It’s been almost three years since Severance first hit our screens, and its return couldn’t feel more timely. The show centers on Mark Scout (Adam Scott), a widower who’s undergone a procedure called “severance,” which splits his work memories from his personal ones. Lumon Industries, the corporation behind this controversial technology, claims it’s a life-improving innovation. But as Mark and his severed colleagues discover, the process is part of Lumon’s sinister agenda to tighten its grip on the global workforce.
The critically acclaimed Apple TV+ drama, created by Dan Erickson, is back with a sharper, faster-paced second season. This new chapter dives even deeper into thought-provoking questions about identity, autonomy, and the boundaries of personhood.
The season kicks off on January 17, five months after Mark and his team in the Macrodata Refinement Department—Helly R. (Britt Lower), Dylan (Zach Cherry), and Irving (John Turturro)—blew the whistle on Lumon’s exploitation of severed workers, or “innies.” In response, Lumon rolls out a PR-friendly playbook, offering empty promises of reforms and trivial perks like “pineapple bobbing” and better vending machine snacks. Despite his mistrust of the company and his supervisor Mr. Milchick’s (Tramell Tillman) assurances of a “fresh start,” innie Mark returns to MDR with a mission: to find Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman), who he now knows is his presumed-dead wife in the outside world.
Back at Lumon, Mark meets new coworkers, including fellow severed employees Mark W. (Bob Balaban) and Gwendolyn (Alia Shawkat), a precocious deputy manager Ms. Huang (Sarah Bock), the towering enforcer Mr. Drummond (Darri Ólafsson), and the stern, cowbell-wielding Lorne (Gwendoline Christie). Meanwhile, the story shifts more focus to the “outies” and their lives. Outie Mark is furious after learning that his former boss, Ms. Cobel (Patricia Arquette), posed as his neighbor. However, he stays at Lumon while trying to uncover the company’s secrets with his sister Devon (Jen Tullock). Elsewhere, Dylan juggles a chaotic home life with his wife Gretchen (Merritt Wever) and their three kids, and Irving tries to make sense of his innie’s bond with Burt (Christopher Walken), a former Lumon employee. Helly’s revolt also has ripple effects, pushing Helena Eagan, daughter of Lumon CEO Jame Eagan, into a tense power struggle with Ms. Cobel.
As the outies learn more about their innies, and vice versa, the line between them blurs. Mark, Helly, Dylan, and Irving each emerge as two distinct individuals, forcing both the characters and viewers to confront unsettling truths: How often do we evaluate others solely based on how their needs align with our own? And what power do we hold over those we control? For the outies, the stakes are especially grim, as resigning from Lumon would erase their innies entirely.
This tension is masterfully brought to life by the show’s cast. Adam Scott subtly but effectively distinguishes innie Mark, an optimistic worker, from his grief-stricken outie self. Zach Cherry adds layers of frustration and resignation to Dylan, while John Turturro portrays outie Irving with warmth and vulnerability. Britt Lower shines as Helly, whose sharp contrast to her calculating outie persona, Helena, highlights the duality of their existence. Her terse, high-stakes scenes with Ms. Cobel are among the season’s most gripping moments. Tramell Tillman also steps into the spotlight, with Mr. Milchick trying to keep a tight grip on MDR under scrutiny from the imposing Mr. Drummond.
The season continues unraveling mysteries from the first chapter. What happened to Mark’s wife, Gemma? What does the Microdata Refinement department really do? And what’s up with those baby goats? While not every question gets answered, viewers can expect revelations about Gemma/Ms. Casey, Ms. Cobel’s twisted history with Lumon, and the eerie mythology surrounding the company’s founder, Kier Eagan. There’s even more insight into Lumon’s bizarre corporate culture—like how marshmallows are apparently reserved for “team players.”
Once again, Severance excels in atmosphere, thanks to Jeremy Hindle’s retrofuturistic production design. But some of Lumon’s oddities leave us wondering: Are these quirks essential to the story or just cool visuals? Take the indoor goat pasture glimpsed in the trailer. Is it a metaphor for capitalism’s all-consuming reach, or simply an artistic flourish? Either way, the purpose of those goats becomes clearer by the season’s end.
With its thrilling second season, Severance raises the stakes, deepens its mysteries, and keeps us questioning the very nature of identity and freedom. One thing’s for sure: it’s worth the wait.
