Every Override Protocol In Severance & What It Means

Nivedita Dubey
February 18, 2025

Key Takeaways:

Severance features numerous override protocols that control employees’ severed consciousness.
Some protocols, such as Overtime Contingency, have been explored in-depth, while others, like Beehive, remain mysterious.
These protocols raise ethical and philosophical questions about identity, memory, and corporate control.

Apple TV+’s Severance has captivated audiences with its intricate mystery, unsettling corporate dystopia, and thought-provoking exploration of identity. Among its many enigmatic elements, the show introduces override protocols—mechanisms that exert control over severed employees’ consciousness. While Overtime Contingency was prominently featured in season 1, several other override protocols have been hinted at or named in passing. Here’s a breakdown of every known override protocol and what they likely mean in the world of Severance.

Severance’s Override Protocols: A Deeper Look

Beehive – A Collective Hivemind for Employees

One of the most intriguing protocols, Beehive, has yet to be explored in the show, but its name suggests a disturbing possibility: turning severed workers into a synchronized hivemind. Currently, severed employees retain their individuality, but if this override is activated, it could strip them of autonomy, making them work in unison without independent thought—like bees serving a queen. If Lumon ever enacts this, it could be a last resort to regain control over rebellious employees.

Branch Transfer – Moving Severed Workers Between Departments

This protocol appears to enable seamless transitions between different Lumon departments while erasing any confidential knowledge. A prime example is Irving, whose tenure at Lumon spans nine years according to LinkedIn, but his time in MDR is only three years. This discrepancy hints that Branch Transfer was used to move him from another department, possibly O&D, while resetting his memory of past roles.

Clean Slate – Complete Memory Wipe

Clean Slate seems to be the most extreme protocol, possibly used to erase an employee’s memories entirely. This could explain Ms. Casey’s robotic behavior—her past identity as Mark’s wife, Gemma, might have been wiped, making her a permanent severed employee without an outie counterpart. If applied widely, this protocol could be Lumon’s way of making severed workers entirely dependent on the company, removing any sense of self beyond their job functions.

Elephant – Memory Restoration

In stark contrast to Clean Slate, Elephant may work to restore memories, drawing from the phrase “Elephants never forget.” If this protocol exists, it could be the key to reintegrating severed workers, returning their outie memories. Given that Severance has already hinted at reintegration as a possibility, this override could be pivotal in future episodes, especially if Mark seeks to restore Gemma’s true self.

Freeze Frame – Halting Motor Functions

This override likely acts as a fail-safe, freezing an employee in place to prevent them from acting against Lumon. The company might deploy this in extreme situations—if a worker tries to escape or rebel, Freeze Frame could render them immobile while keeping them mentally aware. Though not used yet, it could become a chilling tool for corporate control.

Glasgow Block – Suppressing the Innie

Season 2 introduced Glasgow Block, a protocol preventing an innie from surfacing while their outie remains active. This was revealed when Milchick deactivated it to allow Helly’s innie to wake up. The existence of this override suggests Lumon has the ability to completely suppress an employee’s severed state, preventing them from experiencing their work-life at all—a direct contradiction to the company’s stated purpose.

Goldfish – Erasing Long-Term Memory

Despite the myth that goldfish have short memories, their name has become synonymous with forgetfulness. This override likely strips employees of explicit long-term memories while preserving basic functions. If applied, a worker might retain their skills and habits but forget all details of their experiences. This could explain Ms. Casey’s blank, robotic demeanor—her past might be lost, but her ability to function remains.

Lullaby – Inducing Sleep in Workers

While Severance has not yet explored sleep’s impact on severed employees, Irving’s dreams suggest outies can influence their innies subconsciously. Lullaby may force an employee into unconsciousness, possibly preventing them from experiencing distress or rebellion. However, this carries risks—if sleep enables outies to break into the severed mind, Lumon might be inadvertently fostering leaks between identities.

Open House – Allowing Shared Consciousness

Open House is one of the most mysterious protocols. Given Severance’s themes, this might allow multiple consciousnesses to exist in a single body, possibly letting outside minds interact with severed workers. If true, this could explain the nature of the Board, hinting that they might not be singular individuals but rather a collective intelligence.

Overtime Contingency – Activating Innies Outside Lumon

One of the most well-documented protocols, Overtime Contingency, allows an employee’s innie to take control of their outie’s body outside work. This was the pivotal twist in season 1’s finale, where Mark, Helly, and Irving used it to explore their outies’ lives. Originally designed as a failsafe to prevent information leaks, its misuse has created a major vulnerability for Lumon, as it allows innies to gather knowledge beyond their confined workplace.

The Dark Implications of Lumon’s Protocols

Severance — Season 2 Official Trailer _ Apple TV+

The existence of these override protocols deepens the ethical and philosophical concerns surrounding Lumon Industries. The very foundation of severance—the ability to separate work and personal life—is put into question when the company can manipulate its employees’ minds so extensively. If Clean Slate permanently erases identities and Beehive forces workers into a collective consciousness, Lumon’s goals might be far darker than mere corporate efficiency.

Additionally, protocols like Goldfish and Glasgow Block suggest that severance is not a fixed state but a fluid, adjustable process, meaning Lumon could alter a person’s identity at will. As season 2 progresses, uncovering the full capabilities of these overrides will be crucial to understanding Lumon’s true motives.

With season 2 diving deeper into the severed world, these override protocols are likely to play an even greater role in shaping the narrative. Will Mark and his team find a way to use Elephant to regain their memories? Could Lullaby or Open House reveal new insights into how severance affects consciousness? Severance continues to blur the lines between autonomy and control, making each discovery about these protocols all the more thrilling.

Severance Season 2 is currently streaming on Apple TV+.

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