Understanding Miss Huang: Age and Role in Severance Season 2

WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for Severance Season 2, Episode 1! The latest installment of Severance welcomes several familiar characters back to Lumon, while also introducing a new employee: Miss Huang. Her youthful appearance and position add intriguing layers to the mystery surrounding Lumon’s peculiar recruitment practices. As Mark’s Innie returns to Lumon, he learns that Ms. Cobel has been dismissed, making way for the returning character Seth Milchick, alongside new colleagues in the Macrodata Refinement Department (MDR) like Gwendolyn, David, and Mark W. Furthermore, Mark encounters the young Miss Huang (Sarah Bock), who takes on the role of supervisor in the severed area.

Miss Huang: Milchick’s Successor in Severance Season 2

Miss Huang Takes on Deputy Manager Responsibilities

Miss Huang in the Macrodata Refinement department office in Severance season 2

Following the firing of Patricia Arquette’s Harmony Cobel, the managerial structure at Lumon sees Seth Milchick elevated to oversee the severed floor. This transition opens the door for Miss Huang to step in as the new deputy manager, placing her in charge of daily operations, planning activities, and managing interactions with the severed employees, similar to her predecessor’s duties.

Among the new cast members in Season 2 is Lorne, portrayed by Gwendoline Christie, another Lumon employee. Miss Huang’s role as deputy manager signifies that she must follow Milchick’s directives, even if she holds differing opinions. In Season 1, Cobel and Milchick often had conflicts regarding employee management, such as when Cobel paired Mark with Ms. Casey/Gemma. Miss Huang, regardless of her viewpoint, is similarly obligated to implement operations dictated by Milchick.

As the premiere unfolds, it becomes apparent that Miss Huang’s first day on the job coincides with Mark’s return to MDR. This raises questions about managerial oversight during the four-month hiatus following the conclusion of Season 1, as other severed departments like Optics and Design also required management.

Miss Huang: An Anomaly in Lumon’s Workforce

Actress Sarah Bock: A Young Talent

Miss Huang interacting with Mark, Irving, Dylan, and Helly in Severance season 2

Upon meeting Miss Huang, Mark and his colleagues are immediately taken aback by her strikingly youthful appearance. While her specific age is not disclosed in this episode, her demeanor suggests that she might only be around 14 or 15 years old, making her the youngest employee introduced in the series. In contrast, other Lumon employees appear to be in their mid-30s to late-70s.

As noted by IMDb, Sarah Bock, who plays Miss Huang, was born in August 2006. Given that filming for Season 2 commenced in October 2022 and continued until April 2024, Bock would have been 16 at the start and 17 when filming concluded, indicating that Miss Huang likely cannot be older than 16 years.

The Question of Miss Huang’s Employment: Severed or Not?

Miss Huang: A Strategic Youth Initiative?

The premise of Lumon employing minors in supervisory positions raises significant ethical questions. Yet, it seems improbable that Miss Huang has undergone the titular Severance procedure. Characters like Cobel and Milchick retain their capacities intact, suggesting that Miss Huang must also be non-severed to effectively manage the innies.

Her youth could indicate part of a broader initiative at Lumon, where offering managerial roles to young individuals allows for career indoctrination without traditional educational limitations and aligns with the company’s goals to integrate employees from an early age. Furthermore, it raises questions regarding Miss Huang’s educational status; it’s possible that she is engaged in a Lumon-sanctioned program that justifies her role under the guise of practical experience.

Moreover, Miss Huang’s placement could be viewed as an attempt by Lumon to normalize early career entry, appealing to parents and creating a narrative that fosters loyalty among younger individuals to the corporate ethos of Lumon.

Analyzing the Implications of a Child in Authority

The decision to hire a young supervisor could be a calculated move to minimize resistance from the innies. A child in a position of authority may evoke a sense of trust within the personnel, potentially reducing fears of manipulation or hostile actions. This tactic could be perceived as a way to obscure the oppressive nature of Lumon’s policies by portraying the deputy manager as innocent.

Severance Season 2 Episode Release Schedule
Episode #	Release Date
2	January 24, 2025
3	January 31, 2025
4	February 7, 2025
5	February 14, 2025
6	February 21, 2025
7	February 28, 2025
8	March 7, 2025
9	March 14, 2025
10	March 21, 2025

The presence of a child in a supervisory role not only shields Lumon from criticism but also complicates the narrative surrounding the treatment of the innies. Should Miss Huang’s role gain traction, it could lead to increased recruitment of young individuals, reinforcing Lumon’s plan to broaden the scope of their controversial severance model into broader society.

Source: IMDb

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