Severance season 2 is finally beginning to reveal some answers. Its most recent episode, for instance, pulled back the curtain on Ms. Cobel and her history with Lumon, revealing how the company has been a major influence on her life since childhood.

Arquette was interviewed by Variety following Severance season 2, episode 8, and she discussed why her character speaks the way she does, and in particular, why she says Mark's name in a certain way. Being raised by Lumon more than her own family is one influence, Arquette explained, since she wanted her character to have the voice of someone raised by "figures of higher authority." Emulating their tone gives Ms. Cobel her unique way of speaking, but Arquette was also influenced by the actor Bea Arthur and her particular way of speaking in the TV show, Maude. Read her full response, below:

"I came up with that when they were telling me how Harmony grew up in this place, and even just the lore of tempers and all the different things — there was an old world-ishness about it. So I knew I wanted to have this sound, since I knew that Harmony hadn’t really been raised so much by her mom as these figures of higher authority.

"And, I thought, authority has this certain tone. If you think about a drill sergeant, there’s a certain kind of meter and a certain kind of tone and a certain kind of authority. And then you think of all these different people in upper management, the way that upper management sounds. I think she had formed a sound based on hemeansr idea of what that is.

"And I don’t know, I was kind of playing around with watching a little bit of “Maude” before we started, and there was a certain way that Bea Arthur speaks, that there’s a tiny, tiny pinch of the tip of the hat to “Maude” also. And there’s some joy that I think Cobel has to luxuriate on his name. It means a lot to her."

What This Means For Severance Season 2

Cobel Putting An Emphasis On Mark Fits With The Show's Overall Mystery

Along with how Arquette explains Ms. Cobels' unique way of speaking, she brings up the particular way her character says the show's protagonist, Mark's name. The way she says it, drawing out his name as if it's almost precious to her, is something audiences have caught on to. The way Arquette views it, saying Cobel likes to "luxuriate" on his name, it's clear that Mark is special to Cobel. In fact, he's special to all of Lumon as Severance season 2 has been slowly revealing.

The exact reason Lumon has taken such an interest in Mark isn't entirely clear, but season 2 just recently showed that Lumon has been following Mark and his wife, Gemma (Dichen Lachman) well before either became severed employees. The project that Mark works on, Cold Harbor, has also been mentioned as having great significance within the company, suggesting his involvement along with that of Gemma's on the testing floor is key to whatever Lumon is researching. Whether it's the pair themselves who are key, or simply their involvement in the company's most important project, Mark holds a special place at Lumon.

That extends to Ms. Cobel, who had been tasked with keeping an eye on Mark outside Lumon, masquerading as his next-door neighbor, Mrs. Selvig. This ruse even went so far as to see Cobel take up a babysitting position with Mark's sister, Devon (Jen Tullock), further integrating herself into the life of Mark's outtie. Since then, Ms. Cobel has been sacked by Lumon, which devastated her, but hasn't seemed to lessen her interest in Mark, with season 2, episode 8 ending with her arranging to meet up with a now un-severed Mark.

Our Take On Cobel's Mark Fixation

Severance Season 2 Is Sure To Reveal More About Mark In Its Remaining Episodes

Arquette using the way her character says Mark's name, along with the other influences from her Lumon upbringing, is just one example of how the show's excellent performances have only heightened the material (something that Screen Rant's own Graeme Guttman noted in his season 2 review). Mark is obviously a significant part of the story, but having Arquette put an intentional inflection on his name is just a neat detail that further emphasizes it. With only two episodes remaining in Severance season 2, it's likely Mark's significance to Lumon - and possibly even to Cobel, personally - will be revealed when the two finally reconnect.

Source: Variety