Severance is back for more mind-splitting drama

Welcome back, Mark S. Photo courtesy of Apple TV Press.  

Warning: spoilers ahead.

Imagine going to work, walking into the office and then walking out a few seconds later with no recollection of the day. This is the premise of the show “Severance, a sci-fi thriller created by Ben Stiller and written by Dan Erickson. It has gained a quiet but loyal following since its 2022 release thanks to an intricate script, hints of comedy and the mysterious corporation driving the plot.

In “Severance”, characters’ work lives are separated from their personal lives through a simple procedure that involves having a chip implanted in their brains. The chip separates a person’s memories so that while someone is outside of work, they have no memories of their work lives and while inside of work they have no memories of their personal lives. The version of the self at work where the chip is turned on is called an “innie” and outside of work the version of the self is called an “outie”. 

What to know

“Severance” is set against the backdrop of an ominous corporation known as Lumon Industries. The show follows the inner and outer lives of four characters of the Macro Data Refinement Department (MDR) of Lumon. The show stars familiar actors like John Turturro as Irving B. and Adam Scott as Mark S., the show’s central character. While the cast list has some recognizable faces, the fresh, dedicated talent of Britt Lower as Helly R. and Zach Cherry as Dylan G. make “Severance” truly shine. 

In season one, Mark is suddenly promoted to the role of manager after his coworker Petey’s exit from MDR and must train the fiery new hire, Helly. Mark’s outie, or the version of Mark outside of Lumon, is then approached by Petey, who attempts to reverse his severed chip and reveal what is happening inside Lumon. As the season develops, Mark, Helly, Irving and Dylan’s inner work selves attempt to unveil what is behind Lumon’s dark secrets. 

Fan reactions so far

While season one of “Severance” was released in 2022, the most recent season was not released until Jan. 17, 2025. Despite the long wait, fans were excited for the first two episodes to be released in the past two weeks and had many theories about what will come next. 

Mostly, fans were looking to see more of what they saw last season from the show, which was high-quality writing and cinematography. 

First-year exploratory studies major Ella Glosner explained what she hopes writers will avoid for the rest of the new season.

“I love these characters, but what I don’t want to happen is that these four characters be separated,” Glosner said. “That is family right there. You cannot separate them; please do not make them hate each other.”

From the beginning of the first few episodes of season one, the chemistry of the main four characters was undeniable. Their on-screen friendships deeply contrasted the harsh corporate backdrop of Lumon and gave the show a central message of hope and resilience that would have been absent otherwise. 

For other fans, the questions that arose from season one are enough to keep them watching. 

Henry Bickel, a sophomore secondary English education major, shared what he was most looking forward to in season two. 

“I’m looking for a continuation of the mystery and more of these horror elements,” Bickel said. “They’re slowly feeding into these more and more uncomfortable things about [the show]. I think season two, episode one, did a good job at setting that up; it feels a lot more comforting. Well, as much as ‘Severance’ can be comforting.” 

Senior biology and Spanish major Ali Mohamed explained some of the questions that “Severance prompts. 

“​​A really big is just the idea of how similar or how different your work self versus your outside self is,” Mohamed said. “Are they two different people? Is your work self capable of everything that your outside self is capable of?” 

The fact that there are two separate selves in Severance opens up a chasm of exercises in philosophical thinking. While many workplace-centered shows have honed in on office comedy, Severance recognizes the deep need for shows that reflect late-stage capitalist society.      

Has Apple TV changed its marketing game?

While fans of “Severance” are loyal, Apple TV has mostly relied on word of mouth to promote it. Despite having well-known stars like Patricia Arquette and John Turturro, “Severance has been buried underneath other more popular Apple TV shows likeTed Lasso” and “Silo. Apple TV is excellent at producing high-quality content but horrible at preserving funds to promote it.  

However, the creators of “Severance” recently hosted a performance stunt at Grand Central Station. The characters improvised scenes in a glass container, performing tasks like typing at their computers, throwing paper airplanes and vacuuming the lime green colored carpet. The public stunt is a sign that maybe this time, Apple will not seclude its best shows in the nooks and crannies of its platform. 

Additionally, Apple TV has used its reputation as a brand and the star power it collaborates with to market its shows. The Grand Central Station stunt marked a shift in Apple TV’s marketing, relying on both the celebrity status of the actors involved and the shock factor that follows performance stunts. 

What next?

While only two episodes of season two have been released, the rest of the season will be released a week at a time for a total of 10 episodes. Will fans get the answers they have been searching for? Or will they be disappointed with more questions about what Lumon is really up to? 

Severance is streaming on Apple TV. New episodes are released every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST. 

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