 1.
Mark W, Gwendolyn & David Are MDR’s New Replacements From Other Lumon Branches
Mark’s New Team Are No Strangers To Lumon
InSeveranceseason 2, episode 1, Mark W, Gwendolyn, and David are the direct replacements for Irving, Helly, and Dylanin Lumon’s Macrodata Refinement office. This is made clear when Mark S first talks to his new colleagues, with Mark W insisting that they are familiar with the world of MDR but that their new office is more cramped than their old one. Mark W continues outlining the design differences between Mark S' MDR office and their old one, hinting that they are from other Lumon branches.
This aligns with one of the other big plot points ofSeveranceseason 2, episode 1. At the beginning of the premiere, Mr. Milchick tells Mark S that he and his colleagues became the face of severance reform. The innies telling the outside world of Lumon’s treatment of them caused much backlash, with Lumon implementing several elements that give them a better look to the general public. Regardless of the reforms,several people may have decided to quit Lumon as a result, causing offices to shut down and workers to be relocated, such as Gwendolyn, Mark W, and David.
Mark W, Gwendolyn & David Hint There’s A Deeper Meaning Behind MDR’s Chosen Employees
The Replacements Were Carefully Chosen
Severanceis no stranger to implementing somewhat confusing, complex, psychological themes as part of its storytelling. With that in mind, the deeper meaning behind Mark W, Gwendolyn, and David being chosen as MDR’s replacements could be found. Essentially, these three new colleagues repeat the roles of MDR’s dynamic inSeveranceseason 1; Gwendolyn is the young woman employee that Helly was, David is the younger, more humorous man of the office like Dylan was, and Mark W is the no-nonsense yet nonetheless friendly older gentleman, just like Irving.
It could be the case that MDR offices across the world have functioned better when the four workers fit this archetypal group…
This could hint at Lumon’s decisions with severed employees. It could be the case that MDR offices across the world have functioned better when the four workers fit this archetypal group. This would explain why the old MDR team and the new replacements are so similar regarding age, personality, and their overall connection with each other. Moreover, it could simply be a way of Lumon attempting to placate Mark by giving him the same type of team he once had, a gamble that evidently fails.
Where Did Mark W, Gwendolyn & David Go After Irving, Helly & Dylan Returned In Severance Season 2 Episode 1?
Mark Succeeds In Reuniting His Old Crew, But What Becomes Of The New Workers?
Severanceseason 2, episode 1’s first half focuses on Mark S calling Lumon’s bluff. He does not believe that Helly, Irving, and Dylan have refused to come back to Lumon and demands they are part of his team once more. After several failed attempts at enacting this change, Mark S finally wins out and his old friends are returned for the first time sinceSeverance’s Overtime Contingencywas enacted. Despite the happiness of the crew being reunited, this plot point raises the potentially disturbing question of what became of Mark W, Gwendolyn, and David.
The three new MDR workers are not seen again inSeveranceseason 2, episode 1, yet their introduction to the show could hint at what happened to them. Given that they were taken from one Lumon branch and dropped into another afterSeveranceseason 1,it is likely that Mark W, Gwendolyn, and David were simply relocated to another MDR office. Whether they will play bigger roles in the upcoming episodes ofSeveranceseason 2 remains to be seen, but the show’s unique tone and thematic elements make the new MDR workers a memorable aspect of the premiere.
Cast
Severance is a psychological thriller series featuring Adam Scott as Mark Scout, an employee at Lumon Industries who undergoes a “severance” procedure to separate his work and personal memories. However, as work and life personas mysteriously begin to collide, it quickly becomes clear that not all is as it seems. Created by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle.
