What is Macrodata Refinement? Severance's Central Mystery Explained

What does the Macrodata Refinement team actually DO? I've spent way too many hours thinking about this. It's Severance's central mystery, and the show deliberately keeps us as confused as the innies themselves—which is either genius or torture. Probably both.

Between visual clues, dialogue hints, and Season 2 revelations, I've pieced together some possibilities. But fair warning: this mystery might never be fully solved. And honestly? That might be the point.

What I See On Screen

MDR employees sit at retro computer terminals that look like they're from the 1980s, staring at grids of numbers. Some numbers "feel scary"—and when they do, employees select them and drag them into bins labeled with emotions: Woe, Frolic, Dread, Malice, and Bliss.

When enough numbers are refined, the computer celebrates and the department gets rewarded—with waffle parties, finger traps, or "melon bars." It would be absurd if it weren't so unsettling.

Here's what gets me: the process is intentionally vague. The numbers have no obvious meaning. The emotions seem arbitrary. And yet the work apparently matters enough that Lumon severs people—literally splits their consciousness—to do it. That disconnect is terrifying.

Understanding the Five Tempers

I did some digging, and the emotional bins aren't random—they're called "tempers" and relate directly to Lumon founder Kier Eagan's philosophy:

• Woe: Sadness, grief, despair
• Frolic: Joy, playfulness, freedom
• Dread: Fear, anxiety, anticipation of harm
• Malice: Anger, hatred, desire to hurt
• Bliss: Peace, contentment, satisfaction

Kier believed these five emotions drove all human behavior. So MDR's job seems to be sorting data by emotional "charge"—but whose emotions? And to what end?

That's the question I can't stop asking.

My Favorite Fan Theories

I've spent too much time on the Severance subreddit. Here are the theories that keep me up at night:

Theory 1: Emotional Data from Severed Employees The numbers represent emotional data extracted from innies themselves. By sorting them, employees are essentially processing their own feelings, creating a feedback loop that keeps them docile. This one makes me deeply uncomfortable.

Theory 2: Weapons Targeting More sinister: the data relates to weapons systems. "Scary" numbers might correspond to targets, and the emotional bins determine how targets are prioritized or classified. This would explain the secrecy.

Theory 3: Something Supernatural Kier Eagan's writings have a religious quality that's hard to ignore. Perhaps MDR is sorting something metaphysical—souls, sins, or something beyond current understanding. The show has enough weirdness that I wouldn't rule this out.

Theory 4: It's Meaningless The cruelest possibility, and honestly the one I find most compelling: the work has no purpose. It exists only to give severed employees something to do, keeping them trapped in an eternal present of manufactured productivity. The work is the punishment.

What Season 2 Made Me Reconsider

[Season 2 spoilers ahead]

Without giving away everything—because you deserve to experience it—Season 2 expanded my understanding of MDR's work and its connection to Lumon's larger goals in ways I did NOT expect. The department's output connects to other floors in ways that suggest the "data" isn't just numbers. It might be something far more personal.

I had to pause and process several times. This show rewards close attention.

Experience It Yourself

I built a Macrodata Refinement game that captures the disorienting tedium of the MDR experience. Sort numbers by feeling, meet your quota, and see if you can figure out what it all means.

Hint: You probably can't. Welcome to Lumon. Your outie requested you enjoy this.