Warning! This article contains spoilers for Severance season 2, episode 6.
Severanceseason 2, episode 6 could have revealed why Miss Huang is working at Lumon, thanks to the mention of a program named Wintertide. Of all the new members inSeveranceseason 2’s cast of characters, Miss Huang is perhaps the most intriguing. Thus far,Miss Huang’s role inSeveranceseason 2has been similar to that of Milchick’s from season 1. Although she has been less outright antagonistic to the MDR workers as Milchick was, she is still essentially the second in command of the severed floor after Ms Cobel’s departure.
InSeveranceseason 2, episode 6, Miss Huang provided an insight into the deeper world of Lumon. Already the show has teased dark elements likeSeverance’s Cold Harbor project, which gave a tiny glimpse into the ways Lumon has plans to establish control over the outside world. Interestingly, though, Miss Huang’s story - and, indeed, her reason for working at Lumon in the first place - could prove that the company has branched into the world of education thanks toSeverance’s Lumon departmentof Wintertide.
Miss Huang Is Doing Her Fellowship On The Severed Floor To Get Into Lumon’s Wintertide Program
Lumon’s Severed Floor Is Only The First Step For Miss Huang
Wintertide is first mentioned early inSeveranceseason 2, episode 6 when Milchick speaks to Miss Huang in his office. He tells Huang that he will be absent for most of the day and that she will need to be in charge of the severed floor, after making it clear to her that only he can deem her"Wintertide material.“Milchick states that Huang can only graduate from her fellowship program on the severed floor if he sees this potential in her.
It is clear that Huang is working for Lumon as part of her education…
While it is not outlined exactly what the Wintertide program is, many elements of this scene make Miss Huang’s journey a little clearer. For one, it is clear that Huang is working for Lumon as part of her education. A fellowship program is common in schools, colleges, and universities to support individual research and career development. As such, this work is part of Huang’s rise through Lumon’s ranks, with Wintertide being the next step on the proverbial ladder.
Is It Technically “Summer Break” For Miss Huang In Severance?
With Huang’s confirmation as a student, the next question is why she is not in school at all inSeveranceseason 2. The answer for this could be similar to real colleges or schools, with Huang taking a pre-authorized leave of absence from school to earn work experience with Lumon. It is likely the case that Wintertide is a Lumon college that Huang wishes to attend, and is working on the severed floor to prove that she belongs there.
This would certainly explain why it is up to Milchick to decide whether Miss Huang is Wintertide material or not. Given that Lumon is more than somewhat authoritarian inSeverance,it is not a stretch to imagine that the company deems regular education as inconsequential in comparison to a Lumon-backed career. Therefore, Huang could even have been removed from school entirely after being given the chance by Lumon, adding another facet to the dark company inSeveranceseason 2.
