Severance: Best Episodes, Ranked

Severance has become one of TV’s premier shows of the 2020s, exciting and shocking audiences with its unique concept and thrilling execution. With the start of season 2, Severance has elevated itself amidst the current landscape of television. The adventures of Mark Scout through his differing Innie and Outie, and his time linked to Lumon, are building towards a mystery that has led to many questions.

While Severance has just begun its second season, the show already has had several episodes that resonated with audiences since airing. These episodes have provided the revelations, drama, and comical outbursts that have made Severance such a critical and pop culture darling.

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7

Season 2, Episode 1: Hello, Ms. Cobel

Mark Goes Ballistic After Losing His Team; Cliffhanger Of Season 1 Addressed

The opening episode of the highly anticipated season 2 brought forth much-needed answers to questions that lingered on viewers’ minds during the show’s hiatus, with the cliffhanger of season 1 cementing the show as a staple of its era. After the MDR group makes its mark in the outside world, Innie Mark returns to the office to find his team replaced by newcomers. Mark, Helly, Irving, and Dylan’s actions have invoked a change from Lumon.

Amidst a number of character introductions, with the highlight being the young overseer Miss Huang, Mark’s erratic behavior results in his team’s return. However, on return, Helly keeps her Outie’s role in Lumon a secret from her team, confusing audiences as they ponder her motives. As an opener, the episode sets the tone for what is to come, continuing the quality that season 1 brought forth.

6

Season 1, Episode 4: The You You Are

Helly Resorts To Extreme Measures Despite Her Outie’s Warnings

Primarily centered around Helly and her tumultuous experience on the severed floor, “The You You Are” pushes events along as viewers get to learn more about the MDR team and their personalities. Despite her fighting spirit and rebellion, Helly’s struggles to convince her Outie to free her fail, resulting in Helly making a shocking attempt on her life at the episodes’ end. Audiences were stunned as Helly desperately tries to fight the system with her actions being a last resort.

While Mark and Mrs. Selvig’s actions at Petey’s funeral raise suspicion, the episode’s starring moments center around the blossoming love between Irving and Burt Goodman. In the episode, the Optics and Design manager ventures forward to visit Irving as their chemistry and infatuation with each other shine through, culminating in a sweet relationship that goes against the grain of the often dark and ominous show.

5

Season 2, Episode 2: Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig

Lumon’s Actions After MDR’s Escape; Dylan & Irving’s Home Lives Are Explored

Continuing season 2’s strong start is “Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig.” The episode predominantly focuses on the outside world, revealing more details about Lumon and their hierarchy. In the aftermath of MDR’s escape, which saw them take control of their Outies, Lumon’s damage control and coordination give audiences a gleam into their practices as Helena Eagan, Mr. Milchick, and the introduction of Mr. Drummond sought to prevent any further damage to the company.

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While Lumon initially fires most of the MDR team, the lives of Outie Dylan and Irving are explored, giving further depth to characters that have become so beloved in their time in Severance. In a thrilling cliffhanger, Mark’s reunion with Cobel leads to a tense standoff that gives Mark further questions about Lumon, with his wife Gemma and her death being put to Cobel in one of season 2’s stand-out scenes.

4

Season 2, Episode 3: Who Is Alive?

Dylan Meets His Outie’s Wife; Mark & Helly Encounter The Mammalians Nurturable Department

While the start of season 2 excelled, the episode “Who Is Alive?” builds on the season’s impressive start, continuing Mark’s deep dive into Lumon in the search for his lost wife. Innie Mark, alongside Helly, searches for Gemma on the severed floor. This leads them to the newly introduced Mammalians Nurturable Department, an awkward and fearsome department that presides over a pack of goats.

The introduction of MND continues to prompt questions about Lumon and its practices, setting audiences to theorize possible reasons for the facility and other departments within Lumon and how they correlate to the ever-evolving story. Amidst much of the turbulence delivered in the episode is Innie Dylan’s meeting with his wife, Gretchen. This showcases a sweet and awkward conversation that gives more depth to Dylan as more is learned about his Outie’s life and family relationship.

3

Season 1, Episode 7: Defiant Jazz

Mr. Milchick’s Dance Party; The Reveal Of Ms. Casey Being Mark’s Wife

While Mark and Helly have seemingly had enough of Lumon’s antics, “Defiant Jazz” acts as the straw that breaks the camel’s back concerning Dylan and Irving’s attitudes toward the company. After getting a glimpse of the outside, Dylan’s Innie attacks Mr. Milchick during MDR’s office shindig after being frustrated with being withheld information about his family, causing Dylan to lose all sense of commitment to Lumon.

While Dylan loses his rag, Irving’s heartbreaking rant at Burt’s retirement party only creates more disdain for Lumon, with their mysterious actions uniting MDR. As MDR all vow to find out the truth, the episode’s cliffhanger adds to the melting pot. Ms. Casey is revealed to be Mark’s long-presumed dead wife, only adding more mysticism and confusion to the narrative.

2

Season 1, Episode 8: What’s For Dinner?

Love, Betrayal, And An Uprising Take Center Stage

With many moving pieces, “What’s For Dinner?” is the perfect setup for season 1’s finale. With the MDR team’s decision to escape to their Outies, the group makes the necessary plans as they prepare to do the unthinkable and escape to the outside world. Unbeknownst to Mark, the character engages in a wellness check with Gemma, his long-lost wife. However, the lack of chemistry proves fruitless for Cobel and her ambitions, eventually leading to her firing as the severed floor manager. Her mismanagement and dual life as Mrs. Selvig causes the board of Lumon to cut ties.

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In a tense buildup that sees abnormal practices, banishments to secret floors, and a budding romance emerge, the episode is full of surprises. It leaves audiences on the edge of their seats, eager to see what MDR achieves in place of their Outies.

1

Season 1, Episode 9: The Way We Are

The MDR Team Reaches The Outside World

In what has now become viewed as an all-time finale, Severance’s “The Way We Are” brought the mystery and intrigue of the opening season to a heightening climax, with the MDR team finally reaching the outside world in dramatic fashion. Thanks to Dylan’s efforts, Mark, Helly, and Irving are able to inhabit their Outies, finally exploring their alternative selves and their foreign lives. While Mark pieces together his family situation and Irving pursues Burt, the realization of Helly being a senior member of Lumon and the Eagan family is an earth-shattering discovery for the character and audiences.

Along with Cobel and Milchick’s desperation and panic in trying to stop MDR, the whole cast delivers transcendent performances as their characters experience a whirlwind journey that brings many mysteries to light. The continued revelations of Miss Cobel being Mark’s neighbor and the discovery of Mark’s wife being still alive proved a shocking conclusion to a show that had just started deciphering the Lumon conundrum. This exhausting but exciting finale and cliffhanger established Severance as a TV powerhouse, making Severance a flagship show for years to come.

Severance

Release Date

February 18, 2022

Showrunner

Dan Erickson, Mark Friedman

Directors

Ben Stiller