What does “Mammalians Nurturable” mean? Severance Season 2 term explained

Praise Kier! We finally get to head back to the goat floor in Severance Season 2 Episode 3, and it’s even weirder than before, but one phrase in particular stands out: “Mammalians Nurturable”. Warning: minor spoilers ahead!

Of all the Lumon mysteries that are yet to be explained, the goat room is pretty high up on the list. Mark (Adam Scott) and Helly (Britt Lower) first stumble upon it back in Severance Season 1, discovering an unnamed wrangler and a herd of kids. 

Although they didn’t get the warmest of welcomes (he told them to “get the hell out of here”), the pair decide to head back in Severance Season 2 in their search for Ms. Casey. When they arrive, they discover the tiny pen has been transformed into a hilly meadow (inside an office block). 

The kids are now goats, and new character Lorne (Gwendoline Christie) is in charge of the operation. When Mark asks, “What is this place?” Lorne replies, “Mammalians Nurturable.”

What does “Mammalians Nurturable” mean?

Apple TV+

Unlike some of the other unique Severance phrases that are Latin-based (“fetid moppet” being a prime example), Mammalians Nurturable is relatively straightforward. 

Mammalians refers to mammals, i.e. warm-blooded animals that give birth to live young and nurse them with milk. Nurturable isn’t a common word, but it essentially means something that’s able to be nurtured (to care for and help develop).

Put together, Mammalians Nurturable simply suggests that whatever is happening in the goat room involves the care and development of young mammals. In the context of Severance, this could imply that the goats are part of an experiment.

They are likely raised in a controlled environment for a specific purpose outside simple livestock analysis. This was put forward in theories that emerged after the goat room’s introduction in the Apple TV+ series. 

One of the leading ideas is that the goats could be being used to experiment with in order to achieve human cloning, but Adam Scott and the rest of the Severance cast debunked this theory before Season 2. 

Another astute fan noticed the parallels between the show and Arthur Machen’s 1894 horror novella The Great Pod Pan, suggesting it could have served as “inspiration for some of the plot.”

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“In The Great God Pan, the story begins with an experimental brain surgery on a young woman named Mary so that she could see the supernatural world,” they explained, which could be connected to the concept of Innies and Outies.

Following the surgery, Mary is sexually assaulted by the god Pan, resulting in the birth of their daughter, Helen, which the Redditor pointed out is a “potential direct parallel to Helena/Helly.”

What’s more, Helen unleashes chaos on the town and causes many people to die by suicide, whereby they “hang themselves by cord,” which Helly attempted to do in Severance Season 1. 

They continued, “In Greek mythology Pan resembles a goat, he is the god of fertility, sex and music. He also personifies chaos and the word panic stems from pan… 

“Fertility is also an ongoing theme in the show and they keep pointing to the possibility of the Severance program being entangled with matters of reproduction and pregnancy. 

“Additionally, I think it’s possible that weird waffle party scene could be interpreted as a representation of Pan and his nymphs.”

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Although this hasn’t been confirmed, the parallels between the two stories are certainly interesting to consider. Mammalians Nurturable hints that the goats are being raised with a purpose, but for now, it’s one that’s shrouded in mystery. 

One thing we do know for certain is why the team wants to see Mark and Helly’s stomachs. 

You see, in Season 2 Episode 3, after a minor disagreement, the Mammalians Nurturable team agree to let Mark and Helly go and say they “won’t hinder” their search for Ms Casey. But before they leave, they ask the MDR duo to see their bellies. 

Mark and Helly reluctantly oblige, to which Lorne tells the OG wrangler, “See? Pouchless,” but he retorts, “Proves nothing.” Now, if this left you a little confused, don’t fret – Season 1 has the answers. 

Why the goat wranglers want to see Mark and Helly’s bellies

If you remember back to Season 1 Episode 5, Burt G (Christopher Walken) tells Irving (John Turturro) and Dylan (Zach Cherry) that there are rumors circulated among the O&D department that the MDR team “all have pouches” – like kangaroos.

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“According to some, you each have a larval offspring that will jump out and attack if we get too close,” he says. “I mean, it’s a joke of course, but I don’t know. The sentiment, you know, somehow holds. People are weird. 

“Though, I’d be remiss not to say that in this theory, the larva eventually eats and replaces you. Which, Irving, would solve the mystery… of your youthful energy.”

It appears this theory, though Burt G doesn’t buy it, has reached the goat floor too, hence why they wanted to double check Helly and Mark. Some fans have theorized this is a metaphor for what Lumon’s ultimate goal is. 

“The Innie is the larva, and eventually the Innie, entirely programmed and loyal to Lumon, subsumes the entire form of the Innie/Outie and the Outie ceases to exist, forming an army of Lumon-bots,” said one Redditor. 

It could also just be information planted by the higher ups as a means to instill distrust between the departments. 

Apple TV+

If you remember back to the same episode, Irving stumbles upon a disturbing painting depicting a violent coup, in which members of the O&D department are shown attacking the MDR team. 

However, the O&D team is shown a different version of the same painting – except this time, it’s MDR who are the aggressors. 

After Irving stumbles upon the image in the printer, Cobel (Patricia Arquette) asks Milchick (Tramell Tillman), “You ran a 266 on Irving B?” To which he replies, “I thought it might dissuade him from spending so much time with Burt G.”

Although it’s not been confirmed, it suggests the image was purposely planted in order to generate distrust and keep the two departments apart.

Severance Season 2 Episodes 1-3 are streaming on Apple TV+ now. Find out when the next episode drops with our guide to the release schedule. You can also read our recaps to Episode 1 and Episode 2.