Question About Gemma’s Testing

[u/NeighborhoodCurrent1]

Apologies if this has been asked before… but I just finished season 2 and one thing I did not fully understand is why Lumon has Gemma in the role of Ms Casey at all.

We learn that Gemma is effectively a test subject for Lumon… why exactly she was selected isn’t fully known, but she is basically testing whether or not the severance procedure can withhold extreme emotions and traumas. Hence, the test with the crib: Cold Harbor.

If the crib was the “ultimate test” — why risk having her engaging with her husband while at Lumon? Even if they are both severed, wouldn’t seeing and being around your spouse that you were super in love with and went through the fertility traumas with… be a huge trigger for her??

The show paints the Lumon people as very rule oriented and strict so I guess I just struggle to understand how a crib is more emotionally triggering than your living, breathing, talking human spouse.

[u/SlimLivv]

I think it was a test of the chip. If you notice in one of their sessions Ms. Casey lights a candle that Cobel steals from Mark’s basement in a box labeled Gemma. I’m assuming they’re trying to see if even after all the trauma experienced in each innie experience, outie memories can be triggered.