What if you achieved work-life balance by splitting yourself into two people, one who only existed at work and one who was yourself? This was the premise of the Apple TV+ sci-fi thriller series, “Severance,” which wrapped up its second season on March 20, 2025.
The series followed employees who had gotten the severance procedure, which split their memories between their work-selves, called “innies”, and their normal selves, called “outies”. They worked at the mysterious, shady company Lumon Industries. Season two picked up immediately after season one’s explosive finale, and saw the severed employees battling against Lumon.
“Severance” starred Adam Scott and Britt Lower. It was created by Dan Erickson. Ben Stiller (yes, as in “Zoolander”) was the executive producer and director of multiple episodes. The series is available to stream on Apple TV+. “Severance” has been renewed for a third season.
Highs
“Severance” was a rare series where nearly every single element and episode was perfectly crafted. As a sci-fi thriller, it was gripping and shocking in all the best ways. Its mysteries were puzzles the viewer was invited to solve and theorize about. It has a great amount of rewatchability, as one could go back, pick up missed clues and find the show completely different with added context.
In order to make this all work, “Severance” also required great character work. The show was laser focused on exploring characters, ensuring they were all either empathetically complex or intriguingly mysterious. The dynamic of “severing” someone was fascinating, leading to several actors pulling off two different characters with two different arcs and a strange connection. The entire cast was up to the task, behaving believably different every time they switched identities.
The world of “Severance” was visually compelling as well. Lumon’s offices were harsh and cold with gaudy attempts at being welcoming. The cinematography outside of Lumon was often beautiful and serene, making use of winter landscapes and natural lighting. The camera work was impressive. For example, the opening of season two featured the protagonist frantically running down hallways, the camera always in front of him at breakneck speeds.
Although every episode was enjoyable, season two had some that were notably high quality. Episode four began out of the blue, the innies waking up in a wintery wilderness, throwing them and the viewer for a loop in an episode that changed their entire dynamic. Episode seven was among some of the greatest episodes ever aired on television, a heartrending introspection into an enigmatic character. The finale was even more explosive than season one’s, over an hour long and jammed packed with brilliant twists.
Lows
In season one, the way normal people viewed Lumon was an important plot thread. This thread was mostly ignored by season two, which was odd given it was essential for the season one finale. However, since the show isn’t finished, this thread could be picked up again in season three. Also, season two likely wouldn’t have been improved by including this thread given its focus on characters and the inner workings of Lumon.
Verdict
“Severance” is one of the best shows currently on streaming. Despite being about the mundane hell of office jobs, it was an intense emotional rollercoaster. A deeply rewarding series in how meticulously detailed and thoughtful it was, season two brought the show to new heights. Season three can’t come soon enough!
Rating: 10 out of 10
Frank Remski is a film and theater reviewer for The Eastern Echo. He is majoring in media studies and journalism and minoring in public relations. He has worked for The Echo since summer of 2023 and has written both news stories and opinion pieces.
