by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
It’s been almost three years since Season One of Severance. It was one of my favorite shows of 2022, and even after a rewatch, it’s still a triumph of storytelling, cinematography, and performance. Three years is a long time to go between seasons, and given the delays with creative decisions and the strikes, Severance has only grown in its acclaim and expectations.
Season Two starts right around where the previous season ended. Thankfully, we also got a powerful “previously on” montage for anyone who didn’t rewatch Season One. This season deals with the consequences of Mark S. (Adam Scott) and the team’s plan to learn more about the relationship between their innie and outie personas.
Severance continually swings for the fences when it comes to sci-fi. Season Two focuses on the dichotomy between the innie and outie personas. Last season, each person’s focus was the separation between the two, and this season focuses on the differences between the two. The philosophical questions about how you reconcile two sides of the same coin, and whether or not they should coexist, are deeply fascinating. It feels like the split someone can have between their real life and online life, and then the question becomes, which is the real one?
Cinematography continues to be a strong point for Severance. The shots of the hallways within Lumon are gorgeous, and they paint the picture of Lumon being a larger-than-life place. It also gives the vibe that the company is sinister, even though we only get slightly closer to figuring out what they do. In addition to cinematography, the lighting and set design continues to excel. Within the hallways of Lumon, the use of shadows and colors of the lights help set a great mood.
Sets in Season Two go beyond the walls of Lumon, expanding to other locations to give some characters much-needed backstory. Each area we go to helps us piece together more bits of what’s going on. We get an episode that focuses on Mark’s backstory, and it helps to see him in his element instead of within the confines of the severed floor. Even the severed floor is explored more in-depth so that it explains (only a little, but something is better than nothing) more about what each team is doing.
With the focus being on the differences between the innie and outie personalities, Severance gives its performers a chance to forge two distinct groups of people. The primary data refinement team, Mark, Dylan (Zach Cherry), Irving (John Turturro), and Helly (Britt Lower), all have stories where we get to see much more of their duties, painting a complete picture of who they are. Each character even has a story where their two personalities will eventually come to odds. For instance, this season, Dylan’s main story reconciles the person he is on the severed floor with the person he is on the outside. The difference is so staggering that it causes a rift in his relationships outside the office. On the flip side, Irving is trying his best to bring what he had on the severed floor into his outside life. It’s an absolute joy to watch all these performers being able to balance both sides each person has.
A central theme of this season is the difference between a manager and a leader. On a micro level, Mark is the leader of the MDR team, so he helps set the tone, becoming a point person for the group. Contrast that with Helly’s outie persona, who we find out more about at the end of Season One, and Mark makes a great case about why leadership means helping the people around, and not being shackled by institutions.
Milchick (Tramell Tillman) is another example of a manager who lacks the essential leadership skills to get the desired results he wants for his team. As one of the few non-severed people we get to interact with, Milchick’s performance is layered so much with great commentary about corporate America. As one of the few Black leaders at Lumon, he feels isolated and belittled by others in upper management. He’s also scrutinized much more than others, which makes it feel like race is involved. Milchick also gets some of the best scenes of the season, with the best involving the newly discovered Choreography and Merriment department that every company should consider having on hand. Tillman is outstanding in his role, and his push and pull with getting results while maintaining order is an interesting chess match. I won’t be surprised if he gets some Emmy consideration this year.
The performances are among the best parts of Severance these last two seasons. Turturro’s is heartbreaking, continuing to showcase why he’s one of the best actors in Hollywood. Irving wrestling with the fallout from the Season One finale, in addition to wanting to merge more of his innie’s life with his outie, takes some gut-wrenching turns. Scott continues to be the standout for this group, though. He is doing some of the best work of his career with Season Two, and he feels like a lock for the Best Actor in a Drama Series Emmy nomination. The schism between his innie and outie has the most desired consequences.
The central storyline for the season is where some of the nitpicky issues start to pop up. More questions continue to arise, and many remain unanswered, even from Season One. This can feel like the story is slow, even if riveting character work and high concepts are being discussed. I am concerned about when things will start to make more sense and what the ultimate end game of the series will be. For now, the ride is excellent, but at some point, we have to get more clarity on where the story is going. First and foremost, this will explain Lumon and the Severance Procedure. At this point, the season ends with way more questions than it clarifies.
Season Two’s finale picks up where One’s left off, delivering a tense and engaging last episode. Season One’s finale was one of the best hours of television in 2022, and Two’s is one of the best in a very early 2025 TV season. So much happens during the episode, and the 70-plus minute runtime flies by. It’s easily the season’s strongest episode, but it also makes me wonder what’s next, and if the story is becoming unsustainable.
Severance Season Two is a welcome addition to the 2025 TV landscape. Fans of the show (myself included) have been waiting a long time for this show to come back, and this season does not disappoint. The technical scope and the performances are stronger than ever. The story is the only place I’m starting to get concerned, but I’m not worried because I trust frequent director Ben Stiller and series creator Dan Erickson to do what’s best for the show. Let’s hope there won’t be a three-year wait between Seasons Two and Three.
Rating: Low Side of Liked It
Severenace is currently streaming on Apple TV+
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