In Severance Season 2 Episode 8, viewers are introduced to a mysterious substance called Ether. The episode takes Harmony Cobel to her childhood town, Salt’s Neck, where the residents are heavily dependent on this drug. But what exactly is Ether, and how does it tie into the world of Severance?
Ether in Severance Season 2, explained
Salt’s Neck is a desolate, frostbitten town where the air feels heavy with secrets. As Harmony Cobel returns to her hometown, she encounters a community gripped by addiction. The townspeople are seen lurking near abandoned homes and rusted cars, inhaling a mysterious substance. This substance is later revealed in Severance Season 2 to be Ether. It has a sweet, almost intoxicating scent that seems to have ensnared the entire town.
Severance Season 2’s Ether, or diethyl ether, is a volatile, colorless liquid with a distinctively sweet odor. As per the University of Bristol, it was first synthesized by German botanist Valerius Cordus in 1540 and was initially known as “sweet oil of vitriol.” But later, Ether was widely used as a general anesthetic, offering both pain relief and euphoric effects. However, its recreational use led to addiction, with “ether frolics” becoming a popular but dangerous pastime.
In Severance, Ether’s historical significance is intertwined with Lumon Industries. Kier Eagan, the company’s founder, reportedly met his wife, Imogene, at an Ether factory. Harmony Cobel also mentions working at such a factory as a child, hinting at Lumon’s dark history of exploiting child labor. This connection suggests that Ether was more than just a drug—it was perhaps a tool for dissociation, much like the Severance procedure itself.
It seems Ether serves as a precursor to the Severance procedure, offering a glimpse into Lumon’s early experiments with mind control. Just as Ether was used to numb pain and alter consciousness, the Severance program severs employees’ memories, creating a divide between their work and personal lives. Both methods seemingly reflect Lumon’s relentless pursuit of control and its willingness to exploit human vulnerability.
