Cold Harbor is the file Mark has been refining in MDR—and it contains data representing Gemma's emotional states during Lumon's experiments. In one of Severance's most devastating reveals, we learn that the "scary numbers" Mark has been sorting for months are actually recordings of his supposedly dead wife's suffering.
This revelation recontextualizes everything we've seen in MDR and explains why Lumon assigned Mark specifically to this file.
What the Numbers Actually Represent
- WO (Woe): Sadness, grief, despair
- FC (Frolic): Joy, playfulness, freedom
- DR (Dread): Fear, anxiety, anticipation of harm
- MA (Malice): Anger, hatred, desire to hurt
Gemma's Emotions: The numbers aren't abstract data—they're Gemma's recorded emotional responses during testing. Each "scary" number Mark identifies is a moment of his wife's suffering.
The Cruelty: Lumon didn't just experiment on Gemma—they made her husband process the data without knowing. It's psychological torture wrapped in corporate paperwork.
Experience Macrodata Refinement
Experience this game yourself - can you survive?
Why Mark Was Assigned This File
Not Random: Mark wasn't randomly assigned to Cold Harbor. Lumon specifically chose him because of his connection to Gemma.
The Theory: Some fans believe Lumon wanted to see if Mark's innie would subconsciously recognize his wife's emotional patterns. Others think it's simply corporate cruelty—making the widower process his dead wife's data.
Cobel's Interest: Harmony Cobel's obsession with Mark makes more sense now. She wasn't just studying severance—she was monitoring whether Mark's outie memories could bleed through while processing Gemma's data.
The Larger Experiment: Cold Harbor may be a test of severance itself: can emotional data from a loved one trigger reintegration? Mark represents the ultimate test case.
What Happens When Mark Completes the File
The Completion Celebration: When Mark finishes refining Cold Harbor in Season 2, MDR celebrates—but the celebration is hollow once we understand what was being processed.
- Training new severance procedures
- Developing emotional suppression techniques
- Creating psychological profiles for control
- Something even darker we haven't seen yet
Mark's Reaction: When innie Mark learns the truth about Cold Harbor, his response is one of the season's most emotional moments. The man who processed this data is horrified to learn it was his wife all along.
The Connection to Gemma's Testing
The Testing Floor: Cold Harbor comes from the Testing Floor—where Gemma and other subjects are held. The "tests" generate emotional data that MDR then processes.
A Closed Loop: Lumon has created a horrifying cycle: 1. Experiment on test subjects (like Gemma) 2. Record their emotional responses 3. Have severed workers sort the data 4. Use the sorted data to refine future experiments 5. Repeat
Everyone is a Victim: Both the test subjects and MDR workers are victims of Lumon's system. Neither fully understands what they're participating in.
Try Lexicon Refinement
Experience this game yourself - can you survive?