Severance Season 2 all but confirms the Kier-Dieter twin theory within the MDR

Disclaimer: Major Severance spoilers, opinions, and fan theories ahead!

Severance is known for its cryptic storytelling and symbolism. Season 2 has upped the ante. A significant revelation involves the reason Kier Eagan's supposed twin, Dieter Eagan, might shed light on the creepy tasks in the Macrodata Refinement (MDR) department.

The twin theory gets a big moment in the most recent episode. We see a scene with four people who look almost identical to the original MDR team working with their backs to each other. This appears to be before the four (Dylan, Irving, Mark, and Helly) started their MDR work.

As user Ed DeRosa (@EJXD2) cryptically referenced,

“Each of you has a twin and they’ll be with you every step of the way”.

The symbolism in MDR's work, along with new information, hints that Lumon might be involved in something much more than just data refinement. It appears their activities could extend into more intricate areas.

---

The Kier-Dieter twin theory from 'Woe’s Hollow' is back on Severance Season 2 Episode 7

In Severance Season 2, we discover that Lumon's founder, Kier Eagan, has a twin brother named Dieter Eagan. This surprising fact comes from an additional part of Kier's writings that hasn't been seen before.

The story in the writings is about two brothers, and it goes like this: one of them wants to go back to where people live and the other decides to stay in nature. Dieter, one of the brothers, goes through a weird change and becomes part of the forest, turning into sap and branches.

Severance fans think this might be a symbol of what happens in the show: Kier stands for the part of a person that's all about work, and Dieter represents the part that enjoys life outside of work.

There's also something interesting about the MDR department in the show. They have four buttons, the same number as the four buckets. They press these buttons during moments that relate to how Kier thought a person should be.

This makes us wonder if there's more to the buttons and the buckets.

The MDR team might play a role in validating emotional reactions based on Lumon's work philosophy. The severance process may not solely focus on improving productivity. It could also be about shaping human emotions to match Kier's ideas and suppressing desires like those that Dieter represents, which the company sees as "corrupt."

---

The ‘scary’ numbers and their connection to Kier’s twin

A strong fan theory in Severance links the scary numbers in MDR to Gemma's (Dichen Lachman) upsetting experiences. People think these numbers might connect to the rooms she goes through, which could symbolize her fears or what upsets her, like the thank you note.

This suggests that the MDR team may not just be sorting data but could also be dealing with human emotions or memories, possibly linked to Dieter's fate and how Lumon changes people. The new episode shows spooky matching figures, leading to theories about MDR employees having twins that help them.

The missing twin, in a later scene, makes people wonder if these doubles vanish once their job is done. Maybe MDR is getting rid of certain twins to keep Lumon's strict system in balance. In Season 2, the show seems to compare Kier and Dieter's relationship with the severance process.

If Lumon wants to improve human nature, it might be trying to get rid of Dieter-like traits in its workers, turning them into Kier's picture of obedience and purity.

---

New episodes of Severance Season 2 premiere on Fridays on Apple TV+.

Next up: Why did Dr. Mauer lie to Gemma?