Highlights
- Season 2 of Apple TV+’s groundbreaking and mind-bending series Severance premieres January 17, nearly two years after Season 1 ended on a huge cliffhanger.
- The official trailer for Season 2 dropped at CCXP24 in São Paulo, Brazil, revealing some of the repercussions of the Innies’ rebellion in the Season 1 finale.
- New characters appear in the trailer, played by Bob Balaban, Alia Shawkat, Gwendoline Christie and Sarah Bock.
Apple TV+’s Severance Season 2
The nine episodes of Severance Season 1 turned most audience members’ brains into pretzels with the complexity of the enigma that is Lumon Industries. The surreal twists, bizarre visuals and intense relationships that formed throughout the parallel yet intersecting (yeah, I said it) plotlines garnered 14 Emmy nominations. The bonkers finale left viewers screaming in frustration, a planned closure block orchestrated by executive producer and director Ben Stiller, according to show creator Dan Erickson.
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Apple TV+ describes Severance’s central conflict arising when Lumon Industries team leader Mark Scout (Adam Scott) questions the surgical procedure that divides employee memories between their work and personal lives. In Season 2, they tease that “Mark and his friends learn the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe.”
The Matter of Ms. Casey
One of the biggest reveals in the Season 1 finale was that Lumon’s wellness counselor, Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman) — who is only ever seen within the Lumon offices — is, in fact, Mark S.’s Outie’s dead wife. The new trailer shows that Innie Mark S. has retained that memory although Outie Mark Scout does not. Innie Mark plans to break Ms. Casey out of Lumon. Meanwhile, Outie Mark’s sister Devon (Jen Tullock) is left to explain to him that Gemma isn’t dead. Awkward.
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There are dozens of other tidbits to chew on in the trailer. Helly’s (Britt Lower) Outie, Helena Eagan, remains unrepentantly committed to Innie Helly serving out her time in Lumon. Manager Milchick (Tramell Tillman) continues to herd and manipulate the employees. Outie Mark makes a connection between former department head Cobel (Patricia Arquette) and his next-door neighbor. And it looks like Outie Mark’s brother-in-law Richen Hale (Michael Chernus) is writing another book. I’m most excited that the baby goats are back.
Mr. Drummond?
Curiously, the opening line of the trailer — “Their work will be remembered as one of the greatest moments of this planet.” — is attributed to an as-yet-unknown Mr. Drummond (according to the closed captions). However, later in the trailer, the same line is spoken (without the impressive reverb) by Richen. Is this a hint that Richen is secretly involved with Lumon and the severance procedure? Also, the phrase “of this planet” makes me wonder whether there’s a setting reveal in the works.
Will Irving’s (John Turturro) knowledge about Burt’s (Christopher Walken) Outie change their relationship? Is Dylan (Zach Cherry) ready for a new conspiracy? How will the new team members — Bob Balaban, Alia Shawkat, and Sarah Bock — fit into the future of Lumon?
United in Severance
The implications of the severance procedure are vast. Season 1 gave us a sideways glimpse into how it could be used on people without their consent. Outies’ tyrannical control over Innies’ lives is evident and open to abuse. What began as an experiment in work-life balance is now a new sort of slavery.
The 10-episode second season of Severance premieres on Apple TV+ on January 17 with new episodes dropping every week until March 21.
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