Mammalians Nurturable and their precious goats make a grand reappearance in Severance Season 2 Episode 10, and while it reveals more about the purpose of the department, there’s still one major question for Season 3 to answer.
The mystery of the goats has been going ever since Severance Season 1 Episode 5. Helly and Mark went searching for answers on the severed floor, only to stumble upon a suited wrangler nursing a baby with a herd of kids surrounding him.
By Season 2 of the Apple TV+ series, the goats are grown up, and we find out the department is named Mammalians Nurturable and run by an intense leader: Gwendoline Christie’s Lorne.
This is Severance we’re talking about, and so of course there have been theories about their purpose – from ‘the goats are the mysterious Board’ to ‘they’re being used for cloning experiments’. Well, the Season 2 finale does provide some of the answers… Warning: spoilers ahead!
Severance’s goat mystery takes a dark turn in Season 2 finale
In the Season 2 finale, Lorne brings one of the goats to Drummond to be sacrificed and “entombed with a cherished woman [Gemma], whose spirit it must guide to Kier’s door.” But what does this really mean?
Before grabbing and loading a gun, Drummond asks if the goat has verve (energy and enthusiasm) and wiles (cunning tricks used to manipulate or achieve a goal), to which Lorne says, “The most of its flock.”
“Then give me its life,” Drummond continues, all of which is unfolding as Gemma heads into Cold Harbor.
He then puts the goat in a white box covered in what look like sacrificial cave paintings – one shows a person bowing to a goat, with another person on the other side, presumably to represent Kier (as they’re opening a door).
Apple TV+The other shows a dead goat, belly up, with rays of sunshine in the background. “We commit this animal to Kier, and his eternal war against pain,” says Drummond.
He passes the gun to Lorne, but she’s hesitant. “How many more must I give?” she asks, to which Drummond replies, “As many as the founder calls.”
Thankfully, they’re interrupted before she can pull the trigger. Mark’s outside on his quest to find Gemma. Drummond beats Mark to a pulp, but just before he squeezes the life out of him, Lorne saves the day.
She holds a gun to Drummond’s head, and announces, “No more killing.” It’s clear many goats have been sacrificed in the name of Kier, but we still don’t know exactly why.
The mention of an “offering” adds a dark, ritualistic element to Lumon’s operations, reinforcing theories that the company functions more like a cult than a corporation.
But why would Gemma’s spirit need a goat as a guide? And why does Drummond speak of Kier’s door as if it were a real, tangible place rather than just another piece of Lumon propaganda?
Apple TV+Up until now, Severance has only hinted at its religious undertones, but with this latest revelation, it seems more likely than ever that Lumon’s true purpose is tied to something far more esoteric – and possibly supernatural – than anyone realized.
Throughout history, animals have been sacrificed to gods to gain favor or open the path to an afterlife. Could Lumon be taking this belief system to a literal extreme? Or, the goat’s body might serve a functional purpose in a severed individual’s transition.
What that purpose is remains one of Severance’s great mysteries, one that we’ll hopefully learn more about if and when Season 3 arrives.
Until then, read about how the Severance theme song is hiding in a TV episode that’s over 50 years old, check out our rundown of the Eagan family tree, and take a look at the best TV shows of 2025 so far.
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