- Cold Harbor is a file Mark has been refining since Severance Season 1 and is mentioned in both episodes of Season 2.
- Cold Harbor could be related to refining the cloning program and Lumon or creating an enhanced version of Severance both of which are being tested on Ms.Casey/Gemma.
- The file needs to be done only by Mark which could be because he refines the numbers based on how they make him feel and that could be connected to the numbers being the data of Ms.Casey or Gemma.
Severance Season 2 is shrouded in mysteries and one such mystery is Cold Harbor. We have seen Mark work on this file since Severance Season 1 and he continues to work on it in Season 2. In the second episode, we see that after disabling the Overtime Contingency Protocol, Milchick was sent to fire Irving and Dylan but he had to bring Mark back to the office so he could finish the Cold Harbor file. So what is it? we might have an idea and find out what ‘Cold Harbor’ is in Severance Season 2 Episode 2.
What Do We Know About Cold Harbor in Severance?
Cold Harbor is the name of the file Mark has been working on since Severance Season 1. However, he did not complete it in the first season and the progress so far is only 68%. We see that Lumon not only fired the other refiners but also got Mark a new team so that he could finish refining the Cold Harbor file in Severance Season 2. Even after this, in the end, Mark had to be reunited with his team and that is when he started working.
How Is Cold Harbor Related to Ms. Casey/Gemma in Severance Season 2?

In Severance Season 1, we saw that Ms.Casey was sent to the mysterious testing floor after being relieved from her position as the wellness counselor. Now, in Severance Season 2 Episode 1’s ending, we see that when Mark refines a set of numbers, the progress moves up to 68%, and the screen shifts from Mark’s screen to a monitor displaying Ms. Casey’s image, her vitals, and Cold Harbor with a 68% progress.
This could point toward that Cold Harbor is somewhat of a cloning or a much more advanced severance procedure that needs to be completed and since Ms.Casey is Gemma, the numbers refined based on Mark’s feelings could play an important part in perfecting whatever it is Lumon is testing on Mark’s apparently dead wife.
If you are wondering why the file is called Cold Harbor, there could be multiple reasons for it but the most viable one is that it could be named after the place where Gemma “died” and since we have no solid proof in the show to say anything with certainty, this is what makes the most sense so far.
What Do Numbers Denote in Cold Harbor?
Several theories are pointing towards what those readings could mean but one in particular makes the most sense. In the scene where we get a glimpse of Ms. Casey/Gemma, we see that along with the overall percentage of progress and the heart rate, there are four different percentage bars as well, namely, WO, DR, FC, and MA. According to fans, these words are acronyms for the four tempers a human soul has according to Kier. The acronyms stand for Woe, Dread, Frolic and Malice.
It could be that the numbers the MDR Refines are consciousness data that is brought to use in cloning or further perfecting the Severance procedure but based on what we know for now, Cold Harbor seems to be a project that could be of utter importance for Lumon to achieve their goal. So, let’s wait to see when the show reveals what it is and till then, stay tuned with us for more updates!