With its brilliant first season, Severance already made clear that it had mastered the mystery box question-posing format. The series features an intriguing sci-fi premise in which individuals undergo a “severance” procedure to separate their consciousness between their work lives and home lives. While initially pitched as an act of compartmentalizing self care from Lumon Industries, the creation of distinct “Innie” and “Outtie” egos within one body is anything but therapeutic. That literally interpersonal dynamic along with the mysterious nature of what the Innies are even “working” on effortlessly carried the first nine episodes of storytelling. By the time the season 1 finale concludes, the Innies in the “Macrodata Refinement” department have successfully contacted the outside world while learning some uncomfortable truths about their Outties and the other secrets that Lumon keeps from them.
Severance season 2 has a lot of momentum built up and resolves not to waste it, even if it runs the risk of alienating an audience that might not have rewatched the show since it last wrapped in April 2022. For what it’s worth, Apple TV+ is well aware of the fact that you likely remember very little from season 1 as it sticks an unusually-detailed recap before the first episode. That “previously-on” still can’t quite capture the full depth of the excellent, yet disorienting plot so far. Thankfully, the internet is sure to be saturated with more complete “Severance Season 1 Recap” breakdowns (including here at Den of Geek) prior to the January 17 release.
Once the initial confusion is resolved through recap perusal or sheer force of recollective will, Severance season 2 absolutely flies by. This season’s 10 episodes (all of which were screened for the purposes of this review), easily meet the creative standard of season 1 and in many ways exceed it. Under creator and showrunner Dan Erickson’s lead, the narrative understands the precise balance of mystery vs. resolution necessary to keep the viewer on the hook. The plot is as surgical as the severance procedure itself.
Many times throughout Severance season 2 one gets the sense that all the twists, turns, and teases should be exhausting (particularly when viewed in a bingeing format rather than through the show’s weekly release model) but somehow they never are. Like the aforementioned failed Lost knockoffs that dot the annals of TV history, Severance has no problem leaving its audience in the dark. Unlike those Lost knockoffs, however, Severance is able to maintain goodwill by presenting each new confusing morsel as a delight for the senses. Who is Kier Eagan? What is Lumon’s mission? Why is there a room full of baby goats? We’ll get around to all that, but first: here’s special guest star Gwendoline Christie!
It also certainly helps that the visual language of the show remains striking. Once again assisted by director Ben Stiller (who helms five of this season’s episodes), the uncanny sets, lighting, and colors of Severance give off the sensation of a haunted corporate training video come to life. That becomes particularly important in maintaining the “work sucks, huh?” allegory as the show evolves to incorporate more of the Outtie world and deep Lumon lore.
Of course, none of it works without a compelling cast at the center of it all. Adam Scott continues to be one of Hollywood’s more underrated performers as Mark Scout a.k.a. Mark S, whose character takes on an almost mythical level of importance this year. Britt Lower deals with the competing motivations of Helly R and Helena Eagan capably while Zach Cherry’s Dylan G and John Turturro’s Irving B have moments of real heroism. Then there’s Tramell Tillman who I steadfastly refuse to believe is an actual actor hired for this series and not merely Mr. Milchick’s unaware Outtie – so convincing is his performance as the ultimate upward-striving middle manager.
