Severance: The various Lumon Industries departments and their functions, explored

Trigger Warning: A part of this article mentions suicide and psychological and physical abuse

Fans of Severance are excited for the second season, which will begin streaming on January 17, 2025. Ten episodes long, season 2 will conclude on March 21, 2025. One of the mysteries that make the fans formulate theories is the different Lumon Industries departments. The Lumon office building is a vast and confusing maze that can surprise our characters at every corner.

The makers of Severance did not explain to viewers what Lumon Industries does. Like viewers, the workers in Lumon Industries departments don't know much about their employers and jobs. Our protagonists are allotted responsibilities based on the department they are a part of. Different Lumon Industries departments have their own mysteries.

Different Lumon Industries departments in Severance explained.

Here are some of the Lumon Industries departments:

The MDR or Macrodata Refinement

The MDR, i.e., the Macrodata Refinement department of Lumon, consists of Mark, Helly, Irving, and Dylan. As "Refiners," they are assigned to observe and organize numbers appearing on their computer screens. Then, they are expected to put those numbers into five digital bins. These numbers are classified according to the emotions the Refiners feel.

By the "Lumon mythos," the feelings referred to as the "Four Tempers" are Frolic, Malice, Woe, and Dread. The Refiners need to ensure that the different bins on their computers have an equal amount of each type of number.

The O&D or Optics & Design

Another one of Lumon Industries' departments in Severance is Optics & Design or O&D. In the show, it is revealed to be a rival of the MDR with a history of each massacring the other. These numerous brutal conflicts can be seen in the form of paintings in Lumon's office. Initially, viewers thought that the O&D was small. O&D is responsible for preserving and setting up paintings narrating Lumon's history.

However, fans were shocked to learn that O&D is much larger. The Optics & Design room is enormous, with countless workers. They are seen operating some mysterious machines. Therefore, O&D's true purpose remains unknown.

Administration

Harmony Cobel from Administration | Image Source: Apple TV+

As implied by its name, Lumon's Administration department is responsible for leading the employees to the Severed Floor and later monitoring them. Harmony Cobel and Seth Milchick are a part of this department. Usually, MDR members communicate with their higher-ups through the Administration department.

The Administration offices have monitors, through which the Administrators spy on the Severed Floor employees, especially the Refiners. They do so by hiding cameras in the employee cubicles.

As an Office Administrator, Harmony made work unbearable for her employees. However, she was fired during the concluding moments of Severance season 1 as she did not disclose Helly's suicide attempt to the higher-ups. While Milchick is still in Administration, it is unclear who will replace her.

Break Room

One of the darkest elements in Severance is the department referred to as the Break Room. If a Lumon employee misbehaves while working on the Severed Floor, they are sent to the Break Room for punishment. The room is a dark, claustrophobic-inducing space.

Inside, the employee is forced to read this script numerous times until exhaustion:

"Forgive me for the harm I have caused this world. None may atone for my actions but me, and only in me shall their stain live on. I am thankful to have been caught, my fall cut short by those with wizened hands. All I can be is sorry, and that is all that I am."

As they do so, Milchick observes the employee and makes them read the words until he is satisfied that the worker is truly apologetic.

Apart from these four, there are several other Lumon Industries departments. They are:

Wellness
Goat Wrangling
Distribution Supply
Security Office
Perpetuity Wing
Several other unnamed departments

What is the Apple TV+ series about?

The Apple TV+ streaming series revolves around the workers of a mysterious corporation whose memories have been divided between their personal and professional lives. The protagonists slowly start learning about their own lives and their jobs.