Note: While this post is marks the arrival of “Severance” season 2, there are no season 2 spoilers or details here. However, there are spoilers for “Severance” season 1.
A few weeks ago, the folks at Apple TV+ sent me screeners for the highly-anticipated second season of their hit show “Severance.” This was exciting: I was a big fan of season 1, particularly that season’s whopper of a cliffhanger ending. I fired up the premiere episode of season 2 … and by the time it ended, I had one main thought: “I have no idea what the hell is going on here.” While I’m not here to talk about what happens in season 2, I can tell you that the premiere episode isn’t overly confusing. However, it’s been more than two years since season 1 ended, and with the world being what it is today, two years can feel like a lifetime. It was almost like the majority of my memories of the first season had been severed from my mind. I resolved to go back and rewatch season 1 before continuing on with season 2. This turned out to be a wise decision, as it greatly improved my memory. But something curious happened: the way I viewed the show as a whole changed.
I don’t know about you, but I have a recollection of “Severance” season 1 as being, well, funny. While the show doesn’t bill itself as a flat-out comedy, humor felt like a big part of season 1, at least in my faded memories. And yet as I rewatched season 1, it became clear that my recollections were flawed. Sure, there is comedy at play in the show, but as I rewatched season 1, one main thought kept running through my mind over and over again: “This is bleak.”
Severance is inherently dark
When “Severance” season 1 dropped in February of 2022, I, like most people, knew almost nothing about the show. I knew the cast, and some images revealed a distinct visual style. Out of curiosity more than interest, I decided to give the show a shot. I was hooked almost immediately by its unique premise: a medical procedure has been invented that allows a real work/life balance. People working certain jobs have their minds “severed”: when they head to the office every day, a whole new personality/mentality takes over to experience the workday. When they clock out, their normal/regular mindset returns.
As a result, people have essentially be split in two: their work personas, known as “Innies,” and their everyday personas, known as “Outies.” Anyone who has worked a dull, miserable office job might perk up at the thought of never having to actually experience the drudgery of the 9-5. But there’s a moral dilemma built into the concept: the Innies are essentially trapped at work forever. They never experience the outside world. They never get to spend time with friends or loved ones. They never get to see the sky. The work day may technically end, but the Innies never get to go home. And when and if their Outie counterparts quit or retire, the Innie persona essentially dies, ceasing to exist.
There’s a lot more to the show than this scenario. “Severance,” like “Lost,” is a mystery box saga, and the company the characters work for, Lumon Industries, is mysterious and cult-like, with its own wild, sprawling, and confusing mythology that slowly presents itself as the show moves from one episode to the next. It’s clear that Lumon is up to no good, but we don’t really know what the company even does, or what their larger plans are. We just know that they’re exploiting the severance procedure in vastly unethical ways, torturing their employees and treating them like slave labor. Why? Because they can. The Outies have no knowledge of what goes on at work, and the company frequently lies to them rather than provide the truth.
Despite its depressing subject matter, Severance is fun to watch
There is an obvious darkness baked into this premise, and season 1 is loaded with exceptionally dark moments. We learn that main character Mark, played by Adam Scott, underwent the severance procedure because he was so heartbroken over the death of his wife. Having his memories cut off for 8 hours a day was a way to escape grief. Mark, in Outie form, is even introduced to us sobbing in his car before he clocks into work for the day. In addition to Mark’s depressing storyline (which is made all the more unsettling once we learn that Mark’s wife, played by Dichen Lachman, is apparently still alive and seemingly being kept prisoner by Lumon), there’s the story of new employee Helly R., played by Britt Lower. As the latest member of the Lumon team, Helly is our introduction into the world of the show, and her Innie persona is not happy about being forced to work for the rest of her existence. After trying to quit several times, Helly resorts to threats of self-harm and suicide attempts.
As I spell all this out in writing, you might be wondering how I could be so dense as to miss the bleakness the first time I watched the show only to pick up on it upon rewatch. It’s not that I didn’t notice the show was dark (I’m not that stupid, I swear!). However, I think rewatching “Severance” changes how you approach the series. The first time I watched season 1, I was so caught up in all the mystery box elements and surprising reveals that I kind of floated through the season with a goofy grin on my face. And indeed, season 1 is loaded with plenty of comedic moments — Mark’s foolish brother-in-law Ricken (Michael Chernus) is a frequent source of comic relief, and the show’s MVP, Tramell Tillman’s Mr. Milchick, garners plenty of laughs. But as I watched season 1, I had no idea what the show was going to do next. Upon rewatch, however, I had a better idea of what was coming. Because of this, I think I was able to focus on the bleakness more than I had the first time around. It stood out more, and it hit me hard.
I don’t want to give the impression that “Severance” is a joyless, dour, misery-fest. The show is massively entertaining, and I can’t wait to see where it goes. But it’s also interesting that a series that’s so frequently hopeless has captured so much attention. We’re all seemingly hooked on this dark, depressing series, and we can’t help but enjoy the ride. This is a fun show to watch, but I can’t help but wonder how much darker things are going to get before it’s over.
