Severance Season 2 review: Apple’s greatest show returns with an astonishing sophomore season; it’s landmark television

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Adam Scott and Britt Lower in a still from the second season of Severance.

It doesn’t take too long for Mark to be united with his buddies, his found family. Milchik tells them that their escapades encouraged the Lumon ‘board’ to enact reforms. They will no longer be spied upon at work; they can enjoy more free time for themselves; most importantly, they will not be held back from engaging with their ‘outie’ lives. Milchik also gives them the option to leave Lumon altogether; they will no longer be bound by the decisions of their ‘outies’. Or, he says, they could stay on and finish the work they started. The first episode is dedicated almost entirely to the reunion, and exploring the various reasons for which the team agrees to hang back.

Mark and Hellie are keen to explore their romance. Plus, they’d love to get to the bottom of the mystery, but they both have secret private missions as well. The heartbroken Irving, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with the outside world, having realised in the season one finale that the object of his affection, Burt (Christopher Walken), is happily married to another man. Dylan is more conflicted. He did, after all, come face to face with one of his children. Sensing his indecision, Milchik offers him an incentive: one-on-one time with his outside family. He agrees. But Hellie keeps her discoveries to herself; only Irving senses that something is amiss when she tells them she saw nothing worth mentioning in the few minutes that she spent outside.

It’s difficult to explore the new season in too much depth, what with all the restrictions that Apple has enforced on critics. Like Vault Industries from Prime Video’s The Boys, the big tech parallels between Apple and Lumon are presumably not lost on anybody. Season two doesn’t downplay the corporate psychology, although it certainly presents the Eagans as cult leaders of sorts. The Soviet Union parallels that could be perceived through the Brutalist architecture in season one are more palpable in season two. In fact, creator Dan Erickson seems to be making overt references to the cult of personality that nations like North Korea are run on, especially in the outstanding episode three. This is when, as one of their perks, the ‘innies’ are sent on a treasure hunt to a mountain that is said to be sacred to members of the Lumon community. This, Milchik tells them, is where the great leader Kier Eagan supposedly had a spiritual experience many decades ago. This is also where he was seemingly struck, for the first time, by the idea of duality, of split personalities.

Episode three, directed by Ben Stiller, is a great showcase for the show’s expansive universe. The rest of the episodes are set within the cramped confines of the severed floor. In addition to being remarkably unique for a streaming series – shows these days tend to have interchangeable aesthetics – Severance is an achievement in production design and sound editing. The tone is conspiratorial, but also rather funny. Most surprisingly, Erickson and Stiller are able to inject in it a sense of sincerity. For instance, the ‘outie’ Mark’s grief is just as emotionally resonant as his ‘innie’ counterpart’s love for Hellie. Speaking of which, the new season devotes about as much time to both version of these characters. We are also made aware about the debate that’s raging in the real world about ‘innie’ rights. In this regard, Severance is perhaps the most affecting piece of science-fiction storytelling since Mark Romanek’s adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go.

Adam Scott and Britt Lower in a still from the second season of Severance.

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But unlike that film, Severance doesn’t shy away from its genre roots; nor does it deal in subtlety. If it is able to maintain this level of quality, there’s no doubt that the show could turn into something as seminal as Lost. The new season certainly introduces more lore for hardcore fans to dissect, while revisiting enigmatic past tangents like the empty corridor with the red light, and the room where a group of people rears sheep. It’s masterful television, and perhaps the only thing that can rescue Apple’s languishing streaming service.

Severance Season 2
Creator – Dan Erickson
Cast – Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, Patricia Arquette, Tramell Tillman
Rating – 4.5/5