They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but I think that sometimes when it comes to TV shows a huge break between seasons can have the opposite effect. While you tell yourself that you definitely really enjoyed the show, waiting years for new episodes can wear down your optimism and interest in what's coming.
Case in point – I've spent the last year or more confidently saying that my favourite sci-fi series on Apple TV+ (and there are plenty to choose from) is Silo, thanks to its interesting pacing and slow mystery-building. It's had two seasons in two-and-a-half years, and I've enjoyed both. Now, though, Severance's new episodes have forced me into a total rethink.
Don't get me wrong – it's not that I ever thought Severance was somehow mid, or anything. I devoured it when it first came out, dipping my toes into Apple TV+ for the first time just to do so, and raved about it to my friends. That was back in 2022, though, and a long three-year wait for the next season ensued.
That wait didn't so much make me think Severance wasn't as good as I remembered. It simply made me forget the little details and production qualities that made it quite so special in the first place. This is a show that thrives on small moments, and exquisite attention to detail from its makers, so when you lose track of these it tends to fade.
Now that I've caught up with the first few episodes of its second season, though, I'm right back in the thick of it. I watched a couple of detailed recaps before starting, which helped, but the show's momentum and quality really spoke for itself from the off. This is no slight on Silo, but unless this season goes off the rails really quite spectacularly, it seems a lock to be the new reigning champ of Apple TV+'s sci-fi works.
So, I was wrong – but not out of any malice, in my view. Even Apple would presumably agree privately that it would have been better to get more Severance out quicker. Still, it's here now, so let's enjoy what looks like one of the best streaming service shows in a very long time.
