Severance, Season 2 - (Apple TV+)
By: Rachel Brodeur
There is nothing else on television like Severance. The concept behind the Apple TV series hinges on the relatable problem of trying to maintain a work and home life balance and pushes the question, what if humans could completely separate their work selves from their home selves.
The series is a departure from the comedic titles audiences typically associate with director Ben Stiller (Tropic Thunder, Zoolander), but he masterfully delivers on this science fiction concept with impeccable precision of the craft. Everything about Severance feels deliberate. Sets are minimal, the color palette is often monochromatic, every line seems important and the details matter. From the onset of season one, along with the characters, the audience is forced to ask questions: Who are they? When are they? Why are they there? Embarking on season two, many of these questions have been addressed, and like any good enigmatic science fiction series, new questions build upon those answers.
However, in spite of the futuristic premise, Severance is also a satire of the inhumanity of the current corporate world. The majority of the series continues to take place in the halls of the questionably infamous Lumon offices. The charismatic Adam Scott (Parks and Rec, Step Brothers), is still the everyman, trying to navigate the corporate culture of team building rituals and merit rewards that fall flat. Lines like “marshmallows are for team players” are delivered with such dry severity, that it’s both ridiculous and sinister.
The duality is intentional. There are two sides to the characters. There are two worlds in which people exist, home and work, and season two continues to layer upon both worlds. Mark’s world is a bit wider than when audiences first met him, and with that viewers have more time to consider ancillary figures like Mr. Milchick, played by Tramell Tilman (Elementary, Difficult People), or Burt, played by the noteworthy Christopher Walken (Dune 2, Catch Me if You Can). Interactions with characters are marked with nuanced pleasantries and subtle microexpressions and encourage audiences to question what motivations lie under the surface.
The fear with a series as strong as Severance is that it will not maintain its momentum, that it cannot uphold the bar it set with its debut season, however, Severance not only meets expectations but shatters them, deepening its mystery, refining its tension, and proving itself as one of the most gripping and masterfully-crafted shows in recent memory.
Rachel’s Rating: 10/10 - Severance (Apple TV+) defies expectations, expanding its world while maintaining the razor-sharp tension and meticulous storytelling that made its first season so compelling. With its hauntingly precise aesthetics, sharp satire of corporate culture, and layered performances, the series cements itself as a modern sci-fi masterpiece.