Severance - the workplace thriller to beat all workplace thrillers is finally back for season 2 this week after an astonishingly long three year hiatus, and there’s much to revisit before we are reintroduced to the gaunt halls of Lumon Industries.
Having to wait three years for a follow-up feels almost diabolical in this day and age, and yet more and more are seeing such extended breaks. But hey, blame Hollywood’s dual strikes - nothing kills momentum quite like a picket line.
Is your New Year’s resolution to prioritise a better work-life balance? Well don’t jump the gun because if anything is clear after re-devouring season one, it’s a fine line.
Wait, what is it about again?
The Apple TV+ fan favourite created by Dan Erickson and directed by none other than Ben Stiller sees a couple of seemingly uninteresting corporate workers employed at the dystopian floor of Lumon Industries. Nothing is as it seems though, the employees in question have willingly undergone a procedure known as ‘severance’.
Ultimately, the employee's consciousness is split into a ‘work self’ (innie) and a ‘personal self’ (outtie). In an almost altered dimension, triggered by nothing more than a ride in the office elevator, their entire personal identity is wiped - all recollection of who they are, where they live, who they love - all gone for the duration of the working day.
It's the ultimate embodiment of 'leave your personal life at the door,' and, perhaps, a terrifying commentary on modern work culture. Their ‘outtie’ has no idea what it is they really do for eight hours Monday through to Friday. Their ‘innies’ only exist on the office floor and for the sake of understanding, I am reiterating the fact employees willingly have this done.
A season one recap (including spoilers by the way)
The series leading man, Mark S. (Adam Scott) who chose to undergo ‘severance’ to avoid grieving the loss of his wife, has recently been promoted to Macrodata Refinement Chief. His first task is to lead newcomer Helly R (Britt Lower) through her orientation, showing her the ropes, which basically involves sorting numbers based on intuition and how ‘scary’ they appear.
However, things quickly go awry, as a recent ex-employee and Mark’s ‘innie’ bestie Petey (Yul Vazquez) makes contact with Mark's ‘outtie’ after reintegrating his memories, allowing him to recall both his work and personal life - something that was considered impossible. The horrors Mark is enlightened with shatters the idealised concept of his job. Petey highlights the severity of what’s really going on at Lumon and as you can imagine this ruffles a few feathers.
We see the newest microdata miner, Helly, initiated into the programme, from her initial interview outright declaring her optimism for her upcoming procedure to her waking up delirious. She is reluctant to stay from the get go and after numerous failed escape attempts (literally running out of the door), it’s clear she’s going nowhere. Her innie is not adjusting to the mundane, lifeless office where the others stay motivated through earned prizes, AKA, ‘waffle parties’ (who could blame her really).
By episode four, the show's exploration of identity, control and the consequences of ‘severance’ is deepened. We see the toll it's taking on Helly’s innie. Petey, who is agitated with severe hallucinations from the reintegration, is deteriorating fast and as a result dies with Mark by his side. The realisation of the risks tied to both the severance programme and the reintegration process fuels Mark’s determination for more answers.
Helly, who should have adjusted to her new life by now, is still haunted by her decision to join the company, and takes drastic actions to try and revert it. She goes as far as harming herself in the elevator as a means to break the segregation between worlds. To her dismay, this proves unsuccessful. Following her attempt, her continued scepticism compels the others, Irving (an anxious goody two shoes, played by John Turturro) and Dylan (a dedicated employee with a witty perspective on the workplace, played by Zach Cherry) to ponder the state of their own realities.
As things progress, the foursome band together in rebellion against their employer and through investigative endeavours, hatch a plan to override their innies and finally uncover the truth.
We have to talk about that finale
The concluding episode of season one is truly what makes this absurdly brilliant series stand out. The intense episode saw Mark, Helly and Irving (John Turturro) implement their bold strategy to reveal Lumon's corrupt ways via the Overtime Contingency, a device that lets their ‘Innies’ awaken in the outside world. By doing so, they are able to grasp the reality of their lives for the first time. Mark uncovers the truth about his presumed dead wife - Gemma, who is in fact very much stillalive and is herself employed by Lumon. Miss Casey, as she’s known in the office, doesn’t have an outtie and is merely stored when she’s not in use.
As for Helly, her innie is awoken at a company gala celebrating the success of the severance programme and she is the guest of honour. She soon comes to realise her outtie is Helena Egan, the daughter of Lumon CEO, and the next in line for the gig. This is the first time we get a glimpse of who she really is, and unlike her fellow severed colleagues, she is strikingly different from her innie.
Throughout the season we are granted the opportunity to see Mark’s persona both in office and in the outside world, and his ‘outtie’ and ‘innie’ aren’t all that dissimilar. Although Helly fervently declares that severed workers are effectively enslaved in an attempt to expose the grim truth of severance to the gala attendees but before the fallout can unfold, the Overtime Contingency is abruptly deactivated, leaving viewers with an unforgettable cliffhanger as Mark screams, “She’s alive!”
Who will be in season 2?
Thankfully, all of the original cast including Adam Scott, Britt Lower, John Turturro, Patricia Clarkson, and Christopher Walken are set to return. There will be new faces to jazz things up though.
Eight new additions have been announced, including English actress Gwendoline Christie, best known for Game of Thrones and Wednesday. She’ll be joined by Bob Balaban (Waiting for Guffman, The French Dispatch).
Severance season 2 returns on January 17 with eight new episodes that will roll out weekly
