- Help
- Google+
TL;DR: Enjoy dependable, secure, and private data storage with a 1TB lifetime subscription to Koofr Cloud Storage, now $690 off the usual price and just $119.97 with code KOOFR through March 30.
Deciding on a cloud storage service is almost like picking a life partner. Koofr checks all the right boxes—trustworthy, secure, incredibly easy to access, and, best of all, free from recurring fees.
Secure your important data with a real catch with Koofr. If you act fast, you can score 1TB of a lifetime subscription to Koofr Cloud Storage for just $119.97 (reg. $810) with code KOOFR through March 30.
Pay once, enjoy safe storage for lifeStoring your data with a big-name cloud provider feels like riding an endless carousel of monthly fees. If you want to get off the ride, Koofr Cloud Storage is an excellent alternative.
This trusted cloud storage option started back in 2013. It offers a lifetime subscription option that doesn't require monthly payments. Get 1TB of storage for life for a low one-time price, allowing you to house 250,000 12MP photos, 500 hours of HD video, or 6.5 million PDF files.
If you're already established with another service, Koofr offers unmatched accessibility. Easily access your files from Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon, and OneDrive — making Koofr your all-in-one cloud storage hub.
Aside from making things easier and cheaper, Koofr offers unique features like the Koofr Duplicate Finder. It helps you find and remove duplicate files, saving you time and space on your account.
Unlike most cloud storage providers, Koofr doesn't track your data. Your files will be encrypted both in transfer and during rest, so you can rest easy knowing you have total privacy.
Let Koofr Cloud Storage save you money monthly with this 1TB lifetime subscription to Koofr Cloud Storage, now just $119.97 with code KOOFR through March 30.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Opens in a new window Credit: Koofr Koofr Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription (1TB) $119.97TL;DR: Make working with PDFs an enjoyable, easy experience with a lifetime license to PDF Converter Pro, now $76 off the usual price and just $23.99 with code SAVE20 if you purchase before March 30.
Quick, name the most problematic file format. Does it start with a P? PDFs are universally loathed for a reason: they're difficult to work with and seem to pop up in both your personal and professional life constantly.
If you'd like to end your hatred for these files, PDF Converter Pro can help. And now, with their lifetime license, you can do so for life for just $23.99 (reg. $99) with code SAVE20 through March 30.
Finally make peace with PDFsPDFs are unavoidable, so learn to live with them with some assistance from PDF Converter Pro.
Easily convert files from PDF to Microsoft Word, Excel, HTML, JPG, or other file formats. Need to turn something into a PDF? This all-in-one PDF converter can help with that, as well.
PDF Converter Pro offers a speedy conversion process, saving time and effort. And don't worry, that ultra-fast speed won't affect your content. The app ensures a super high output quality, with the integrity of your files staying intact.
Aside from the basic conversion processes, PDF Converter Pro also gets pretty fancy. You can extract text from image-based PDF documents with the original format and graph if needed, thanks to the built-in OCR technology. You can also merge multiple PDF files, split them, or compress files too large to send.
Have sensitive information in a document? PDF Converter Pro can protect files with passwords and then encrypt or unlock them as needed.
Work smarter, not harder when it comes to PDFs with this lifetime license to PDF Converter Pro, now just $23.99 with code SAVE 20 through March 30.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Opens in a new window Credit: Acethinker PDF Converter Pro: Lifetime License $23.99The Daily Show's Jordan Klepper has mocked the Trump administration's "lazy" attempt to delete diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) content from federal websites. The sweeping measure resulted in the deletion of content about baseball player and civil rights icon Jackie Robinson's military service, as well as the Enola Gay, the plane which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima during World War II. The Pentagon stated that the removal of this information was a mistake brought about by their reliance on software to do the job.
"Don't blame us, blame our racist software! We should have never ChatKKK," quipped Klepper. "They just Ctrl+F-ed for gay-sounding key words and deleted anything that showed up. Now kids won't know about the Enola Gay, they won't know about transport planes, and they'll never hear about the heroic service of Captain Grindr McScissoring."
Klepper also took aim at Republicans attempting to boost "sugar daddy" Elon Musk by promoting Tesla, calling it "a bit gross," and mocked the "sloppy" release of unredacted files concerning John F. Kennedy's assassination — which included the private information of over 200 people.
"Social Security numbers, addresses, full names," said Klepper. "The only thing that wasn't in the JFK papers was who killed JFK."
Throughout Severance Season 2, fans and critics alike have drawn connections between Mark (Adam Scott) and his wife Gemma (Dichen Lachman) and the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.
SEE ALSO: 'Severance's brilliant Season 2 finale, explainedThe comparison makes sense: In the myth, Eurydice dies from a snakebite and goes to the underworld. Similarly, Gemma is presumed dead in Severance, although she's really in the Lumon basement, which is its own kind of underworld. Helly (Britt Lower) even goes so far as to call Lumon "hell" right to Jame Eagan's (Michael Siberry) face in the Season 2 finale, further cementing the connection.
Need more proof that Severance is in conversation with Greek myth? Mark name-drops Persephone, queen of the underworld in Greek myth, in Season 2, episode 2: a clear reference to another woman trapped below ground, who just so happens to be a key player in the story of Orpheus and Eurydice.
SEE ALSO: 21 burning 'Severance' questions we have after the Season 2 finaleEurydice's husband Orpheus follows her to the underworld in the hopes of saving her, not unlike Mark's efforts to break Gemma out of Lumon all season long. However, these similarities had viewers worried. In the myth, Orpheus wins over Hades and Persephone with his musical talents. Because of this, Hades allows Eurydice to leave the underworld on one condition. As Orpheus guides her to the surface, he cannot look back to make sure she's there. If he does, Eurydice will be lost to him forever. So if Severance were to follow the original myth, would that mean that Mark is destined to make a similar mistake and doom Gemma?
Not quite.
Severance's Season 2 finale, "Cold Harbor," puts a twist on the Orpheus and Eurydice myth. The episode sees Mark — both his Innie and his Outie — free Gemma from the hell of the Testing Floor. So in this case, the Eurydice figure does make it out alive. Great news, right? Well, don't get too excited just yet. There's still the Orpheus figure, Mark, to worry about. And just like in Greek myth, Mark — specifically Innie Mark — does turn around.
But Innie Mark doesn't turn around to look back for Gemma. He actually looks back for his own love: Helly. And in doing so, he chooses not to leave Lumon and revert to his Outie, likely retiring himself in the process. Instead, he chooses to run deeper into Lumon with Helly, in a sequence that mirrors Season 2's very first scene.
So in the end, Severance reverses the Orpheus and Eurydice myth with its own sci-fi twist. Eurydice makes it out, but Orpheus stays behind. But in this case, Orpheus has another woman he loves, while Eurydice is left to grieve the loss of her husband. With this cliffhanger in mind, what's next for the doomed couples of Severance? Are Innie Mark and Helly destined to roam the Lumon underworld forever? Is there a chance for a reunion between Gemma and Mark? We've gone beyond the myth now, and the future has never been more uncertain.
Severance is a show about many things: consciousness, bodily autonomy, baby goats. It's also a show about hallways.
SEE ALSO: 'Severance's brilliant Season 2 finale, explainedBy this point, Lumon's blinding white hallways are a Severance character all on their own. The actors get lost in them. Characters throughout Season 1 and 2 spend good chunks of time mapping them. And in the Season 2 premiere, "Hello, Ms. Cobel," Severance treated us to a long, mind-bending sequence where Innie Mark (Adam Scott) charged through Lumon's dizzying halls in search of Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman), whom he'd just learned was also his Outie's wife, Gemma.
That opening gets a remix in the last moments of Severance's Season 2 finale, "Cold Harbor." Innie Mark manages to free Gemma from the Severed Floor, sending her into the non-Severed stairwell in the hopes she can escape Lumon for good. But Mark doesn't join her. Instead, he grabs Helly's (Britt Lower) hand and takes off running back into the Severed Floor. Now, in a mirror of his "Hello, Ms. Cobel" run, Mark's "Cold Harbor" run carries him away from Gemma, whereas he started the season running towards her.
SEE ALSO: 21 burning 'Severance' questions we have after the Season 2 finaleThe callback to Season 2's opening sequence emphasizes Innie Mark's changing relationship to his own wants throughout the season. At first, he wanted to find and save Gemma for his Outie, even as his relationship with Helly bloomed into a full-on romance. But in the Season 2 finale, he realized that him leaving Gemma and Outie Mark together would lead to his retirement and the end of his time with Helly. In the Season 2 finale, he tries to find the best of both worlds for him, and that means saving Gemma and fulfilling the goal he set himself at the start of the season, but also staying back with Helly and realizing his own dream.
Each of these running scenes, both directed by Ben Stiller, differ stylistically. As the season opener, the "Hello, Ms. Cobel" running sequence is showier, with Stiller creating the illusion of a oner. The camera dips and soars around a discombobulated Mark, disorienting the audience along with him as he sprints through the fluorescent white halls.
By contrast, the running scene in "Cold Harbor" is slower, and not just because it uses slow motion! There are cuts breaking up the action, as well as fewer flashier camera movements. Instead, the camera — moving a bit shakily as opposed to the smoothness seen in "Hello, Ms. Cobel" — stays close on Helly and Mark, then becomes the point they're running towards. These less frenetic movements, along with the slow motion and the eventual freeze frame, allow us to really linger on Mark's choice. Yes, there's a beauty to his and Helly's romance and to his decision to fight for them. But there's horror in it, too: Gemma may never see her husband again, and Outie Mark's consciousness might be lost.
So, as red lights ring Mark and Helly while they run, Severance invites us to consider everything they could represent beyond just Lumon's alarms. The warm hue of the red breaks up Lumon's white monotony, perhaps a nod to Mark and Helly finding romance in the most unlikely of places. Yet there's also a sense of doom to them. Mark and Helly may be running away from the outside world, but can they really outrun it — and Lumon — forever?
On top of being a sci-fi mystery and a psychological thriller, Severance is a spectacularly funny dark comedy. And in its Season 2 finale, "Cold Harbor," it brought its hilarity to new, bloody heights.
SEE ALSO: 'Severance's brilliant Season 2 finale, explainedI'm talking about the death of Lumon's resident intimidator, Mr. Drummond (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson), who goes into work ready to celebrate the completion of Cold Harbor and winds up getting wailed on by Mammalians Nurturable head Lorne (Gwendoline Christie), held hostage by Innie Mark (Adam Scott), and then accidentally killed by Outie Mark, all in the span of minutes.
Mr. Drummond's death itself is spectacular. As he and Innie Mark ride the elevator down to the Testing Floor, Mark holds him captive by placing the bolt gun used for sacrificing goats at his throat. As the elevator triggers Mark to switch to his Outie, he accidentally pulls the trigger. Blood immediately spurts from the hole in Drummond's chest, coating the walls of the elevator and a horrified Mark. Between the bloody elevator (The Shining, anyone?) and Ólafsson's gurgled last breaths, this is Severance at its goriest and most horror adjacent. But it may also be the best, darkest joke the show has pulled off so far.
SEE ALSO: 21 burning 'Severance' questions we have after the Season 2 finaleThe entire scene hinges on a core world-building rule Severance has established since day one: Innies change into Outies and vice versa when they're in the Lumon elevator. The dolly zoom shot of the change, accompanied by the elevator ding, is one of the most iconic images associated with the show. We've watched countless versions of it, many of them just presented as mundane instances of switching in and out of work mode.
Severance plays on those expectations in "Cold Harbor," which sees Innie and Outie Mark stage a heist to save Gemma (Dichen Lachman) that involves their involvement on different floors. That's the first step in the setup for Mr. Drummond's death: We know Mark will be toggling from Innie to Outie more often than usual. So when Innie Mark holds Mr. Drummond at gunpoint as they step into the elevator, a question arises: What will happen when he switches? Will Mr. Drummond take advantage of the change to overpower Mark?
As the two ride down, though, the alternative becomes inevitable. The switch we've grown so accustomed to over the seasons will force Mark to unknowingly punch a hole in Drummond. (A literal punchline, if you will.) Imagine Outie Mark's experience in this moment: One second, he's headed to Lumon. The next, he's waking up with a man's blood on his hands. It's both terrifying and funny, and Scott nails both the comedy and horror of the change from Innie Mark calling the shots to frightened Outie Mark. Meanwhile, the initial shock from Mr. Drummond's neck wound sent me into a fit of blood-stained laughter, at both the death itself and the fact that Severance even had the guts to go there.
The whole sequence is an immaculately crafted, extra-dark gag that ushers in a new stage of chaos for the finale — including another unconventional elevator switch where a newly reunited Outie Mark and Gemma transition to a bewildered Innie Mark and Ms. Casey mid-kiss. It's the product of two seasons' worth of build-up, and it leaves us with one last morbidly humorous tableau: the doors of the elevator failing to close on Mr. Drummond's corpse. What a way to go.
The Severance Season 2 finale left us with a lot to talk about, but among the mysteries of Cold Harbor, weird paintings and what exactly is going to happen in Season 3, there's one four-legged topic that can by no means be ignored.
We're talking, of course, about the goats.
The animals have been clopping around the severed floor of Lumon since Season 1, but the finale gave us a semi-answer to the question of why they're there. Let's recap.
SEE ALSO: 'Severance' is borrowing a brilliant idea from 'Terminator 2' What happens with the goat in the Severance Season 2 finale?It seemed inevitable that Gwendoline Christie would have a bigger part to play since her cameo in episode 3 as Lorne, the head of Lumon's Mammalians Nurturable Department. In the finale, we finally see her again, wheeling one of her baby goats to a room opposite the entrance to the exports hall. There she meets the ominous Mr. Drummond (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson), and the purpose of the goats becomes horribly clear: They're sacrificial.
"We commit this animal to Kier, and his eternal war against pain," says Mr. Drummond, handing Lorne a gun. In the background, in patterns on the wall, we see images of a goat standing between two stick figures, one looking distressed while the other stands with their hand out. In another image, a goat lies upside-down on an alter, shining with light.
"How many more must I give?" Lorne asks.
"As many as the founder calls," comes the response.
The good news? Mark S. (Adam Scott) interrupts the sacrifice, and Emile the goat ends up going free. But why is Lumon doing this in the first place? What are they hoping to achieve?
Why is Lumon sacrificing goats?As we know from the trip Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette) takes in episode 8 to her childhood home, Lumon is just as much a religious cult as it is a company. And many of the people who work there don't appear to be faking their beliefs in the legends of Kier Eagan.
Animal sacrifice has historically been practiced in a number of religions, so it's not such a big stretch that Lumon — with its lore-heavy, cultish vibes — would have incorporated something like this into their practices.
What's perhaps more interesting, though, is the way sacrifice is being used within the frame of their religion. The goat in this case is being sacrificed at the same time that Gemma (Dichen Lachman) is entering the Cold Harbor room on the testing floor, where we know Lumon intends for her to be killed. What makes this even more disturbing, though, is the dialogue between Lorne and Mr. Drummond, which implies that this isn't the first goat that has been sacrificed in that room.
So, we have to ask: How many people has Lumon killed on the testing floor as part of the company's "eternal war against pain"?
All season long, viewers of Severance Season 2 have immersed themselves in the chilly mystery of Cold Harbor.
In its Season 2 premiere, Severance introduced Cold Harbor as Mark's (Adam Scott) latest file, which is of extreme importance to Lumon. In episode 7, "Chikhai Bardo," we learned that Cold Harbor is the name of the final room Gemma (Dichen Lachman) has to enter on the testing floor. And in Severance's Season 2 finale, Gemma finally stepped through that door.
SEE ALSO: 'Severance's brilliant Season 2 finale, explained What's in the Cold Harbor room in Severance?Cold Harbor is unlike any of the rooms Gemma went into in "Chikhai Bardo." Those rooms contained elaborate sets: a full dentist's office, a plane cabin, a living room decorated for the holidays. Dr. Mauer (Robby Benson) was also present in each room, playing the role of a dentist, a flight attendant, or an overbearing husband.
But Dr. Mauer isn't in the Cold Harbor room. Nor is there any extravagant set dressing. Instead, all Gemma's Cold Harbor Innie finds is a wooden crib and a screwdriver: an echo of Gemma and Mark's unsuccessful attempts to have a child, as seen in "Chikhai Bardo."
SEE ALSO: 'Severance' creator Dan Erickson breaks down Gemma's 'nightmarish' experience at LumonThat painful struggle culminated in one of Severance's most heartbreaking sequences. An angry Mark disassembles the crib he and Gemma built for an eventual child, while Gemma grieves in another room. It's a scene Dr. Mauer forces Gemma's Cold Harbor Innie to recreate, telling her to disassemble the crib. All the while, Billie Holiday's "I'll Be Seeing You" plays in the background, just as it did in "Chikhai Bardo."
Over Severance's run, that song has become Mark and Gemma's unofficial theme. It played during Mark's Season 1 date with Alexa (Nikki M. James), a reminder of his lost love. It also played during the scene in which Severance reveals Gemma is also Ms. Casey. Having it resurface in the Cold Harbor testing environment feels like a cruel joke on Lumon's part, with the company forcing something warm and meaningful into a sterile, upsetting context.
What does the crib scene in Severance mean?"I'll Be Seeing You" and the act of disassembling the crib are both intense emotional triggers for Gemma, reminding her of her miscarriage and her troubles conceiving a child. The outfit Lumon makes her wear for Cold Harbor is also a painful reminder. It's the very same coat and scarf she wore the last time she saw Mark, right before Lumon faked her death. With all these stimuli, it's clear that Lumon is throwing everything at the wall to try to elicit an emotional reaction from Gemma's Cold Harbor Innie.
"I do think that it's telling that [Cold Harbor] is one of the most traumatic things that happened to Gemma on the outside," Severance creator Dan Erickson told Mashable in an interview. "[Lumon] is always looking at how those things affect you on all sides of the severance barrier."
The emphasis on the severance barrier has been a common thread throughout Gemma's time on the testing floor. In each room, Dr. Mauer subjects one of her many Innies to an unpleasant experience, like a turbulent flight. Once Gemma leaves the room, nurse Cecily (Sandra Bernhard) grills her on whether any memories or emotions from her time in the room linger with her.
Based on this line of questioning, it's likely that Lumon is using Gemma to create a chip that can sever multiple painful experiences so the user never has to feel pain. But there's a world of difference between the mundane pains of dentist trips and the grief of loss. If ever anything was going to break through the severance barrier, it would be that, which is why Cold Harbor is so specifically tailored towards Gemma's personal trauma, and why it's the final test she faces.
Now we know that Cold Harbor is testing whether severance can block some of the strongest emotional pain someone can feel — but that's not the end of our Severance questions. What is Lumon's endgame with Gemma's chip? And why was Gemma key to their experiments?
These are questions Erickson relishes going forward. "My favorite questions on the show are the ones that both the audience and the characters will hopefully be having," he told Mashable. "I think that for Outie Mark, assuming that we do see him again, one of his first questions is going to be, 'What the hell were they doing to her down there? Why did they seem to be using this traumatic experience that we had had in this test? What exactly was being tested there?'"
Whatever the answers, we're certainly looking forward to finding them out alongside Mark as Severance continues.
How are you feeling after Severance's brilliant Season 2 finale? Overcome with woe that it's over? Full of malice and frolic at the episode's many twists and turns? Dreading another wait between seasons?
SEE ALSO: 'Severance's brilliant Season 2 finale, explainedWhichever of Kier Eagan's Four Tempers you most identify with in this moment, I think there's one thing we can all agree on: We still have many questions we want Severance to answer in Season 3, especially after its game-changing cliffhanger that saw Innie Mark (Adam Scott) save his Outie's wife Gemma (Dichen Lachman), then choose to remain on the Severed Floor with Helly (Britt Lower).
From goat sacrifices to the MDR team's shadow selves, here are the 21 questions we'll be puzzling over between now and Season 3.
1. What's next for everyone on the Severed Floor?The most obvious question about Severance Season 2's finale, "Cold Harbor," is a simple one: What in the world is going to happen next? When last we leave it, the Severed Floor is in a state of emergency, with Lumon sure to crack down soon. Mark and Helly are still down there, along with Dylan (Zach Cherry), Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman), and an entire marching band from the department of Choreography and Merriment. Do they plan to fight off whatever enforcement Lumon throws at them? Or could Lumon just force them all unconscious from afar with a severance chip function, like the Overtime Contingency or Glasgow Block?
SEE ALSO: 'Severance' Season 2 finale: Everyone in that cursed Cold Harbor paintingPerhaps most worrying is Dr. Mauer's (Robby Benson) statement to Mark and Gemma as they escape the Testing Floor. "You'll kill them all," he tells them. Is he talking about all the Innies? Could their last stand have doomed them all?
2. Will Gemma escape Lumon by herself? Dichen Lachman in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+Gemma is free from the horrors of the Severed and Testing Floors, but she's not out of the Lumon building just yet. As chaos rages in the Lumon basement and security measures likely increase, will she be able to escape and blow the whistle on Lumon's many crimes? Here's hoping Devon (Jen Tullock) and Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette) have a getaway car parked in the Lumon parking lot.
SEE ALSO: 'Severance' finally reveals what Lumon is doing to Gemma. It's terrifying. 3. What is Ms. Cobel going to do with her notebook? Patricia Arquette in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+Harmony Cobel went on quite the journey this season, going from trying to get back in Lumon's good graces to helping Mark save Gemma in the finale. Along the way, she stopped at her hometown of Salt's Neck, where she picked up an important notebook full of her designs for the severance chip. She hasn't done anything with it since then, but could Season 3 see her attempt to take credit for inventing the severance procedure?
SEE ALSO: 'Severance' Season 2, episode 8 drops a game-changing twist about Ms. Cobel4. What was going to happen if Cold Harbor went off without a hitch? Credit: Apple TV+
Gemma entered the Cold Harbor room in Severance's Season 2 finale, where her Innie was forced to take apart a crib in a reference to Gemma's traumatic miscarriage and unsuccessful attempts to have a child. To Dr. Mauer's delight, the severance barriers held, with none of Gemma's outside pain bleeding through. However, the test was not completed in full, as Mark (thankfully) crashed the party and saved Gemma.
SEE ALSO: 'Severance' Season 2 finale: Let's break down that chilling Cold Harbor roomBut what would have happened if the test had proceeded as planned? Cobel made it clear they were going to kill Gemma and harvest her chip, but then what? Dr. Mauer told Gemma in episode 7 that once she was done, "You will see the world again, and the world will see you." Would Gemma have been used as a figurehead or martyr for the next stage of Lumon's plan?
5. What is Lumon's endgame in Severance? Credit: Apple TV+Between all the unpleasant scenarios Gemma encounters in the Testing Floor rooms and the focus on the severance barrier, it seems like Lumon wants to create a way for people to sever themselves from any and all pain, including grief. That lines up with Mr. Drummond's (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson) description of Kier's "eternal war against pain" during the goat scene. Is Kier's "grand agendum" creating a world without pain?
SEE ALSO: 'Severance' creator Dan Erickson breaks down Gemma's 'nightmarish' experience at LumonHowever, Severance being Severance, we could only be getting part of the story. There may be a much larger picture we're missing out on. For now, though, the idea of making (and likely mass-marketing) a way to totally rid people's lives of any unpleasantness is sinister enough. Especially since doing so would force Innies to live in loops of nonstop pain. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of a painless world?
6. What was it about Gemma that made Lumon study her? Dichen Lachman in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+Based on episode 7, "Chikhai Bardo," it's clear that Gemma has been in Lumon's sights for a while. Dr. Mauer was at the fertility clinic she and Mark went to, which led to Lumon sending her the ideographic cards from Optics and Design. Even before that, Lumon manufactured the medical equipment at the blood drive where Mark and Gemma met, so they could have had tabs on her starting then. So, what was it about her that made her the ideal test subject? Something in her blood? In her thoughts about the ideographic cards? A secret third thing?
7. How did Lumon know about the crib?One of Severance's most heartbreaking scenes yet was Mark taking apart the crib he and Gemma built for the child they would never have, the very scene that Lumon recreates in the Cold Harbor room. Clearly, they surveilled Gemma for a long time, so it makes sense they know so much about her. But how did they come to know about this specific, private moment? Did they set up cameras in the Scout household? Did Gemma confide in someone with secret ties to Lumon? Or did it come up in one of her sessions with Dr. Mauer or nurse Cecily (Sandra Bernhard)? However it happened, I'm sure it was highly ethical and totally aboveboard.
8. What were the other MDR Innies working on? Britt Lower, Zach Cherry, and John Turturro in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+As Cobel informs Mark in the Season 2 finale, the numbers he is refining correspond to Kier Eagan's Four Tempers and serve as the building blocks of Gemma's mind. Each new file builds a new Innie for her, so his 24 completed files (25 with Cold Harbor) map onto 24 new consciousnesses.
But while Mark was working on Gemma's Innies, what were Dylan, Helly, and Irving (John Turturro) working on? Some of their file names — like Dylan's Tumwater file or Helly's Siena file — appear on the Testing Floor, so they could all have been working on Gemma, and she may have well over 25 Innies. However, the rest of MDR couldn't have been working on other rooms while Mark was finishing Cold Harbor, as it was the last room for Gemma to go through. So, were they working on refining consciousnesses for other test subjects? Just doing busywork to keep up the illusion of work? Or does Lumon have more nefarious projects afoot that MDR has an unknowing hand in? (Lumon? Have nefarious projects? Never.)
9. What's going on with Ricken and the Lumon edition of The You You Are? Jen Tullock and Michael Chernus in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+Oh, Ricken (Michael Chernus), you insufferable intellectual. We barely saw you this season, and dare I say that distance made the heart grow fonder? Fond enough for me to wonder, "Now where the heck is Ricken?" at the end of each episode, anyway.
SEE ALSO: 'Severance's 'The You You Are' is now a real book. Here are 4 things we learned from it.The biggest development with Ricken in Season 2 was the fact that Lumon approached him about making a version of The You You Are specifically for Innies. (You know, by censoring it.) Perhaps that book will come into play more in Season 3, just like the Damona Birthing Retreat, a small part of Season 1 that ended up playing a major role in the end of Season 2. And remember, if Ricken now owes allegiance to Lumon, how do you think he'll react to Devon collaborating against them with Mark? Will he celebrate Gemma's return or tattle to Natalie (Sydney Cole Alexander) about it? Whatever the answer, we can at least celebrate Ricken by reading The You You Are, which is wonderfully real.
10. What's the deal with the shadow selves and the watchers? Ólafur Darri Ólafsson in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+Severance Season 2 introduced two strange forms of twins for the Innies. In "Woe's Hollow," the MDR Innies were guided through the forest by uncanny "shadow" selves. (Shadow Mark, played by Adam Jepsen, is also the figure who appears briefly behind him in the Season 2 premiere.) In "Chikhai Bardo," we learned their work was being monitored by "watchers," each of whom are styled to look fairly close to the Innie they're watching.
By Season 2's end, we still have no idea who these different sets of twins are, what their purpose is, or how they were made. The watchers seem like real people, but the shadows seem more artificial — not clones, but not totally human either. What infernal Lumon technology is at play here, and why am I having twice the existential crisis thinking about it?
11. Who is on the Lumon Board? Sydney Cole Alexander in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+This question carries over from Season 1, but it remains as pertinent as ever, especially as Severance spends more time in the meetings between Lumon higher-ups like Helena, Mr. Drummond, and Mr. Milchick. Season 2 gave us precious few clues as to the faceless board members who lurk behind the trademark blue board speaker (or in Natalie's earpiece). But after the catastrophic Cold Harbor test, could they step out of the shadows and show their faces?
12. What is the revolving?This is another question that came up in Season 1, but given Jame Eagan's (Michael Siberry) increased appearances at the end of Season 2, it bears repeating.
In the Season 1 finale, Jame told Helena, "One day you will sit with me at my revolving," suggesting that the revolving is some kind of ritual every Lumon CEO must go through. Fan theories abound: Is it just a euphemism for death? Some kind of cloning or transfer of consciousness to keep the Lumon CEO line alive? Given that these are the Eagans we're talking about, I'm sure it will be even creepier than our wildest nightmares.
13. Does Jame Eagan want Helly to be his new successor? Michael Siberry in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+While we're on the topic of Jame Eagan, what in the world was he talking about when he went to the Severed Floor to visit Helly? He started out by trashing Helena — "I do not love my daughter" — because he no longer sees Kier in her. He then drops the bombshell that he does see Kier in Helly: the very same thing he said about Cobel when he presented her with the Wintertide Fellowship. Jame seems to admire Helly's fiery, spiritual resemblance to Kier. Could that admiration translate to him wanting to groom her as successor instead? Might he force reintegration on Helena/Helly so he gets an heir who's loyal to Lumon but still has Kier within her? Or maybe he just wants to give Helly a Wintertide Fellowship. Now that Miss Huang's (Sarah Bock) out of the picture, the Severed Floor does need someone to step up on theremin-playing duties.
SEE ALSO: 'Severance' Season 2, episode 8 finally confirms Miss Huang's whole deal 14. Will Jame Eagan's illegitimate children make an appearance?One more Jame question, because that man keeps popping up! In his conversation with Helly, he reveals he has several illegitimate children, telling her, "I sired others in the shadows." In episode 9, Severance also implies that the mothers of these children are taken to give birth at Damona.
So, who are these baby Eagans, and will they come into play in Season 3? Helena and Jame are already two Eagans too many, but I wouldn't necessarily say no to a Succession-style struggle to be Lumon CEO. Alternatively, I hope for these illegitimate kids' sake that they have no idea who their dad is or who the Eagans are. They deserve a chance to be normal and not Kier-pilled.
15. Will we see Miss Huang again? Sarah Bock in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+Severance Season 2 bade farewell to Miss Huang in episode 9, with Mr. Milchick sending her off to the Gunnel Eagan Empathy Center in Svalbard, Norway. That's so far removed from the rest of the world that it's nearly impossible to think we'll see her again. A girl can dream though! Justice for Eustice!
16. Will we see Mark W., Gwendolyn Y., and Dario R. again? Tramell Tillman, Alia Shawkat, Stefano Carannante, and Bob Balaban in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+Introduced and promptly fired in the Season 2 premiere, Mark W. (Bob Balaban), Gwendolyn Y. (Alia Shawkat), and Dario R. (Stefano Carannante) were fascinating windows into severed life at other Lumon branches. It's doubtful Lumon would bring them back after the total Innie rebellion of the finale, but I'll never say never — especially when Mr. Drummond's skeptical episode 2 reaction to Mark W. and Gwendolyn Y. coming from Branch 5X was so intriguing. What happened at Branch 5X to get it shut down? And more importantly, did Mark W.'s Outie recover after breaking his lease in Grand Rapids?
17. Where is Irving going? And will he be back? John Turturro in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+If I have one complaint about the Severance Season 2 finale, it's that it suffered from a grim lack of Irving. It's bad enough we've been missing Innie Irving since his retirement in "Woe's Hollow." Why must you deprive me of Outie Irving too?
Of course, Irving's absence comes down to the fact that Burt (Christopher Walken) sent him on a train far away from the town of Kier for his safety. But where is he going? And surely we'll see him again, right? Right? The people yearn for Irv!
18. Who was Irving calling? John Turturro in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+Another Irving question that still has no answer: Who is the mystery person he was calling at the payphone? And how do they link up to Irving's examining of Lumon employees and the links between accidents, settlements, and severance? Severance has hinted at Irving's investigation since late in Season 1, so maybe we'll learn more about his detective work in Season 3. Who knows, he may even be headed to meet up with his unknown ally as he departs Kier!
19. Will Dylan retire? Zach Cherry and Merritt Wever in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+If the Innies make it out of their big stand alive, and if Dylan is even given a choice about whether to retire permanently or just keep working, what will he choose? He seemed pretty dead set on retiring in episode 9, but perhaps his Outie's plea for him to stay got through to him, especially since he headed to the MDR office to help Helly instead of going back to the elevator to retire. Between that and his mic drop-worthy "Fuck you, Mr. Milchick," it seems like Innie Dylan has a whole lot of fight left in him.
20. How many goats has Lumon killed, and for what? Gwendoline Christie in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+The Season 2 finale finally revealed what Lumon does with its baby goats. It sacrifices them in order to "entomb" them with dead people — like Gemma, if all had gone to plan — after which the goat is meant to guide them to Kier's door. I'm glad we have that answer, but like all things involving Severance, it only opens up more questions: What inspired this tradition within the cult of Kier? Why goats? Could other livestock do in a pinch?
However, most pressing of all is the question of how many times Lumon has carried out this sacrifice. Mammalians Nurturable head Lorne (Gwendoline Christie) seems horrified at the prospect of sacrificing her beloved goat Emile, asking, "How many more must I give?"
That question suggests that she has had to give up many more goats in her time — but what else was Lumon killing people for, and how often? Were these test subjects prior to Gemma, or part of their other frightening projects? Either way, let's hope future seasons bring us more of Mammalians Nurturable fighting to protect their beloved goats.
21. What new weird food stuff will we get next season? Zach Cherry in "Severance." Credit: Apple TV+Season 1 of Severance brought us such cursed food-based perks as the egg bar, the melon bar, and the waffle party. In Season 2, Lumon leveled up its corporate snacking with new vending machine treats, Kier Eagan marshmallows, and a curious reliance on pineapple. Needless to say, I'm guessing Lumon will bring in some new strange food as the show continues — but what will it be? Will the company go through a berry phase? Incorporate more sweets into their snack selection? Get really into trail mix? Who knows! But one thing's for sure: Pineapple, your days are numbered!
It's official: Severance is now two for two when it comes to incredible finales, with Season 2's "Cold Harbor" somehow managing to surpass Season 1's suspenseful "The We We Are."
SEE ALSO: 21 burning 'Severance' questions we have after the Season 2 finaleWritten by showrunner Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller, "Cold Harbor" walks a near-impossible line between answering some of our most pressing Severance questions (while raising several others, of course) and delivering unforgettable character moments and set pieces. Mark's (Adam Scott) Innie and Outie finally speak to each other. Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman) pulls out all the stops in a celebration of Mark's completion of Cold Harbor. And of course, Mark — both Innie and Outie — manages to pull off a daring rescue of Gemma (Dichen Lachman), even if his Innie chooses not to leave Lumon with her.
With so many incredible developments in one episode, let's break down "Cold Harbor."
Mark fights himself in the Severance Season 2 finale.All season long, Outie Mark has been searching for a way to communicate with his Innie to understand what's happening to Gemma at Lumon. His methods included trying to burn a message into his retinas and attempting to reintegrate, but his sister Devon (Jen Tullock) and new ally Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette) fashion a new solution: They take Mark to the severed cabin at the Damona Birthing Retreat, where he and his Innie can communicate across the severance barrier via recorded video messages.
While the conversation begins with a semblance of camaraderie — Outie Mark even apologizes for forcing this existence on Innie Mark — it quickly devolves into a tense showdown. Remember the ideographic card Gemma analyzes of a man fighting his own subconscious in "Chikhai Bardo"? This scene is basically that, come to life.
Outie Mark needs Innie Mark's help to save Gemma from the Testing Floor. But once he and Gemma leave Lumon and expose her imprisonment, what happens to Innie Mark? What happens to every Innie?
SEE ALSO: 'Severance' creator Dan Erickson breaks down Gemma's 'nightmarish' experience at LumonThe answer, of course, is retirement, which is basically a death sentence. And even though Outie Mark offers up reintegration as a solution, it's clear that's not what Innie Mark wants. In his mind, his Outie is no better than Lumon, viewing the Innies as an expendable way to help him get what he wants. The nail in the coffin is Outie Mark reducing Innie Mark and Helly's (Britt Lower) relationship when compared to his marriage. Asking your Innie to sacrifice his love story and his life and the lives of his friends for your own romance? That's a tall order, one that only comes from someone who doesn't understand the depth of the Innies' existence.
The entire scene is a masterful play on perspective, accentuated by the contrast between Innie Mark's fire-lit surroundings in the cabin and Outie Mark's dark blue backdrop as he sits outside in the winter night. To each side of Mark's consciousness, the other is the villain, and as Severance toggles between the two, we come to understand the impossibility of a truly reintegrated Mark. No matter what, these versions of himself will always want different things and love different people.
We finally know what the numbers are in Severance: "The numbers are your wife." Patricia Arquette in "Severance." Credit: AppleTV+Innie Mark's stubbornness leads Cobel to drop the biggest, clearest reveal in Severance so far: "The numbers are your wife."
That's right: According to Cobel, the MDR numbers Mark has been refining are "a doorway into the mind of your Outie's wife, Gemma Scout." The emotions he and the other MDR workers feel when refining the number clusters correspond to Kier Eagan's Four Tempers: malice, woe, dread, and frolic. Together, these make up "the building blocks of [Gemma's] mind."
SEE ALSO: 'Severance' Season 2 finale: Everyone in that cursed Cold Harbor paintingSo what is Mark building with these blocks? New Innies for Gemma, one for each of the unpleasant rooms she enters on the Testing Floor. Each of his files corresponds to one new consciousness, with Cold Harbor being the 25th.
But Ms. Cobel isn't done dropping bombs on Innie Mark. Once he completes Cold Harbor and Gemma finishes her time in that room, she tells him, Lumon will kill Gemma and retire Mark and the other MDR workers. Mark, realizing he and the Innies will die whether he helps Gemma or not, resigns himself to the plan — but not without anger at his Outie, Devon, and Cobel using him.
Lumon is using its baby goats for ritual sacrifices. Credit: AppleTV+As Gemma prepares to go to Cold Harbor and Mark gears up to save her, Severance drops another answer on us, this time about the ever-perplexing baby goats. Turns out, Lumon is sacrificing them.
The reveal comes when Mammalians Nurturable department head Lorne (Gwendoline Christie) brings a sweet baby goat named Emile to a hidden room covered in images of humans bowing to, then killing goats. There, Mr. Drummond (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson) commands her to take Emile's life, saying, "We dedicate this animal to Kier in his eternal war against pain."
SEE ALSO: 'Severance' Season 2 finale: Why is Lumon sacrificing goats?He goes on: "This beast will be entombed with a cherished woman, whose spirit it must guide to Kier's door." Based on that, it seems like Lumon plans on burying the goat with Gemma, where it will act as a guide to whatever Lumon's version of heaven is. The revelation adds a deeper layer to the religious and cult-like aspects of Lumon, but, like many things with Severance, it also leads to more questions. What other Lumon rituals don't we know about? How long has this particular tradition been going on? Who else has Lumon sacrificed goats for, and how many sweet goats have lost their lives to the cult of Kier? (Enough to make Lorne beat the frolic out of Mr. Drummond, that's for sure.)
Gemma relives her trauma in the Cold Harbor room. Dichen Lachman in "Severance." Credit: AppleTV+Thankfully, neither Emile the goat nor Gemma the human die in "Cold Harbor." However, Gemma does still have to enter the last room on the Testing Floor: Cold Harbor itself. It's a momentous enough occasion that Jame Eagan (Michael Siberry) sits in to witness the "efficacy test."
Unlike the other rooms, with their elaborate sets and characters played by Dr. Mauer (Robby Benson), Cold Harbor is sparsely furnished. The only thing in it is a crib, which Dr. Mauer tells Gemma's Cold Harbor Innie to take apart.
The crib, as well as the Billie Holliday song "I'll be Seeing You" that's playing in the room, is a direct callback to Gemma and Mark's unsuccessful attempts to have a child, as seen in flashbacks in "Chikhai Bardo." Those are already potent emotional triggers, but Lumon's not done re-traumatizing Gemma just yet! They've also forced her to dress in the same outfit she wore the last time she saw Mark.
SEE ALSO: 'Severance' Season 2 finale: Let's break down that chilling Cold Harbor roomHowever, none of these stimuli have an emotional impact on Gemma's Innie. "The barrier is holding; she feels nothing," Dr. Mauer says while watching. "It's beautiful."
The intense focus on the severance barrier throughout Gemma's Testing Floor experience makes it seem like Lumon is trying to find a way to sever any pain, like the woes of a dentist visit or a turbulent flight. Cold Harbor evokes the most profound emotional pain: that of grief and loss. Most interestingly, it's the first room we've seen where Gemma's pain is being blocked from the Innie, as opposed to the norm of the many Innies' unpleasant experiences being blocked from Gemma.
Now, with the test's success, has Lumon finally perfected a way to win Kier's "eternal war against pain" by shunting it off to unsuspecting Innies? And if so, what do they plan to do with the technology next?
Does Mark make the right choice in freeing Gemma but staying with Helly?Working together, Innie and Outie Mark manage to free Gemma from the Testing Floor and get Gemma into the non-Severed stairwell on the Severed Floor. It's a sequence full of standout moments, from Outie Mark and Gemma's tearful reunion to the comedy of them changing back into Innie Mark and Ms. Casey mid-elevator kiss.
But of course, the sequence — and the entire season, really — leads up to one key choice: Will Innie Mark step out into the stairway so his Outie can be reunited with Gemma? Or will he stay with Helly and get as much time with her as he can?
In the end, Innie Mark fulfills his promise to his Outie in freeing Gemma, but he also chooses to stay with Helly and run deeper into the Severed Floor, now bathed in red alarm lights. The choice echoes Helly's passionate speech to the marching band members in Choreography and Merriment. "They give us half a life and think we won't fight for it," she tells them. Innie Mark's choice is him choosing to fight for his half a life, even when his Outie expects him not to.
As freeing (and frankly, romantic) as Innie Mark's choice is, the sequence remains undeniably heartbreaking, with Gemma screaming for the man she knows as her husband to come back. (To make things worse, she might not even know he's severed!) So yes, while Mark and Helly running off into Lumon is a beautiful image, it's also impossible to divorce that beauty from the devastation of Gemma losing her husband, and of Outie Mark potentially never knowing she made it out.
The whole scene feels like a reversal of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Here, the Eurydice figure, Gemma, escapes from the underworld of Lumon. (Fittingly, Helly did call it "hell" to Jame's face.) But it's the Orpheus figure, Mark, who looks back and returns to hell.
How long he and Helly will stay there is a question for Season 3, but as Season 2 reaches its bold and brilliant end, it's clear the Innies are ready to take back the autonomy that's been stolen from them. Even just a half a life is wholly worth fighting for.
If there's one thing Lumon loves more than torturing its employees, it's a creepy painting.
Who could forget "Kier Pardons His Betrayers," the blood-red tableau that greeted the returning MDR Innies in the Season 2 premiere? Or what about the extremely violent "The Grim Barbarity of Optics and Design" from back in Season 1?
Each is unsettling in its own right, as well as a key part of Lumon's propaganda machine. But in its Season 2 finale, Severance introduces a new frightening painting that blows those out of the water: "The Exalted Victory of Cold Harbor."
The work commemorates Mark's imminent completion of Cold Harbor, placing him and his computer at the center of the pool at Woe's Hollow. Given that location's key role in the Kier Eagan canon, the depiction of Mark in Woe's Hollow emphasizes how crucial his work on Cold Harbor is to Lumon. Plus, the frigid waters evoke the name "Cold Harbor," adding extra layers to the painting's significance.
But Mark — rendered here in a state of revelation, hand raised as if to deliver the final keystroke on his file — isn't alone. He's surrounded by a crowd of people who guided him to this moment (some more than others), making "The Exalted Victory of Cold Harbor" a round-up of Severance's ensemble.
Here's everyone who's in Severance's "The Exalted Victory of Cold Harbor."
On the left side of the painting: Lumon troublemakers and blips in the grander plan. Credit: Screenshot: AppleTV+The group of people on the left side of the painting are mostly those who have caused Lumon trouble or been involved in company crises. The inclusion of some, like Mark's MDR team, makes sense, while the presence of others, like Devon (Jen Tullock) and Ricken (Michael Chernus), may seem a bit more baffling. Why would Lumon put non-Lumon employees in this historic painting? Or company enemies like Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette), for that matter? Let's break it down.
The MDR Innies: Irving (John Turturro), Helly (Britt Lower), Dylan (Zach Cherry), and Petey (Yul Vazquez)
Like the racist "inclusively re-canonicalized" Kier paintings Lumon gifted Mr. Milchick (Tramell Tillman), "The Exalted Victory of Cold Harbor" seems as much like a (creepily misguided) attempt to celebrate Mark as it does a piece of Lumon propaganda. And you can't celebrate Mark without including the MDR team.
Sure, they've all had their moments of rebellion at Lumon, from triggering the Overtime Contingency to Irving trying to drown Helena and Petey reintegrating. But if Lumon wants Mark to see the painting as an encouragement to finish Cold Harbor and claim his place in Lumon history — again, not his vibe! — then it's a no-brainer to keep his team beside him. Plus, while they're on the left side of the painting, from Mark's perspective, the MDR team are at his right hand. They're his right-hand team! How sweet, even if the painting itself is spooky as can be.
Optics and Design: Burt (Christopher Walken), Felicia (Claudia Robinson), and Elizabeth (Rachel Addington)
MDR isn't the only department to get some love in "The Exalted Victory of Cold Harbor." O&D also gets celebrated, even though they, too, got in trouble with Lumon for inter-departmental mingling. But since O&D curates the Severed Floor's paintings, who's going to stop them from including themselves?
Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette)
Cobel's inclusion in the painting is perplexing. On the one hand, she was the head of the Severed Floor for almost all of Mark's time there, and she invented severance, so she absolutely should be commemorated. On the other hand, she's now an enemy of Lumon, and Mr. Milchick made a point that the company was distancing itself from her in the Season 2 premiere. (Remember the "throuple" moment? Simpler times.) So I guess props to Lumon are in order for giving Cobel some credit and not editing her out of history.
Mark's family: Devon (Jen Tullock) and Ricken (Michael Chernus)
"The Exalted Victory of Cold Harbor" features several people who have never set foot on the Severed Floor, starting with Mark's sister, Devon, holding baby Eleanor, and Mark's brother-in-law, Ricken. Innie Mark did meet them both during the Overtime Contingency, so these aren't unfamiliar faces. Plus, Ricken's book The You You Are proved instrumental to Mark's journey of self-discovery in Season 1, to the point that Lumon has recruited Ricken to write a (heavily edited) version for other Innies.
The most fascinating element of Ricken and Devon's role in the painting is Devon's body language. She's the only person in the crowd to be turned away from Mark, and she's looking at him with skepticism. Her attitude in the painting makes sense given her real-life worries about Mark's role at Lumon, but it also means Lumon's got her in its sights. How much danger is she really in?
Ricken's buddies: Balf (Rajat Suresh), Danise (Annie McNamara), Patton (Donald Webber Jr.), and Rebeck (Grace Rex)
Far in the back of the lefthand crowd, you can make out more characters who are unaffiliated with Lumon: Ricken's assistant, Balf, as well as his dinner-less dinner party squad of Danise, Patton, and Rebeck. Innie Mark met all of them at Ricken's reading during the Overtime Contingency, so their inclusion here could be meant as more encouragement to Mark — even his most rebellious moments and unauthorized encounters led him to Cold Harbor.
Of course, Lumon being Lumon, there's a small chance that these four do have a greater connection to the company. But since we haven't seen them beyond Ricken's party, I'm doubting it. That doesn't mean they don't deserve to be remembered in the art equivalent of "Severance's Greatest Hits," though!
The collateral damage: Mark W. (Bob Balaban), Gwendolyn Y. (Alia Shawkat), and Dario R. (Stefano Carannante)
Gone but not forgotten, the three new Innies Mark meets (and then sends away) in the Season 2 premiere get their moment in the spotlight... in the back of "The Exalted Victory of Cold Harbor." Does that make up for losing their lives? Or for Mark W.'s Outie breaking his lease in Grand Rapids?
On the right side of the painting: The Lumon loyalists Credit: Screenshot: AppleTV+While the left side of the painting is a hodgepodge of outsiders and rebellious Lumon employees, the right side of "The Exalted Victory of Cold Harbor" includes characters who tend to have the greatest allegiance to Lumon — or who just haven't rocked the boat as much.
Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman)
We haven't seen much of Wellness Director Ms. Casey in Severance Season 2, but she does take a spot right beside Mark in "The Exalted Victory of Cold Harbor." Coming from Lumon, that proximity — a reference to her actually being Mark's wife Gemma — feels exceptionally cruel.
Team MDR: Mr. Milchick and Miss Huang (Sarah Bock)
Severed Floor manager Mr. Milchick and Wintertide Fellow Miss Huang may have had their squabbles in the back half of Season 2, but they appear side by side here. Miss Huang is even carrying her trusted theremin. She just wants to play!
Natalie Kalen (Sydney Cole Alexander)
Board Liaison Natalie pops up at the side of the crowd. No board speaker in sight though. I guess the board won't be joining us for this painting.
Doug Graner (Michael Cumpsty)
Reghabi (Karen Aldridge) may have killed Head of Security Doug Graner in Season 1, but at least he gets memorialized in "The Exalted Victory of Cold Harbor."
Mammalians Nurturable: Lorne (Gwendoline Christie), Wyatt (Brian Rock), and the Goat Man (Jared Johnston)
Mammalians Nurturable, aka the Goat Department, joins MDR and O&D in this terrifying tableau. Pictured here are Department Head Lorne; Wyatt, the first goat wrangler Helly and Mark met in Season 1; and Goat Man, who has the honor of wearing a massive goat costume. While MN hadn't caused chaos at Lumon prior to the Season 2 finale, I bet Lorne throwing down with Mr. Drummond (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson) might jeopardize their department (and their chances of making it into paintings) in the near future.
The Four Tempers: Woe, Dread, Malice, and Frolic
The representations of Kier Eagan's Four Tempers watch on as Mark finishes refining Cold Harbor. Cobel confirmed that the refining process meant building a new Innie for Gemma out of the Tempers, making their inclusion here make even more sense. (There's also a non-zero chance that these could be the dancers from the Waffle Parties.)
The MDR Shadow Innies
Rounding out the right side of the painting are the strange Shadow selves introduced in "Woe's Hollow." Do we know their deal? Absolutely not, but it's enough to get them in the painting!
On top of the painting: Lumon's CEOs, past, present, and future Credit: Screenshot: AppleTV+Lording over the scene from the top of the Woe's Hollow waterfall — famously the tallest in the world! — are nine Eagans, some of whom we've met in the show, and many of whom we've only seen as statues in the Perpetuity Wing.
As the CEO-in-waiting, Helena Eagan stands at the center of the tableau, flanked on either side by her father Jame (Michael Siberry) and Lumon founder Kier (Marc Geller). Rounding out the rest of the Eagan lineup, from left to right, we have: Ambrose, Myrtle, Phillip, Leonora, Baird, and Gerhardt. They're all looking at Helena, the future of Lumon, whereas she looks ahead, to a post-Cold Harbor world.
Too bad for Lumon, then, that Mark derails the entire project by helping Gemma escape! That's what you get for calling your shot too early and painting your propaganda ahead of time.
TL;DR: A wide range of ChatGPT courses are available to take for free on Udemy.
Are you aware that Udemy hosts an absolutely massive range of online courses covering everything from Python programming to Microsoft Excel? And better yet, some of these online courses are available to take for free. It sounds too good to be true, but it's legit. You can learn about a large selection of useful topics without spending anything, including ChatGPT.
SEE ALSO: DeepSeek just taught the AI industry 5 hard lessonsWe have scoped out everything on Udemy and lined up a selection of standout ChatGPT courses to get you started. These are the best ChatGPT courses available to take for free this month:
Midjourney and ChatGPT: Unleash AI for Unique Image Generation
The Introduction into ChatGPT Content Creation for Beginners
The only catch is that these free online courses do not offer certificates of completion or direct instructor messaging. You still get unrestricted access to all the video content, so you can start learning at your own pace.
Find the best free ChatGPT courses on Udemy.
Opens in a new window Credit: Udemy ChatGPT Courses Free at Udemy Get DealTL;DR: Unblock porn sites like xHamster with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.
Your access to porn sites is not always guaranteed. In fact, a lot of locations around the world will restrict your access to popular porn sites like xHamster. We understand why these restrictions are in place, but we also think it's important to safeguard your online freedom.
If you're looking for the best way to unblock porn sites like xHamster for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
How to unblock xHamster for freeVPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure servers in other locations. This process bypasses geo-restrictions to secure access to porn sites like xHamster from anywhere in the world. It sounds complicated, but it's really not.
Unblock xHamster by following these simple steps:
Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to xHamster
Unblock xHamster
The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites and then recover your investment at a later date. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it works well if you're traveling to a location without access to your favorite sites.
If you want to retain permanent access to free pornj sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for porn?ExpressVPN is the top choice when it comes to unblocking porn sites like xHamster, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy
Fast streaming speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Unblock xHamster for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Live stream England vs. Albania in 2026 World Cup qualifiers for free on ITVX. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
England kick off their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a home fixture against Albania. Fans will expect a win, but the real interest lies in how new manager Thomas Tuchel will set up his team. Could this be the start of a beautiful new era of success for England? Or will they fall just short again.
If you want to watch England vs. Albania in 2026 World Cup qualifiers for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is England vs. Albania?England vs. Albania in 2026 World Cup qualifiers starts at 7:45 p.m. GMT on March 21. This fixture takes place at Wembley Stadium.
How to watch England vs. Albania for freeEngland vs. Albania in 2026 World Cup qualifiers is available to live stream for free on ITVX.
ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX from anywhere in the world.
Access a free live stream of England vs. Albania by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit ITVX
Live stream England vs. Albania for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch England vs. Albania without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream this game before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for ITVX?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including the UK
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Stream England vs. Albania in 2026 World Cup qualifiers for free with ExpressVPN.
March Madness has started with a number of interesting first-round games, including Oklahoma Sooners vs. Connecticut Huskies. We're expecting a tense battle between two evenly-matched sides, with the likes of Jeremiah Fears and Liam McNeeley taking center stage.
If you want to watch Sooners vs. Huskies for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Sooners vs. Huskies?Oklahoma Sooners vs. Connecticut Huskies starts at 9:25 p.m. ET on March 21. This first-round game takes place at the Lenovo Center.
How to watch Sooners vs. Huskies for freeOklahoma Sooners vs. Connecticut Huskies airs on TNT. It is possible to access TNT with streaming services that offer free trials:
DirectTV (five-day free trial) — CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV
Hulu + Live TV (three-day free trial) — CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV
By making the most of these free trials, you can watch Oklahoma Sooners vs. Connecticut Huskies (plus more March Madness games) without actually spending anything.
How to watch Sooners vs. Huskies from anywhere in the worldIf you're traveling outside of the U.S. during March Madness, you might need to use a VPN to unblock live streams of Sooners vs. Huskies. VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of Sooners vs. Huskies from anywhere in the world.
Live stream 2025 March Madness from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.
Visit DirectTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, or Paramount+
Live stream Sooners vs. Huskies for free from anywhere in the world
ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport from anywhere in the world, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including the U.S.
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure
Fast connection speeds
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free) $139 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get DealMarch Madness is officially underway, which means fans are set for weeks of fast-paced, passionate, and absolutely electric basketball action. It's always a special time of year when it feels like anything could happen.
There are a number of intriguing first-round games, including Duke vs. Mount St. Mary's. Everyone is desperate to see whether Duke and Cooper Flagg can deliver on their lofty expectations.
If you want to watch Duke vs. Mount St. Mary's for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Duke vs. Mount St. Mary's?Duke vs. Mount St. Mary's starts at 2:50 p.m. ET on March 21. This first-round game takes place at the Lenovo Center.
How to watch Duke vs. Mount St. Mary's for freeDuke vs. Mount St. Mary's is available to watch on CBS. It is possible to access CBS with a range of streaming services that offer free trials:
DirectTV (five-day free trial) — CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV
Fubo (seven-day free trial) — CBS
Hulu + Live TV (three-day free trial) — CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV
Paramount+ (seven-day free trial) — CBS
By making the most of these free trials, you can watch Duke vs. Mount St. Mary's (plus more March Madness games) without actually spending anything.
How to watch Duke vs. Mount St. Mary's from anywhere in the worldIf you're traveling outside of the U.S. during March Madness, you might need to use a VPN to unblock live streams of Duke vs. Mount St. Mary's. VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of March Madness from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Duke vs. Mount St. Mary's from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.
Visit DirectTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, or Paramount+
Live stream Duke vs. Mount St. Mary's for free from anywhere in the world
ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport from anywhere in the world, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including the U.S.
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure
Fast connection speeds
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free) $139 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get DealTL;DR: Unblock Pornhub from Texas with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.
The big news in the world of porn is that more than a third of U.S. states have introduced restrictions for online adult content, including Texas. With the introduction of age verification laws, millions of users in Texas are now unable to access Pornhub. There are complicated reasons for this restriction, but thankfully, the workaround is simple.
If you want to unblock porn sites like Pornhub for free from Texas, we have all the information you need.
How to unblock Pornhub for free in TexasVPNs are useful tools that can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This straightforward process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can access sites like Pornhub from anywhere in the world.
Unblock Pornhub by following these simple steps:
Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to Pornhub
Visit Pornhub
The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free-trial peiods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Pornhub without actually spending anything. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you the opportunity to temporarily retain access to Pornhub before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to sites like Pornhub, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing content restrictions is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for Pornhub?ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking porn sites like Pornhub, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure
Fast streaming speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Unblock Pornhub for free in Texas with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Live stream Uruguay vs. Argentina in World Cup qualifiers for free on SBS On Demand. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The top two in the South American World Cup qualification standings are coming together in Montevideo. Argentina have a five-point cushion over Uruguay, but that lead could be cut to just two points after this exciting fixture.
If you want to watch Uruguay vs. Argentina in World Cup qualifiers for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Uruguay vs. Argentina?Uruguay vs. Argentina in World Cup qualifiers kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on March 21. This fixture takes place at the Estadio Centenario.
How to watch Uruguay vs. Argentina for freeUruguay vs. Argentina in World Cup qualifiers is available to live stream for free on SBS On Demand.
SBS On Demand is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can access free live streams on SBS On Demand from anywhere in the world.
Access a free live stream of Uruguay vs. Argentina by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Australia
Visit SBS On Demand
Stream Uruguay vs. Argentina for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Uruguay vs. Argentina in World Cup qualifiers without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select World Cup qualifiers before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for SBS On Demand?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on SBS On Demand, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including Australia
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Live stream Uruguay vs. Argentina in World Cup qualifiers for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Live stream Ecuador vs. Venezuela in World Cup qualifiers for free on SBS On Demand. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
Ecuador are flying in South American qualification for the 2026 World Cup, but there is still work to do for this talented team. Next they face Venezuela at home, a game they will be confident of winning. Could Ecuador move up the standings and secure a spot in next year's showpiece event?
If you want to watch Ecuador vs. Venezuela in World Cup qualifiers for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Ecuador vs. Venezuela?Ecuador vs. Venezuela in World Cup qualifiers kicks off at 5 p.m. ET on March 21. This fixture takes place at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado.
How to watch Ecuador vs. Venezuela for freeEcuador vs. Venezuela in World Cup qualifiers is available to live stream for free on SBS On Demand.
SBS On Demand is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can access free live streams on SBS On Demand from anywhere in the world.
Access a free live stream of Ecuador vs. Venezuela by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Australia
Visit SBS On Demand
Stream Ecuador vs. Venezuela for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Ecuador vs. Venezuela in World Cup qualifiers without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select World Cup qualifiers before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for SBS On Demand?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on SBS On Demand, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including Australia
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.
Live stream Ecuador vs. Venezuela in World Cup qualifiers for free with ExpressVPN.
Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections Sports Edition?The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Ways to move a soccer ball
Green: Not offense in basketball
Blue: College stars on the court
Purple: Share a last name
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Hit a ball with your foot
Green: Basketball defenses
Blue: NCAA women's basketball stars
Purple: ______ Wilson
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #179 is...
What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition todayHit a ball with your foot - BOOT, KICK, PUNT, STRIKE
Basketball defenses - MAN, PRESS, TRAP, ZONE
NCAA women's basketball stars - BETTS, BUECKERS, HIDALGO, WATKINS
_________ Wilson - A'JA, GARRETT, MOOKIE, RUSSELL
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Take a New York Minute to Review Your Recovery Plan Don Henley is right: everything can change in a New York...
I Lost all of my Photos In every disaster I have ever responded to from here to...
Boston's most important responders: Bostonians The people of Boston are to be congratulated for being...
3 Values Your Business Continuity Plan Should Have Your business lives with risk every day from competitors...
Digital Privacy: A Catch 22 Mobility, convenience, accessibility and real-...
Take a New York Minute to Review Your Recovery Plan Don Henley is right: everything can change in a New York...
3 Values Your Business Continuity Plan Should Have Your business lives with risk every day from competitors...
I Lost all of my Photos In every disaster I have ever responded to from here to...