【eroticism in contemporary islamic advice literature】

SeveranceSeason 2,eroticism in contemporary islamic advice literature episode 7 finally gave us an insight into what's happening to Gemma (Dichen Lachman) on the ominous "testing floor" — and as you probably already guessed, none of it's good.

We've already broken down "Chikhai Bardo" in detail, with theories on everything from what those different doors mean (and how they connect to the MDR files) through to what Lumon is actually trying to accomplish by putting Gemma through all this.

SEE ALSO: Can consent exist in 'Severance'?

Other fans have made similar speculations since the episode aired, with Reddit user u/MysteryRawDog arguing that Lumon's main aim appears to be completely severing a person from any negative life experiences.

---

You May Also Like

---

---

Reddit

When Mashable's Belen Edwards spoke to Severancecreator Dan Erickson about episode 7, his comments seem to support this theory.

"I will say what's interesting here is that she's going through these painful or unpleasant experiences and then she's leaving, and the question that's being asked throughout the episode by Dr. Mauer (Robby Benson) is, to what degree is anything leaking through?" Erickson said. "Is she walking out of that room with any emotional echo of what she was going through in that room? So far it seems that she's not, so that's the throughline that I think is happening with what's going on in those rooms."

Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Another big question, however, concerns the final door. What about "Cold Harbor", the room that Gemma has yet to go in, but which shares a name with the file Mark (Adam Scott) is working on?

Well, following on from the idea that each room represents a different form of suffering, one commenter on Reddit speculated that "Cold Harbor" might be related to death.

---

Related Stories

---

• 'Severance' finally reveals what Lumon is doing to Gemma. It's terrifying.
• 'Severance' creator Dan Erickson breaks down Gemma's 'nightmarish' experience at Lumon
• Can consent exist in 'Severance'?
• 'Severance' Season 2, episode 6: What's with those documents Mr. Drummond finds?
• 'Severance's Dieter Eagan story is more important than you think

Credit: Reddit

"I think Cold Harbor will be the death of another, and the miscarriage scene was foreshadowing," they wrote.

It makes sense, doesn't it? The name "Cold Harbor" already evokes the concept of death, and it's also one of the most intense experiences of suffering a person can experience. If Lumon is trying to sever feelings of grief, it seems likely that this would be one of the final negatives life events that they work a test subject like Gemma up to. Mark and Gemma also have their own personal connections to grief — Gemma through the miscarriage, and Mark through the miscarriage and the loss of Gemma. Would this make them the ideal test subjects?

Severance Season 2 is now streaming on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Friday.

Topics Severance

• Science
• Life
• Entertainment
• Shopping
• Social Good
• Digital Culture
• Tech
• Games

• Best robot vacuum deal: Save $320 on Shark Robot Vacuum and Mop
• How to use Portrait Mode in FaceTime on iOS 15
• Emma Watson's big donation kicks off the new Time's Up fund in the UK
• Mexican Olympic skier finishes last but still gets a hero's celebration
• Best speaker deal: Save $30 on the JBL Clip 5
• Apple will blacklist 'Fortnite' from App Store for years, says Epic Games CEO
• 'Black Panther': A guide to all your crushes
• Very good dog stars in very own trailer for a faux action movie
• The Kindle Scribe just dropped to its lowest price ever, but is it worth it?
• Team USA curling squad feuds with Kirstie Alley of all people

• We are creating new types of extreme weather events, with dire results
• 'Resident Evil 7' was the buzziest game of 2017
• Two scholarly brothers get accepted into their dream schools in heartwarming videos
• Facebook tests News Feed
• Mark Hamill's tweet about 'Star Wars' reviews is peak Mark Hamill
• Hide "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" spoilers with Google Chrome extension
• 'Dark' is the best new Netflix crime show you're not watching
• Meet Alauda, the company that wants to build flying cars and race them
• 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' finally revealed Rey's parents
• Is George Lucas damning 'The Last Jedi' with faint praise?

• The Kindle Scribe just dropped to its lowest price ever, but is it worth it?
• Donald Trump gets the 'deepfake' treatment
• Everything you need to know about Steve McQueen's 3 documentaries on Amazon Prime
• Best and worst of 2021 Emmys
• 5 Ways to Access a Locked Windows Account
• After Florida shooting, gun control becomes a global conversation
• It shouldn’t be teen girls’ job to mitigate harm on Instagram
• It shouldn’t be teen girls’ job to mitigate harm on Instagram
• Classified Zuma spacecraft may have failed after SpaceX launch
• Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir: The endless 'will they, won't they'

• Best smartwatch deal: Save $40 on the Fitbit Versa 4
• Now you can fly a broomstick around Hogwarts in Oculus VR
• SXSW speaker scrambles to change sexist panel title following Twitter backlash
• Discord tests out Watch Together, letting you watch YouTube videos with friends
• Best Sony headphones deal: Over $100 off Sony XM5 headphones
• Lucky dog rescued from NYC subway tunnels after getting loose
• Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir: The endless 'will they, won't they'
• 4 things to know about mental health support in schools
• How to Secure Your Android Phone and Get the Most Out of Smart Lock
• Twitter rolls out tipping with bitcoin, explores verifying NFT profile pics