The mysteries in the world of “Severance” run deep, but few are at the front and center of viewers minds like who sits on the Lumon Industries Board.
Throughout the story, The Board has only been represented by a speaker but chooses to speak privately into the headset of a proxy. It is unclear how many people sit on The Board – or if it is actually people calling the shots at all – since they refuse to take part in face-to-face meetings.
Season 2, Episode 3 features a big scene where the board – through there liaison Natalie (Sydney Cole Alexander) – meets Milchick (Tramell Tillman) to congratulate him on his new position on the severed floor. He is met by The Board’s trademark pops of static through the speaker while Natalie offers him a gift on their part.
The moment underlines how creepy, powerful and perhaps out of touch The Board is to the workings at Lumon while also being a reminder to viewers that there is a lot about them not known. Who sits on The Board? What is Natalie’s deal? What are the most prominent theories regarding each?
Below is a rundown of what to remember about The Board as Season 2 continues.
What is The Board?
The Board is the faceless governing body of Lumon Industries. To date, nobody in the show seems to have seen the group or even know how many people make it up.
They are represented through an intercom system and aside from bursts of occasional static, have only spoken twice openly on the show. Most of their wishes are relayed through their intermediary Natalie.
Who is Natalie?
Natalie acts as the face of The Board. She wears an earpiece and relays what The Board is saying to whoever is meeting with them. Only once has The Board responded without Natalie serving as an intermediary. In a fit of rage after being let go, Cobel (Patricia Arquette) asks Natalie if The Board is even actually there and they simply say “Yes” through the speaker.
Natalie is also friends outside of work with Helena (Britt Lower).
Theories about The Board
A number of theories have been floated since The Board first appeared. The most prominent is that Lumon’s governing body is that it is an AI hive mind comprised of all or many of the former Lumon CEOs on the Eagan family tree aside from Kier. Their goal being working to find a way to resurrect their beloved founder – and likely later each of them in turn.
Another theory is that The Board may not be a governing body at all. It might just be an AI recreation of Kier Eagan that is as far along as Lumon has been able to recreate him on their long road to bringing him back from the dead.
A second pitch for The Board being a solo operation is that it is just Helena’s dad Jame Eagan (Michael Siberry) calling the shots but wanting it to be under the guise of a more democratic system.
What does The Board want?
What The Board wants is likely part in parcel with what Lumon Industries as a whole wants. The signs grow brighter and brighter every episode that the company’s goal is to bring Kier Eagan back from the dead. To that aim, The Board likely makes sure people stay on task – because they are a motherboard of Kier’s brain up to this point or the consciousness of all the Eagan CEOs before Jame.
They also seemed focused on making sure that Kier’s name and image remains deified. In Season 2, Episode 3 Milchick is gifted portraits of the entire Kier Cycle with his likeness transposed with Kier’s.
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