Though Dr. Mauer made himself fully known in Chikhai Bardo, the seventh episode of Severance season two, wed actually encountered him earlier in the season. He strolled into Optics and Design to pick up dental tools, then wheeled them to that ominous elevator at the end of the Exports Hall. Its the last place we saw Ms. Casey at the end of season one, so to connect the two characters wasnt a huge leap. But Chikhai Bardo exceeded our worst nightmares in that regard. The fact that Dr. Mauer is constantly whistling The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Gordon Lightfoots folksy yet morose ballad about a ship that sinks in icy waters, spelling doom for all aboard, really sets the tone perfectly, doesnt it? Most of Chikhai Bardo revolves around fleshing out Gemma and Marks love storylong before she became Ms. Casey, tending to a totally unaware Mark on the severed floor at Lumon. The episode was so beautifully acted and directed, it was easy to focus on those elements immediately after watching it. But its Dr. Mauer who lingers in its bleakest moments, showing us that theres a new MVP among Severances not-insignificant stack of malevolent characters. The creepy doctor is an archetype that horror fans will immediately recognize; it preys on the fear that a medical professional will set aside their do no harm oath and take advantage of their position for cruel or murderous reasons. Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Dr. Giggles, the Dead Ringers twins, the Human Centipede guy, and anyone involved in the PTSD-inducing plot of Comayou know them, and you rightfully fear them. And Dr. Mauer is right up there. While his tactics do cause Gemma physical pain, his psychological assaults are exponentially more agonizing. Apple TV+ As of the most recent episode, we dont yet have the full picture regarding Lumons invasive interest in Gemma and Marks relationship. We know they visited a fertility clinic with ties to Lumon, as all bio-tech in Severances world seems to be. The facility also has a connection to Dr. Mauer; blink and youll miss him skulking through the background of that scene. Were well aware that Gemma drove to an event one dark night and never came home, with police arriving on Marks doorstep to deliver the sad news. And, of course, we know Gemma underwent the severance procedure and became the robotic Ms. Casey, the counselor on Lumons severed floor. Chikhai Bardo answered one of the biggest Severance questions to date, showing us where Gemma has been dwelling since her supposed death. And its become apparent her ordeal has something to do with Marks work sorting numbers in Lumons Macrodata Refinement department. There are still a lot of puzzle pieces left to fill in. But Dr. Mauers introduction into the story left no doubt, if we had any before, that theres true evil at work here.Dichen Lachmans performance as Gemma has gotten rightful praise, but Robby Benson as Dr. Mauer is equally formidablea onetime teen idol (see: 1976s Ode to Billy Joe and 1978s Ice Castles), he also voiced the Beast in Disneys 1991 animated classic Beauty and the Beast, and has popped up in TV shows (including Friends) and in video games here and there. But his Severance turn offers proof that you can often find excellently effective villains by casting against type. Gemmas quartered in a subterranean, featureless room where shes surveilled by cameras and watched over by an ever-present nurse. Her physical health is carefully monitored and regimented, but its her mental stability that Lumon is most interested in probing. Shes Dr. Mauers only patient; every day, he meets her in each room off the long hallway on the testing floor. She doesnt remember their interactions, because each space triggers a different severed persona. Each has their own wardrobe and hairstyle: the dental patient, the traveler on a plane thats about to crash, the 1970s tennis player? (We dont see the room for that one, just the outfit.) Most haunting, though, is the room where its always Christmas, a dreadful version of the holiday in which Gemmas dressed in a frumpy bathrobe and forced to pen an endless stack of thank-you notes. (In Gemmas pre-Lumon life, she especially loathed writing thank-you notes.) Like all the rooms, this is the only reality this particular consciousness ever experiences. Its the same as Mark and the other severed workers constantly snapping awake in the elevator, feeling like no time has passed since they left the office, except so much more dreadful. Imagine your entire existence was getting your teeth drilled over and over. Or being on a plane thats about to crash. Apple TV+ In each of these awful locations, Dr. Mauer is an active and overly eager presence, clad in his own special outfits; it can only be the case that he designed each aspect of this process. Hes the dentist, the flight attendant, the tennis coach, andmost distressinglythe husband in the Christmas room. Even Drummond, the Lumon bigwig keeping tabs on Dr. Mauers experiments, questions his choice of sweater, which he pairs with a stick-on beard and mustache. In this room, he emits a exceedingly unwholesome vibe, calling Gemma sweetheart and forcing her to say she loves him. This is especially sickening given this earlier exchange between Drummond and Mauer: You like her. Shes easy to like. She is fond of me too, of course. Didnt she try and break your fingers?Dr. Mauer also interacts with Gemma as herself, querying her about her experiences, making sure she remembers nothing, and displaying not a shred of humanityhe has the opposite of kind eyes, something Severance made a point of emphasizing in season one. Hes patronizing, and quite clearly takes improper enjoyment in having such total control over another person. When hes done, Drummond tells Dr. Mauerreferring to Marks progress on the mysterious Cold Harbor project, which Severance has teased as an end point for Gemmas ordealYoull have to let her go. Dr. Mauer says hes aware of that, but theres something unsettling in his countenance. Something that suggests he believes actual tender feelings are propelling those forced I love yous. Why else, when Gemma pleads to go home, would he lie to her and say Marks moved on since shes been MIAwith a new wife and daughter, adding an extra knife-twist? Why else would he then imply that perhaps Gemmas moved on too, maybe without realizing it, maybe by rediscovering love with Dr. Mauer in one of the severed rooms?Its the ickiest of all things to consider, that she would have feelings for this odious man and not even remember them, and that he would slither around and plant the possibility in her brain. Her escape attempt ends in heartbreaking failure at the end of Chikhai Bardo, but theres a ticking clock on this misery. Cold Harbors secrets are bound to be revealed soononly three episodes in season two left to goand with them, closure of some kind. With Dr. Mauer in charge, and the ruthless Drummond peering over his shoulder, you have to wonder if theres any ending where Gemma survives, much less ever goes home. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.