Key Points:
- Severance season 2, episode 3 delves deeper into Lumon’s mysterious goat department, revealing its official name: Mammalians Nurturable.
- The department is involved in raising and caring for baby goats, likely as part of a larger experiment tied to Lumon’s controversial severance procedures.
- Several theories suggest the goats could be test subjects, symbols of sacrifice, or even a disturbing metaphor for the severed employees themselves.
The Mystery of Severance’s Goat Department Deepens
Apple TV+’s Severance has kept audiences captivated with its eerie corporate dystopia, and season 2, episode 3 takes a deeper dive into one of its strangest mysteries: the Goat Department. First introduced in season 1 as a fleeting but unforgettable moment, the room filled with baby goats being bottle-fed raised more questions than answers. Now, with new revelations in season 2, the unsettling presence of these animals is becoming clearer—though still far from fully explained.
As Mark and Helly explore Lumon’s severed floor in search of Ms. Casey (Gemma), they stumble upon a department called Mammalians Nurturable, where employees dress in odd, farm-like attire while tending to goats in a grassy enclosure. The department head (played by Gwendoline Christie) wields a pair of shears and questions their presence, implying that paranoia and secrecy dominate the department. But what exactly is Lumon doing with these animals? And how does it tie into its larger, more sinister agenda?
READ MORE: Miss Huang’s Shocking Truth in Severance Season 2
Mammalians Nurturable: What We Know So Far
The Goat Department, now confirmed as Mammalians Nurturable, is tasked with raising and nurturing goats under strict guidelines set by Lumon. In season 1, an unnamed goat wrangler cryptically told Mark and Helly, “You can’t take them yet. They’re not ready,” hinting at a purpose beyond mere animal husbandry.
Season 2 expands on this by showing employees bottle-feeding goats, grooming them with shears, and even dressing in black goat costumes to seemingly bond with them. Some employees wear attire reminiscent of old-fashioned dairy farmers, reinforcing the notion that Lumon’s severed workers are being conditioned to raise these animals in a highly specific way. But why?
One prevailing theory is that these goats are part of an experiment—possibly serving as test subjects for Lumon’s severance technology. If Lumon is refining the severance process, it makes sense that they would first test its effects on animals before moving to human subjects. This could explain why some goats are “taken away” at seemingly random intervals, perhaps for further experimentation or disposal if they fail to meet Lumon’s expectations.
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The Darker Implications of the Goat Experiments
One of the most compelling aspects of Severance is its ability to weave cryptic symbolism into its storytelling. The presence of the goats, while unsettling on a surface level, could represent something far more insidious. Here are some leading theories on what the Goat Department truly signifies:
1. The Goats as Test Subjects for Severance
If the goats have severance chips implanted in their brains, Lumon might be monitoring their behavior to refine how memory and identity manipulation works. This theory suggests that Lumon is using the Mammalians Nurturable department to develop procedures they later apply to human employees—especially those in more extreme severed conditions like Ms. Casey.
2. Symbolism of Sacrifice and Cult-Like Control
Throughout Severance, Lumon is portrayed as having a near-religious devotion to its founder, Kier Eagan. In many religious and mythological traditions, goats are linked to sacrifice—whether as atonements in ancient rituals or as scapegoats absorbing the sins of others. Could Lumon be utilizing the Goat Department as a literal or symbolic representation of its willingness to sacrifice those it deems expendable?
3. A Reflection of the Severed Employees
Some theories suggest that the goats mirror the severed employees themselves. Like the Innies, the goats exist within Lumon’s walls with no knowledge of the outside world. They are raised, nurtured, and eventually taken away—echoing how severed workers are manipulated and discarded when no longer useful.
READ MORE: Severance Season 2: Lumon’s Real Motives Explained
Ms. Casey and the “Husbandry Tanks”
One of the most chilling new revelations in season 2 is that Ms. Casey was placed in Mammalians Nurturable’s husbandry tanks. These tanks, used primarily for goat development, were also part of her “sessions,” implying that Lumon’s experiments on severed employees go beyond just mental conditioning—they may be physically altering or preserving their bodies in some way.
While Gwendoline Christie’s character claims Ms. Casey was simply “retired,” the fact that she was in these tanks raises major ethical and scientific concerns. Could Lumon be modifying employees on a biological level? If so, what does this mean for the future of severed workers?
The Bizarre Pouch Theory: Another Lumon Misinformation Tactic?
In an amusing yet perplexing moment, the Mammalians Nurturable employees demand that Mark and Helly show their stomachs, claiming MDR workers have pouches like marsupials. This idea was first introduced in season 1 when Optics and Design employees shared a rumor that MDR workers were born with larvae inside them that would eventually eat and replace them.
This ongoing propaganda war between departments underscores Lumon’s strategy of misinformation. By feeding workers false narratives about other departments, Lumon prevents them from uniting and questioning the corporation’s true motives. While the pouch theory is absurd, it highlights the extent of psychological manipulation at play.
The deeper Severance dives into Lumon’s operations, the clearer it becomes that no department exists without a hidden, likely sinister, purpose. The Goat Department’s true function remains shrouded in mystery, but with each passing episode, more disturbing details come to light. Whether the goats are test subjects, metaphors, or something even stranger, their presence is undeniably tied to the company’s most disturbing secrets.
Severance season 2 continues streaming on Apple TV+, with new episodes releasing weekly through March 21.
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