Severance season 2 review: “A mind-bending, emotionally charged follow-up to one of Apple TV’s best shows”

The cat (or should we say, ‘goat’?) was well and truly let out of the bag in the finale of Severance season 1, as our favorite innies managed to awaken their consciousnesses outside of MDR’s office and a whole bunch of bombshells were dropped; from Helly being an Eagan and Burt having a partner, to Mark learning that his reportedly dead wife is actually their workplace wellness coach Ms. Casey. If you thought the thriller series would be entering its explanation era in season 2, though, you couldn’t be more mistaken, as the next batch of episodes double down on the mind-bending, for an emotionally charged chapter that’s just as intriguing, well-paced, and mystery-filled as its predecessor.

Not concerned with letting us in on Lumon secrets just yet, creator Dan Erickson and his fellow co-writers concentrate on the more personal repercussions of the core four’s eye-opening rebellion which, according to newly appointed floor manager Mr. Milchick, has made them rather famous. (Milchick’s former position is now inexplicably occupied by a child, naturally). The Macrodata Uprising – as it’s referred to in a wonderfully realized, Keanu Reeves-narrated stop-motion video where Lumon creepily frames their misdeeds as some revolutionary act – has allegedly prompted the company to review the way it treats employees and introduce new perks, including pineapple bobbing, hall passes, and “tasty new snacks” like Christmas mints and fruit leather. Knowing how nefarious the organization is, we ain’t buying it…

All for the core four

With Lumon supposedly fine with their rule-breaking, tensions appear between Mark (Adam Scott), Helly (Britt Lower), Dylan (Zach Cherry), and Irving (John Turturro) instead, as the quartet start to doubt the sincerity of each other’s summations of their outside lives. Irving is particularly suspicious of Helly, after she tells the gang she “woke up” to her outie watching TV in a ‘Save the Gorillas’ shirt before leaving her apartment and approaching a gardener for help. “A night gardener…?” Irving asks with a raised eyebrow, as Helly assures them she did all she could to try and expose what’s really going on at Lumon. And things only escalate from there when the team are taken on a bizarre bonding field trip out in the snowy wilderness.

Despite all the drama, it’s super fun to visit new locations through Severance’s unsettling lens, as it is meeting a bunch of fresh faces, too, from Bob Balaban and Alia Shawkat to Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie. Fortunately, though, Erickson and co. clearly realize that Mark, Helly, Dylan, and Irving are the main reason we’ve all connected to the show so hard and position them as cameos rather than fully-fledged characters.

While much of season 1 revolved around Scott’s Mark and involved the MDR squad searching for answers as to their jobs and real lives, season 2 allows all of the actors to delve deeper into their characters’ psyches. Turturro has some especially meaty material this time around as Irving, reeling from the revelation of Burt’s existing relationship, lashes out as his fellow workers with viewers seeing a darker side of the previously mild-mannered refiner.

Exceeding expectations

As the only innie who didn’t actually get to slip into his outie existence, Dylan turns out to be the easiest to manipulate, with Cherry delivering some truly heartbreaking moments, while Lower presents a tortured Helly who’s torn between who she feels she is and who she knows she is. There’s also the matter of Mark having a wife who may very well still be alive; what will that mean for their fledgling romance? Can outies and innies have completely different personalities and morals? What does consent mean in the world of severance? Are innies capable of finding true happiness? These are questions season 2 tries to answer with devastating effect in the six episodes shown to critics.

They could just leave, right? Well, yes, technically, and it’s something those opening chapters know you’re thinking, as it convincingly justifies why our heroes would willingly plonk themselves back inside those oppressive white walls. The production design is as slick as ever and visually it’s a treat, too; particularly in episode 1, where director Ben Stiller rolls out some kinetic camera tricks and stunningly framed shots.

It’s a tall order to follow-up on one of the best first seasons ever, but Severance season 2 exceeds expectations in every way. There may be a select few left frustrated by its continued commitment to keeping us in the dark, but if that allows space for it to explore its more human themes and gives this excellent show longevity, why would anyone prefer the alternative? In words Mark, Helly, Dylan, and Irving would never say about Lumon: it feels so good to be back.

Severance season 2 premieres on January 17. For more, check out our picks of the best Apple TV shows streaming now.