Warning! This article contains spoilers for Severance season 2, episode 8.
Severanceseason 2, episode 8 introduces Sissy, tying her to Lumon and the mysterious past of Harmony Cobel. Almost every member ofSeverance’s cast of characterstakes a week off in season 2, episode 8, with the installment focusing strictly on Ms. Cobel. The show rarely has bottle episodes of this ilk, but season 2, episode 8 delves deeper intoHarmony Cobel’sSeveranceidentity, be it her past as a “soldier” of Lumon, her family history, or the exploration of her hometown of Salt’s Neck.
Upon entering the town of Salt’s Neck, the mysteries presented inSeveranceseason 2, episode 7’s endingdisappeared. Cobel was shown exploring her past, reuniting with people she once worked at Lumon with as a child before asking to visit someone named Sissy. The visit to Sissy featured many big reveals, from the truth that Cobel invented many protocols likeSeverance’s Overtime Contingencyto what happened to her mother. However, big questions after the episode include who exactly Sissy is, what connection she has to Harmony, and why their relationship is so strained.
Sissy Cobel Seems To Be Harmony’s Aunt In Severance Season 2
Sissy Is The Matriarch Of The Cobel Family
Although it is not outright confirmed during the episode,it is heavily implied that Sissy is Harmony Cobel’s aunt inSeverance. The way the two speak to one another and converse about Harmony’s mother, Charlotte, indicate that Sissy was Charlotte’s sister. Moreover, a plaque on the landing In Sissy’s home is inscribed with “Celestine ‘Sissy’ Cobel,” confirming that she is related to Harmony in some way. Given Sissy’s older age, her being Harmony’s aunt certainly makes the most sense.
Why Sissy Cobel Is A “Pariah” In Salt’s Neck
Sissy Is Not Welcome Among Her Fellow Residents
What immediately becomes clear about Sissy inSeveranceseason 2, episode 8 is that she is not popular with the other townsfolk of Salt’s Neck. Cobel’s friend, Hampton, describes Sissy as a pariah or an outcast, which is evident by her living situation. Cobel had to be driven to Sissy’s house which is a small building way outside of Salt’s Neck in the frozen wilderness. No one is shown to live around Sissy or with her, further reinforcing the fact that she is not welcome among the other people who live in the town.
The reason for this ties back to the overall worldbuilding ofSeveranceby tying to Lumon. Sissy is shown to be a devout follower of Lumon and the Eagans in many ways, yet neither the company nor its founders hold much love in Salt’s Neck.Severanceseason 2, episode 8 shows a rundown Lumon factory in Salt’s Neck, which is hinted at as the source of the town’s poor status.
The townsfolk of Salt’s Neck are also shown taking a lot of inhalent drugs, potentially linked to the poor status of the town after Lumon destroyed it and stoking resentment towards the Eagans.
Harmony states that the factory destroyed the town of Salt’s Neck. Exactly how this happened is not outlined, but it is likely either due to the pollution and adverse environmental effects a factory of that size had or even Lumon abandoning it and causing the economic infrastructure of the town to collapse. Regardless, this outcome caused the people of Salt’s Neck to despise Lumon and anything associated with them, explaining why a loyalist like Sissy Cobel is regarded as an outcast among them.
Why Harmony Isn’t Welcome In Sissy’s Home
Harmony’s Dedication To Lumon Is Slipping
Linking to Sissy’s status as a pariah in Salt’s Neck, she subsequently treats Harmony like a pariah in her own home.Severanceseason 2, episode 8 makes it quickly apparently that Sissy has no real love for Harmony, with their relationship shown to be highly strained. One reason for this is the fate of Sissy’s sister, Charlotte. This fate was hinted at inSeveranceseason 1 when Harmony cried while clutching breathing apparatus with the tag Charlotte Cobel attached to it. It was revealed that Sissy did not care much for Charlotte while the latter was ill.
This is one reason why Harmony and Sissy do not get along, leading to the former not being welcome around the latter. However, the reason for Sissy’s somewhat neglect is another big reason for the animosity between her and Harmony. As alluded to, Sissy is a steadfast follower of Kier, the Eagans, and Lumon, something that differed drastically from Charlotte, who was described in the episode as a non-believer. Therefore,the difference in beliefs that caused Sissy to arguably love her sister less caused even more anger and resentment between her and Harmony.
As Harmony becomes more and more disillusioned with the teachings of Kier, she grows further apart from Sissy, causing the latter to resent the former…
Finally, Harmony herself is beginning to become a non-believer in Lumon and the Eagans as ofSeveranceseason 2, episode 8. As Harmony becomes more and more disillusioned with the teachings of Kier, she grows further apart from Sissy, causing the latter to resent the former as she did Charlotte. Sissy describes both Harmony and Charlotte as weeds, as opposed to flowers she could help grow. All of this stems from Sissy’s devotion to Lumon and the Eagans and the lack of such form Charlotte and, more recently, Harmony, explaining their very strained relationship inSeverance.
